Etsy Seller Interview with Raymond of PetProMart

How PetProMart 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 Raymond Todd, the owner and founder of PetProMart on Etsy. My idea came to me when I was just a little boy after I had lost my best friend, Shep, a vibrant and happy Sheltie. Unfortunately, we did not have a pet ID tag on our family dog when he slipped away from my older brother's car at the gas station in a strange town as he opened the car door. We posted and handed out flyers by the ream and walked the streets and parks for many days. It always seemed like we were just one step away from finding our beloved pet. We were told that Shep was seen at the park the day before, and kids were throwing rocks at him. Then someone saw Shep in the street, bewildered and nearly run over by cars. With this in mind, we got lucky and were finally reunited with Shep, who had been missing for weeks. A teenager scooped Shep up in the middle of the street. His mom was driving, and the teenager opened his car door; luckily, Shep came running to him. I've always liked the idea of pet ID tags since we rescued our family pet. I first started selling tags for a friend by dropshipping them on a different sales channel; however, my friend’s tags were low quality and cheaply made. I sold hundreds and hundreds of these subpar tags and had tons of complaints. Then I realized that not only could I save dogs and cats by reuniting them with their families, but I also realized the potential if these tags were made of high quality; hence, I formed PetProMart on Etsy. The rest is history, as I created the theme "Pet Safety & Style" and started making and selling many other items that fit this theme. As my Etsy store grew, I was able to fund partnerships to make even more items that fit my theme.

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 and best sellers are rivet-on name tags and military-style dog tags. I particularly like the rivet-on tags, because not only do I sell tons of them, but I also install them on my hand-made BioThane dog collars, which I am particularly proud of. People seem to like the idea of a tag that does not make the jingle-jangle sound. I started making BioThane collars because I figured that if I make pet tags, it sort of makes sense that I carry the collars as well. I found a vendor who sold BioThane strapping and was watching one of Marlin’s Youtube videos on how to make hand-made collars. Marlin's pitch was that you should try his starter kit. So for a little over $100, I bought the starter kit. I made a few prototype collars when I met this lady from Ukraine, living in Pennsylvania at the time, who offered to do some free professional photography in exchange for a dog jacket. This was a prime opportunity to get started with the BioThane collars, I figured, and I nailed it with the collar too! The rest is history!

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 sales attempt was with a homemade ink transfer on a military-style dog tag that I had experimented with for months. It was difficult to make and very time-consuming. I had shown it to a friend of mine, who seemed a bit skeptical that I could do well with sales on Etsy. Nevertheless, my friend needed luggage tags, so I actually sold several bag tags as my first sale in the process of making my first homemade ink transfer dog tag. I managed to attract dog and cat lovers by continually offering new and innovative products. I learned to keep good sellers that are simple to make and will not hesitate to discontinue items that don’t do well.

Managing PetProMart

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 store is self-managed. I do most everything on my own and do have some partners who assist with certain aspects. I use the Godaddy app and stamps.com to track orders and create shipping labels, and since most of my items are small, they are easy to pack and inexpensive to ship. I also do a lot of promoting through Pinterest, which seems to bring a lot of curious dog and cat lovers to my Etsy site.

The future of PetProMart

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

My goal for my shop is to add a new line of funny custom art tags and other gift items for pet parents. I recently purchased a UV printer, and thus I plan on coming out with a new line of dog tags with art designs and funny sayings as well as a "Make your own" tag option where customers can send their favorite photo and I can put it on the tag for them. I’m excited to get started with this new line of art tags, titled "PetProMart Art."

Advice for new sellers

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

My advice for new sellers on Etsy is to follow your heart. If you have a good idea, give it a try, and don’t give up. If you make a profit early on, reinvest it in upgrading equipment, marketing, and new lines of products. It took me 5 years and several business plans changes before I finally got it right. If you have the passion, go for it! If at first, it doesn’t work, try different things. Keep the good ideas and discard the bad ones. 

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: Average Etsy monthly revenue is approximately $4,000. Additional revenue is generated through other sales channels.

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: The profit margin is approximately 35–50%, depending on the type of product that is being sold.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: The conversion rate is typically between 2-3%.