Etsy Seller Interview with Stephany of ColorWithSteph

How ColorWithSteph 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 started selling on Etsy about ten years ago, and this is actually my second shop. I sell original wall art, art prints, and custom work at Stephany Elsworth Art, but when I started creating coloring pages, I thought it would be less confusing if I sold them through a separate store, so I created Color with Steph. I do all my drawing by hand and then digitize the pieces using Adobe Illustrator.

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 the Faerie Houses books. These sell well, and I hope my audience has as much fun coloring them as I had making them.

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 only took a few days for me to make my first sale on this site. I use Etsy’s marketing to attract customers, and I occasionally share pieces on Facebook and/or Instagram with different coloring book groups.

Managing ColorWithSteph

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?

It’s only me. I offer everything in this shop as an instant digital download, so there’s no need to wait days and days for a coloring book to arrive in the mail. It also frees up time for me that would otherwise be spent running to the post office. I use CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop to clean up and resize artwork as needed, as well as to prepare it for publication. Intuit’s self-employed QuickBooks takes care of my finances.

The future of ColorWithSteph

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

I want to continue to grow my business. It’s still in the early stages of growth right now, and I’d like to add more artwork and grow my sales.

Advice for new sellers

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

Don’t ever wait until you’re completely and totally ready before you do something; otherwise, it’ll never happen. Just jump in there, start small, and learn as you go along.