Etsy Seller Interview with Svetlana of EmbroideryhoopKS

How EmbroideryhoopKS 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?

Hello! Thank you for your interest in my store. Nice to meet you; my name is Svetlana. Since childhood, I have been interested in creativity. My grandmother, who never sat idle, taught me to knit, embroider, and draw. With her, I slowly mastered all the basics of creative crafts. I was always attracted to something beautiful, so I started to embroider. It was a hobby, but I was so fascinated that I started to learn different embroidery techniques. And so I came to Luneville embroidery. A lack of good professional frameworks and support. I found a wonderful woodworker who made the first embroidery machine according to my drawings. Over time, I had female students to whom I had already taught this interesting type of embroidery, and they also needed frames, so we began to make these frames for my students. At that time, I learned about Etsy, and there I started selling my works—brooches, earrings, bags, and necklaces. Since the store is new and I still don't know very well how everything works, sales were low, so I decided to add our embroidery frames. To my surprise, the frames and supports began to sell much better than my products. And that's how we slowly began to deal with embroidery tools, which turned into our business.

Favorite items

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

Since I used to embroider myself and knew the intricacies and needs of an embroiderer and their problems and needs, we tried to make the most convenient and comfortable tools for work. We have increased the assortment and added a large number of various frames and stands for both professional embroidery and home needlework. Getting a sale on Etsy.

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?

We opened a jewelry store on Etsy back in 2016. The first sales were not fast, and there were few of them. But after we listed our frames, sales became constant. We realized that this is a product that we want to deal with; our customers pushed us to the idea of changing the direction of our store and helping embroiderers' masters study new, very beautiful embroidery techniques. The promotion of our store on Etsy is regular work: we add new products, launch advertising campaigns, offer coupons, and promote sales. We also run social networks like Instagram and Pinterest, where we share our new products and the reviews of our clients.

Managing EmbroideryhoopKS

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?

Of course, I am no longer the only one who works in the store; I involved my relatives, and it became our family business. I’m responsible for store design and communication with customers; I also develop new models. My husband performs complex and difficult work—purchases, planning with masters, and delivery. My sons help to collect and place orders, as our products are heavy and it is already difficult for me to pack a large number of orders. We also have wonderful craftsmen who work on professional equipment for us, such as a wood craftsman and a craftsman who pours plastic molds for us. I am very glad that we have a team of like-minded people and that we are ready to develop new models, make changes, improve, and develop our product so that it is as convenient as possible for our craftsmen. Despite the difficult situation in our country, our post office works, we have stock, and we try to fulfill orders as quickly as possible so that our embroiderers receive their purchases as quickly as possible.

The future of EmbroideryhoopKS 

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

We plan to further develop our store, fill it with a large number of interesting products, and also expand the assortment so that every embroiderer can find something necessary and unique for herself. There are ideas for the production of tools and for other types of needlework. We would like to cooperate with embroidery schools and handicraft groups to popularize beauty production.

Advice for new sellers

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

This store is a very good opportunity to start your business from scratch, even if you have never been involved in sales but have a unique, very good product that others need. You will gradually master the skills of the exhibition, description, communication with clients, and proper management of advertising campaigns. The main thing is not to give up and try to test, watch other top sellers and what they do, and correct mistakes. Study and constantly work on improving your store! Etsy helps new and experienced sellers by constantly adding innovations and making the platform as convenient and secure as possible. This is a good start for beginners in e-commerce.