Etsy Seller Interview with Zinovia of ArtSalamonia

How ArtSalamonia 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?

Since I have always been self-employed and it is difficult to find work on the normal job market, I decided to build something myself. I registered an online business with the trade office for the sale of crocheted and knitted goods.

This is what I could do and what I learned from my mother. At that time, I registered with DAWANDA. After a short time, DAWANDA was closed, and DAWANDA made me the offer to transfer the entire shop to Etsy. That was my salvation for my idea of an online business. In the beginning, it went very badly; I had no idea what to look out for. What customers like to buy and which division should I expand? That's how I dragged myself through the first few years. I was not even aware of the legal interpretation of the designation of the textiles. Until the day I received an 800 EURO payment request from a legal office for misnaming a material, This amount was very high for me during this difficult time, and my husband then paid the fine. I live in Germany, and here everything is required by law.

For example, in my case, the Textile Labelling Act has over 250 pages of regulations that you have to adhere to. With the support of my husband, I slowly understood how it could work to be successful with my products. The most important are the customer, quality, friendliness, and good service. Then customers will be happy to buy. The sale started slowly and got better and better. If you want to be consistently successful, you have to keep moving. Always improving, constantly coming up with new ideas, and keeping an eye on the competition.

You also have to learn how to photograph the products first. A good picture is like a good menu in a restaurant; if it looks good, you order more and come back. All products are lovingly handcrafted by me. I make everything as if it were for myself. With very good ratings, my customers from all over the world confirm that I am on the right track.

Favorite items

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

The products in the following links are my favourites because they sell very well, and some of them are best sellers. The Viking hat is my own development, which I'm particularly proud of. This hat is popular all year round, not only for all occasions but also to keep children's and adults' heads warm in winter. This cap was sold very often in Germany and the USA, even as far as Alaska. The shoes have a special feature in the sole; the sole is crocheted to be particularly stable and gives the children a lot of security and support. These shoes were sold as far away as Australia. Furthermore, I pay attention to high quality, precise details, and manufacturing. Everything has to be perfect. I do not accept errors in the material.

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?

In the beginning, it took a few weeks until I had the first sale. My advertising is my quality and 24/7 service. I also present my Etsy shop on Instagram and have links to it there. A German newspaper recently took notice of me via Instagram, after which I was interviewed at home for an hour. This resulted in a whole page of reports in the newspaper about my shop on Etsy and my story, including pictures.

Managing ArtSalamonia

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?

My husband and I are a strong team; we do everything alone. I make all the products, and my husband handles shipping, packaging, accounting, emails, material orders, responding to customer inquiries, cancellations, refunds, attorney matters, waste law processing, and much more.

We do not use any tools or apps other than the Etsy app so that we are always informed, even when we are not at the computer, whether sales have been made or a customer has sent us a message, so that we can react as quickly as possible.

The future of ArtSalamonia 

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

To become number 1 in the world.

Advice for new sellers

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

Lots of patience, energy, and perseverance. Always believe in yourself. Never give up, even when it's difficult. Always putting quality and friendliness first and always complying with the laws of the country.