Episode Summary:

Podcast: How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
Episode: Ep 215 | Tools I use in my Etsy shops to save time and scale faster
Host: Lizzie Smiley
Date: January 8, 2026

Overview of the Episode's Main Theme

In this episode, Lizzie Smiley offers a comprehensive walkthrough of the essential tools she uses to save time and scale her Etsy shops more efficiently. Her approach balances what’s necessary for new sellers, what’s best to have for faster growth, and the luxury tools she leverages as a high-volume shop owner. Lizzie’s tone is practical and encouraging, reassuring listeners—especially beginners—not to get overwhelmed or overspend on unnecessary resources. Throughout, she emphasizes clarity, efficiency, and her favorite mantra: “Everything is figureoutable!”

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Context: Lizzie’s Philosophy

• Lizzie describes her mission to “kick roadblocks and excuses right out the door, so you can cultivate the life you dream about.” [00:00]
• She celebrates both breakout Etsy success and realistic timelines—keeping it “really practical and help[ing] us as new sellers have really healthy expectations of the kind of timeline and what it can take.” [02:30]
• Lizzie’s major focus for 2026: Clarity for Etsy sellers to combat overwhelm.

2. Free & Underrated Tools for New Sellers

Lizzie’s “super underrated” free resources that every beginner should use before spending any money [11:00]:

• Etsy Seller Handbook

  • “It will teach you everything. Like, it’s actually kind of funny, really, that Seller Handbook should put all the coaches out of a job.” [13:10]
  • Cautions: Sometimes Etsy’s advice can be out of sync with real shop outcomes (e.g., the 2025 title-change rollout that hurt many shops). Always use common sense alongside official advice! [13:50]

• Etsy Search Bar

  • Encourages sellers to use the customer-side search bar to investigate keywords, get demand ideas, and see competitors/top sellers.

• Google Drive

  • Essential for digital product sellers needing cloud storage.
  • “Files can stack up. This is a way to not overwhelm your computer.” [16:40]

• Your Phone Camera

  • “I have never used a professional camera or photo for anything and I’ve made hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars on Etsy.” [17:30]

• YouTube

  • An invaluable (but potentially overwhelming) source of tutorials.
  • Advice: “Stick mostly to just one teacher or you’ll get ‘squirrel syndrome’ and overwhelm.” [18:20]

• Facebook Group

  • Lizzie hosts a free, positive, zero-tolerance-for-negativity group. [19:40]
  • “Mine is the friendly, helpful Facebook group.” [20:05]

3. Non-Negotiables—What You “Need to Have” to Start

[21:40]

• Etsy Shop

  • Startup fee varies ($15–$30); using Lizzie’s referral link provides 40 free listings.

• Laptop/Chromebook

  • A Chromebook ($100–$300) suffices for most; “You’re a business now. This is something I recommend.” [24:46]
  • iPads can work, but have limitations for seller features.

• Canva (Free Version)

  • For creating shop visuals, banners, product images, etc. [26:00]
  • Canva Free is limited (can’t export transparent PNGs, no background remover); can be hacked with free online background removers.

4. Tools to Invest in for Faster Success (“Best to Have”)

[40:10]

1. Trendspotting Group Membership

• Learning trends, how to spot and leverage them, and receiving weekly reports are key to quicker sales.
• “All my really big success stories are using trends.” [41:15]
• Includes: weekly PDF with trend info, listing ideas with researched SEO/keywords, monthly coaching calls/shop audits.

2. Canva Pro

• $15/month; enables background removal, transparent image export, advanced touchups. “It’s just so worth it.” [47:00]

3. Professional Mockups

• Investing $20–$50 in high-quality mockup images for your product listings can “make a really big difference in conversion.” [50:20]
• Lizzie provides a free resource list with top-performing mockups.

4. Essential Research Tools

• Profit Tree: Chrome extension. One-time $67 payment for seller insights, demand metrics, real sales data, fee calculator. “Profit Tree’s data is 24–48 hours old.” [34:30]
• Everbee: Free plan available; shows best-selling tags & SEO details for top listings. Paid plans unlock more insights.

5. ChatGPT (Free and Paid Versions)

• Use for drafting product descriptions, customer response templates, brand/about copy, product ideas (with Lizzie’s custom chat).
• DO NOT use ChatGPT for SEO; “ChatGPT is basing it on Google, which is completely different from Etsy.” [38:40]

6. AI Image Generators

• For print-on-demand and digital sellers, Lizzie recommends Ideogram (free & paid plans) for generating high-quality, on-trend images.
• “Prompt writing is a whole skill you can learn. Everything is figureoutable.” [39:40]

7. Business & Legal Tools

• LLC: As soon as you can, form an LLC to protect your assets. [51:50]
• QuickBooks: $10–$57/month for accounting and taxes, integrates seamlessly with Etsy’s dashboard.
• Business Credit Card: Print-on-demand sellers especially should have a credit card to bridge Etsy payout delays. Lizzie likes the Chase card for rewards.

8. Printify Premium

• For print-on-demand sellers, $29/month can significantly increase profit margins as you grow in volume.

9. Shipping Tools for Handmade Sellers

• Tape, boxes, scales, label printers, all sourced affordably; links in Lizzie’s resource list.

5. Nice-to-Have & Advanced Tools (“Luxury Level”)

[58:10]

1. Membership to Scaling Society

• Lizzie’s all-inclusive program: courses, coaching, daily prompts, shop audits, seller roadmap, and a private peer community.
• “It’s my all access, all inclusive program. You’re not buying workshops and resources piecemeal.” [$147/month; cancel anytime]

2. Higher-Powered Laptop/Gaming Computer

• For power sellers, an “Alienware” gaming laptop ($2,800) handles heavy AI and large files.

3. Kittl & Midjourney (AI Image Generators)

• Kittl: Multiple generators, $15–$30/month, good for print-on-demand and digital designers.
• Midjourney: Excellent for watercolor, wall art, and mockups, especially where smart text is not required.

4. LastPass

• Secure password manager for organizing multiple business logins.

5. Creative Fabrica

• $9.99/month. Massive library of commercial-use graphics, fonts, and bundles. “Before AI, this was the secret weapon for print on demand sellers!” [1:05:00]

6. Simply Listed

• Automates batch mockup creation for much greater efficiency. 14-day free trial, then $15–$30/month.

7. Hello Custom

• For print-on-demand personalization automation (e.g., names on mugs). One-time $67 fee. “Major time saver.”

8. Pinterest & Etsy’s Share and Save Program

• Once you expand to Pinterest, always use Share and Save links to reduce seller fees on purchases coming from your own promotional link.

9. Advanced Seller Moves: Email Lists & External Stores

• Email List: Start building at 500+ (handmade) or 1,000+ (digital/print-on-demand) sales. Use Everbee Email (free up to 250 subs) or Mailerlite.
• Standalone Store: Once established, consider opening your own website (Everbee Store or Shopify), though this is only for advanced/legacy sellers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Everything is figureoutable. You can learn anything. And if you learn this [trendspotting], you’re gonna have a better chance of competing.” — Lizzie, [41:42]

• “If you start listening to too many different people, it’s actually not that one is right and one is wrong… so you just need to find the person you resonate with and stick mostly to just their content.” [18:24]

• “DO NOT use ChatGPT for SEO… it’s not integrated with Etsy and it cannot tell you what’s actually being searched.” [38:40]

• “All my really big success stories are using trends.” [41:15]

• “I have never used a professional camera or photo for anything and I’ve made hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars on Etsy. Use your phone camera… that’s all you really need.” [17:36]

• “Don’t get distracted too early with building your own website or adding social media or adding an email list… Please get good at selling stuff first.” [1:12:41]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–05:40 — Episode and Lizzie’s philosophy intro
• 11:00 — Free and underrated tools for beginners
• 13:10 — Etsy Seller Handbook tips
• 16:40 — Google Drive for digital sellers
• 19:40 — Positive Facebook group resource
• 21:40 — Non-negotiable tools for starting your shop
• 24:46 — Chromebooks vs. iPads
• 26:00 — Why Canva is essential
• 34:30 — Research tools: Profit Tree and why data freshness matters
• 38:40 — ChatGPT—how to use (and NOT use) it
• 39:40 — AI image generators, prompt-writing basics
• 41:15 — The power of following trends
• 47:00 — Why Canva Pro unlocks serious efficiency
• 50:20 — The importance of professional mockups
• 51:50 — LLCs for protection; legal resources
• 58:10 — Nice-to-have luxury tools for scaling and efficiency
• 1:05:00 — Creative Fabrica: “the secret before AI”
• 1:12:41 — When and why to expand to email lists and external websites

Flow and Tone

Lizzie’s delivery is personable (“classic Lizzie moment”), real, and empowering (“I am literally the one who figured out how to teach this because I wasn’t good at it.”). She prioritizes making listeners feel less overwhelmed by breaking down what’s necessary versus optional. Throughout, she shares honest recommendations and practical hacks, making technical tools accessible to absolute beginners without talking down to experienced sellers.

Final Takeaways

• Start with the basics—most are free!
• Upgrade thoughtfully, at your pace.
• Prioritize clarity and personal workflow before chasing every new tool or strategy.
• Trends, high-quality visuals, and research make a measurable difference in shop growth.
• Protect yourself with legit business & legal structures as soon as feasible.
• Don’t rush into advanced strategies like email lists and social media; focus on perfecting the selling process first.

Lizzie’s wrap-up: “Go make something awesome. I love you guys. Have a good one!” [end]

For more detailed resources and links, visit Lizzie’s show notes or her website.