Etsy Seller Interview with Brenda of hellorosepaperie

How hellorosepaperie 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?

I’m Brenda, the owner and designer of Hello Rose Paperie. I sell digital downloads for all occasions, but mostly baby showers, bridal showers, and weddings. I have had an interest in art and the use of colors from as early as I can remember. I spent a lot of time as a kid sketching everything around me, and as I got older, I decided to leave my 9 to 5 job to study art history (which was a scary decision!). While in college, I needed a part-time job, so I was hired at a local stationery company to help package orders. After the owners of the company saw the art projects that I had been working on, they offered to teach me how to use Illustrator, and the rest is history! I am grateful for the huge opportunity they gave me. I worked there for several years until I became pregnant in 2014. When my baby was a few months old, I knew I had to do something to help us get out of our tiny 1 bedroom apartment, so I created Hello Rose Paperie from my bedroom on a small IKEA desk that was just wide enough for my iMac and mouse pad. I’d usually work during naps, late at night, and mostly with a baby sleeping in my lap.

I chose to design baby and bridal shower games, mostly because they were fun to create. Gradually, I began receiving requests for custom designs, which I began adding to the shop. Now, I design printables for any celebration, and it truly brings me joy when I get feedback from my customers telling me how my designs made their planning easier or the games brought some laughs to their celebrations.

Favorite items

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

My favorite items are the personalized printables, which can be gifted or used to display at weddings. The love story and personalized family name signs are my top two favorites.

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?

It took about 3 days for my first sale, and like most Etsy sellers, that first "Cha-ching" is exhilarating, so that was a special moment for me. I was happy and honored that someone liked my design so much that they paid $5 for it!

I try different methods to attract customers, but I would say the most important is to use the right keywords, and titles and descriptions should be accurate and reflect the current trending search words. In the beginning, I sought out every training video I could find on YouTube to learn how to do this, and it has helped tremendously. I also relied on Pinterest for the majority of my sales, but since COVID, my traffic has decreased significantly, so I’m constantly looking into other ways to help increase sales.

Managing hellorosepaperie

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?

It’s just me! Since I sell digital downloads, I design everything in Illustrator, and I’m able to add new products to the shop daily. Now that my daughter is in school, I have more free time during the day. I hope to print and ship my printables one day, but for now, digital is what works for me. I’m sure once I decide to print, my husband will be happy to help!

The future of hellorosepaperie

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

I just want to keep creating and expanding, but most importantly, I want it to still be fun. I enjoy designing because it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like I’m helping a friend out with her party, and I try everything I can to make it easy and painless. I am a worrier and anxious when it comes to planning parties, so I can relate to my customers who feel the same. I just want to continue doing this as long as I can!

Advice for new sellers

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

LEARN! Learn and soak up as much online training as you can. There are an infinite amount of resources now, especially on YouTube, to help you get started and increase your sales. Just don’t be afraid to start. Also, be kind to your customers. It matters. Keep a personal tone with your customers and build a connection. Usually, they’ll remember that more than the item they bought from you.

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $8,000-$10,000

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 4.7