Etsy Seller Interview with Sandra & Eglė of CatchThisMoment

How CatchThisMoment got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

CatchThisMoment is both our business and our passion. Today, buyers can find unique and high-quality handmade wedding guest books, wedding photo albums, wedding mad libs card boxes, vow books, ring boxes, and amazing baby keepsake memory or birthday boxes and accessories in our shop.

It all started with an indomitable desire to create something that is sweet to the heart and beautiful to the eyes. The beginning was very simple. The production of the first wedding boxes and books took place in the kitchen of the house after two young children fell asleep late at night. In the beginning, it was just a very small local business. It can be said that it was more a passion for handicrafts than a business.

Our country, where we live, is relatively small, and we only have about four months of warm weather. Therefore, seasonality is very strongly felt in the wedding business—everyone rushes to get married when the weather is warm and everything in nature is blooming. Therefore, it is quite difficult to make a living just by trading in our country. In order for this hobby not only to make the heart happy but also to bring financial benefits, it was necessary to go to wider markets. That's how Sandra appeared in my life—as my neighbor and friend, who also became my business partner.

Intensive work with the Etsy shop was started on Sandra's initiative. We attended trainings, bought seminars, consulted, looked for quality materials and interesting design solutions, and selected our team members one by one. Today, our team consists of 20 people who love their work and work diligently and responsibly. The entire production, from the first cutting of the fabric and the application of glue to the packaging of the final product, is done by hand, with careful attention to even the smallest details and a lot of love. I think craft is more than just a way of making things; perhaps it’s a way of thinking. We believe that love is found in the details.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

First-year baby memory books are dearest to my heart. because it is the beginning of the history of a human being.

They have a special meaning for me. as well as wedding guest books which contain many sweet moments and warm memories. After all, a wedding is a very important life celebration for everyone. By the way, they are the best sellers in our CatchThisMoment store. In fact, when I start thinking about it, each product is cute in its own way because it was created by our own hands, searching for every detail and thinking about its purpose and meaning for a person.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

The first sales started quite quickly. but they were very small. It took about a year to run the store steadily. We are constantly working on advertising; we follow all the recommendations and instructions of Etsy; we do not stop creating new designs; and we are always looking for more interesting products that meet the needs of our customers. We pay special attention to communication with customers. We strive to do everything in our power to make every customer 100% satisfied. Of course, sometimes anything can happen, even something that is beyond our control, so in such situations we often take the loss ourselves, reproducing and sending a new product to the customer. I think it builds customers’ confidence and encourages them to thank us by leaving a nice comment.

Managing CatchThisMoment

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

As I mentioned, our team consists of 20 people. With the sales we have achieved up to this day, it is impossible otherwise. The goal of our team is not only to prepare the product as nicely as possible but also to fulfill the customer's order in the fastest and most convenient way possible. Therefore, some employees communicate with the customer and layout the orders, while others print, plot, produce, pack, and call couriers who collect the parcels and safely deliver them to the customers. We choose well-known worldwide shipping companies such as FedEx and DHL for shipping. Additionally, we use the DHL parcel invitation app and the Erank program, as well as Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media.

The future of CatchThisMoment 

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

We are constantly striving to simplify all production processes, starting from order acceptance to shipment. Therefore, our future goal is the optimization of processes, which would facilitate both our work and allow the customer to complete the order as clearly and quickly as possible. Of course, we will not give up handmade, because then the products we create would lose part of their charm and the feeling of love with which they are made. And of course, as always, creating new products and interesting designs is one of the most important goals in order to not stop and to keep up with the times and current trends.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Etsy offers great opportunities for everyone. Therefore, everyone can create their own business here. I think there are two essential moments: first, to sincerely believe in what you are doing; second, to believe in yourself that it is you who can do it; and never give up, no matter what obstacles you have to face or what criticism you have to hear from others. Of course, responsible, careful, and systematic work done with love always allows you to achieve the desired result.