Etsy Seller Interview with Tiene of AboutYouStationery

How AboutYouStationery 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?

About You Stationery is a small, family-run business based in Cornwall. We offer eco-friendly rubber stamps, embossers, and clay and soap stamps. Our commitment to eco-conscious materials and sustainable practices ensures the stamps are not only beautiful but also environmentally responsible.

My name is Tiene, and I am the creator of About You Stationery. Originally from Belgium, my passion for travelling has taken me to many places, and our studio is now located on the Cornish coast, where I live with the love of my life and our beautiful son.

Your stamp is in good hands. With a Masters degree in graphic design, I have spent over 15 years working internationally in branding and advertising. My love of print, minimal design, and craftsmanship all led to the creation of About You Stationery.

I understand the significance of rubber stamps in various industries, whether it's for branding, documentation, crafting, or personal use. Our goal is to deliver the best rubber stamp solutions that leave a lasting impression. Let us make your wedding day, new business venture, or packaging that much more memorable and exciting. We want to change the world, one stamp at a time.

How would you like to leave your mark?

Etsy Shop

Webshop

Instagram

Favorite items

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

All items below are best sellers and therefore my favourites because I know how much they are liked by my customers!

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?

It took a few months before I started making my first sales and a couple of years before I had regular sales. Currently, a lot of my customers find me via the Etsy app, Etsy search, Etsy marketing, and SEO. I used to drive a lot of new customers via my social media channels as well, but since the birth of my son, I haven’t had as much time as I used to. I am definitely planning on picking this back up in the near future!

Managing AboutYouStationery

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 manage the online shop myself, but me and my fantastic production team in the UK and the US handle the shipping. We ship globally and have overall very fast turnaround times. We ship mainly with Royal Mail and USPS.

The future of AboutYouStationery

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

We are currently building our own website, which I am really excited about, and I am planning on offering more designs in the near future. We are already getting excited about Christmas and have a lot of new ideas for Christmas stamps. We started selling self-inking stamps, which seem to be gaining popularity, and of course we keep trying to do it in the most eco-friendly way possible!

Advice for new sellers

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

Don’t be put off by the number of listings and sellers that are out there. Believe in yourself and in your product, and be patient. Don’t expect it to grow immediately; initially, it takes a lot of time without much reward, but it really pays off in the end! Talk to other Etsy sellers, read the blogs, and listen to their stories. Read, read, and learn as much as you can! And last but not least, good listing pictures do make a huge difference, so definitely spend some time thinking about what kind of look and feel you want to create for your product.

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

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: Around 35%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 2.5%