My Etsy shop has been a great source of extra income and has been an incredible distribution channel. As of July 16th, Etsy will charge a 5 percent fee on all product sales and shipping fees.

It’s not as difficult as you may think. Shipping costs – even for a small merchant – can be absorbed by spreading them over your entire overhead. What you need is some history. And a calculator.

Etsy announced on Tuesday a new initiative to encourage its sellers to offer free shipping on orders over $35. The cost of shipping would be baked into the purchase price.