I used to sell almost full time several years ago and am just now getting back into it as a hobby.

The two things I wish I’d known when I first started out years ago are:

The amount of “hidden” work is significant. Taking good pictures and editing them, responding to customer inquiries, and going to the post office regularly (because they give you a physical receipt only if you drop it off, and that can be helpful in CYA).

Because there are so many others who are selling basically fungible products, it takes much longer to consistently sell things than you’d think.

Some things to consider:

• Is there anyone who would be able and willing to help you out if you were to become physically unable to fill orders or ship things?

• Are you willing to do the required bookkeeping? If not, how much are you willing to budget for that? The last thing you probably want is a surprise tax bill in the spring.

• How much would it affect your finances if your account were to mistakenly be suspended by Etsy? This happens more often than you’d think and it can take more than a week to rectify.