Getting Started As A Genny Seller

Welcome to Genny — your new favorite place to share your creations with the world! Whether you’re a seasoned maker or just starting your small business journey, getting set up on Genny is simple. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to open your shop, list your first products, and start connecting with shoppers who love to buy local and support women-founded businesses.

Step One: Apply To Be A Seller

1. To get started, you first must apply to become a Seller on Genny. It's an easy, quick application. Be sure to read all our Seller Guidelines and House Rules before applying to ensure your business meets requirements.
2. After Applying, you will receive and email confirming your application has been received. Please allow up to 3 business days for your application to be reviewed. If we are at waitlist capacity for accepting new Genny Sellers, we will provide you more follow-up details about that process.
   

Step Two: Verify Your Email Address

1. After applying, you will also receive an email to verify your email address. If you don't see this email in your Inbox, be sure to check your Spam folder as some servers block it's delivery.

Step Three: Complete Your Shop Profile

Your Shop Profile is where you can really show customers who you are, educate about your product and share what inspires you and makes your business shine. The information you provide in your Shop Profile will appear in various locations across the Genny website, so spend some time making it uniquely you!

1. You will receive an email once your Application has been approved and your Shop account active! The first thing you'll need to do is complete your Shop Profile
   
   Login to your Genny Shopkeep Dashboard > My Shop Profile
   
   
   
2. Some of the most important information in your Shop Profile are:

• Your Profile Photo: Upload a photo of yourself, of a photo that you'd like to use that represents you and your business. Be sure they are good quality. We recommend a Square image that is 600px x 600px
• Your Logo: Upload a high-quality logo. We recommend a PNG file with a transparent background that is that is 600px x 600px.
• Your Short Shop Description: Take time to write a thoughtful description that showcases you and your business in your unique voice. We recommend at least 3-5 sentences.
• Your Shipping & Return Policies: This is such an important section, which is often overlooked by small business owners. Protect yourself and your business with thoughtful policies. Your Policies will be displayed on all your Genny-listed products for customers to easily refer to. Need help? Check our our article "Crafting Clear & Kind Return Policies (With Examples!)"

Step Four: Add Your First Product

Now the fun part! It's time to add your Products to your Genny Shop. Note: you will not be able to add Products until your Shop Profile is completed.

1. Login to your Genny Shopkeep Dashboard > My Products > Manage Products > Add Products.
   
   
   
   
2. Here is the Essential Product Information you will need to complete:

• Product Type: Choose if your product is physical (needs to be shipped) or Digital (needs to be downloaded)
  
  
• Product Name: Make it clear and concise
  
  
• Product Collection: Choose One Collection. This is the main collection where your product lives ; Ex: Jewelry
  
  
• Description: We recommend a Product description of between 4-10 sentences long. Don't make it a huge paragraph, you will overwhelm the reader! Want more tips on writing a great Product Description? Check out our article, "What Makes a Great Product Description?"
  
  
• Product Tags: Assign Multiple Tags to your product, Ex: Earrings, Gifts For Her, Birthday. Applying multiple Tags to your Product will ensure your product gets more visibility throughout the Shop!
  
  
• Shipping Details: Be sure to enter accurate weights for your products. This will influence the cost of shipping for your customer.
  
  
• Pricing Details: If you're selling your product at full-price, simply input the cost in the "Price" field. If you'd like to put an item on sale, put the lower Sale Price in the "Price" field and the greater original product price in the "Compare at Price" field.
  
  
  
• Track Product Inventory: We recommend Tracking Inventory for Physical Products. That way a customer cannot purchase it if it sells out.
  
  
• Add & Manage Product Variants: You will be able to edit the Price, Inventory, Weight and Image associated with each Variant you create AFTER saving your product. Click the “...” that will appear next to each Variant.
  
  
• Cost Price: Optional, but insightful. What is Cost Price? It’s the base cost you spent to make or acquire the product. This is before any markup for profit or additional expenses.
  
  Example: A Pair of Earrings cost you $5 in Materials to make. This is your Cost Price. You are selling the earrings for $20. This is your Gross Profit. You Profit Margin is then 75%. If your Profit Margin is too low, then it’s an indicator that the product may be too expense to make, or that you need to increase the sale price.
  
  
• Personalize Your Product: This is your opportunity to tell the customer why your business and product are special! These Details will automatically display on your Product page and can be unique for every product. Be sure to spell-check your information.
  
  
• Upload Product Photos and Video: Your product photos and videos are one of the most (if not the most) influential element of your product page. Here are some tips to make them shine:
  • We recommend uploading at least 3 images and/or videos of your product at different angles.
  • Consider featuring images and videos that illustrate how your product is made or why it’s special.
  • We will be using a Square orientation to display Product Images and Videos across the site.
  • To have your products and Shop Profile look their best, we recommend image and video dimensions of 1000px x 1000px. Must be less than 15MB.
    
    
• Product Meta Data Details: A meta description is a short summary of your product that shows up in Google search results. It helps people quickly understand what your product is and why they might want to click on it. Think of it like a mini ad—just one or two sentences to catch someone’s attention and make them curious enough to learn more. 
  
  Example: Meta Title Vs. Product Name
  Product Name: Bumblebee T-Shirt
  Meta Title: Organic Cotton Silkscreen Bumblebee T-Shirt
  Example: Meta Description
  “Buzz into comfort! This adorable Bumblebee Kids T-Shirt is made from 100% organic cotton—soft, breathable, and perfect for little nature lovers.”

Step Five: Enable Shipping & Set Default Package Size

1. Login to your Genny Shopkeep Dashboard > My Settings > Shipping Methods
2. Under Action click "Enable".
   Learn more about how Genny manages shipping for Sellers.
3. Now that USPS Shipping is Enabled, you'll need to set-up a default box/package size for your orders. A new button has appeared above Enabled, "Set Default Shipping Dimensions". Click it!
4. Enter a value in each field. This can be a box or mailer size you commonly use.
   
   Important: If you don’t know what to enter, don’t worry, just fill each field with “1”. When shipping an order, you’ll be able to tell USPS the real size and weight of the order your shipping.
   
   
   

Step Six: Choose A Payout Method

You made a sale, awesome! Now it's time to get paid. Genny offers two secure Payout Methods; Choose One:

• Stripe: Create a Stripe Account, or Login to your existing Stripe Account to get paid directly to your Bank Account of choice.
  
• Paypal Business: Get paid to your Paypal Business account. Note, you cannot use a personal Paypal account for this payout option.
  
  Important: If you connect both Paypal and Stripe, Genny will prioritize Stripe as your payout method over Paypal.

To Connect A Stripe Account:

1. Login to your Genny Shopkeep Dashboard > My Settings > Connect Stripe
2. Click the "Connect Stripe Account" button. A pop-up window will open and you will either login to your existing Stripe Account or create a new one.

To Connect A Paypal Business Account:
Note: your Paypal account must be a Business account to work.

1. Login to your Genny Shopkeep Dashboard > My Settings > Connect Paypal.
2. Under Payment Method dropdown, choose Paypal.
3. Enter the email address associated with your account. Click save.

Next Read | Fulfill and Ship an Order >