How Laila Me Designs 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 actually started selling in the early days of Etsy. I made all kinds of things like resin jewelry and sold vintage clothes as well. It was more of just a fun side-hustle. I would make a sale maybe once or twice a month and I was completely happy with that. 

My aunt decided to get into the business for fun too. One day, she told me that she decided to make her goal of making 1,000 a month from her Etsy shop and I thought, “Hey, maybe I can do that too!” My aunt reached her goal by creating gifts for party favors, and I realized I needed to create a business that fulfilled a need if I wanted to reach my goal. 

I decided to do party favors too, but my husband said we can’t afford anything except paper. And I thought, "Okay then, I guess I’ll make greeting cards!". I put up a few wedding cards and within a few days, I started selling them and I reached my goal in about a year! 

After about two years of hard work, I was able to quit my job and work full-time making cards. But soon, I was overwhelmed with sales again so my husband left his job and now we both make cards together. 

It was pretty amazing and it changed my life. I never imagined I would be doing this as my full-time job.

Favorite items

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

This Birthday Card for Him is one of my favorite cards right now. It’s sweet and simple and that’s really my style. I have always loved doodling and drawing and this is just one of my favorites!

Of course I love the heartfelt ones the most, but I also carry a lot of funny cards with puns and different sayings such as these Father’s Day Cards and Mother’s Day Cards that are quite popular.

My shop mainly carries Wedding Cards, as the weddings help keep me in business year round and they can be pretty fun to design!

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?  

My first sale was a wedding card (of course!) and it sold within a few days of me posting it - I was shocked. Usually, I wouldn’t get sales for months. But if you fulfill a need (like weddings or parties for example) sales will come! 

For me, the best way to attract customers to my shop is through SEO. I do my best to keep up with the tags and titles and I try my best to always keep up with the shop’s SEO. 

Managing Laila Me Designs

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?

My husband and I run the store together. My husband handles most of the shipping and fulfilment, and I design the cards and work with customers.

The future of Laila Me Designs

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

I would love to eventually branch out into other forms of stationary like stickers. I’m always working on becoming a better artist and improving my doodles and drawings. 

I have grown so much as an artist over the years. I have tons of ideas for new cards and stickers in the future. I keep them in a notebook!

Advice for new sellers

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

Just start now. Don’t wait. I had no money and I couldn’t afford to do anything fancy, that's why I started with cards. 

I also had tons of support from my husband who encouraged me. So if you can find one person that believes in you and your business, that’s all you need! 

I tried out tons of different businesses before my card business took off, so don’t be afraid to change it up if something isn’t working!