Item: Peppermint Bath Tea
Seller: battysbath

Jamie, the seller behind BattysBath, has some awesome items in her shop!  My favorite is this natural peppermint botanical bath tea, which happens to be vegan.

This bath tea includes peppermint botanicals, soy butter, and Epsom salt.  Interestingly, I have been hearing lots about Epsom salt lately (random).  I was watching a podcast about how great it is and different ways you can use it as a beauty product – think masks, bath soak, etc.

Jamie says in her Etsy item description that Epsom salt is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and when it is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath.  It draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling and bruises and relaxes muscles.  I really want to try incorporating more Epsom salt into my beauty routine!

I heard about Jamie through a shop submission to Etsy Item of the Day.  Jamie says she is a star-gazing, animal-loving, tree-hugging, Halloween obsessed, creative kind of gal.  She is also says she is a small business owner, avid crafter, and fiancé to her soul mate!

Jamie is passionate about creative expression, animal welfare, and psychology.  She’s currently finishing a Bachelors Degree in Psychology with a minor in Visual Arts. She has also studied Fine Art and Animal Care at college.

“As you can see, continuous learning is a force that drives me. You could say I am an information junkie!” Jamie said.  “My favorite creative outlets include (but aren’t limited to) photography, crafts (paper, candle making, etc), printmaking, sculpture and soap making!”

Jamie devotes a lot of time to her  rescue animals.

“I have 3 dogs (my fuzzy babies) and a turtle. They, along with the love of my life, often steal my attention away from other tasks (but I don’t mind),” she told me.

Jamie has some great advice to those who are new to selling on Etsy.com:

“I’ve been around Etsy since 2008 when I opened She’s Batty Designs and I’ve learned a lot since then which resulted in the successful launch of my second shop, Batty’s Bath,” she told me.  “As a newbie around Etsy there can be a lot to learn! I’m still learning and I don’t consider myself a newbie!”

Jamie shared her most helpful tips to help you start off on the right foot around Etsy.com:

1.  Jamie says to keep up to date about what’s going on in the Etsy community.  “This can be easily be done by changing Etsy’s blog and by spending some time in the forums,” she says.  “There is a wealth of information available and if there’s a question to be asked by a newbie, it’s likely already been asked multiple times! Use the forum search to find common topics,” she said.

2.  Jamie’s second tip is to head over to Etsy’s blog and read The Etsy Seller Handbook.  “This resource is not to be missed! Also, once you’re done that read as many articles as you can in the “Selling” section of Etsy’s blog,” Jamie said.

3.  Sellers should space out their new listings.  “The reason for this is because each new listing shows up in multiple areas of Etsy so think of it as promoting on Etsy for only 20 cents. You also don’t want to have all your listings in one spot in the category search. You want people to see you on multiple pages for more exposure. Some of the places new listings show up are the time machine, pounce, and categories,” she said.

I totally agree with this one as a professional Etsy window-shopper!  I am constantly browsing Etsy, and it’s so much better to space out listings.

4.  Jamie thinks sellers should try to post a new listing every day if possible. “If you don’t have something new to list, use the “renew” function to get your item back onto the top of the category searches. Renewing costs the same prices as listing but it’s well worth it in my opinion,” she said.

5.  “Make sure your pictures are STELLAR!” Jamie advises.  “I know you’ve probably read this a thousand times but people say this over and over again for good reasons! Great pictures are more likely to attract buyers to your shop, get your items featured in treasuries, and be featured on blogs. The more exposure you can get the better! If you’re not sure if your pictures make the grade, check out some of the top sellers in your category and see what their pictures look like.  Chances are they are pretty good!”

I completely agree with this one.  I hate to say it, but a bad photo is not appealing to me as a blogger – take the time to learn about what makes a great item photo!  Here are some great tips I found for taking good Etsy photos.

6.  Jamie’s sixth tip is about your target audience.  “Figure out who your target audience is and concentrate your marketing efforts there. Find out where you can your products or shop link in front of this audience. This will help narrow down where and how you should be spending your time,” she says.

7.  “Keep the creativity going!” Jamie says.  “Once you start to build up a customer base, repeat customers are going to be looking for new and exciting items from you often! This is especially true around holidays and gift giving times. Keep them happy by keeping your creative juices following!”

8.  Lastly, Jamie says sellers on Etsy should promote, promote, and then promote some more.  “I spend at least 5 hours a day on the computer doing something business related! I know not everyone has this kind of time but if you’re going to have a successful shop it’s likely that you’re going to have to put a lot of time into it!” she says.   “Figure out ways to promote such as social networking sites and decide which will work best for your business and your schedule.”

Wow – awesome ideas for how to help new and experienced Etsy sellers alike! Looking for more ideas for how to maximize your Etsy shop?  Peep this feature of Rebecca D. Dillon, from SoapDeli on Etsy.  Rebecca shared some really valuable tips with me!

So what’s next for Jamie’s cute Etsy shop?  “I hope to continue to expand my product line and I’m really looking forward to the holidays in 2010 & 2011. I have so many ideas running through my head because I love holidays so much that it’s hard not to start making things for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc!! I can’t wait to pour all the creative energy I have into coming up with unique bath & body goodies for each occasion,” she told me.

You can connect with Jamie on Facebook, Twitter @BattysBath, check out some photos on Flickr , read her cute Etsy shop blog, or visit her on YouTube!

- Jackie