For the second consecutive year, the Kentucky Arts Council is offering the Etsy Craft Entrepreneurship program in eastern Kentucky, this time in Johnson County, for art and craft entrepreneurs and other makers who are interested in selling their work online.
Etsy, whose 1.7 million active sellers reported $2.39 billion in gross merchandise sales in 2015, is an online marketplace where people around the world buy and sell unique goods.
Craft Entrepreneurship is a program that equips people with the knowledge and skills to start Etsy businesses and earn extra income through their craft.
The four-session Craft Entrepreneurship series will be at Johnson County Public Library, 444 Main St. in Paintsville. Sessions, topics and times include:
Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Lessons 1 and 2: Becoming an Entrepreneur; Building and Marketing a Craft Brand
Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Lesson 3: Product Photography
Sept. 24, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Lessons 4 and 5: Pricing and Shipping; Strategies for Growth
Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to noon – Shop Critique Workshop
Class size is limited to 12 people, with Johnson County residents receiving first priority in registration.
Johnson County hosted a one-night Introduction to Etsy workshop last year, and Christy Terry, the library’s program director, said it stoked enough interest to warrant hosting the more in-depth training program.
“The people who took the introductory class last year do want to learn more. It’s hard in a single session to ask questions unless you already have experience,” Terry said. “With this more focused training, participants can go to the sessions, go home and work on their Etsy online store and come back the next week with questions.”
Using Etsy as a learning lab, students will learn the basics of starting an online business. They are guided through the process of opening their Etsy shop and listing their products by Jennifer Reis, a veteran Etsy seller and trainer.
“One thing I point out to emerging artists and artisans is that for a very small amount of money, Etsy provides tremendous exposure to a global audience,” Reis said. “I’ve also benefited by building a network of people who are aware of and enjoy my work.”
This training opportunity is one way the arts council is addressing recommendations made in the Kentucky Creative Industry Report, released in December 2014.
The report recommendations include expanding targeted business services and workshops for the creative entrepreneur; educating and supporting artists and creative enterprises in effective use of mobile apps, social media and the Internet; and assisting artists and creative entrepreneurs in marketing art through traditional and alternative means.
People interested in participating should have valid email addresses. To register for the course, contact Terry at Johnson County Public Library, 606-789-4355.
For more information about the Johnson County program or about bringing Etsy Craft Entrepreneurship to your community, contact Emily B. Moses, arts council creative industry manager, at emilyb.moses@ky.gov or 502-564-3757 ext. 472.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, fosters environments for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. The arts council is celebrating 50 years of service in 2016.
(story provided by Kentucky Arts Council)
