I may be mad but . . .

[SayItWithCards]

my domain name for my website comes up for renewal in november this year and between now and then I am giving serious thought to closing down my website !!
I dont sell hundreds of cards each month but over the past year the site has become quite successful with regular sales and lots of returning customers but . . .
it seems to be taking over my life, and what started as an outlet to finance my passion / hobby has grown too big and alot of my time is used up working on promoting the site and SEO as well as making the actual cards.
so now I am going to concentrate more on my ebid store, hopefully build it up like i did my site and slow down so i can smell the coffee.

Great cards - reasonable prices (to cover cost of materials) - great service to my customers.

After all it is meant to be my hobby (for enjoyment) not a business merrygoround with an eye on huge profits!!!

Am I mad? . . .you guys tell me xx

[Pink_Panther]

my domain name for my website comes up for renewal in november this year and between now and then I am giving serious thought to closing down my website !!
I dont sell hundreds of cards each month but over the past year the site has become quite successful with regular sales and lots of returning customers but . . .
it seems to be taking over my life, and what started as an outlet to finance my passion / hobby has grown too big and alot of my time is used up working on promoting the site and SEO as well as making the actual cards.
so now I am going to concentrate more on my ebid store, hopefully build it up like i did my site and slow down so i can smell the coffee.

Great cards - reasonable prices (to cover cost of materials) - great service to my customers.

After all it is meant to be my hobby (for enjoyment) not a business merrygoround with an eye on huge profits!!!

Am I mad? . . .you guys tell me xx

Your as sane as I am!

[SayItWithCards]

Your as sane as I am!

sounds good to me pink panther, I just love this asylum we're in xx

[HerMajesty]

You might be mad, but mad and logical are not mutually exclusive!! If you don't want to spend so much time on the website, don't renew.....or, keep it to funnel buyers to your ebid store, and, at some point, you could perhaps sell the site on to someone else.

If you can afford the change/slow down, go with your heart.

[SayItWithCards]

You might be mad, but mad and logical are not mutually exclusive!! If you don't want to spend so much time on the website, don't renew.....or, keep it to funnel buyers to your ebid store, and, at some point, you could perhaps sell the site on to someone else.

If you can afford the change/slow down, go with your heart.

You are so right here, and I already feel some of the pressure is off even though I havent actually closed it yet!! xx

[HerMajesty]

Whoa!! The wild one is coming out.!! That was quick.....changed from demure to wild and crazy avatar with one decision!! What does that tell you??

[somersethedge]

of cause the the other way of looking at it is, and the question you need to ask is....

"as I am now successfully selling my cards is it time to turn it into a "proper" business?"

Thats how I started... I worked in an antique shop and started to dabble in anything and everything.... Then I started to specialise in postcards.... Eventually I was earning more from my sales than in wages.... In the end I handed my notice in and became self-employed....

Alright I admit the hours are longer now, but I am my own boss and only have to answer to myself (Oh alright, I have to answer to Pam as well ;-) ) but there is less stress and hassle and I wouldn't change it for the world and could never go back to working for someone else.

[mira666]

Could you not point the domain name to your Ebid shop for example and contact your ex customers explaining that your shutting the main site down but will still be trading there instead?

[lejoueurdepipeau]

What you say is very interesting...

I've just finished reading a book on selling crafts online - I enjoyed it and it was full of ideas but my immediate thought was that if a seller spent as much time taking advantage of all the social media (get me! - I hope you are suitably impressed!) and promotional possibilities as the author advocates there would be no time to actually make anything to sell! Your experience confirms my thoughts I think.

My daughter has a website but the links from the photos of the teddy bears for sale just take buyers to her eBid listings (as mira has suggested). Maybe it would be a shame to close your site altogether especially as people have been returning.

[HerMajesty]

What you say is very interesting...

I've just finished reading a book on selling crafts online - I enjoyed it and it was full of ideas but my immediate thought was that if a seller spent as much time taking advantage of all the social media (get me! - I hope you are suitably impressed!) and promotional possibilities as the author advocates there would be no time to actually make anything to sell! Your experience confirms my thoughts I think.

My daughter has a website but the links from the photos of the teddy bears for sale just take buyers to her eBid listings (as mira has suggested). Maybe it would be a shame to close your site altogether especially as people have been returning.

I said that on post 4 , Mira on post 8, and you agree-----so at least 3 of us think it would be a viable alternative...................worth checking out maybe?? Best of both worlds sort of thing?