Etsy Seller Interview with Nikkole of Planscreatively

How Planscreatively 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 the owner, operator, and creator of Plans Creatively. I am a self-taught graphic design enthusiast and have been creating graphics and digital designs since I was a young teen. Over the last twenty years or so, I have stuck with what has fueled passion within me, but I am always eager to learn, grow, and expand my knowledge. This started years ago with a dream to work for myself online and provide me with a creative outlet.

I started blogging and creating graphics for my own blogging needs. This turned into wanting to be more organized, functional, and planning my life forward. Becoming a mom, I needed a resource that I could use to keep track of everything. Plans creatively came to mind in 2018. I had always been an organized, "plan every  detail" kind of person, so when I found myself in the planner community, it wasn’t a surprise I took off with my passion being ignited. I quickly realized that the system I was using was customizable, but not quite exactly what I needed to work best for me. because I was familiar with web design, graphic design, and blogging.I thought learning about Etsy would be a great step forward. While I have many craft projects, hobbies, and creations I love to make, It was critical to have something that would not only keep me organized and functional but also look cute.After watching some YouTube videos by some gurus about Etsy and spending countless days scrolling through Pinterest, I felt ready to start. What added a lot of fuel to the passion to sell planner stickers and custom graphics was their popularity at the time. I saw hundreds of thousands of posts on Etsy that were based around planner stickers. because I was shopping for them. I realized that there were many options for things I couldn’t find anywhere else. So, I thought I’d create them.

My earlier listings, some of which are currently still available for purchase, came from graphics I had designed years ago. I was interested in pixel art back in 2008. So, I converted a lot of the graphics that were already created within my resources into stickers. Reinvent them and give them new life. Once I got through my older graphics, I started creating new graphics. All with the same thought in mind: "What can I create to provide me with a great visualization of what I need to remember?" This really took on a whole new shape when I started finding a lot of other moms requesting stickers specifically for their lives and daily activities. I had customers request personalized tracking stickers and stickers for their kids' electives in school. It gave me a sense of purpose.

Favorite items

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

Some of my favorite items that I have listed are my tutorial e-books.

I always dreamed of being a teacher when I was young. And this was my way of offering my teachings to others who might not know how to make their own planner stickers. I hope to broaden this option with a few other possibilities too.

One of my most surprising listings that sell quite well are my lettering, dating, day of the week, and monthly stickers. I often found many different planners on clearance at the local hobby and craft stores. However, as we ring in 2023, I wasn’t sure what I would do with a 2022 planner. That’s when it dawned on me: I could make a sticker for that! Again, what I started to create for my own planners and needs, I started sharing with others. "If I have the idea, I bet other people would too!" and I added them to Etsy. I wasn’t able to find anything else like it online. These took off in popularity, and it was quite surprising. While they’re simple, they’re very useful to utilize what would be discarded into something brand new to be reused. And repurposing and reducing waste are important too.

I think in today’s day and age, there are ways to save money and repurpose something you spent very little on. Instead of having a pile of outdated planners, you can repurpose them for many different things and easily redate them for next year.

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 approximately five (5) months after the shop was opened. On September 18th, 2018, I officially launched PlansCreatively.There were few listings, but I hit the ground running. I added about 10–15 listings almost immediately. Having some items created before listing everything at once, I think, helped build it. I tried to add more and new listings on a regular basis.My very first sale was on February 4th, 2019. It was a planner cover design. which is what I started creating along with sticker designs. It was printable, as were the majority of my listings.with the ability to have my customers create their perfect planner items. In my descriptions, I provided a bit of the story of why I was creating them and how my customers could use these items too. I stuck with printable items because they were more cost-efficient for customers. But, more importantly, it was a way to build passive income to provide growth for me.

I wanted to continue to build and grow. With printables, it gave me the ability to make something that would replenish itself and always be available for customers. While I gained confidence in myself and my designs, I could start looking for the resources and materials I would need for physical items. Word of mouth has been vital for my growth too. I had a lot of customers who loved the items I made and shared them with others. Social media was a great outlet for this. connecting with my customers, providing coupon codes for their returning purchases, and, of course, the requests I was getting from customers too. I became friends with quite a few customers during the first year. We connected more personally than professionally. I ask all of my customers not only what they want, but also why that item is important to them, so that I can provide them with the most personalized version of what they're looking for.

I think social media in general is important for Etsy's growth and for running a small business. Customer service, having a high-quality interaction with your customers, and sharing your products online are key. It is incredibly hard to balance sometimes. Sometimes it feels like another job in itself to post and share on social media, but I think it’s a great way to build customers. But, more importantly, remember that you are a person pursuing a dream, not a corporation seeking profit. So making those connections on social media by being personable, connected, and reflecting yourself is essential.

Managing Planscreatively

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?

It is only me. LOL I have the love and support of my husband, who keeps cheering me on from the sidelines to keep working hard. But he doesn’t understand a lot of it. So, more moral support comes from him. When overwhelmed, I can ask him or my two teenage boys to help me keep up with everything. The majority of the time, I wake up early in the morning, fueled with coffee and dedication. And the goal is to typically get orders out and shipped before the postman comes.

I have been using the same applications, software, and design tools for decades.

Corel—Paint Shop Pro for all of my design work, graphics, and products. It’s very similar to Photoshop, but in my opinion, a lot easier and more cost-effective. I absolutely love the functionality of it. I customized almost everything over the years. from the keys I use to the way I work on sheets and sticker creations. I have learned to work as efficiently as possible. Typically, items are created in bulk and all at once.If my PSP application is opened, I am working, and that’s what I’m focused on.

Corel VideoStudio Their video editing software has a lot of the same options and interface as their design studio program. I am comfortable with the interface, as it’s something I have used for years.

I have owned a website or blog on DreamHost for years as well. Years ago, I was a blog owner, and it's something I'm determined to restart.I often joke that "I have done everything a little backwards," as I have heard so many success stories about those who started as bloggers and then went to Etsy to grow. And, in a sense, I did too. But, I actually removed the blogging aspect, went to Etsy, and would like to regrow and reestablish myself as a blogger again some day. I have always used the WordPress interface for my domain and hosting. Again, it’s what I’ve always been most comfortable with.

Aside from that, I have slowly begun introducing Inkscape into my daily life. I want to begin to learn and understand how to create customized SVG files, so that’s on the drawing board for someday.

I chuckle to myself thinking how many times I’ve heard "Why don’t you use Photoshop?" and it’s for this reason alone. I have always used certain programs. I have learned, grown, and built comfort around the programs that I use, especially for design work.

The future of Planscreatively 

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

I want to expand by making a lot more physical products available. I'm starting to add physical options to [almost] every printable version I've got. And as I progress towards physical options, I am hoping to add sticker sheets for all different types of planning, journals, and stationery. Whether it’s for just planners, junk journals, or adding options for those who do bullet journaling, I’m always inspired by the bullet journal designs, but I don’t have the ability to be so "perfect" with my creations. And I would love to create some options for those who may feel the same way. Bullet journal-type designs, but in sticker form. I think the sky is the limit when it comes to new designs and decorative aspects. I have also considered adding a lot of elements for other papercrafts, including stickers and die-cut designs for those who want to get into paper crafts like card making, scrapbooking, and memory keeping.

Advice for new sellers

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

Do not be disheartened if you do not see any sales at first.Keep going. If there are a thousand people who have a shop just like yours, make it anyway. Those shops don’t have you. If you feel like it’s oversaturated, overmarketed, or not worth it, do it anyway. Every single seller on Etsy has a unique way to do it. And I think that’s why there are *so many* different types of ways to "build success and grow your sales" that offer advice from the gurus. I'm convinced that there is no secret magic tool for remaining successful on Etsy with specific SEO, keywords, and so on.I think the most important aspect of Etsy is to be personable about what you sell—you're a human selling what you’re passionate about—and to stay consistent.

Consistency will provide you with more sales, more views, and more customers than anyone else will ever tell you about Etsy. Consistently add new listings, make new creations, and add more things you love to make. Stay passionate about it, and show that passion in your pictures, your listing descriptions, and the story you’re telling with your items. Customers read that passion and are drawn to it. Don’t give up, and don’t let comparison rob you of the magic of your own story.

Also, do not be discouraged if it takes a long time to begin getting sales. Just keep adding what you love. And always, always grow with your shop. Always improve a tiny element with each listing. Investigate why one thing works better than another. And know that there is no secret formula for giant success—just passion, love, consistency, and YOU. Always follow your dreams; they’re yours for a reason, and those who will love what you create will come. So, stay true to yourself and do what you love. Let your love for the items show through every aspect of your shop. Believe in yourself and keep going forward. Most importantly, plan ahead creatively.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: On average, if I reach about $500 a month, I know that it’s been a very successful month. Some months I can earn about $100 a week or less. This tells me that I have to increase my efforts and make some changes. I have had weeks or months where I don’t get any sales whatsoever. It all depends on the flow of many different variables. Am I not updating consistently? Have I not added something new in a while? Could I make some changes to the SEO because of the recent changes made by Etsy? I keep an eye on the numbers, and when I’m not reaching my goals of $500 a month or more, I know I need to update my efforts and work harder.

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: 20–30% or so. After marketing, fees, and other variables, my net income from Etsy is usually around 50% of my gross income.I almost always count on my take-home deposits, after all is said and done with Etsy’s fees and such, to be about 12 of what my sales were. With that knowledge, I try to price my items so that I still have a 20% profit margin on my net income, not my gross sales income.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: In my first year of 2019, my conversion rate was 1.4% of viewers converted into sales. During 2020, my conversion rate grew significantly, but the state of the world did help with this number, I believe. I reached a conversion rate of 3.6% of viewers converting to sales. During 2021, the conversion rate was 3.9%. Finally, during 2022, my conversion rate did decrease, but my consistency and updates of new listings did slightly decrease too. It came as no surprise to me that this figure had decreased, albeit not significantly. My conversion rate in 2022 was 2.9%. I’m thinking a realistic goal to reach for 2023 would be to reach a 4%–5% conversion rate.