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How BusyBeeGiftsShop 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?
I’m Jade Bowman, owner of Busy Bee Gifts Shop on Etsy. I began selling on Etsy during the pandemic. During lockdown, like many other people, I found myself trialling a variety of new hobbies, including cross stitch, resin, and beading. This led to me making keyrings for my students for their nd-of-year presents. Being a full-time primary school teacher, I have always made my class presents for both Christmas and the end of term. Each year, I would make my class bookmarks, sweet cones, wish bracelets, keyrings, etc., and they were greatly received by my students. In May 2020, I finally took the leap and opened up an Etsy store. This was the first time I had made my class personalised keyrings, and as a way of using up my left-over stock and getting some money back, I thought I would try my luck at selling them online and making them for other teachers. I watched YouTube videos, read articles, and learned all about SEO, key words, what makes a good title, etc. I quickly realised there was a lot more to it than I first thought, but I gave it a go, and to be honest, I didn’t really expect to get any orders. However, to my surprise, orders slowly started to come in.
I then started selling other items I had previously made for my class or things I had made for friends and family. I would make it, gift it, and then upload it to Etsy.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
My favourite items listed on my Etsy store are the personalised key chains and the electronic card. These are also my two best sellers. The personalised keyrings I love because not only are they a lovely personalised gift that children love, but from a teacher perspective, they are also SO useful! Keeping the cloak room area clean and tidy with 30 coats, 30 bags, and 30 PE bags is a job in itself, but if every bag has a name on it, it makes it so much easier to know what peg it has fallen from. Anything that makes my job easier, I am all for. The e-card is another favourite that I make and gift every year. I make it online, and the children love hunting for their name, so it is a nice keepsake for them (particularly if classes get mixed up or they are then leaving for secondary school). I think the reason these are selling well is because I know the ‘target audience’ because I am one. I have also recently listed a brand new item on my Etsy, a ‘Personalised Crayon Set’. I really love these and think they’re perfect not only for an end-of-year gift from a teacher or nursery practitioner but also because they could act as a name place holder on a child's table at a wedding.
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?
My first sale came in the first few weeks of opening my Etsy store. I had priced my keyrings extremely low at this point as a way of 'undercutting' the competition. However, this meant I wasn’t really making much profit on them. I hadn’t taken into account all of the tuition fees, the cost of resources, the price of postage, and how long a class set would take me to make. My first few orders were a learning curve for this reason. But at this point, I enjoyed making them, and I found it therapeutic, so I didn’t mind. I then randomly got my first international order; I hadn't even considered selling internationally, and I again lost money on all of these orders as I didn’t understand how to post them, how much it would cost, how long it would take, etc. Fast forward a few years, and my main clientele is now from the USA and Australia. I use Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram to attract customers to my Etsy store, and I find I have a lot of return customers who buy from me again and again each year.
Managing BusyBeeGiftsShop
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 still think I am a huge amateur when it comes to the running of Busy Bee’s. I am still doing my Etsy shop alongside teaching; however, I am currently on maternity leave after having my first baby, which has allowed me to spend more time on my social media, and I recently rebranded it, giving it a much more professional look. Bus Bee’s has enabled me to still earn while off work and to still contribute to the house's finances. I have the most incredible best friends, partners, and family who have all mucked in and helped me fulfil orders during my busy periods in previous years. My biggest fear is letting people down, and for this reason, I find I can get quite overwhelmed and stressed with working full time and then also having a large number of orders that need fulfilling during my evenings and weekends.
I purchased a bookkeeping Excel spreadsheet from a small business on Ettsy (_____) and I use the Post Office’s Drop and Go service to post my orders. This service saved me a lot of time and also meant I wasn't annoying the locals, as the post office I use is in a small village and people really did not appreciate being behind the woman sending 15 international parcels at a time. I have a Canva account, which I use to create my logo, Instagram posts, etc., and I work from my living room (usually in front of the TV).
The future of BusyBeeGiftsShop
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
Busy Bee Gifts Shop is something I am incredibly proud of, and I am so proud of myself for the success I have had so far on Etsy. I have recently become a mother to the most perfect little boy, and Busy Bee’s has allowed me to still have some money coming in while on maternity leave, and alongside my partner's support, it has also allowed me to go back to being a teacher two days a week. My goals for Busy Bee’s are for it to continue to grow as it has done these past 3 years, and eventually I plan to open up my own website.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
- I am a big believer in working smart, not hard. Use YouTube videos; don’t spend hours trying to work something out on your own; there will be a video explaining how to do it.
- Optimise your product descriptions and titles. Craft compelling, accurate, and keyword-rich product descriptions and titles. Use relevant keywords and phrases that potential buyers are likely to search for. Consider the perspective of your target audience and highlight the unique features, benefits, and potential uses of your products.
- Provide excellent customer service: Customer satisfaction is crucial for building a successful Etsy. Respond promptly to inquiries, be courteous and friendly in your communication, and strive to exceed customer expectations.
- Once an order has been received, reach out and ask your customers to leave a review! This may seem like an obvious one, but I have only just recently started doing this, and I am now in my 3rd year!
