How DarcysCanineDesigns 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 began selling on Etsy through my involvement with dogs and my lifelong creative streak. I wanted to make unique accessories that I could share with my dog-walking clients and the pups at the rescue where I volunteered. After I began making my items and refining my processes, I figured that I could open a small business, and Etsy was the perfect platform for my handmade goods.

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 in my shop are my bestsellers, and my collar flowers. I don’t see the type of collar flower that I make very often on Etsy, so they are unique. I also wholesale them, so my production process has been quite refined. Here is my best-selling red poppy collar flower:

 Dog Collar Flower | Red Poppy | Collar Corsage | Dog Wedding Flower | Hook and Loop Attached | Gift for Dog Lovers | Collar Charm

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?

I earned my first sale within a week of opening my shop in late 2019. It was a simple dog bow tie. I’ve tried several ways of marketing my shop, including organic Instagram and Facebook, Facebook ads, print marketing, and Etsy ads, but nowadays I primarily just run Etsy ads for a week or so per month to take advantage of the allowance Etsy gives through Etsy Plus. I cannot recommend any one method as being extremely successful; it takes a lot of marketing dollars to make any sort of movement nowadays, and that’s tough to justify for my shop considering the lower price point of my items.

Managing DarcysCanineDesigns

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 am a one-woman show. The tools I currently use are Canva and Photoshop for photography and graphics, and eRank for market research. I only ship to the U.S. and Canada, and the only shipping options offered are First Class and Priority Mail. I use Etsy’s shipping labels mainly and will occasionally purchase a reduced-rate label from Paypal on an ad hoc basis.

The future of DarcysCanineDesigns 

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

My goals are to make a certain amount per month consistently and to grow my wholesale business. As the sole proprietor in every aspect of my business, I would love to be busy enough to hire an assistant.

Advice for new sellers

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

Know your customer and what they are in the market for; perfect your production system; and handle your business as professionally as your own favorite businesses.

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

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 2022 conversion rate: 3.9%

Alura Team
Alura Team

Alura is your all-in-one platform for selling on Etsy. With more $500.000+ gross sales over four years selling on Etsy, Alura is built by experienced sellers for sellers. Start with a free account and explore all the features you need to start, run, and grow your Etsy shop.