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How IJSY 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?
It all accidentally started way back in 2014. My husband was going to a maker space to use their laser to make cosplay accessories and movie props from sheets of acrylic. There would be little bits left over, so he would laser-cut nerdy-shaped pendants for me to craft with. At first, I made some earrings with them and wore them to my restaurant job. Apart from the compliments I would get, people would ask where I was from. Soon enough, I thought I should offer these for sale! Obviously, there was a market for it! I was ready to start working my way out of the long and tiresome grind of restaurant work and spend more time with my then-6-year-old son.
I launched my Etsy shop in the summer of 2014 with a small number of designs that I had my husband laser cut from the Maker Space. We quickly realized that getting our own laser would be preferable to waiting in line. We researched and made the commitment to own our very own laser cutter!
Over the years now, I have created hundreds of designs in the comfort of my home office. It only took a couple of years to break away completely from a "normal" job and work for me! Everything is designed and made in-house! I draw out the laser files, cut out the acrylic or wood pieces on the laser machine, and finish them into jewelry. My now-teenage son sometimes helps put logo stickers on jewelry boxes and cuts out backing cards. My husband helps me package up finished designs during busy holidays and for all the little things I run out of time for. I am so grateful to have them!
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
Over the years, I have found that some listings will really surprise you! One design was requested by a previous buyer and was just a pair of chef's knife earrings. I thought that surely there are oodles of knife earrings on Etsy, but why not try and put my spin on it? They've been top sellers for years!
I think one of the more obscure designs I make that I also have fun wearing is my Electrical Outlet Earrings. They aren’t necessarily a top seller, but I get a lot of positive feedback from electricians and fellow oddballs who love the compliments that come with these!
These lovely iridescent butterfly earrings are another popular spring item. Iridescent acrylic is a super fun medium to work with! I think it is a unique material that really catches the eye of buyers. It inspires me all the time to make shiny new designs!
One of my all-time best sellers is these Jem star stud earrings. People like to wear these with costumes and to zazz up their everyday outfits with a bright touch of nostalgia!
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 a few weeks to get my first sale, but I was sure excited when it happened! When I started, I was trying to sell a lot more than just jewelry. I had magnets, wood signs, and all sorts of other random things. I noticed pretty quickly that the jewelry was selling better than anything else, so I started to focus on that. I think focusing on one niche has helped attract customers and repeat buyers to my shop. People can browse my store with confidence that they will find the jewelry design they seek. If I’m lucky, they’ll find a few!
Managing IJSY
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?
I do all the store management myself! I have seen systems to help small business retailers improve dramatically over the years! Having the ability to take and edit product pictures on my own phone has been a game changer, though I do use Photoshop from time to time. Shipping is a breeze! I do like to use a thermal label printer, and Etsy has the printing capabilities to accommodate the label size. I ship all across the globe, and their commercial USPS rates are much appreciated for my bottom line. Etsy is one of the best online platforms for a reason! They make it super easy to ship from the site, get in contact with customers, and perfect your listings with attributes, tags, and more! I use their app a lot as well.
The future of IJSY
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
Oh, the sky's the limit! I get so excited every year to see where it takes me! This year, I plan to focus on getting more of the most requested designs made. My fabulous customers are my best inspiration! I am also putting more effort into organizing my workspace for efficiency. I hope to finish more of the popular designs in bulk, so they are ready to go when I sell them. As of now, most items are made to order using their customization options, i.e., color choice of the pendant or earring hook type. A proactive store is always moving forward and rolling with the challenges that arise! I find it all part of the fun!
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
To all you new sellers out there, welcome! If you put in the research, fuel your listings with your creative flair, and commit to the road ahead, you will succeed! Of course, you know that great pictures are a must! Consider how you can show size, action, and emotion through pictures. Think about a soup commercial. They don’t just say, "Buy the soup; it tastes good." They emit a sense of warmth and show happy people who are so excited to dig into that steaming hot soup! As the 1930s persuasion expert Elmer Wheeler said, "Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle."
Another useful idea for your pictures is to include pictures of descriptions! If you ever wondered why so many products on Amazon are a complete wordy rundown of the item, it’s because people are notorious description skippers! Using a picture to describe ongoing sales and promotions for your email list is something I do often. Descriptions are important, even if hardly anybody reads them! They are a great way to include links to other listings that you have that are related or similarly themed. Etsy likes to put competing shop listings all over the place, so do try to keep people within your shop! And always, always, always, start an email list! There are numerous online websites where you can sign up for this. After each sale, send your customer a thank-you note. I save my thank-you note with Etsy’s snippet function, and it includes a link to sign up for my email list! Easy peasy!
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: 2022 Average per month was $5500.
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: Wobbles between 2-3% throughout the year.
