Etsy Seller Interview with Sara of RainwaterBotanicals

How RainwaterBotanicals 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?

Rainwater Botanicals started out as a hobby. I wanted to create products that were natural and affordable for myself, my family, and friends, just for the fun of it all. I sold them exclusively at my local farmers market while working full time as a baker. Once I became a mother of two, however, everything changed. I quickly found that keeping bakers' hours and raising little ones was way too exhausting. Something had to change. I decided at that time to try selling my skin care products on Etsy to earn some extra cash so I could spend less time at work and more time at home with the little ones. I was truly amazed at how quickly and easily my little hobby turned into a part-time job. I was earning enough to help with household expenses, and I was able to schedule my work around my life for the first time. This revelation inspired me to expand and grow my little side hustle into a full-time occupation. Through research and sheer stubbornness, things started to happen for my little hobby. I think Etsy had a big part in helping me succeed. The Etsy platform made it simple for a complete novice to learn how to sell online.I feel like Etsy and I have grown together over the years, and I could not be happier with the Etsy community. Today, it’s a family-run business where we all have roles to play in keeping up with all the various tasks required. I truly love what I do and what Rainwater Botanicals has become. These days, we focus on being as environmentally conscious as possible while building our brand and reaching more customers.

Favorite items

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

My current favorites (as there have been many over the years) are probably our zero-waste shampoos and conditioners. It was a difficult product to perfect, but I absolutely love how the line has turned out. I will never go back to salon or drugstore hair care products. Many of the reviewers have said the same thing. The products are selling very well and getting excellent feedback from repeat buyers.

Of course, our zero-waste natural deodorant has an amazing fan club out there as well. I absolutely love that it's both natural and doesn't add to our collective plastic pollution burden. Our new Timber scent is my favorite!

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 had probably been listing products on Etsy for a week when I started getting sales. This was partly due to the support of friends and family and partly because I was already selling products to locals and tourists. Many were happy they could now get products sent right to their door.

Our current strategy for gaining customers is to offer a quality product that will bring them back for more and inspire them to tell others. Word of mouth is our best strategy and the one we’ve always relied on. We also advertise and use social media, send out newsletters, and use Etsy’s advertising to help us gain new customers. Over the years, technology has made advertising much more convenient and accessible, bringing them back for more and inspiring them to tell others. Word of mouth is our best strategy and the one we've always relied on. We also advertise and use social media, send out newsletters, and use Etsy's advertising to help us gain new customers. Over the years, technology has made advertising much more convenient and accessible. We are grateful for the brilliant minds out there who create ways to help small businesses.

Managing RainwaterBotanicals

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?

We have a Monday morning strategy meeting every week where we make to-do lists and decide how the week will play out. It’s a delicate balance between manufacturing and filling orders. The tools at our disposal are numerous. Etsy’s shipping is easy enough to use and just works for us. We ship globally using USPS (they love us at our local post office). Our website is built using the Wix platform, which has recently enabled us to expand to other platforms such as eBay with ease. PayPal makes it easy to take money on our website or send invoices to wholesale clients. We use PayPal shipping for sending our products out into the world. I also love Godaddy Bookkeeping for keeping track of sales and taxes. The product offers insights and makes quarterly taxes a breeze. All sales from Etsy and Paypal sales automatically populate into their proper categories, and all expenses do as well when using PayPal debit for purchases. One more thing to mention is that we use USPS flat-rate boxes for larger orders and EcoEnclose mailers for smaller orders.

The future of RainwaterBotanicals

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

We are trying to expand more into wholesale, so customers can find a local store to pick up our products. Trying to sell something that smells pretty on the internet is a bit of a challenge, as you can imagine. We would especially like to find wholesalers in other parts of the world. We know our international customers would appreciate not having to pay so much in shipping and wait so long to get our products.

Advice for new sellers

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

1) Take excellent pictures! Get some help from a pro if need be. Grabbing potential customers' eyes with great photography is everything.

2) Don't give up; stubbornness is required.

It’s a big world out there with a market for just about everything. Find your niche.