Etsy Seller Interview with Mindy of KBDigitals

How KBDigitals 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?

Hi, I’m Mindy Walker, owner of Kona B Designs and KB Digitals. I began selling on Etsy in 2010. I sell alphabet photography and name signs. I branched out and now have another Etsy shop where I sell digital files as well. I made an alphabet photo sign for my parents' anniversary, and I received so many requests for them that I decided to start selling on Etsy. I was still employed outside the home, but after a few years, I quit my job and have been selling on Etsy full-time since then. I create my prints using photos that I have taken of things that look like letters. Then I use photo editing software to edit the photos and create the name signs. I have them printed at a local print shop.

Favorite items

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

My favourite product is my newest name sign with a bible verse added below the name. I have only had this listed for about a week or so, but I have sold several already!

I recently branched out into pet portraits. I absolutely love doing them. I love seeing everyone’s cute pets. These have been selling well too.

I just added a Christmas-themed pet portrait as well.

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?

It was so long ago that I really don’t remember how long it took to make my first sale. I know it was at least a month or so. I currently run Etsy ads to try to attract customers to my Etsy shops. I have also been trying to do more posts on social media, but I am not very good at keeping up with that. I have a lot of repeat customers, which is nice. I think they also spread the word about my business to friends and family.

Managing KBDigitals

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 the only one who runs and manages both of my Etsy shops. I think I mentioned that this is now my full-time employment. I mostly use a photo editing programme to edit all the photos I take. I also use it to create the name art and the pet portraits. I currently have a printing place that prints and ships all my orders for me. That is the best thing I ever did! Before that, I was printing at a local printing place and then driving to pick up all of the orders. Coming home and packaging and printing shipping labels, taking the orders to the post office, or scheduling a USPS pickup. I did this about 3–4 times per week. It was very time-consuming. Now, I don’t have to drive to pick up orders or package anything. The printing company I use is a small family owned company.  I did a lot of research before I decided to go with them. I wanted to make sure the quality was up to my standards.

The future of KBDigitals

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

I want to grow my business. I would love to get so busy that I have to hire some employees. Currently, I do sometimes hire seasonal help. I also want to have my own website, aside from Etsy. I will still keep selling on Etsy as well. I would possibly like to add t-shirts, mugs, bags, etc. for the pet owners who purchase a pet portrait. Since I already have the pet digitally painted for the portrait, they could add on these items, and it would not be very time-consuming for me since most of the work is already done.

Advice for new sellers

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

My best advice would be to make sure your listing photos are very good. There are lots of articles on Etsy and online that can help you learn more about how to take good listing photos. SEO is also very important. Make sure you use good keywords, tags, and titles for your listing. I would also allow you to allocate as much money as you can towards your advertising budget in the beginning. If you can advertise a lot at the beginning, it will get the sales coming, and you can adjust your budget after that if you need to. Do expect it to take some time before your Etsy shop gains traction. It isn’t something that you will get instant results from. But, just keep at it!