Yesterday someone in my community asked me this question and it wasn’t as straightforward to answer as I initially thought.
Given how much time I spend on Etsy seller education here and in my Etsy Digital Seller community, of course I wanted to say yes.
I always want to be encouraging.
I also believe it is true. It has taken me 3 years, but I am now crossing into that livable income space with my Etsy shop.
However, I could not in good conscience answer this question with a simple “yes”.
The truth is, for the vast majority of people, it takes a lot of time and effort to get to the level of income where you don’t need another job.
And it is also true that many shops don’t ever reach this.
This is not necessarily a bad thing though, as many shops are opened as hobbies for a little extra cash, and never intended to replace a regular job.
But for people who are serious about treating their Etsy shop like a business, the reality is that there are no guarantees that it will work out. Just like any other business, there are risks.
What I advised the person asking that question was the following:
Most people do their Etsy shop on the side of a regular job, and only switch full time to Etsy when the income they’re making supports this decision.
What did I leave out?
That this is not what I did.
I quit my job, and then decided to try out Etsy full time.
Looking back, it was a risky move, and it wouldn’t have even been possible without a savings buffer.
It has worked out quite well for me, but I don’t recommend doing this!
The second part of the question was “how long will it take?”
I answered that it could take months or years, if it works out at all.
You will need patience, persistence and consistency.
This is all made harder when Etsy is your only source of income, and you are relying on it to survive.
So for anyone else out there wondering if it is really possible to live off what you earn on Etsy, my answer is:
Yes, it is possible. But it is not guaranteed to happen. It will take time and persistence, and could take months or years.
It is best to be earning other income while you are trying out Etsy, to put less pressure on needing to succeed quickly.
Quitting too soon is what kills a lot of shops. Give yourself time to experiment and to find out what works. Give yourself time to improve your skills. Give your shop time to flourish.
This will greatly increase your chances of long term success on Etsy, and yes, even making a livable income from it.
If you want to open your own digital products shop on Etsy, I wrote this short ebook to make the process clear and simple, so you can get quickly started with confidence and avoid mistakes that hold shops back: