Etsy Seller Interview with Karuna of IguanaChocolate

How IguanaChocolate 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 Karuna, and my Etsy shop is called Iguana Chocolate. I am originally from South Africa but moved to Scotland (Lesmahagow) when I was 14 and absolutely love living here. Before starting my journey as a chocolatier, I was a cake decorator, with my specialty being wedding cakes. A bride wanted me to make a chocolate high-heeled shoe for her maid of honor. I had no idea how to work with chocolate, and at the time, there wasn’t a lot of information on the internet or lots of lovely chocolatiers on Facebook willing to share their knowledge. After many trials and lots of errors, I finally produced a beautiful chocolate high heel shoe, and in the process, I fell in love with chocolate. After my success with the chocolate high-heel shoe, I started making other novelty chocolates like golf sets, trains, horses, cats, and makeup kits. My friend pushed and dragged me to my first event to sell my chocolates, which definitely started me on my chocolate-selling journey.

Chocolate-making has definitely become my passion. I love creating indulgent, novelty, and quirky chocolates. All my products are made in small batches, and I don’t compromise on the quality of my ingredients. My handcrafted chocolates also comprise a range of luxury flavor combinations, some traditional and some inspired by my South African and Indian heritage. Over the last couple of years, I have won gold stars in the Great Taste Awards for two of my chocolates. Mostly, the chocolates I sell on Etsy are my novelty chocolates. I chose them as my main products for Etsy because I really believe people shopping on Etsy are looking for unique and unusual gifts, and I try to create those. And knowing that I am providing something that has that Wow! factor is so satisfying.

Favorite items

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

I love all of my chocolates. It's difficult to pick my one favorite item, knowing that they are all delicious.  A few of my favorites are the Belgian Dark Chocolate Gift Box:

This chocolate gift box is my go-to for gifting to friends and families on birthdays and anniversaries. I think it is one of my best sellers because it gives such a variety of flavors in one gift box, especially for lovers of dark chocolate. 24 chocolates with 12 different flavors

The cat-shaped chocolates are adorable and definitely unique gifts, making them another of a bestseller. Who doesn’t know someone who loves cats?

So this is the newest addition to my chocolate family. I had this mold designed to make these chocolates because I just love Highland cows. They are gorgeous and cute, and I know so many people love them.

Customer reviews always say it best.

5 stars Absolutely lovely quality chocolate, well packaged, and the recipient was over the moon with it!
5 stars We bought these as gifts this year as we liked them so much when we tried them. They are nicely packed and work well.
5 stars: This is my second year buying these beautiful chocolates for myself. The best part of December is having exquisite chocolate every day.

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?

Although I registered to sell on Etsy soon after starting my business, I didn't start selling until Christmas 2017. I was so excited and surprised to sell something online, especially after only a few days. Until that day, I had only sold at markets and fairs. Etsy opened up a whole new world for my business and has helped Iguana Chocolate flourish. My customers are varied; I have some that are repeat customers, which is brilliant, but I also have so many new ones that are just looking for something different and fun.

Managing IguanaChocolate

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?

Yes! It’s just me. I make the chocolate, decorate them, package them, label them, and then it’s onto packaging and labeling for posting. For Christmas the last few years, my husband has been kind and helped me with packing and shipping. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming as there is a lot of admin to do, which I am not great at. Social media, in particular, is exhausting for me, but I do keep trying to learn a bit more about it. The only app I really use is the Etsy app. Etsy’s integration with Royal Mail Click and Drop makes packing and posting so much easier for me.

The future of IguanaChocolate

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

Each year I bring a few new chocolates to my shop to keep the customers' interest. I have a few chocolates ready to be photographed and added. and a few more that need more work to be finalized for Christmas. I would like to supply a few boutiques with my chocolates again. Lockdown put an end to some of the boutiques and cafes I supplied, many of which have now closed, so it’s back to me being brave and getting my chocolates noticed.

Advice for new sellers

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

Don’t give up. Try not to compare yourself to other sellers and how many sales they have made. We’re all amazing in our own unique way. Be creative and research your craft. Try to figure out all the things that can go wrong, get damaged, or break with your finished product. Then work out how much of that you can fix before sending it out to your customers. Less damage means fewer complaints from customers. Respect your customers; some of them are not going to be easy to deal with, but try to always be polite and respectful. And on the days this feels impossible to achieve, take a walk, hug your babies, take a deep breath, scream if you can, or write down how you feel. Once you can breathe and think clearly again, then reply to your customer. And if all that fails, hopefully, Etsy will step in and help out.