Etsy Seller Interview with Kristin of ByKristinP

How ByKristinP 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 Kristin Putney, the owner, and founder of ByKristinP on Etsy. I design and sell stickers, custom stickers, and custom-illustrated portraits. I started ByKristinP in late 2021 with the hope of sharing products that bring happiness through fun and creative designs.

I have always had an interest in creating, drawing, and designing. I invested in an iPad and an Apple Pencil in hopes of channeling this hobby outside of my full-time job. I started by making an Instagram page where I shared my illustrations for fun. Eventually, this gained some attention, which led to a small community of people following along and wanting me to draw their photos, which led to the opening of my shop. I began by only selling these custom illustrations.

As my husband and I continued settling into our homes and careers, I began dreaming of having more flexibility outside of my 9-5 and having the option of staying home one day as we started the journey of having our own children. Knowing that growing my Etsy shop could give me that chance, I started spending hours researching entrepreneur techniques and products I could create myself that would have some potential. This brought me to designing and selling my own stickers, custom stickers, name stickers, and more.

Along with my iPad and Apple Pencil, I invested in a Cricut machine, an upscale printer, and a thermal label printer in order to create and source my products from home. By June 2022, I was my own boss and working full-time from home.

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 listed in my shop are my custom illustrations from photos, my custom pet illustrations, and my custom home illustrations.

These are my favorites because I get the opportunity to create a special piece of art for so many people. Family, friends, and customers share heartfelt memories with me as we collaborate, and the reactions from the finished products are priceless.

These illustrations do well, and I think that is because they can be a beautiful way to cherish a memory, a loved one, or a special occasion. It can also be a fun piece of art to display in your home or give as a gift. All my work incorporates my commitment to my design vision and to providing a great buying experience.

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?

The day I opened my Etsy shop, I received my first two sales! I was blown away at the support I was already being shown. Marketing the opening of my shop on Instagram and Facebook is what drew in these initial customers. Now, I continue to attract customers through social media and SEO. I have gotten a lot of exposure from influencers sharing my products on Instagram and TikTok.

Managing ByKristinP

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 have run ByKristinP by myself for the year and a-half that I have been open. Fortunately, I have a lot of support from my family. My husband enjoys helping me pack orders occasionally and makes frequent post office runs for me as things get really busy. My father has worked in operations for successful businesses for years, which is helpful when it comes to business management advice as well as customer service advice. I am also lucky enough to have my furry companion, Duke, who sticks by my side as I spend a lot of hours in my home office.

I use a lot of tools and apps to help my business run smoothly. Here are a few of my favorites and most frequently used:

Etsy Seller: This may be an obvious one, but this app makes it so easy to manage my shop on the go. I have constant access to my business in the palm of my hand when I cannot be at my computer. I am able to respond to customer messages quickly, see orders, update my inventory, and more.

Procreate is the only digital art studio app that I use on my iPad to illustrate portraits, design stickers, and create shop graphics, as well as my own packing supplies (thank you cards, envelope sealers, etc.).

Cricut Design Space: This app is how I use my Cricut machine to print and cut my stickers. I do not pay for the monthly subscription, as I do not need access to other designs and fonts.

Google Sheets: I use these spreadsheets to track expenses. Having the app on my iPhone and iPad provides quick access to track business-related purchases on-the-go, too.

Adobe Lightroom: This is my go-to app for editing photos and shop graphics. I use a variety of filters that automatically apply my preferred lighting, exposure, and contrast to any photo or video when creating content.

InShot: This is my go-to app for editing video content. InShot makes it easy to trim and combine my videos, as well as add music, transitions, text, and other professional features.

I handle shipping and fulfillment by keeping detailed lists of orders I need to complete by certain dates. At the beginning of each day, I spend time creating these lists so I stay on track. I also set realistic processing times and adjust them as needed during busy seasons. As far as shipping is concerned, I use Etsy’s integrated shipping labels for mailing. As I complete orders each day, I bring them to the post office.

The future of ByKristinP

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

I’d love to continue growing and evolving my shop as well as create my own website domain to have alongside Etsy. I want to continue learning and making my products better, as well as offer new physical products beyond stickers and digital art.

Advice for new sellers

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

Do your research! You can never have enough knowledge when it comes to being a small business owner. Focus on learning Etsy SEO techniques and investing in high-quality tools that will help you produce products that are going to be competitive within your niche. Join Facebook groups or create an Instagram page that will allow you to connect with other Etsy shop owners as well.

Build trust with your customers by providing excellent and professional customer service. I believe that creating a positive connection with your audience is extremely important.

If you want customers to spend their hard-earned money on your product, then you need to work even harder to make that product worth it! Do not expect instant success. Growing your business takes time and patience.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: Monthly revenue varies based on seasons. I typically bring in $1,000–1,500 in a normal month after Etsy fees. During busy seasons, I bring in anywhere from $2,000 to $4,500 a month.

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: When necessary, I must spend between $100 and $200 per month on business supplies. This leaves my profit margin between $800 and $1,300 in a normal month.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 20%