Hello friends. An update.

Since the launch of my online store I have sold 11 bags (wooooo!) It’s still not too late to order a bag in time for the holiday. I recommend ordering by this Friday the 8th. Last chance date is Monday.

Fun things I am doing:
Researching sales taxes. I learned that, because my printer/fulfillment company has operations in California and North Carolina, I have to collect sales taxes in those states and Washington, my home state. So I need three seller permits from three separate state bureaucracies, with three separate sets of laws, deadlines, and so on. Also each state has variable tax rates by county, city, and sometimes “district.” California has 1,793 city tax rates. Shopify automates taxes rates, Etsy does not, much to my incredulity. It’s basically not possible to charge accurate taxes on Etsy for a state like California. As far as paying those taxes to the states, I can pay a service to do it for about 20 dollars a month. I’ll probably do that when sales increase.

I am setting up an Etsy page, much too late, of course. An experienced online biz friend of mine told me she made 80% of her sales in November and December. I only started this project in October—not really enough time to be up and running by November (I launched on Cyber Monday). An islander who makes felted gnomes told me she was having good luck on Etsy. I was already thinking of setting up a store, but now I’m in a hurry. Really its too late to do much in the way of holiday sales as my bags take 1-2 weeks to get to their destination. Nevertheless, onward!

I brought the bags to an American Legion holiday sale on the island. Mostly it was fun people watching. The bags stood out, to be sure, but clearly they were not the aesthetic for a “holiday bazaar.”

I’m spending one more full=time week on the online biz and then I’m transitioning out of panic mode to splitting my time between writing, video, and making more designs. I will also have to take on other work or find myself sleeping under some designer tote bags.

Is this boring? Are you bored? Why are you still reading this? Why am I writing this? I’m going to hide some fun stuff down here.

Fears I have recently had

If: I can’t start an online business,
Then: Surely all great human endeavors are unavailable to me as well.

If: My online business fails,
Then: My Adult Certification will be revoked, I’ll be sent back to middle school where I will be bullied on the playground and forced to do gymnastics in gym again.

If: I don’t get my California seller permit today,
Then: I will be hunted by Jason Bourne-style super assassins to the ends of the earth.