Jo Whitehead, a handmade crafter selling items on Folksy, submitted her thoughts on running an arts business to the HandmadeMarketing.org team.

“All self help books have magic number tips such as 10 good tips, 7 bad tips (how not to do something) and 3 rules to live by!” Jo wrote.  “So, in the spirit of the self help book here are my top 10 tips to starting a successful arts business.“

1. Carpe diem! In the words of Los Campesinos, If it seems like a good idea then it IS a good idea. Start researching how you can turn your art into a business. Get some good business advice from your local Business Link or visit a business consultant.

2. Be honest with yourself. Do you have a product that people will want to buy or are you making art for yourself? a lot of people say they love your work but would they be willing to part with their money to prove this?

3. Be willing to put in the hours. Being self employed is great, you can work when you want and there’s no-one else to tell you what to do. Actually, being self employed can be very lonely and more demanding than working 9 to 5. Are you willing to stay late, burning the midnight oil when everyone else is at the pub?

4. Know your sums. Calculate the cost of everything you make, including your hourly rate and then work out your profit. Don’t forget to work out your overheads and running costs. Keep accurate records and, if you are not hot with figures, go on a book keeping course. Try and live by the expression “look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”

5. Know Your Competition. Find out what everyone else is doing – look at their strengths and weaknesses, find out how they market their art, compare their pricing and look at how you can improve your business on THEIR performance.

6. Know Your Customer. Who will your potential customers be? Who will you appeal to? Where do they buy their art? What kinds of galleries/shops do they go to? What are they willing to pay?

7. Have a sure-fire Business Plan. Business plans are boring but, if you need to borrow money or to further your business, then you will need one. And you should WANT one too – a business plan can help you plan for the future, work out the direction you want to take your business in and identify all your strengths and weaknesses. (I will be blogging about business plans soon).

8. Organize. This means sort out your studio and make it an efficient place to work. Sort out your schedule – learn to prioritise your time so that you are not wasting time gazing at art on the internet instead of making it.

9. Networking. It’s all very romantic starving in a garret but sometimes you have to come out and meet people. You can network with Twitter and Facebook (easy) but you also need to talk to real people about your work. Visiting galleries and exhibitions is a great way to network – you are your art’s ambassador.

10. My Year in Lists. Make lists. Set targets. Stick to them. Lists give you a raison d’etre, goals to work toward. Lists include Your Strengths/Weaknesses, Mailing Lists, List of Tasks, Shopping Lists.

What do you think of Jo’s thoughts?  Which tip sticks out the most to you?  Why?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

Etsy seller and blogger Bobbie, from the shop avisiontoremember and the blog Iamonly1woman, recently published a post titled “Essentials for Etsy Selling Success and a Gardening Analogy.”  Bobbie was kind enough to share her thoughts with the HandmadeMarketing.org team:

“Selling online for me is like growing a garden,” Bobbie writes.  “Get the seeds (your product, your time that you devote to selling, your links to your shop and other places online, advertising, etc). You don’t want to just plant potatoes in your garden, then you won’t get a good variety but also what happens if that potato seed is not good. You won’t have anything grown.”

After you have your “seeds” ready to go, Bobbie says the next step is to plant them.

“I like to plant my garden in a nice row, with all the different seeds planted in their own row or place,” she writes.  “I don’t just throw the seeds around and hope they grow. Some seeds need to be planted deep in the ground, others can be barely under the surface. Planting your seeds is like setting up your shop and starting to link to your Etsy shop.”

After planting the seeds, Bobbie says it takes a lot of work, energy, and care to produce a result.  “You can’t just walk away from the garden and come back in the morning and have a ton of produce for you to enjoy,” she tells other Etsy sellers.

For her own garden, Bobbie said she has to water several times a week, fertilize it, remove the weeds, protect it from the elements.

“This can all be likened to continuing adding items to your shop, taking out the items that are not helping your Etsy shop, promoting your items so they don’t get lost among everyone’s stuff out there,” she writes in her blog post.  “Then, after a ton of work and effort, you will start to see the fruits of your labor.“

Bobbie tells us she has been working hard on her Etsy shop for over a year, and is just now seeing her hard work being rewarded. In fact, she now has so much to enjoy, she is focused on preserving what she can.

“I am preserving whatever I can from the garden by canning the tomatoes, making salsa, digging the potatoes and storing them properly, and on and on,” she writes.  “That way, I can enjoy all that hard work during the next year. Same thing with my shop. I still have to maintain it. I need to preserve the hard work that I have put into it so that all that work does not go to waste.”

Bobbie cautions other handmade sellers to remember that not all the produce will mature at the same time.

“I canned beans several months ago, the corn about a month ago, but am now taking care of the onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. Different parts of your shop/garden start to reward you at different times,” she says.  “That has helped me keep going to start seeing my hard work actually produce something.“

Having a hard time with your Etsy garden?  Bobbie shared helpful tips for Etsy sellers in another HandmadeMarketing.org article “Etsy Checklist – Tips to Sell More.“

What do you think of Bobbie’s thoughts?  What helps you grow your Etsy garden?  If you are new to Etsy, what are your challenges right now?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

Etsy seller and blogger Bobbie, from the shop avisiontoremember and the blog Iamonly1woman, recently published a post titled “Essentials for Etsy Selling Success and a Gardening Analogy.”

In a previous article on HandmadeMarketing.org, Bobbie shared that building a successful shop on Etsy.com is similar to starting, maintaining, and benefiting from a garden.  She was kind enough to share her tips for sellers looking to have more success selling their handmade items on Etsy.  Take a look at Bobbie’s 10-item checklist to see if you can improve your success on Etsy:

1. Sell a Winning Product. “Have a product that people want,” Bobbie suggests.  “This is the most important thing in selling anything. You need to have something others want. Maybe it is a piece of jewelry that is very unique.  Maybe it is something that is for men (because we all know that the handmade business has not focused on men).“

2. Photos, Photos, Photos. Bobbie advises Etsy sellers to take great pictures of their handmade items.  “Photos are by far my weakest thing. Blankets/car seat tents are very large and are hard to photograph and get the details without loosing what the item is. I really struggle with the photographs. I do however keep learning and keep trying. I have a point and shoot camera. Nothing fancy. It works. It takes decent photos.“  To see her before and after photos, visit her blog.  To get wonderful tips from sellers who pride themselves on outstanding item photos, visit the HandmadeMarketing.org Etsy Photography Tips article list.

3. List Items Often. “Get as many items in your Etsy shop as possible,” Bobbie tells others.  “I found that once I hit 50-60 items sales really started to do better. Then once I hit 100 I did even better. I am nearing 200 and I assure you that more is definitely better.“

4. Tag Your Items Correctly. Bobbie tells sellers how important it is to tag items correctly.  “If you don’t tag your items with the right keywords then people will not be able to find you. If you are wondering what the best keywords might be search Etsy for other similar items, or you can also use this Google keyword tool.”

5. Learn About SEO. Bobbie says Etsy sellers should take the time to learn the basics of SEO (search engine optimization).  “I have searched the Etsy Forums for SEO and have learned a ton. I attribute most of my success to learning the basics of SEO and implementing them. It works,” she says.  The HandmadeMarketing.org team recommends sellers take a peek at an article by James Dillehay, from craftermarketer.com, who shared his thoughts on how crafters can utilize search engine optimization best practices to increase sales online.  See the article here “Tips from a Pro – Improve Your Etsy Shop SEO” and comment with your SEO tips.

6. Network. “I read often in the Etsy forums of people that are not having any success and there are a few common denominators: they are not networking, or if they are networking they are not networking appropriately,” Bobbie tells other crafters.  “This topic kinda goes along with the SEO thing. The more links you have out there in the World Wide Web, the more chances you have of Google and other search engines of finding you. So place your links appropriately, don’t just throw them haphazardly around.“

7. Embrace Social Media. Bobbie tells Etsy sellers to start a Facebook fan page, begin tweeting, and create a blog. HandmadeMarketing.org readers have provided great tips for using social media for your Etsy shop, as well as advice for new and veteran bloggers alike.

8. Network Outside the Box. No one says you have to stay within the networking box.  “Try other networking places,” Bobbie suggests.  “I like theblogfrog.com, Martha Stewart groups, yahoo groups, etsy teams, and many more.“

9. Continue to Improve. “Again, it is a work in progress,” Bobbie says.  “There will never be a time that you can just sit back and watch the money roll in without much effort. Those stories are to go to be true. Your success will come after a lot of hard work.“

10. Start Now! “No time is better than the present to get going on it,” she reminds Etsy sellers.  “Remember that this will all take time. It will not happen overnight so the sooner you put in the time the sooner you will be seeing the rewards come in.”

If you would like to read more of Bobbie’s thoughts, check out her HandmadeMarketing.org article “Gardening Analogy – Essentials for Etsy.“

If your handmade items aren’t selling as well as you would like them to, consider looking to those who are succeeding.  Brooke Spears, from Etsy.com’s BrookesBotanicals, suggests a simple way to learn from the best:

“Spend some time (days if need be) looking at every detail of some of Etsy’s top sellers,” Brooke recommends.  “Benchmark Benchmark, BENCHMARK.  When you’re falling short you need to be aware of what others are doing to get ahead. Notice how they describe their items, how they layout that description and how they incorporate personal items like jokes or stories. By doing this you’re creating a personal relationship with your potential buyer and bringing them into your world.“

Looking for more inspiration for sprucing up your shop?  Take a peek at these past articles from sellers with great experience in the handmade world:

Top Ten – Ten Ways to Sell More Handmade

Selling Handmade Online – 3 Tips to Success

Etsy Pricing Matters – Marketing Using Pricepoints

Sell Handmade Online – 12 Ways to Improve Your Shop

Do you have some sales tips of your own?  What would you tell another seller struggling to make their first sale online?  Which shops do you look to in order to get inspiration?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

London, UK – 1 December 2010 – The latest issue of UK Handmade Magazine for the winter season is now released, packed full of interviews from UK based designers, Scandinavian inspired articles and treats as well as a wealth of useful business articles, events, tutorials and reviews.

UK Handmade are excited to bring you an exclusive interview with Denny of Denny & Dazzle as featured on Mary Queen of Shops, where we get an insight into the show.

Scandinavian design is a big inspiration for Christmas and Tina and Heidi Burton recall their childhood memories of Christmas in their Mother’s native Finland. Learn how to make stollen and read about Scandinavian inspired print-maker Dee Beale.

Real or fake? Find out the truth about eco-friendly Christmas trees with advice from My Zero Waste and Trees For Rent. Decorate your tree with child friendly pinecone decorations and mouthwatering Christmas cookies.

Surface Pattern Design is big news and UK Handmade brings you ideas on how to decorate you home as well an interview with professional Illustrator Rachael Taylor and a review of the excellent Print & Pattern by Marie Perkins aka Bowie Style.

UK Handmade magazine is a zero carbon footprint digital magazine, published quarterly. It can be accessed here: http://ukhandmade.co.uk

Artists, designers and makers can join UK Handmade at: http://ukhandmade.ning.com

The UK Handmade blog can be read here: http://ukhandmade.blogspot.com/

About UK Handmade

UK Handmade was founded by a small group of designers in 2008, directed by Karen Jinks, Illustrator and Designer. UK Handmade produces an online magazine offering the latest news and events in the industry, as well as lifestyle articles and features on UK based artists, designers and makers.

As well as being a key resource for small handmade businesses, UK Handmade also offers community support with many of the articles featured in the magazine and on the blog being contributed by the members themselves.

Do you use UK Handmade as a resource for your handmade business?  What do you think of the winter edition?  Do you have resources to share with other sellers?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

Michael Bloch, online marketing guru from Taming the Beast, says that if you’re not using coupons in your marketing mix, you’re definitely leaving money on the table.

“While coupons have always been popular with people, they are even more so now given the tough economic times we’ve been experiencing,” he writes in a recent post.  “The availability of a coupon can really make or break a sale.  Aside from the money saving aspect, people enjoy the feeling of gaining a bargain and being treated as special – it’s part of the thrill of the hunt of online shopping as much as any financial benefit.“

Luckily, Etsy.com released an easy-to-use coupon code feature which allows Etsy sellers to offer coupons to handmade shoppers.  Creating coupon codes are easy – check out Etsy’s steps below:

To create a coupon code:

1. Go to Your Etsy > Coupon Codes (under Promote in the sidebar).

2. Click the Create New Coupon button.

3. Create a 5-20 character alpha-numeric code. Each code for your shop must be unique.

4. Set the percentage of the discount. This will be the percent amount deducted from the shopper’s total for their purchase in your shop when they use the code.

5. Set the status as active or inactive.

6. Click Add Coupon to create the coupon code.

After making your code, here are some tips Michael Bloch gives online sellers:

1.  Raise Prices. Bloch tells sellers they may want to consider a standard price increase.  “If your margins are already tight, consider upping your prices as a trial in combination with an intensive coupon offer. This might sound a little odd, but the success lies in the implementation and getting the coupons out there, which I’ll discuss further below. If this feels a little too risky, trial it just with a couple of items,” he writes.

2.  Offer a Coupon Sign-up. Here is where those selling outside of Etsy (or sellers with a great social media following) may really benefit.  “If you make it very clear on your site coupons are available, many people will happily give you their email address in order to gain a coupon code,” he writes. One way to implement this tip using your social media presence is to create a newsletter sign-up where you email the coupon code, or possibly direct message the coupon code on Twitter to new followers.

3.  Set Expiry Dates. “Like any form of marketing, a call to action is needed sometimes in order to get people to purchase. It’s ok to have an open ended coupon with no expiry, but for added punch, perhaps send out those who have those coupons a better coupon deal that expires on X date,” Bloch writes.  Luckily, Etsy makes this part easy with a click of a button to turn a code to an “inactive” state.  On Etsy, if you delete a coupon code, you cannot re-use the same coupon code in the future.

4.  Use Memorable Codes. Rather than use an obscure number (like 56YYUV8), try using something memorable.  Plus, this may increase the chances of the coupon code reaching others via word of mouth.  “Use terms like MAYSPECIAL or SAVE25BUCKS,” Bloch recommends.  “There’s also a psychological element in doing this – it’s a reminder to people of the offer, e.g how much you can save or how long the offer is for.”  Just remember that on Etsy.com, seller cannot edit the name or percentage of a code once it has been created – so choose your code name and sale wisely!

5.  Submit to Coupon Sites. “A myriad of coupon sites have sprung up in recent years; some will focus on your sector, others will contain offers from all sorts of merchants. Focus submitting your coupons for listing on some of the industry specific sites first, then on the general directories. These sites are easily found using term such as <industry sector> coupons or coupon site,” he writes.

One of Michael Bloch’s most important tips is to be patient.

“When you use coupons,” he writes, “you’ll also grow to understand how long it can be between click and sale. Especially with high ticket value items, it may not be that you’ll get increased sales straight away; particularly if you’re using coupons without an expiry date, so hang in there for a couple of weeks.”

What are you waiting for? Create your coupon code for your holiday shoppers!  Just remember that a coupon code made on Etsy.com applies to all items listed in your shop; you cannot restrict a code to certain items or sections.  Also, the percentage discount is only applied to the item price, not shipping or sales tax.  Sales tax is calculated based on the discounted item price, not the full item price.

Learn more about creating coupon codes for your Etsy shop here:

“How do I create a coupon code for my shop?”

“Tech Update: Coupon Codes for Your Etsy Shop”

Have you used coupon codes for you Etsy shop?  What tips do you have for a seller who has never used coupon codes before?  How do you make coupon codes a way to interact with customers and not just “another sale”?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or simply comment below.

The folks over at Craft Blog UK are asking handmade sellers one simple question:

How do you use twitter to promote your blog in a more exciting way?

“I just read an article over at problogger that has inspired me to write a new post – thanks to Georgina Laidlaw who wrote the original post,” the post Engage Blog Readers Using Twitter reads. “Georgina talks about how many bloggers are using Twitter in a very mechanical way to just tweet out links or the opening lines of our blog posts. I know I’m guilty of this, so what can we do about it?“

Craft Blog UK argues that because Twitter is changing, maybe it’s time bloggers in the handmade world changed how they tweet about craft blogs to really engage followers and help to spread the word about crafts.

“As craft bloggers, sometimes the kind of techy or corporate advice from problogger and other social media experts can seem very far removed from our friendly crafty blogs,” the post reads.  “However, if you want your blog to be found by others and your handmade products or crafting supplies to sell, then your marketing strategies have to be effective.“

Looking over the advice from Georgina Laidlaw’s problogger post, Craft Blog UK laid out some great ideas to help crafters capitalize by increasing subscribers and traffic to blogs.

1.  Crowd-source Craft Blog Content. Crowdsourcing is the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, to a large group of people or community (aka a crowd), through an open call.  Bloggers can use this idea for their craft blogs in order to increase engagement.

“Georgina talks about asking fellow Tweeters for input into the post you are writing in order to pique their interest,” Craft Blog UK writes in the post.  “Getting people involved in the creation of your blog content will ensure they visit, read and share the final product.  Maybe you could ask tweeters to help you design a piece. You could blog various options over a period of a week, offering pictures of swatches, sketches, stitch types, sizes – by the end of the week your readers will have created the piece for you and will feel like they have learnt about your processes and the decisions and care you take with each piece of your creative work. (and it will have been alot of fun!)“

The post points out another application of this idea.  Try Tweeting for help with creating a Treasury, like a Folksy Friday.

Bloggers can start off with little steps.  “Simply starting up a conversation and asking your followers to help you brainstorm post ideas,” the Craft Blog UK article reads.  This is a great way to engage your audience without giving up too much control over your blog’s content.

2.  Tweet Interesting Comments. “This is a great idea that really doesn’t need much explanation,” the post reads.  “Tweeting readers’ responses is a great way of showing not only that you appreciate the effort that people have taken to comment but also it is a subtle way of inviting comments from more of your social network. Lots of comments doesn’t make a good blog but lots of really interesting comments, discussions and additions to your post does make for a good, engaging read. Tweeting comments will encourage this kind of interaction with your blog posts.”

3.  Competitions Via Twitter. If you are looking for a great way to encourage interaction, try appealing to your readers’ competitive side!

“This is fairly well covered ground in the craft world – we all love a good giveaway!” the Craft Blog UK post reads.  “I used to run ‘giveaway HQ’ on my personal blog and it was so popular, but alot of work keeping it updated as there were so many giveaways being submitted!“

Need an idea for a Twitter competition?  In her problogger post, Georgina Laidlaw recommends setting a quiz for Twitter followers to have to find the answers within your blog posts.

“This is much more fun than the ‘please follow me I’ll have a giveaway when I get to 200 blog followers’ type Tweets,” Craft Blog UK says.  “More like a bloggy treasure hunt. You could still make blog following or subscribing to your mailing list a requirement.”

4.  Converse Around an Event. In per post, Georgina Laidlaw talks about creating events around product launches, which can apply to the craft world.  If a crafting product launch sounds a bit grand, keep reading.

“We really need to celebrate our new designs in this way rather than ‘I listed a new xyz on Folksy‘,” Craft Blog UK says.  “Write posts which discuss how you got to the design, your influences and any snags you came accross. Show sketches and the process along the way, build up to the finished piece rather than simply snapping it once and posting I made this today. You did much more than that!“

Don’t forget to use tags so you can link to your collection of design ideas.  “Schedule a blog post for a time when you think your followers are usually online and let people know that it’s scheduled to go live at 8pm on Sunday evening for example. Remind them about the big reveal through the weekend to really ramp up the excitement and hopefully maximize the Tweets, comments and blog views you will receive. Don’t do this too often!” the post suggests.

How do you tell your Twitter followers about your crafts?  Do you write a craft blog?  What tips do you have for new sellers looking to sell handmade both online and offline?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here.

Handmade seller Joanna, who runs an Etsy.com shop called SkribblyKids, shared her thoughts behind marketing her designs offline with the HandmadeMarketing.org team.

“Recently I’ve decided that I wanted to focus more on wholesaling my greetings cards,” Joanna said.  “I decided to start by local shops in my area, but I needed something to show them.”

Joanna said that after much deliberation, she decided to create a pamphlet to showcase her items.

“I whipped up this snazzy pamphlet,” she said.  “In the pamphlet, I focused on my most popular styles, a few key prices, and a side note letting the buyers know that I can customize.“

Has the pamphlet worked to increase offline sales for Joanna?

“So far it has gotten a good reception,” she told us.  “It’s better than a business card, but less expensive than leaving a bunch of cards with them. I suggest anyone who wants to go wholesale try this method!”

If you want to see Joanna’s pamphlet, check out the photos posted on her blog.  You can also shop SkribblyKids on Etsy – visit this seller’s shop here.

How do you tell people in your community about your Etsy or Artfire shop?  What do you think of Joanna’s pamphlets?  What tips do you have for new sellers looking to sell handmade both online and offline?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here.

HandmadeMarketing.org’s article about Project Wonderful advertising, called “Online Advertising – Project Wonderful“, has received feedback from many handmade sellers.  Recently, one seller from Delaware told us her thoughts:

“Wonderful article and advice by Jean-Marie Buxton!” aquariann said in her comment on the article.  “I started Project Wonderful back in May and promptly raved about all the free advertising opportunities on my “It’s a Project Wonderful Life” blog post. Now that I’ve made a little money in my account from my own PW ad spots, I’ve been experimenting with $1 campaigns and keeping track of them on this Etsy forum thread. I also have about 20 active ads via manual bidding on sites I like that all together only cost about $.03 a day.“

Our team visited this handmade seller’s blog and wanted to share her thoughts with other handmade sellers.  On Monday, May 31, 2010, aquariann wrote an article called It’s a Project Wonderful Life:

“As its website states, “Project Wonderful makes advertising awesome.” All advertising through Project Wonderful is bought and sold using its “Infinite Auction” system. The advertiser that is willing to pay the most for a spot at that exact moment gets it, and only pays for the time to the nearest second that the ad remains in view before another advertiser outbids the first. Pretty neat, hmm?” the handmade seller says.

“After seeing many Project Wonderful ad spots sprinkled throughout my fantasy art and handmade craft web browsing, I’ve decided to try it on my own blog,” she blogs.  “I’ve added one spot to the right hand column, and will add a few more if it gets enough bidding and interest. [Edit: I couldn't resist - I added 3 more spots further down in the same column]The minimum bid is set to $0, so please try it out for free if the space is open! I’ve had a few bids in the first few days of it being active, ranging from $0 to $.02 – and have enjoyed visiting each site. Thanks to the Frog Bag, PhotoJewelryMaking.com and Green Haven Soaps for being my first paying advertisers!“

“Since I’m just starting out in the advertising world, it will probably take months to cash out the $10 minimum, so I plan to use any pennies made to advertise my aquariann Squidoo lens on other Project Wonderful sites. That’ll hopefully give my page enough traffic to boost its lensRank and increase the small amount I make there that funnels into my Willy Wonka Domed Dark Chocolate bar fund,” she tells readers.  “And introduce more people to my fantasy art, of course! Plus, it’s fun (and a bit addictive) – I’ve been discovering all sorts of splendid sites in my own search for open ad spots with a $0 minimum bid. Please comment if you use Project Wonderful so I can explore your site! I’d also appreciate any tips.”

Be sure to visit aquariann on ArtFire and aquariann on Etsy to see this seller’s handmade work!

Do you like to advertise with Project Wonderful?  What results have you seen using PW ads?  Do you have another form of advertising for your Etsy or Artfire shop that works well for you?

Tell us what you think about Project Wonderful and advertising your handmade shop online!  Post your thoughts in a comment, or consider telling us more by writing your own article here.

On September 21, 2010, 1000 Markets announced the handmade marketplace will be acquired by Bonanza.  On their website, Bonanza boost supporters of the site are “shopping with the friendliest social community online, we hope you’ll discover there’s a lot to like about making people relevant again.”

“The acquisition brings together two established and respected names to better serve their customers on a global basis. Bonanza (formerly Bonanzle) is an online marketplace with more than 2 million visitors per month and 3.5 million products listed for sale,” the 1000 Markets announcement read.  “We are excited by the combination of our two companies, which will be completed over the next two weeks.“

1000 Markets will be phased out on September 30, 2010.

“Up until 5 PM Pacific Time on that day,” the 1000 Market announcement explains, “you may continue to purchase from 1000 Markets merchants. As always, your purchases will be conveyed to the individual shop owner and everything will be backed by Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee.”

Here are past HandmadeMarketing.org articles about 1000 Markets:

Lookbooks – Fresh Look at 1000Markets

How To Sell on 1000 Markets – Seller Tips

1000 Markets SEO – Improvements to SEO Increase Sales

Do you currently sell on Bonanza or 1000 Markets?  What do you think of the acquisition?  How will it change how you do business?

Share your thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Post your comments below, or write an article about this acquisition.