So you’ve set up your first Etsy shop, and sales are coming in nicely. But now you’ve got a new idea for a product and you’re getting the itch to repeat your success. Well, here’s the question you need to ask yourself: Can you seriously manage multiple Etsy shops, and are you up for the challenge?
If the thought of managing multiple Etsy shops stresses you out, then you might not be ready. But if you’re a serial entrepreneur that wants to generate more revenue on Etsy, then what are you waiting for?
Now, before you jump over to Etsy and hit that “Open my second shop!” button, there’s something you need to know. Running multiple Etsy shops side-by-side isn’t all smooth sailing — in fact, it can be more than double the amount of work than managing one.
Here’s our in-depth guide on managing multiple Etsy shops.
Why should I set up multiple Etsy shops?
You use honey to attract bees (yeah, we’re dropping some hard bee facts). Well, managing multiple Etsy shops is kind of like using a different type of honey to attract more bees.
If you have two different types of Etsy products that are unrelated in nature (say, you sell both physical and digital goods), then opening two Etsy shops may be a good idea – more on these concepts later!
The point is this: Operating two Etsy shops is most beneficial when your fulfillment method or niche is entirely different.
How many Etsy shops can you have?
More than two. There is no limit to the number of Etsy shops you can open. That said, don’t rush out and open 17 brand new Etsy accounts before reading the rest of this article!
What are the benefits of multiple Etsy shops?
The main benefit of operating multiple Etsy shops is that you can boost your sales by selling to multiple target audiences.
Here’s how:
You can market to the right buyer
As we mentioned earlier in this article, operating two Etsy shops is ideal if your products vary, or if your fulfillment method is different. This means you can communicate each product and brand’s value propositions more clearly and accurately.
If you run a successful business selling handmade leather goods for bikers, you might realize over time that you’d like to branch out into more products. And well, an Etsy shop named “Jim’s Motorcycle Gear” probably isn’t going to find much success in selling women’s lingerie.
That’s because the name of your shop, your business’s overall brand, and the variety of your listings probably aren’t going to mesh very well with the same buyers.
If they do, then you may have just struck Etsy gold! But chances are, they won’t.
Well, running separate Etsy shops gives you an opportunity to narrow down and market to the right buyer.
Different fulfillment methods
Running two Etsy shops is a good idea if you want to offer two different fulfillment methods for your customers.
Now, we’re not saying that you should have one shop offering express delivery and another offering standard delivery. Rather, two different Etsy shops could be a good idea if you want to sell digital products and physical products.
There’s generally a lot less friction in selling digital products, as there’s no waiting for delivery and that delivery is instant. Therefore, how you attract customers can be entirely different, and those customers can come from all over the world.
You probably wouldn’t use Etsy to sell bulky handmade furniture to the other side of the planet (unless your buyer pays for delivery). But you certainly wouldn’t let your geographic location limit the sales of your digital prints.
Two separate Etsy shops help you separate and fine-tune your fulfillment methods for two very different products.
What to consider before you decide to manage multiple Etsy shops
Before diving deep into setting up two different Etsy shops, consider the following:
How to open a second Ety shop
First, you’ll need to log out from your existing Etsy shop to set up a second one.
Next, you’ll need to create a new shop using a different email address (keep reading for a “hack” on this). Once you’ve done this, simply follow the on-screen steps to open a second Etsy shop.
It’s worth noting that there’s nothing in the Seller Dashboard or “backend” of Etsy that will tie your two accounts together. You’re simply managing two stand-alone stores that have nothing in common.
Quick tips for managing multiple Etsy shops
Here’s a short list of things to remember when running two Etsy shops:
- Don’t “copy” your first shop. Two different sources to buy the same product (on Etsy) won’t double your chances for success.
- Ensure all listings are unique. Again, you don’t need to copy your first Etsy shop or anyone else’s Etsy shop for that matter.
- Follow Etsy’s Seller policy on both shops. Pay close attention to Etsy’s House Rules. You don’t want to do anything that will cause one of your shops to get shut down.
- Mention your second Etsy shop in your account profile. If your current customers love one product, they might love the other product in your new shop. Point them in the right direction by linking to your other shop.
- You can use the same credit card and bank details over both accounts with Etsy Payments.
Let’s expand on a few additional points about managing two Etsy shops.
How to connect multiple Etsy shops to Marmalead
If you decide you’re ready to manage multiple Etsy shops, you’ll need to connect each new shop to Marmalead. All you need to do to connect multiple Etsy shops to Marmalead is follow these simple steps:
- In your Marmalead dashboard, click on your shop icon in the top right of the window.
- Select ‘Manage Shops.’
- Select ‘Connect Another Etsy Shop’
- Marmalead will then redirect you to Etsy, where you may need to log in to the current Etsy shop you want to connect.
- On Etsy, select ‘Allow Access.’
- Your new shop will now be displayed under ‘Your Shops’ in Marmalead.
- To switch between shops in Marmalead, simply click on your shop icon in the top right of the window, where each of your connected shops will be displayed.
It’s so easy you could even do it while holding a baby (at least, our co-founder Richie did).
Not using Marmalead yet? If you’re planning to operate more than one Etsy shop, you’ll need the Etsy keyword tool that helps generate 7 times more revenue than the average Etsy seller.
Error connecting multiple Etsy shops to Marmalead?
If you see this error message (pictured below) when you try to connect your Etsy shop to Marmalead, it means that your Etsy shop has been connected to another Marmalead account before.
You’ll need to disconnect your Etsy shop from your other account first if you want to link it to your new one. If you don’t recall having an old account with Marmalead, contact us for help!
Shop management 101
With a second Etsy shop, you’ll now be doing twice the work. That might be a good thing if you like to remain busy. Or that might be a bad thing if you’re easily overwhelmed.
Remember that you’ve now got to manage two Etsy shops with individual sales and two unique inventories; handle questions and complaints from two sources, and market and promote two shops while ensuring both businesses abide by Etsy’s seller guidelines.
It’s important you don’t underestimate the time and effort required for this!
Manual uploads
You’ll need to upload all your products individually.
If you want to sell the same product in two different Etsy shops (not a good idea by the way), you’ll need to upload them individually.
Use two separate (but the same) email addresses
Each Etsy shop needs a unique email address; you can’t use the same for both.
Let’s say the email address of your first Etsy shop is [shopname]@gmail.com. And you open your second Etsy shop using a new email address, like [newshopname]@gmail.com. Well, you’re probably going to have an incredibly difficult time managing two different email accounts.
If this isn’t to your liking, simply auto-forward all emails from your new email address to your main one. That way, you’ll no longer need to check two inboxes.
Here’s how to do this with Gmail.
You’ll spend more money while making more money
Etsy fees add up. And with two shops, you’ll incur twice the amount of fees. Listing fees, payment fees, and transaction fees. They’ll all be doubled. Which in your case is technically a good thing. Because that means your sales will be doubled as well (remember, you only pay payment and transaction fees when you actually sell something).
And as long as you’re pricing your Etsy products with these fees in mind, your bank account will thank you.
You’ll be more error-prone.
With your workload doubled, your fees doubled, and your earning potential doubled, you’ll have a lot more work – and a lot more work may lead to more errors.
You are only human, and you’re only one human, so be aware.
Use the mobile app for conversations.
Using the “Sell on Etsy” mobile app, you can set up two Etsy shops and easily manage your conversations with customers over both of them. You’ll also get notified when someone favorites one of your products — Bonus!
Nothing is automated
You’ll still need to do everything manually. Upload products, manage sales and customers, fulfill orders, and so on. There’s a lot of software to help you manage your inventory in both Etsy shops. However, these products often come with a steep learning curve. It might be worth it, but that’s up to you.
That said, they can help save you some headaches while also helping you sell more.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, managing multiple Etsy shops has many pros (as well as many cons). Take some time to ensure you’re aware of all the advantages and pitfalls of running two Etsy shops before you decide to go all in.
