How Stickea 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! We are two moms from Hungary (both of us are called Dora), and we together are the founders and owners of our Etsy shop Stickea. Our journey started in 2019, when my former colleague and friend, Dora, came up with the idea to make furniture stickers for IKEA furniture for children. Our passion for IKEA was not new; we had lots of ideas, and our business was up and running in just nine months. Hacking IKEA products have been a huge trend for years, but complicated DIY projects are not for everyone. Our stickers help parents transform IKEA furniture easily into something more: adding new functions to the furniture (for example, a simple storage unit can become the perfect play table), making it look nicer, and helping children's imaginations develop while making the kid's room more aesthetically pleasing. We can also mention the environment-friendly aspect of hacking: using our stickers is a simple way to bring life back to something that has lost its shine.
We create all of the stickers designs ourselves, despite the fact that none of us is a graphic designer by trade. Mainly because of this, we are so proud of our product portfolio. Self-learning is a key to personal and professional growth. We draw new ideas from our lives while watching our children play. They are also the best product testers. There are some products that have been brought to life by customer request, and we decided to keep them in our portfolio. Except for the Christmas season, we are also happy to help our customers with their custom ideas for non-IKEA furniture.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
Our favorite items are the dollhouse stickers. They are made for the IKEA Flisat dollhouse, which comes with plain white back panels, so it looks like a blank canvas waiting for us to decorate it. Our stickers turn this dollhouse into anything you can imagine. It can be not just a classic dollhouse but a fire station, a barn, a police department, a car repair shop, or even a superhero headquarters. Many additional decals are available, such as for roof tiles, windows, and exterior walls, so customers can easily pick and choose the elements they like. These stickers are extremely popular all year. Parents and grandparents all over the world are transforming their dollhouses to make a unique birthday or Christmas gifts for their little loved ones.
Our second favorite stickers are made to make the IKEA Duktig play kitchen even better. It makes us happy to see our customers review photos of how they transform these kitchens into gems.
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 we opened our Etsy shop in December 2019, we only uploaded 4 listings to check out the shop manager dashboard and the options on the site. We had no expectations, so when the first order arrived after 3 weeks, we were really surprised and happy! We steadily started uploading our products and started receiving sales daily. Most of our customers find Stickea via Etsy and Google searches. We do not have a relevant presence on social media sites yet, but we encourage our customers to use the hashtag #stickeahack when sharing their pictures, including our stickers. Luckily, they are very proud of how their makeover turned out, so they are happy to share the results with others who drive traffic to the shop.
Managing Stickea
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 are a team of two. It is interesting that we do not live geographically close to each other, but that does not make it difficult to work together. We use cloud-based file sharing (Google Drive, Dropbox), and we talk a lot on the phone. Everyone has their role, and we also take turns taking care of customer service. We have a strong focus on customer satisfaction. The first year was an instructive learning process in every respect. We keep trying to improve our products and services based on the customer’s feedback.
We organize the transport and production ourselves. We have worked with many courier companies over the last three years. So far, we have delivered to more than 50 countries around the world. Our current delivery partner is very reliable and fast. We have to constantly cope with rising shipping prices, which is the biggest challenge this year.
The future of Stickea
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
As the world economy is slowing more than anticipated, our goal for this year is to maintain the current sales figures and profit margin. We hope our stickers bring some joy and more common playtime to families. We got so many kind thank-you messages from our customers; these make us grateful every day. The truth is, we are really enjoying our job as it is right now.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Our main advice is to make excellent product pictures; good ones are not enough; they sell the product, so they must be very attractive. Keywords are also critical; check the competitors and use keyword research tools to find the best keywords for your products. Always be courteous and friendly in your communication; good customer service is essential. Use saved replays to save time; we have one for almost every case. Ask for reviews: Reviews can help others feel confident about choosing your shop until you have a significant number of sales. And finally, be patient. If your products are good enough, you will find your target audience.
Stickea
Change the look of your IKEA furnitures with stickers
