How CharlottesCeramicArt 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?
Charlotte’s ceramic art (also known as Charlotte Manser Ceramics) offers customers the chance to invest in and enjoy unique, contemporary, and handmade ceramics. I started my business in September 2019 in my grandparents' garage. I had one pottery wheel and one table, and when I had made enough pieces, I would go to a local potter to fire my work. Over the next few months, I listed some items on Etsy, but I didn’t "properly" join Etsy until March 2020. We all remember March 2020—but because of the dreaded lockdowns! When lockdown started, I quickly had to adapt to the new norm of online shopping, so I spent some time setting up my Etsy shop. Previous to this, I was selling at local markets, which all got canceled as soon as lockdown hit. I think the quick adaptation I made saved my business. Over the last 3 years, I have slowly built up the number of products and color ranges available. All of my products are made by me and my team of four in my studio near Wantage, Oxfordshire.
I always like to bring out new pieces and colors, but sometimes I am too busy to have time to experiment. I often get asked to make a product that I don't currently offer, and then I either love it so much that I add it to my range or I speak to customers to see what other styles or colors they’d like to see in my shop. It’s about responding to what sells well, what people want to see, and sticking to my "brand."
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 are my cream plates and pasta bowls. When I moved in with my boyfriend (now fiancé), I made us an entire dinner set in the cream glaze, as it’s neutral and can fit into any kitchen. It took him 20 minutes until he broke something, though! I hope my customers are less clumsy than him.
My cream glaze sells well and has always been one of my most popular glazes; however, the "mountains" glaze is THE most popular glaze I offer. I love how every piece comes out different in the mountain glaze pattern and how it is unique yet affordable for 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?
After investing the time in setting up my Etsy shop properly, I would say it took a week or two until I got my first sale. The cha-ching was super exciting. I believe it is critical to have good photos, complete all of the information, and let the customer know who made the product.Obviously, this is from someone who makes their products, but even if you own a small business where you sell manufactured pieces, it is important to show that you’re human, that you care for each customer, and that thought has gone into curating your shop.
I have never paid for Etsy advertising and rarely pay for social media advertising. The majority of my sales come from Etsy searches (current stat: 87%), and some come from social media (13%). I get a lot of return customers too. I think quality is important. If you sell a cheap product that breaks within a week, the customer will not buy it again. But if you sell a product that’s more expensive but lasts, it shows quality, skill, and value for money.
Managing CharlottesCeramicArt
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?
All of my shop is managed through my Etsy app, mostly on my phone but sometimes on my iPad. I currently have 3 employees who help with the glazing, making, and packing of my products, plus a newly added marketing consultant. It’s quite a feat to manage and organize the making and dispatch of items, but it’s built up to this volume of orders over the last 3 years. To start with, I only had items on my Etsy store that were available to be dispatched, as that was easier to manage. Whereas now, all of my items are "made to order," and I make and dispatch the order within 3 weeks of the order being placed. This is mostly due to the volume of work I currently have, which means I can’t build up stock on the shelves for Etsy. It works well like this, but it does mean I have to keep on top of what’s being ordered so I know what to make. I probably do lose orders though because of the dispatch time, but this isn’t an issue for me at the moment in terms of income.
I think packaging and posting is a faff to start with, but once it’s all set up, it’s done and super easy to manage. I currently have a flat rate of £5 for UK orders, but it varies for international orders. This $5 is split into postage, a box, packing peanuts, wrapping, and a business card. I have an employee who packs orders every day as the kiln is unloaded. This could only be five Etsy orders and some wholesale orders, or it could be a full kiln of 30 Etsy orders, for example. I buy all of my postage through the Etsy app, have a thermal label printer, and then bag it up and drop it off at the local post office. If you are U.K.-based and buy shipping through the Royal Mail site (you can link your Etsy shop to it), then you can buy Tracked 48 and get a free collection of the parcels from your house. However, this increases your business's turnover as the money for postage is being deposited into your account and then spent by you. If you buy through the Etsy site, then your "postage fee" is being spent through them and never goes through your business turnover.
The future of CharlottesCeramicArt
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
In the next 3 months, I am working to rebrand my business and design some packaging. I'll also be releasing three new collections before April.It's much easier to release new pieces at the beginning of the year because September-December is too busy to even take a day off! My long-term goal is to explore YouTube and build an educational platform too. I aim to have my "core" ranges and bring out limited edition sets too. I also definitely want to catch up to having lots of stock on the shelves so I can dispatch orders quicker too, as this would increase my sales.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
My advice is:
- Do it
- Don’t overthink it.
- Your shop won't be perfect right away.
- You won't be able to invest in good photos, good-quality business cards, etc. straight away, but you can build up to that.
- Natural lighting is best for photos; don't overedit anything.
- Don’t worry too much about Etsy fees! I have a lot of people saying to me, "Yeah, but the fees are so much." These people often sit all day at a market stall that they’ve paid £20–50 to set up and sell a couple hundred pounds' worth of goods. To me, that's more of a fee and use of your time than setting up an Etsy shop. Etsy brings customers to you; that's what you’re paying for.
- Use social media to promote your business: Instagram, TikTok, etc.
- When you have a steady stream of income, think about the value of your time too. Is it worth paying someone else to take photographs for you because your time is more valuable making your work, working on your brand, etc.?
And don’t do anything you don’t enjoy. Life is about having a good time!
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: On average over 2022, it was £3,200 a month. This can be less in some months, maybe £2000, but at Christmas in November it was £7000. Also, this is not my only source of income. I have a website, and I sell wholesale. And I have 4 employees to pay, remember?
Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: My product cost is split by 20% wage, 20% materials 20% studio running and rent and equipment, 10-15% etsy fees30-40% profit depending on the product
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 1.5-2%
CharlottesCeramicArt
Unique. Handmade. Contemporary.
