Etsy Seller Interview with Jasmina of JessyHerc

How JessyHerc 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 shop is JessyHerc, and I sell handmade jewellery, mostly made with wire and gemstones and inspired by nature and fantasy (I love reading fantasy books). I was always very crafty, and I was making my own jewellery even as a little girl. I first started selling at local markets just to make some money on the side. I was mostly selling beaded wire-crocheted bracelets and necklaces at the time. Then my partner suggested I try Etsy. Because why not? So he took (quite poor) pictures of all of the items I had in stock, and we opened up an Etsy shop. We gradually learned what works and what doesn’t, improving the quality of the products and the presentations, and eventually it became a full-time job for the both of us.

Favorite items

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

My all-time favourite item is my simple two-trees pendant that I came up with years ago. It was inspired by one of my favourite books and it eventually evolved into many other designs. It was my top selling item for quite a while (until the moonstone choker necklace took its place). I think the reason it is so popular is because other fantasy fans recognise and love the story that the pendant represents.

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 got my first sale about a month after opening the shop (ah, I will never forget that sale), but then I didn’t have another one for three months! Further sales slowly started trickling once I introduced gemstones into my work, and the gemstones are still a big part of generating sales (the truly beautiful, high-quality stones are the ones that sell). Right now. We mostly attract new customers through various social media platforms.

Managing JessyHerc

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?

It’s me and my partner managing the shop. I make the jewellery, come up with new designs, deal with customers, and manage the shipping. My partner manages the listings (including photography) and all the social media.

We don’t use any specific tools or apps. Here in Slovenia, the only way to ship anything is to go to the post office and stand in line. So in order to optimise my time, I’ve created a system where I only ship out orders three times a week (as opposed to every day, which I used to do).

The future of JessyHerc

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

I want to continue to provide high-quality customer service, and I want to stay creative and keep coming up with new designs to add to the shop.

Advice for new sellers

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

Customer service is super important. Whenever you get a question from a customer, even if it sounds silly or obvious to you, take it seriously and answer professionally and kindly. If a customer is upset or dissatisfied with something, even if it’s not your fault, do your best to work with the customer and try to come up with a resolution together. Investing your time and energy into customer service pays off in the long run. And also, it really feels good to have happy customers.