OneStopGiftShop

Your name or Shopid *	OneStopGiftShop
How long did it take you to become a proseller? *	6-12 months
What advice can you give to someone who wants to become a proseller? *
To sum it up in one word.......PATIENCE!! (But I see I must use atleast 30 words so I will keep on ;)....) If you don't have patience you won't get very far. This is still my personal struggle. Some days I have no patience for this but I re-group and keep on keeping on. Offer a variety of designs on a variety of products. The more designs (good designs) you have the better your chance of becoming a "pro". The more products you offer, the better chance of becoming a pro. Don't think of yourself as the buyer. Think of what someone else may want. If you only offer that cute little doggy design on a mug you are missing out. Someone else may want that cute little doggy on a key chain for their daughter. A very important thing- don't be afraid to jack up your prices. Just because YOU wouldn't pay $25 for a t-shirt that features a frog doesn't mean someone else wouldn't. People will pay that much for something they WANT. They may have a family member that collects frog items and your frog t-shirt just may be the one thing they need to complete their collection so they're willing to pay the price. Don't be afraid of asking questions!! This was a toughy for me when I first starting selling on PODS because I was afraid someone would think I was crazy for asking such a simple question. BUT, we all started from the beginning. NONE of us knew exactly what to do when we started. We had to learn and there's nothing wrong with learning! And I can't forget- DEDICATION! You have to treat this like a "real job". You have to spend time making quality products that people will want to buy. You have to put your all in to it to make it to Pro.......well at least that's what I have had to do. THIS IS MY JOB!! A full time job. This is MY only income (not counting my husbands). So I have to "pretend" I am sitting behind a desk at a "real job" and do my best. Oh and how can I forget about the all important SEO! Make sure you have detailed descriptions describing your design. I always add the word "gift" in there somewhere ;) Because people are always looking for "gifts" for loved ones.
How many stores do you have? *	5-10
What benefits do you see for choosing this number of stores? and what do you recommend for others who are just starting out on whether to choose 1 store or multiple stores? *
I started off with 1 store and now have (I think) 7 or 8. When I first started at Zazzle I made 1 store that offers a variety of design themes. Those sections started getting more and more sales and just grew. I decided it was easier to make more niche stores because it was easier to advertise those. I can now decide which store I want to use as my signature on different forums. If I am on a photography forum I use my photography store. If I want to advertise to my teacher friends I can send them to my school themed store. I find it easier to blog for separate stores. It is tougher trying to keep up with more stores but I have found it easier to advertise in the long run. So I would recommend starting off with store. Once you see what section is going to take off, then I'd open a 2nd store for that niche. I have some sections that I wouldn't even try to make a full store out of. It just wouldn't be worth my time. But you will have to find your own "groove" and figure out what works best for YOU!!
What types of advertising do you do? *	Blogs (blogspot, wordpress, etc.) Microblogs (twitter, plurk, etc.) SNS (facebook, myspace, etc.) Handouts (flyers, stickers, business cards, etc.) Forums (groups, messege boards, etc.) Other Free
What types of advertising do you recommend for someone just starting out and why? *
Word of mouth!! I think I get more sales just by talking to family and friends about what I do. They then pass the word along to their friends, and then them to their friends. I have gottin a lot of bulk orders for our school, youth leagues, and day cares in my hometown because of word of mouth. Other than that I leave business cards everywhere!! Leave them on the table with your tip. Leave business cards in library books that you return. Use the community bulletin bulletin boards hanging in your town. When traveling leave them in restrooms, restaurants, community boards, etc. I also have a "page" on Facebook. I have "friends" that I have no idea who they are. They seen their "friend" "like" my page so they "liked" it too. Blog- something I seriously need to do more. Search engines DO find your blogs! Just don't be lazy (like me) about it ;)
Not talking dollar wise, just volume & frequency of sales do you... (select all that apply, some answer may be contradictory based on seasonal sales) *	sell more then 5 products per day most days sell multiple items per purchase most sales have 1 shopper pruchase over 25 items in 1 purchase at least once per month sell a lot of lower priced items like postcards and buttons sell a lot of mid priced items like tshirt and necklaces sell a good mix of all items regardless of price do well April-June do well October-December
What product in your store are you most proud of or what product in your store is your favorite? Include link to product page and why it is your favorite. *	I am proud of everything in my shop ;) Not that they're all great (some aren't even good) but as long as customers like them and buy, I am proud!!
List your stores: *	http://www.zazzle.com/onestopgiftshop