Running a small business is one of the most rewarding adventures I’ve ever taken. But let me tell you, it’s not for the faint of heart. We put our whole selves into our shops: the late nights, the photos retaken until they shine, the careful words in every description, the hours of research, and most of all, the love. And when you’ve poured that much of yourself into something, you don’t just want to see it grow, you need to protect it.
Recently, I had an experience that reminded me just how important that protection is.
The Offer Game
On Etsy, there’s a “best offer” feature that lets buyers make an offer on your item. Sounds great in theory, right? A win-win. They get to feel like they scored a deal, and you get to make a sale. But in reality, I ran into a buyer who misused this feature. They made offers, I accepted them, and then… nothing. Ghosted. Over and over again.
At first I thought it might just be a flaky buyer, but after the fifth time in a week, I knew this wasn’t a coincidence. Whether it was a griefer or even a competitor trying to play games with my shop, I knew I needed to report it.
The Wrong Turn in Support
So, I did what every seller is told to do: I reported the behavior. But the first response I got back floored me. Instead of addressing the buyer’s misuse, the rep asked me to provide the last four digits of my bank account, my billing card, and my taxpayer ID.
Now, here’s the thing: my first instinct was to trust them. After all, it was “tech support,” surely they knew what they were doing. But something in my gut whispered: No, this isn’t right. This person didn’t even read your report. That little voice was steady and insistent. So I stopped, refused, and waited.
And thank goodness I did.
Trust Your Gut
A day later, another rep got back to me. This time, she apologized for the earlier response, confirmed that no sensitive information was needed, and thanked me for blocking the buyer and reporting the issue. My report was in the right place all along.
That moment was a reminder: your intuition isn’t paranoia. It’s wisdom.
The Lesson
The Lesson
Here’s what I took away, and what I want to pass on to anyone else walking the hard road of building a dream:
🛡️ Stand your ground. If something feels off, don’t cave just because someone tells you to.
🌱 Protect what you’ve built. Every listing, every hour, every ounce of love you’ve poured into your work is worth guarding.
💡 Trust your instincts. More often than not, your gut knows before your brain catches up.
🤝 Think bigger than yourself. By reporting misuse, I didn’t just protect my shop, I helped protect others who might have been targeted next.
Running a business isn’t just about creating beautiful things and putting them into the world. It’s about courage, resilience, and sometimes drawing a hard line in the sand when something threatens what you’ve built.
So, this week’s message is simple:
Stand tall. Stand firm. And never forget that your dream is worth protecting.
Because it is.