New Strategy

I need to regroup.  I read an article this morning that made me really take a look at how I have been attempting to get started selling my items.  I have been going about it all wrong.  I love looking at my Etsy site and seeing my items up there, as if they are sitting on a shelf in a store for anyone browsing to stop and look at.  The truth of the matter is that the Etsy and Etsy like websites are so jam packed with other people with similar items as mine.  For me to assume that all I need to do is put those items on a website and people will randomly stumble upon them and then buy them no longer seems like a good idea.  I'm glad I went that route and will keep my Etsy shop open, but I will be revamping my whole strategy soon.  I read an article by Christine Gierer titled How to Get Results Selling Your Jewelry Online and it's obvious that she has been through this process before and had some real life strategies to take a look at.  The truth of the matter is, I have to decide to run a business not a hobby.  That transition hasn't happened yet.  I have only dabbled in selling online and although I have sold a few items, it is literally friends and family and a random person who stumbled upon an item they liked.  So.  Instead of forging ahead blindly, continuing to hope that luck will come my way, I am making a commitment this year to start an actual business.  I know in my heart that I make quality toys.  I know in my heart that I can make awesome jewelry.  My friends and family have said I should sell what I make.  The difficulty is how do you tell strangers how awesome it is?  I do not come from a business background.  This has been my challenge.  This is why I have been only posting sporadically on this site.  I just haven't felt like I've been going in the right direction.  I haven't felt that "Aha!"  I am going to keep up my site, but the first step of my new strategy is doing a lot of research to find my niche.  I may limit myself at this time to research and of course, building a stuffed Minotaur for my brother.  That challenge had me stumped for a while, but after a wonderful dream last night I figured out how to modify one of my existing patterns to create a stuffed, standing mythical minotaur (half man, half bull).  I think I am going to go a little whimsical and combine soft, snuggly materials with a gruff pattern (and nose ring of course). 
I will continue to post as I research, but feel free to leave a comment if you're interested in any of my items or are thinking about how to create a custom toy!