Rounding out our Etsy Success series (is the month really over already?!) is Catherine Campbell, a talented illustrator and all-round maker of top notch art & craft. Finding time to keep creating when you've got a fab online store to run can be a challenge, but Catherine's passed the test with flying colours - so to give our ambitious frankie friends a hand, we've picked her brain for e-vending tips.



Tell us a little about yourself and what you sell. My name is Catherine Campbell and I'm an illustrator based in Melbourne. I sell prints of my illustrations alongside original drawings and embroidered artwork, gift cards, calendars and other paper goods.

What was the process for starting your business? I started my first blog in 2006 and found Etsy from reading other art and craft blogs. I signed up to open my shop and remember being very excited at the possibility of selling my work online - however, my business started slowly as it was almost a year later that I actually listed something for sale. I spent the last part of 2006 working on a series of illustrations for an exhibition and it was prints of these illustrations that were my first products. By early 2007 I had a series of prints in my shop and was maintaining my blog consistently, then to my surprise my work started to get mentioned on some popular art and design blogs. This helped people find me on Etsy and really got the ball rolling for my business.

How long has it been running? Since early 2007.



What's the best thing about managing an online business? The best thing is that I can start work in my pajamas if I want to! Etsy has made running an online business very accessible and it is incredibly satisfying to be able to build my business from the things I create. When I think of all the people and places around the world that I have sent my drawings to, it makes me really happy.

What have you learnt about running a successful Etsy store? I have learnt that you get out what you put in. You have to work hard and learn how to do a lot of things well - these things are often unrelated to the lovely quiet world of art making. You have to be the maker, the manager, the photographer, the administrator, the customer service person, the publicist, the accountant, and the parcel packer – sometimes all in the same day!



Have there been any hiccups along the way? There have been general hiccups when things get lost in the mail or don't arrive on time, however Etsy have provided a great site that makes the process of selling and communicating with your customers very easy.

Running a creative business can have its own unique hiccups as sometimes I need to step away from the business side of things and concentrate on making new artwork. This can be a bit of a balancing act because I can't just shut up shop and ignore all emails whenever I feel like spending a week undisturbed in the studio. It all comes down to being organised - time is precious, especially if you want a life outside of making things and selling things. Becoming a more organised person has been a slow but beneficial learning curve for me.

Do you have any tips for someone starting an online business of their own? Do it now, don't think about it too much at first or you might get overwhelmed. You might think you need money, great photography skills, a fancy website, or lots of social media contacts, but you don't - the secret is to just start. You will learn what you need along the way. It's a good idea to tell the universe your intentions, be nice and try to always remember that you are doing what you love to do - stay true to this and people will find you.

To see more of Catherine's goodies, pop to her Etsy store.