Hobby vs. Craft Business
>Ok, I’m actually looking for a little bit of help/advice from all you great crafters out there. Here’s my dilemma.
I’ve been going by the name Creative Crochet for 7+ years. I ran my ebay shop by this name first, then transitioned it to my blog, and now my etsy shop. Here’s where my dilemma comes in. I decided, if I’m really going to transition this from a hobby to a business, then I should register myself as a business. So, I did an internet search. HOLY COW!!! Do you know how many people use the phrase/name “Creative Crochet?” That was all I needed to make me realize I needed to start fresh. I’d never be found through the pages and pages of them. After much deliberation, and no insight of my own, I think I might go with hubbies idea.
Here’s where I’m looking for advice. Etsy recommends that your userid match your shop name. Do you think it really matters? If that’s the case I need to open up a new shop. Not a huge ordeal. So far, I’ve only sold 12 items and I only have 20 listed in my shop. But does it matter? Is it worth it?
I’m thinking I’ll leave the blog address the same. I think most have found me either through other blogs or by search engines. But again, should I change? Ok, feel free to give me any advice. I’d love to hear how you do it.
~Kristine
>Personally I like it when the blog address matches the blog name as close as can be. It can be confusing when they differ. Maybe you can go by "Your Name" Creative Crochet. But I don't think it is a big deal folks will find you.
>Thanks. I guess my question is, If I change my blog address, would everyone actually pick up and follow me elsewhere?"
>If you post on this current blog once a week for a month or two reminding people who may not log in very often that you've moved, I think you'd be able to catch the majority of your current followers. I'm facing a similar dilemma, though I'm not in a super big hurry yet. I decided for myself that a brand new name, something incredibly clever that I could trademark, is in order, and I would apply it to a new etsy name, new shop, new email, new blog (wordpress seems to be what amateur blogger users usually "move up" in ranks to for some reason, so you may check that out), etc. That way, if your name is trademarked, you can add soooooo much more! You could slip stitch little wash instruction tags into your items with your brand name, and you'll look super legit!I totally know what's going thru your head cuz I'm thinking it too!!Good luck and let us know if you move to a new blog, I can't live without your stuff in my dashboard!*hugs*J
>Sometimes I think "new" is good as it is a fresh start with a new perspective.