How morecolors 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?
My name is Antonina, I'm from Ukraine, and I make jewelry and hair accessories with polymer clay flowers, featured in my Etsy shop MORECOLORS. The history of my creativity began with the search for entertainment for our children when I came across master classes on creativity with polymer clay. As someone who takes more nature photos than anything else, I started trying to sculpt flowers. It was like entering another world, where my imagination, fingers, and a block of polymer clay created something beautiful that did not exist an hour ago, and in addition, there was a pleasant feeling of excitement! I received a lot of compliments and attention about my products, both among relatives and friends and under publications on social networks. Over time, orders and the first sales appeared. Therefore, my story is not about a business idea but about how a hobby can turn into a profitable business.
I registered on Etsy completely by accident in 2014. At that time, my sales were focused on the local market and the countries of Eastern Europe. A client from the USA wrote to me with a request to purchase a product through Etsy. I signed up in a few minutes, not knowing much about this marketplace and not even taking advantage of the opportunity to list 40 products for free. I do not recommend repeating this experience.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
It's hard to choose just one. I really like individual orders, especially when it is necessary to make a decoration or accessory in accordance with the image or theme of the event or to invest in the product's certain meanings that are close and important to the future owner. For example, one of my latest orders was from my regular client Jenna, who wanted to give a gift to her friend, who is currently preparing for her upcoming wedding. Jenna decided to give her a necklace made in the style and color scheme of the upcoming event, which would be a nice reminder of this wonderful event. The work on this project was filled with special friendliness, warmth, and care. This emotional component is probably the greatest pleasure in my work. Therefore, every product is expensive and valuable to me, regardless of the volume and complexity of the work performed or its popularity.
However, if I had to choose only one flower to sculpt, it would be my gardenia. I love her very much! I understood that it was special as soon as I made it for the first time. And this love of mine is shared by customers; hairpins with gardenias have been a constant bestseller in my store for a long time. Also, earrings and necklaces with this flower are very popular.

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?
In fact, my first sale happened the day I signed up. However, the next path was extremely long and slow. I was barely involved in the store for the first four years. All my interactions were with adding new products and shipping existing ones. During the period of 2014–2017, I had a total of 30 sales.
In 2018, I got acquainted with the site's algorithms, began to study the market, my product niche, and a potential buyer, actively expanded the range of products, and worked out product descriptions and tags. I have absorbed hundreds of hours of video courses, seminars, lectures, and one-on-one experience selling on Etsy. She also actively shared information about her product on social networks (Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook) and used advertising on Etsy several times (with a small budget). Already in 2018, I had more sales in one year than in the previous four. And the real jump happened in 2021 when I received more than 500 sales. Currently, I am not taking any measures to promote my product; it seems that all the efforts are finally paying off. Today, I am focused on increasing the value of the product due to service, communication with the buyer, the aesthetics of the packaging, and the quality of delivery.
I think my sales chart demonstrates well that persistence and patience go hand in hand on the road to success. The joy and satisfaction I feel in the process is not the only reason I have continued to make jewelry that, for some time, did not bring profit. and, of course, the support of loved ones or a team of like-minded people. Although some financial support doesn't hurt, once I didn't have a single sale for a month and was miserable that I didn't even earn money to pay the bill for listing the product on Etsy. Then my husband bought a necklace for me in my own store. It seems he saw that this is a promising business.
Managing morecolors
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?
For a long time, I performed absolutely all functions: design, production, management, marketing, supply of materials and logistics, and accounting... For the last two years, during the high sales season (usually in the summer during the wedding season), I have had partners who help me in the assembly stage of accessories for hairstyles.
Also, now I regularly use the online service Seller Online, which works in the e-commerce market and is a partner of Etsy. This facilitates my financial operations and accounting, and they perform most of the logistics operations; I use the services of storage and shipment of goods from a warehouse in the USA, as well as consolidated shipments of goods from Ukraine.
The future of morecolors
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
Two years ago, I slightly expanded the assortment, adding materials for creativity—the opportunity to purchase not a finished product but only floral elements. Today it is a separate shop on Etsy: MOREFLORALS.
I also have an idea to add kits for making jewelry and accessories, which will include floral elements, all the necessary materials, and simple instructions for making. But in general, any changes in my store are a response to customer requests. I always analyze what the buyer buys or orders, and what they focus on, and pay special attention to feedback; this is the key to better understanding your buyer's priorities and, accordingly, your actions to meet those needs.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
The experience of each seller is individual, so no one will give you universal advice or guarantees regarding its use. My advice will no longer concern management or SEO; it is better to get such information from authoritative sources that specialize in this and adapt it to your business.
I advise all beginners to be bolder! I made many mistakes and took ineffective or ill-conceived actions that did not yield results but became valuable experiences. Don't give in to the fear that you won't succeed. Don't give up when you fail. Put your heart and soul into the business. Appreciate your unique idea or product, do better every time, and feel free to offer! You will succeed!
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: In 2022 on average $1900
Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: 50%
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 1.1%