Keeping active on Etsy can be as simple as creating multiple listings and leaving them in edit mode (don’t hit the final finish button). Then all you have to do when you are away is get online and hit “finish”.
Or if you don’t want to or have time to pre-write a bunch of listings, upload all the photos you need to Flickr and access them from there.
If you have a PDA or smart phone you may even be able to logon from there (sorry BlackBerry users, looks like we’re excluded from this). Very helpful if you need to reply to convos.
Having a BlackBerry has made me almost computer free on the road. Replying to convos is the only hurdle I have yet to figure out so if you know the trick, please tell us in a comment! One thing I think is very important is to contact each customer after making a sale to make sure they know I’m out of town (not everyone finds your item through the shop home page to see announcements). This I can do by accessing the Paypal receipt and directly emailing the customer.
Blogging on the road can be done almost the same way. You can access photos from Flickr if needed. Blogger actually has a mobile blogging function built right in! http://www.blogger.com/mobile-start.g
You can take pictures with your phone and either text or email your entry directly to your blog (just test drove it here( http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6836187299330365649&postID=7229390755215973340 ) This appears to be a great option is you want to actually blog about the trip your on and use up-to-the-moment photos.
Then there is the old standby of writing posts before-hand and schedule them to be published at any time you wish (in Blogger this can be found under Edit Posts. On the right side you will see All, Drafts, Scheduled and Published).
When I travel I don’t always take my own laptop with me. My sweetie has one and it seems silly to bring two when there isn’t much on it I need. He also has an aircard. I love this little gadget! It allows him to have internet access anywhere there is a cell signal. It does use air time so it’s best to be brief. I write up whatever I need in Word (blog posts I’m working on, all regular Etsy item descriptions etc). Then I can use the aircard to get online login to Etsy or Blogger, grab the photos I need (from Flickr, the computer or directly from my phone), cut and paste the text and it’s done!
There are many more options, solutions and tricks out there. I am new to Blogging, Flickr and my BlackBerry and this is how much I learned in a short time. Think of how smooth you can be with a little more experience! I will continue to share any addition tricks and tips I learn as I become more adept at being mobile. Please feel free to share your own tips as well!
