Etsy Seller Interview with Karen of TheFrenchDog

How TheFrenchDog 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, I’m Karen, the owner of The French Dog. I opened the shop in 2015 after switching over from my original Etsy shop, The Rocking Pony. I appliquéd designs on kids’ shirts, but as my children got older, I lost touch with what was trending in the toddler realm, and my kids didn’t want to wear mom-made clothes anymore. I looked at our dogs and realized I could sew for them without ever hearing a complaint. The French Dog was born.

I originally started selling dog coats. I would make one with reclaimed wool and add fancy trims, or mix and match leftover fabrics from The Rocking Pony days. I soon realized that this wasn’t a sustainable way to run a store. I’d have enough fabric to make just one of a particular item for the shop, and inevitably, it was never the size an interested customer needed. I learned to make dog collars and dropped the coats pretty quickly. In addition to collars, I initially offered leashes. Customers soon requested harnesses, and that was a struggle to add. I don’t use harnesses on my own dogs, and there aren't any patterns for the style I make. (Disclaimer: most commercially sold patterns have the disclaimer that they’re for home use only and not for resale.) Since I made my own size scale for collars, I also made a harness size scale and figured out a workable pattern that was both easy to recreate and that customers liked. Over the years, I’ve also added bow ties in patterns to match collars, reversible bandanas with an adjustable clip-on system that I designed, and infinity scarves. The latest item I’ve added is collar clip-ons. I outsource these and modify them in the shop to be able to quickly add to or remove from collars.

It’s been a process learning how to run the shop to be able to keep up with demand. I learned what kind of ribbon holds up to abuse from dogs and what doesn’t, and I found a fabric source where I can purchase the same patterns year after year without fear of them being discontinued. While we are very happy with our hardware supplier, we are always looking for wholesalers that are affordable for tiny shops like mine. We seem to be in the middle ground of needing supplies constantly but not being able to afford wholesale bulk pricing yet. It’s all part of the growing process. One of the more interesting things we learned was what sewing machines worked for us. We love the very old machines found at estate sales that previous generations have left behind, and as a bonus, they’re very inexpensive.

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 are our infinity scarves. I just love the look of these on dogs, and we wear them all winter on our own dogs. They are only offered in the fall and winter seasons and are well loved by our customers, too. I’ve heard many customers say they’ve never seen anything like this for dogs, and I think that factors in with sales. People like unique items. The cost is fairly inexpensive as well, making them a quick-grab item.

The collar clip ons are also good sellers for me, for many of the same reasons.

Dog collars are our bread and butter item, though, and have been since day one. Our great variety of patterns speak to many different people, so we’re able to reach a broader audience than just one style would. One of our best sellers is a custom designed pattern we made, the Summer Beach pattern.

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 never thought to cross-promote to my Rocking Pony customers (in case they had dogs and wanted to move with me), so I had to start from scratch when I opened The French Dog. The pet industry is always on the rise, and I made sales that very first month.

I started an Instagram account simply to advertise and promote the shop, and I took on brand reps to further that promotion for me. This has been my only advertising source and has been highly successful for me. I have a very large team of reps (about 15-18) and replace them annually so that I’m always reaching new accounts.

Managing TheFrenchDog

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?

I’m the only maker currently. I had hired my daughter for a year in 2020 or 2021, and together we streamlined the making process to better keep up with higher volume. I currently work a little every day (about 5-6 hours M-F and a few hours on weekends), unless I’m away from home, and even then I’m advertising on Instagram and answering Etsy messages. I use the Etsy seller's app and Mailchimp for newsletter emails. I print shipping labels from Etsy and have the USPS mail carrier come to my house every day. That has been a lifesaver in making trips to the post office daily, as we’re pretty rural.

The future of TheFrenchDog

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

I’ve actually scaled back a bit this year, and am not unhappy about that. My shop goals have always been on a smaller scale. I simply want to do what I love, and make enough money to pay for travel after living expenses are met. I don’t want to be large enough to have payroll and all the logistics that go along with that.

Advice for new sellers

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

Having tiered pricing is a retail trick that helps with sales. Offer a baseline product, and then offer upgrades to that if at all possible. This allows everyone to be able to afford what they want, and those upgrades both make the buyer feel they’ve gotten the best you have to offer as well as give you a bit of extra income.

I also highly recommend brand ambassadors or reps. Everyone has a circle of friends, and reps can reach different circles than one seller can alone. This advertising is far more effective than paying for ads 

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: My current monthly revenue is around $10k. The month of November usually doubles the average.

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: I’ve priced my items using the general rule of thumb to double my cost of making for wholesale and double that for retail. This allows me to be able to run sales often and still make money.

‍Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: My conversation rate averages between 3 and 4%.