Guest post from Dezaree of Charmed Memories:
“Life is like a turtle…you don’t get very far unless you stick your neck out.”
And that’s exactly what I did!
My parents home of 20+ years was in trouble. Their property taxes were three years passed due and their home was going to be put up for auction if the $936.00 bill was not paid in full. They had less than one month to pay it.
Due to my mom’s disabilities and my dad’s cancer, they have a very limited disability income. There was no way they could come up with the money in that short amount of time.
My husband and I started saving everything we could in an effort to help them, but I was scared we wouldn’t be able to help enough — after all, we had our own bills to pay too.
I had to get creative…
I made a few little bracelets with crafting stuff I had laying around, hoping I could make $100 to go towards my parent’s bill.
I was hesitant to list them on my Etsy shop… would people actually pay $5 for something so simple? They aren’t my normal work for my shop. Could I really sell enough to matter? I am just waisting my time?
Even though I didn’t think anything would come of it, I “stuck my neck out” and listed the bracelets — along with the story of why I was selling them.
To my surprise, I sold $1,000 worth in just 3 days!
THREE DAYS!
People. Are. Amazing!
I was so shocked and so very grateful! I was able to pay my parents bill in full just from the sales of this simple little bracelet!
My parents were definitely shocked and in disbelief when I told them! My Dad almost passed out! They asked me how was it even possible?! All I could say was, “there ARE amazing people left in this world after all!”
I kept the listing, the story, and a special message to anyone that happened to click on it…
“I hope that this little turtle is a reminder to anyone that wears it that:
* Even though you are small, even though you’re just one person, you ARE capable of BIG accomplishments!
* Even when you think something is impossible, STILL TRY.
* Even if the journey is slow, it WILL be worth it and you CAN do it!
Every time you look down at your wrist and see this tiny turtle, remember theses things!
Maybe it will encourage you to do your own “fundraiser”. Maybe it will encourage you to try something different. Maybe you just need a little reminder that it’s ok to stick your neck out once and a while!”
Etsy can be intimidating, but I’ve found that it’s more than just a site to sell handmade things. It’s a community. A community of people with creative minds and big hearts.
It cost me less than $0.25 to make each bracelet, but by sharing my personal situation with everyone, I was able to create an amazing fundraiser. I also used my personal Facebook page and a Facebook Etsy group to share my listing and story.
It might not work for everyone, but if you need to do your own “fundraising” for a special reason, I would encourage you to give Etsy a try.
My name is Dezaree and I own Charmed Memories, a memorial jewelry Etsy shop. I was afraid of listing something that wasn’t what I normally sell and afraid of sharing my very personal situation. But, I took the chance and was amazed at the outpouring love of complete strangers!
