Etsy Seller Interview with Nicky of CulturalRoots

How CulturalRoots 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?

Hi, my name is Nicky Bowman, and I am the instigator of Cultural Roots: Hippie, Boho, and Urban Trends | Festival Emporium Online. We are consciously aligned with commerce, a blueprint of trade with its focus on support and global equality above financial profit. In 2015, we had a vision of a better, more authentic way of living. There was a spark of energy that directed us into a system of service and co-creation. Our journey took us to Nepal, a country rich in cultural diversity with a strong sense of community, where we collaborated on a long-term business strategy and manufacturing processes.

Cultural Roots started out with a minimal financial foundation but a will to succeed in supporting the whole chain from manufacturing processes to customers while promoting environmental stability. We thrive as a cooperative, with each department supporting the overall structure. Our team members dispatch all of our products; there is no need for seasonal sales because our product prices are kept balanced as standard. We are truly humbled by the support we can direct as a business towards the Nepali community, a proud community. A community and landscape that is now like a second home and family.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

Our favorite products have to be our extensive range of cotton harem jumpsuits. We stumbled on a gap in the market with these and quickly established ourselves in the global denim field in 2019. This, being a small enterprise of natural and organic growth, enabled us to make a push into new designs and product expansion alongside expanding our mobile summer event festival emporium.

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?

We are reasonably minimal with regard to dependency on social media and SEO. We invest in ETSY search enhancement and mainly good old-fashioned, well-trusted word of mouth. The amazing thing about the clothing industry is that great products are walking advertisements. People still talk to each other even in this age, and if the products are fairly priced, of great quality, and pleasing to the eye, customers often check in with our store and then get a feel for our general etiquette and well-presented product listings. Our Cultural Roots festival shop is also a traveling advertisement. Many of our event-introduced customers come back knowing the product quality and trusting our business ethos to buy online from us throughout the seasons.

Managing CulturalRoots

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?

We have our own assistance with dispatch and customer support with the Etsy shop, and our general accounts and bookkeeping were passed over to a local company as well. It's very easy to want to do everything when we are passionate about the business we started. After the initial hurdles have been navigated into an established source of income, it's important to let go of duties as we expand so as to maintain a functioning balance. The Canva app has been the most valuable tool for us. Quick and easy to learn and use for most of our imagery and designs, decent quality photo and video editing cover 90% of our needs.

The future of CulturalRoots

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

One's work-life balance is important. I was physically overworked in heavy industry for over 25 years before starting and transitioning into Cultural Roots. 7 years on, I still love running this enterprise and will organically keep it growing… naturally! But even still, someday I’d like to pass the whole infrastructure on to others with extended vision and energy to take Cultural Roots to the next level.

Advice for new sellers

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

Organic Conscious Business Fairness, honesty and the will to succeed are still my sharpest tools. The world is changing fast. Sustainable business is eco-friendly, practical, and balanced. Grow beyond your comfort zone at every opportunity, and the right moves and connections will present themselves.