How BakeBlendz 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?
Plant medicine has always fascinated me. Once I graduated from business school, I expanded my knowledge on the subject of herbalism. I read books, watched videos, and eventually earned my diploma in herbalism. I loved creating recipes for friends and family. It wasn't long before the entrepreneurial streak in me was triggered, so I created an Etsy account. I began sourcing the best-quality herbs I could get hold of in the UK and got my post-it notes and planner out as I tried and tested different recipes.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
My favorite item in my shop is the Bake Bendz Mini Sample Set. I love samples! And as these have a variety of blends, it gives you an opportunity to try every flavor without committing to the full size. To date, we have sold over 300 of these, making us just over £5000 in revenue!
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 didn't take longer than a week to earn my first sale. I used my personal Instagram to showcase my new project. I used the Instagram story tools to post polls whilst I was doing market research, share links so that my friends and family could complete short questionnaires (which led to free samples! ), and post videos of me creating herbal blends. This got the ball rolling in terms of exposure. In all honesty, my marketing and brand awareness could be a lot better, but this is a fun hobby for me, so I’ve taken my time with it. Work-life balance is important to me.
Managing BakeBlendz
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 my shop by myself; I am the accounts manager, the packaging designer, the photographer, and the postrunner! Like most Etsy sellers, I’ve built from the ground up and have learned valuable lessons along the way. YouTube has been a fantastic tool for me! Especially when it comes to getting my Etsy finances sorted. I have a notebook dedicated to all of my Bake Blendz sales, expenses, and profits, which is updated weekly and monthly to keep it on track. It helped to have a visual of how my money was being used in the business and how I might be able to cut costs or reinvest.
The future of BakeBlendz
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
In the future, I’d love to update my recipes and revamp the packaging. I am always looking for ways to improve my products, and with all the lessons I’ve learned along the way, I still think there is a lot more to achieve. Postage has also been tricky. With Etsy prices rising and the cost of living in general. Customers are more inclined to shop when free delivery is offered. As sellers, there is only so much of this cost we can take on, but we must be true to our products and to our work's value. Prices may need to increase slightly to match the current climate and to continue to offer the best service that we can, such as tracked services at a free delivery rate.
I’d also love to add some new products to my shop, as I have plenty of new and improved ideas, but slow and steady wins the race, and I would love to perfect the listings I currently have before adding any more new ones.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
My advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop would be to stay true to your small business. Do not compare yourself to others, especially to large corporations or businesses that offer unrealistic services at unrealistic costs to customers and may even exploit their staff to make them feasible, such as same-day delivery. Matching this pace when starting a small business is not always possible, and this is not a bad thing. There are more and more people putting their money into small businesses, as we are beginning to understand that we need to support and invest in each other. On that note, value yourself as an entrepreneur and charge for your time and services proudly.
Lastly, and equally important, think of how you want your shop to be known and treat your customers in a way that will align with that vision. Customer care is key to any type of business's success.
