How to Start Your Etsy Shop in 2025
By: Ashley
Date: April 10, 2025
Etsy. We’ve all heard of it. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t be here wondering if you should open an Etsy shop. I’m here to say that I’ve opened one, and I’ll walk you through the steps to help you decide if this is the right move for you. Whether you’re looking to sell digital products, handmade goods, or something totally unique, Etsy is still one of the best platforms to start your creative business or side hustle.
So why Etsy?
Honestly, I chose Etsy because it felt like the easiest platform to get started on. Plus, it’s the one where I saw the most YouTube “how-to” guides.
There are other websites where you can sell your products, and depending on what you’re selling, you should look into multiple options. That way, you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket, and you have the chance to grow faster with multiple streams of possible income.
I started my Etsy shop in 2023. It wasn’t a big shop then, and to be honest, it still isn’t now. That’s mostly because I’m a college student, and I haven’t had the time to give it my full attention.
Right now, I average about one sale a month. I know that’s not a lot, but again, I haven’t been putting much time or effort into it. Once I graduate in May, I plan to spend more time growing my side hustles, including my Etsy brand.
So I’m not saying you’ll make zero dollars, but I’m also not going to promise you’ll be rich overnight. You can absolutely make a decent monthly income on Etsy if you put in a few hours a day or even a few hours a week focusing on your shop and audience.
What You Need to Start an Etsy Shop?
It used to be that you could start an Etsy shop with no money, but that changed with new policies in 2024. Now, you’ll need no more than about $30 to get started. Some people report it costing between $15 and $29, but it seems to vary by account for some reason.
Here’s a simple list of what you’ll need:
- An Etsy account (you can create one here)
- A product idea (physical or digital)
- Basic branding (shop name, banner, and a logo)
- Payment setup
If you’re already feeling lost or overwhelmed, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through it step by step.
Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: Making an Etsy account.
If you already use Etsy to shop, great. You can use that same account to create your store. Just go to this link and click “Open a shop today.” If you’re logged in, you’re good to go. If not, it will prompt you to log in or create a new account.
You’ll see a screen that tells you how much it will cost to start your shop. Click “Let’s do this!” to move forward. I’ve included screenshots below to guide you. 
Step 2: Going Through the Etsy Startup Questions
Etsy will ask you a few questions about what you plan to sell. These questions are optional, but they can help guide you. They may ask if you’ve sold online before or if you want help with choosing products, pricing, or marketing.
Then you’ll fill out things like: Shop preferences, Your shop name, Stocking your shop, How you’ll get paid, Billing info and Security setup.
Make sure you’re prepared to upload a listing. I usually create a placeholder by using the word “test” in the title and description and uploading a random image just to move forward.
Step 3: Listing mutiple products
If you used my link above or this one right here you’ll get 40 free listings when you open your shop. That saves you $8 right away.
The more listings you have, the better your chances of getting a sale. When creating your listings, focus on good SEO for your titles, descriptions, and tags. SEO stands for search engine optimization. It helps your products show up when people search on Etsy or Google.
Step 4: Sell your first item
Selling your first item is so exciting. It took me about a month or two to get my first sale. That is because I didn’t promote my shop or tell anyone about it. If I could go back, I would tell friends and family and post about it on Facebook. Getting more eyes on your products can make a big difference. Or you can do what I did and wait it out. Some people get sales in a few days, others in a few months. It depends on your product and your promotion.
Tips:
I highly recommend using Canva to create digital products. If you’re a pro with Photoshop, use what works best for you. But if you’re looking for something beginner-friendly, Canva is awesome for creating mockups and product designs.
Check out my blog post on why the free version of Canva is great here and sign up for a free Canva account here.
If you’re searching for a name to use for your Etsy shop, I recommend using Namelix. It’s a free tool that helps generate business name ideas based on keywords and the vibe you’re going for. It’s honestly a fun way to brainstorm if you’re feeling stuck.
You can also try a tool like Erank. It’s the number one site for optimizing your Etsy listings. They even offer a free plan, and it’s a great place to start if you’re new to SEO. You can sign up for Erank here .
Final Thoughts:
If you’re interested in opening an Etsy shop, I say go for it. If you use my referral link, you’ll get 40 free listings, which lets you try Etsy out without having to pay listing fees upfront.
You don’t have to be perfect. Just start and learn as you go. You’ll see tons of guides telling you what to do and what not to do, but honestly, not everything works the same for everyone. The best way to learn is by doing.
You can sign up for your Etsy shop here and check out my shop here.
I wish you all the best in your Etsy journey. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission or bonus at no extra cost to you.