What is an Etsy Team?

If it wasn’t for Etsy teams I would have given up my business long ago. When I first joined Etsy as a seller I became a member of a newbie Etsy team and despite it being a bit like the blind leading the blind, the support network was incredible.

I’ve never known a community like the one of Etsy sellers and small businesses. Those who are essentially competitors lifting each other up and spurring them on.

A few years ago I took the opportunity to take over leadership of our local Leeds Etsy team and I now captain it alongside one of the greatest gals I’ve met in biz, Laura from Oh Laura.

So what is an Etsy team? Simply a group of Etsy sellers with a common interest. Each team is different, so I’ll just tell you a little bit about our team, Etsy Team Leeds.

We meet up once a month in person where we chat, share tips and advice and have a cuppa or a beer. It’s a great opportunity for those that work alone to see other people and it’s also so important to spend time with people who understand what you do.

For the rest of the month we hang out on our Facebook group, celebrating little goals, having a whinge and generally offering support to each other. There’s so much to learn when running a small business that having team members just helps to lighten the load a little.

Being captain doesn’t really mean we’re in charge or that we know everything there is to know about Etsy, though! Myself and Laura are very experienced and seasoned Etsy sellers, but there is always more to learn! Our role is to organise our meet ups, keep everyone happy and friendly in the group and take the lead of opportunities like Etsy Made Local’s Christmas markets. Myself and Laura like to keep clued up on anything new in the world of small businesses so we can guide and support as best we can, but the main part of being a team is the community aspect.

As a captain (or co-captain) of a local team (ie one from a certain city or country) we also get the opportunity to have a direct line to the Etsy admin staff and that relationship benefits both sellers and Etsy as we share insight, advice and experiences together to make Etsy the greatest it can be.

Etsy admin organise an annual UK Captain’s Summit where a representative from each local team is invited to spend the weekend with other local team members and the Etsy admin staff to network, learn and grow. There’s also an EU Captain’s Summit where a select few of our UK teams get invited each year. I was lucky enough to go to Paris a few years ago! It’s a great opportunity for us to pass on some of our team’s concerns or get an explanation of a new feature in person so we can report back. The most valuable part of the summit, though, is getting to chat to other team captains about the way they motivate their teams and their personal roads to success.

If you’re an Etsy seller I can’t recommend enough for you to join your local Etsy team… and if you’re an Etsy seller in the Leeds area – come hang with us! You can join our team, here.

Got any questions? Ask me in the comments below or I’m always hanging out on social media!