Mumbai: Etsy (NASDAQ: ETSY), the global marketplace for unique, handmade and creative goods launched a campaign, Small Talk with Etsy Collective, an ongoing initiative in India, to inspire and motivate small sellers, micro-entrepreneurs and homepreneurs.
This campaign aims to share insights and inspiration for small sellers through a series of curated webinars and with an array of distinguished speakers, who share their thoughts around crafts and creativity. There are also focussed sessions that address themes that are very useful for small sellers – like GST, payments, and digital marketing. Etsy India has hosted 25 such sessions to date and reached out to more than 6 million+ creators across India through its social media platforms.
Speaking on the initiative, Himanshu Wardhan, Managing Director for Etsy in India, said, “Small businesses are at the heart of local communities and they also power the global community. Right now, the smallest businesses are taking a hit, but they are not backing out, and at Etsy, we are proud to stand beside them. The Small Talk series is an initiative to support our community in India by connecting them to experts who provide both guidance and inspiration. There have been some very inspiring conversations and I hope that the audience has found value in these conversations as well.”
The series is curated with the creative community of Etsy sellers in mind and is classified into three segments.
- The Changemakers: Featuring thought leaders who have inspired the community with their ideas and work such as designers David Abraham and Anavila Mista, craft revivalists Rajeev Sethi and Laila Tyabji, well-known journalist Nandini Bhalla (Editor of Cosmopolitan, India)
- Shop Talk: Featuring industry experts who give a lowdown on the nuts and bolts of managing a digital business
- Creator Speak: Includes sessions with top Etsy sellers who are redefining entrepreneurship every day such as Devi Chand from Etsy shop PaperMelon, Perpetual Gomes from Etsy Shop Pepzart, Abhishek & Madhulika from AbhikaJewels and many more.
Speaking on the innovative initiative to support small sellers and artisans of India, Indian designer, scenographer and art curator, Padma Bhushan Shri Rajeev Sethi said “I personally believe that in a world full of machines and technology, we need to recognize the importance of handmade, art and artisans and I have been doing this personally for the last four decades. I am extremely delighted with the efforts and initiatives that are taken by Etsy India to give due recognition and respect for these skilled artisans. I do hope they will continue to do so on a sustained basis and increase the scale and reach of these sessions.”
Jaya Jaitly, craft activist and founder of the Dastkari Haat Samiti, said “Crafts need a very strong push these days, and any conversations with the creative community are the need of the hour. I highly appreciate the initiative Small Talk by the Etsy India team where they communicate with a large number of creative communities and inspire them to stay strong. I was overwhelmed with the kind of questions the audience asked during the session, which proves that the era is changing, and personal touch and handmade fashion is getting a voice.”
Etsy enables small sellers and artisans to sell their products as per their terms & conditions and from the comfort of their homes. This resulted in getting 2.7 million sellers on Etsy globally, 97% of these sellers operate their business from their homes, 53% of these sellers started their business on Etsy, and 77% of them are operating their online Etsy shops single-handedly. Etsy has 46.4 million buyers from 150+ different countries.
