How friedafroehlichDE 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?

My name is Nadine, and I am the brains behind Friedafroehlich. Unsatisfied with the range of baby clothes on offer, I started sewing during my pregnancy in 2011. It initially started with small things like scarves, small blankets, and cuddly toys, and after my parental leave ended in September 2012, I took the step into self-employment and founded my small label, Friedafroehlich. I started on Dawanda and have now been active on Etsy since 2018. My shop includes handmade baby products, such as custom-made changing mats, diaper bags, baby room decorations, and children's clothing. Everything arose out of my own need, and my daughter was the source of my ideas.

Favorite items

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

My favourite products are the changing mats for on the go. And they are also my customers' favourite products. I used it myself with my daughter and adapted and tested it to my needs. In addition, it is always a great gift for a baby shower, and my friends and acquaintances were happy to buy and give it as a gift. And since I already had a few customers who repeatedly bought and gave them away, it looks as if I not only met my needs with the product but also theirs.

Changing Mats Collection

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 beginning at Etsy at the end of 2018 was very slow, then Corona came, and I was lucky for two years and sales were good, but unfortunately things went downhill at the beginning of last year, and I am now running my label full-time as a self-employed person after only 10 years as a sideline. Unfortunately, I'm not a social media-savvy person and have always held back when it comes to advertising. I'm more of a maker than an entrepreneur per se, which is unfortunately difficult on Etsy these days. As a small doer, you unfortunately lose track of things because social media, Pinterest, and Etsy themselves have become so comprehensive and time-consuming that you can no longer even understand them casually. My goal was never to build a large company. At the moment, I'm really not making a big effort to attract customers. Some products run through Etsy ads, but I just don't have the time for more.

Managing friedafroehlichDE

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 run my label and the Etsy shop alone. During the high sales period, I had a temporary worker for cutting and small sewing jobs, but basically, I always did everything myself. Starting with development, prototypes, cutting, sewing, taking photos, putting them in the shop, packaging, and shipping

My tools and apps are very clear.

I write the texts, take the photos in the studio, and, if necessary, edit them with Lightroom. I use Billbee as an invoicing programme, which I can also use to handle shipping. The rest is done via Etsy.

The future of friedafroehlichDE

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

I would just be grateful if I could keep my little label here for a while, but it's difficult on the side. You actually have to invest a lot of time in the platform and advertising in order to generate sales. Unfortunately, I also have the feeling that not all of my colleagues value their work and offer it for less than it is worth, and unfortunately, you can't keep up with that in terms of price.

Advice for new sellers

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

Basically, the ideas from platforms like Etsy are a good thing; they offer a good start and/or opportunity to test, whether it's your own products or yourself. If you really want to reach the top, it takes a lot of work, time, effort, and investment. For my part, I find it difficult here now, both in terms of time and money, if you only want to do it on the side. Etsy's goal is to reach a wide market, but that's not my goal. I love the craft, the making, the time it takes, and the energy you put into developing and implementing it. But unfortunately, this appreciation is lost on the part of the customers, even the manufacturers, and also somehow on Etsy.