Etsy Seller Interview with Madlen of Ikuri

How Ikuri 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 am Madlen Schering, the founder of Ikuri. I lived in Mexico for several years and got to know and love Mexican oilcloth with its colorful retro motifs. In Mexico, the colorful tablecloths dominate the streetscape because they are ubiquitous on food stands. I thought that this water-repellent material could be used for something more than tablecloths, and that's how I came up with the idea of bicycle bags. Later, I expanded my assortment, and little by little, shoppers, weekenders, saddle covers, drybags, handlebar bags, and bottle bags were added. I created all the designs of the bags and realized them in collaboration with a small sewing workshop.

Ikuri is my absolute heart project, where I feel like I'm coming to terms with myself. Where I get up in the morning and look forward to continuing to work on it. That was also the deciding factor for me to start a company. It wasn't about money; it was about being able to feed my family, but it was also about a sense of purpose, doing what I love. I also worked long enough in contexts where I exchanged time for money and didn't have the feeling of realizing myself, but subordinated my life to a boss. For me, it became important to change that the moment I became a mother, when my time became so scarce and therefore valuable that I didn't want to spend it on anything I couldn't find fulfillment in.

With Ikuri, I want to promote fair trade and build long-term business relationships with our partners on an equal footing. We are constantly working to produce high-quality, durable products, not cheaply produced disposable items. Our motto is "Buy less, but better." Each Ikuri bag is lovingly handcrafted with the utmost care and to the highest standards.

Favorite items

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

My favorite product is the kombi bag. It’s a bike bag that you can both mount on the rack and wear as a backpack. I use it myself every day, it's just a super practical bag for everyday life, for shopping and all kinds of activities. Through its practical interior layout - it has an integrated laptop compartment, two side pockets inside as a bottle holder and a small inner zipper compartment for odds and ends and outside two side zipper pockets -. the contents can be stored very well and structured. The bike backpack is also my best-selling product, especially the model Banana leaves.

We print our tarpaulin with many different patterns and make some new designs every year, so now we already have about 30 different patterns in our assortment, and we often get feedback from customers that they can't decide because they are all so beautiful.

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?

I don't remember how long it took to make my first sale. I promote my Etsy store mainly by placing ads through Etsy Ads. I also post regularly on my social media channels, including Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I put a lot of work into producing beautiful photos, and I think that pays off. I also regularly participate in sales organized by Etsy to attract new customers and send thank-you discount codes to customers who have ordered or liked my products.

Managing Ikuri

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 run the store alone; it is built so user-friendly that management is child's play. I also use the inventory management system program Billbee, which consolidates my orders from my various stores (I sell on Etsy, Amazon, and through my own webshop).With Billbee, you can create the packing slip and invoice with one click, as well as the shipping label. I also have my inventory registered there, which is constantly updated and synchronized, so I always have the correct inventory in all stores.

I also use Photoshop for photo editing and the design tool Canvas to design social media posts. Furthermore, I use Hootsuite to schedule my posts on my different social media channels.

I also want to be socially responsible as a company, so I outsource shipping to a workshop for disabled people; that's where my warehouse is, and they ship the bags. Through Billbee, they have access to the orders and can work independently of me. I am happy that I can give them work, and they can integrate into society through their work, and I can make a contribution.

The future of Ikuri

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

I would like to focus more on B2B, selling my products to retailers, e.g., bike stores or surf stores worldwide, after having put a lot of emphasis on selling to end customers so far. I think there is still a lot of potential to sell my products internationally.

Advice for new sellers

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

I believe perseverance is an important virtue on the path to success. To be able to persevere, you have to believe in what you are doing and do it with love. For me, sales are not the most important thing. This bigger, further, higher at any cost is not important to me; what is important to me is to build structures that are sustainable, long-term business relationships with partners who are like-minded, with whom you are on an equal footing, in other words, human values. And, of course, having a high-quality product that you develop and optimize and that lasts a long time. I also think it's important to be transparent with customers to build customer loyalty through personal contact and trust. All this will be reflected in the reviews over time and make your store successful.