How HopeFilledDesign 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?

Hello, my name is Jennifer. My husband and I live in Texas with our two young boys. In 2016, I opened my Etsy shop. I was a stay-at-home mom looking to make some extra money, so I started selling screen-printed tea towels. I quickly realized that it was a lot of work for very little profit, so after a few sales, I closed my shop. Then in 2020, I took a course and decided to reopen my shop selling printables. I liked the idea of having passive income and a shop that I could work on as my schedule allowed. When I first started making printables, I made things that I personally used, such as debt payoff trackers and meal planners. As my shop grew, my products expanded to include printables for holidays and special events. When I create new products, I always think about whether it is something that my family would enjoy or if it would be useful to have.

Favorite items

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

Debt Tracker Printable, Going to Bee Debt Free, Loan Payoff, Dave Ramsey Baby Step 2, Debt Snowball, Debt Tracker, Debt Payoff, Debt Planner

My favorite product (and one of my bestsellers) is a debt payoff tracker. It was one of the first items I added to my store, and the concept behind it changed my life.When my husband and I got married, we decided that we wanted to be debt-free. We paid off $57,000 in debt in our first year of marriage, and tracking progress on our debt repayment tracker was extremely motivating. Because the tracker helped us, I assumed it would help others as well. After selling this design for a few years, it's fun to look back at customer reviews and messages and see how this product has helped them.

Advent Calendar Printable, Christmas Countdown, Family Activities Christmas, Advent Calendar for Kids, Christmas Advent Calendar, DIY Advent

My other favorite product is an advent calendar that I created for my family. It has sold very well and gets a bestseller badge every Christmas. The calendar has a daily activity for families to do together as they countdown to Christmas. My children look forward to it every Christmas, and the customer feedback has been fantastic. I love knowing that the products I create are bringing families closer together!

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?

When I started selling printables, it took a few weeks for me to get my first sale. I thought about quitting when I didn’t get a sale right away, but I am so glad that I stuck it out. Early on, my boys would shout woohoo every time they heard that wonderful cha-ching sound. Currently, I am utilizing Pinterest and Etsy SEO to attract customers. I have had a few pins go viral, which resulted in a lot of sales. I still get traffic and sales from pins I made a couple of years ago.

Managing HopeFilledDesign

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?

My Etsy shop is all me. I use Erank for keyword research and tracking my listings. All of my designs are created in Canva. There are a few other tools that I am looking at adding once I meet my next revenue goal.

The future of HopeFilledDesign

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

My number one goal is for my shop to continue growing and for my sales to increase. I would also like to become a top-1% seller in the next six months.

Advice for new sellers

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

Don’t give up. Make it your goal to do one thing every day. It could be as easy as writing down product ideas or as involved as designing and listing a new product. I block out time each week to devote to my shop. Some days it is only 10-15 minutes while I am waiting in line, and other days it might be a 2-hour block of time.

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

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: Close to 100%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 4%

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.