How RBDGroomingSupplies 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?
RBDGroomingSupplies is part of a group of shops on Etsy that I call the "family of shops." Currently, I have 2 Etsy shops: RBDGroomingSupplies and RBDGifts. RBD stands for "Royally Beautiful Designs." I named my shop this for my love of princesses as a child. I grew up fascinated with the color purple, tiaras, gems, Princess Diana, and Queen Quinevere. It just seemed perfect. This name also didn’t limit me to any form of creation or inspiration.
RBDGroomingSupplies on Etsy caters to on-the-go dog groomers, where I create dog grooming bandanas and other dog grooming-related products to help the stressful business owner take back some of their time. RBD Grooming Supplies was designed for groomers to pick the print or theme that they would like or that best fits their businesses’ needs, and my Etsy shop will do all the rest. Every print is ironed prior to cutting and packaging. However, dog grooming supplies are not where I started on Etsy. I started in 2019 by selling a wide array of items. I sold personalized plush elves and ornaments at Christmas time and wreaths, home decor, and greeting cards the remainder of the year. I believe I started and shut down my Etsy shop 3–4 times before getting assistance from LL with the Handmade & Beyond masterclass.
I have always been the creative type, but I was asked by my childhood best friend to create centerpieces for her wedding, which started the journey. Being on Etsy and crafting has helped me with a lot of struggles that I have faced over the years, to include the loss of three friends to suicide in 2019 and COVID. I also work as a 911 operator, and crafting, especially ironing, helps keep the stress of calls off my mind.
Currently, I work with multiple suppliers, but I try to support other Etsy shop owners when I can and it is feasible. I am always looking for a great deal, not only for myself but to pass it along to my customers. I currently only sell on my Etsy shop and website.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
Within the last 6 months, I started creating flower collar attachments, which are great for dog groomers and dog owners alike. The collar attachments are currently offered in wholesale or pick-your-color options. Since these are newer, I am still expanding on the flowers that are offered within the shop. They've been selling like "hotcakes" since I listed them with my most popular option being a beautiful gem flower.
These items are my favorites because they look so adorable on a cat, dog, or even a bunny and can be added to any collar without ever removing the collar. The inspiration for these came from a couple of places. I had seen these at one of the local dog grooming salons as an additional add-on to their grooming service. A local animal shelter uses similar items to place on adoptable pets during adoption events and photos, and a customer reached out looking for something similar. Since this time, I have started to work on bow ties as well, which will be added in the coming month as another option.
WHOLESALE OPTIONS:
PICK-YOUR-COLOR OPTIONS:
My second favorite product is the mystery value pack. The reason I love this value pack option is because I get the chance to showcase a few different value pack options that I currently have within my shop.
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?
When I first started on my Etsy shop journey, it took me around 6 months to get my first organic sale. This was a little discouraging, but I did it eventually. Sales began slowly but increased slightly during the Christmas season. However, when I completely changed my Etsy shop to focus more on dog grooming supplies, I received my first organic order within 2–3 weeks.
I did take the time to work with LL and Handmade & Beyond, gaining resources and an understanding of how Etsy operated and how to respond to the fluid changes of the online marketplaces. So I put in the hard work of editing my listings and Etsy shop. I made it a priority to do something every week. My goal was to provide customers with an experience that I would want to receive as a shopper.
Managing RBDGroomingSupplies
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?
Managing my shop is definitely like having another full-time job. I manage my shop completely by myself. Since I work the night shift, I am put in a unique position where no stores are open and everyone else is asleep, giving me a lot of time to work on orders and my shop. Common tools and apps that I use to run my store include Handmade & Beyond Masterclass, Alura, Canva, and Pirate Ship.
Handmade & Beyond: I couldn’t thank LL enough for giving me the confidence to be my own handmade business owner, especially on Etsy. I actually started off listening to his podcast as I was moving to the middle of nowhere, Kansas, to be with family at the beginning of COVID. He was a good "kick in the butt" to just get started. It didn’t matter what I started with, but doing something was better than doing nothing at all. I finally decided to go ahead and purchase the master class for a year, and I am so happy that I did. He was available for questions and concerns. He walked me through different sticky situations, as well as those of others that were taking the masterclass. I learned so much about how to operate Etsy, and I feel that he gave me a great tool to build my success on Etsy.
Alura: Obviously, LL believes very highly in Alura for a multitude of reasons. The biggest tool that has assisted me has been the Etsy Fee Calculator. Pricing my items was, in my opinion, the hardest. The goal is always to make money instead of losing it, and at the beginning, I thought, "There is no way someone is going to pay that price for my items." However, I have learned that if you provide great service and products, customers will be willing to buy them.
Canva—I cannot say enough about this service either. I currently use it for Etsy, work, and a camp that I volunteer with for foster teens. It has helped create mock-ups, informational pictures, cover photos, and so much more.
Pirateship: Shipping prices have increased a lot over the last couple of years. having the ability to have different shipping options for my customers
The future of RBDGroomingSupplies
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
I would like to grow my business to be a one-stop shop for dog groomers to get their grooming items. I started my business by only offering by-the-print grooming bandanas in a regular triangle cut and soon moved to value packs. This year, I would like to focus on economy-cut bandanas as well as offer finished-style bandanas.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
New sellers can easily get discouraged because they see other shops doing amazing things. Just don’t give up. If another shop can do it, then so can you. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep working on your shop to make improvements. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Treat your customers well and give them the experience that you would want.
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 1.8 to 2.4% on average
RBDGroomingSupplies
Dog Grooming Supplies & Dog Related Items
