Etsy Seller Interview with Megan of SimplyHappyCards

How SimplyHappyCards 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?

Hi! My name is Megan Powell, and I am the owner of Simply Happy Cards. Since I was little, I've always enjoyed making handmade cards for friends and family. During quarantine in 2020, like most people, I found myself with some extra free time, so one day while making a birthday card for a friend, I thought, "I wonder if I can sell these?" I stocked up on materials like cardstock, markers, and pens, and the next week I announced on my social media channels that I was starting a greeting card business called Simply Happy Cards! My plan was to draw each individual card by hand because that's how I had always made my cards. This was a great idea until... after posting about my new business, I received orders for 40 cards! I was extremely grateful for the support from my friends and family, but I was quickly overwhelmed by the amount of time required to make 40 cards. Like anyone starting out, I questioned if this business was a good idea. I made it through those initial orders, and fortunately, my design process is much more efficient now. I still draw all of my designs by hand, but I traded in my markers and paper for an iPad. It made the most sense for me to start out on Etsy because of its relatively low cost. They also already have the infrastructure in place and a well-established customer base. Fast forward 2+ years later, I’ve made more than 3,500 sales, have 200+ designs available, and have sold to 40+ retail stores!

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 in my shop are my best sellers. These are my favorites because even after more than 2 years of running this business, it’s still so wild to me to think that people want to buy my designs. To think that one night I drew a hiking boot doodle for a birthday card, and now that card has 500+ sales! Knowing that my art is appreciated and resonates with others is one of the best feelings in the world.

A couple of my best sellers are:

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 a couple of sales from family and friends right away, but it took a couple of weeks for me to get my first sale from a stranger. When I was first starting out, I had no clue about SEO or how to market my products. SEO is a major key to attracting my current customers.

Managing SimplyHappyCards

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?

Yes, it’s just me right now! I don’t use a ton of tools, actually. I use Procreate to draw my designs and Photoshop to format and print them. Luckily, Etsy makes shipping and fulfillment very easy, so I handle all of that directly through the site.

The future of SimplyHappyCards 

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

For this year, I would like to have 300 total product listings. I’m currently at 198, so that will be a lot of new additions, but I have so many ideas that it’s just a matter of getting them out of my head and into my shop! I would also like to hit 5,000 sales. This will be a huge milestone for me, and I’m looking forward to making it a reality this year!

Advice for new sellers

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

Just do it! So many people (including myself) want to wait until everything is perfect before creating a shop or showing their work to the world.