Etsy Seller Interview with Laura of laurazabo

How laurazabo 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 Laura Zabo, and my shop is called Laura Zabo Upcycled Fashion. I create statement accessories from scrap bicycle inner tubes and tires, such as jewelry and belts. When I started my business, it was absolutely obvious to open a shop on Etsy, but for many years I haven't had much success. 1-3 sales each month. During those years, I was trading every weekend and sold my items on my website. When Covid first began, I had to decide whether to continue selling on my website or on Etsy, because keeping both platforms up to date is impossible for a one-person business. I chose Etsy and worked hard to learn the system; I read articles, watched videos, added more items, and so on. I just wanted to reuse more and more materials and offer items for eco-conscious consumers. Almost immediately, I could see the positive results. Every month I had a 10% growth, which was already much more than I experienced from my website.

Favorite items

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

These curly accessories are my best-selling items. I create them in colored versions, and I think they are just very unique. I also enjoy creating these pieces; it’s a very therapeutic process, and I truly enjoy seeing how much my customers love these items.

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 don't remember when I had my first sale, but I know well that Etsy can work very well, and the opposite is true as well. But if you put effort into it, it brings more sales than your own website, I believe. On my social media, I always promote Etsy, and even from my website, I drive visitors to Etsy. But the most important thing is that your customers have to be happy because they do the best promotion. I always send a small gift to everyone, and when they ask a question, I respond in a friendly manner. 

Managing laurazabo

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 a one-person business, so I create my listings and the items, and I do each step of my business. Lately, I found a great platform for content writing called anyword.com that really helps me. Content writing was really challenging for me, not being a native English speaker. I tried marmalead; it’s also good. But I haven't tried many other things because my sales are good and I am happy with them.

The future of laurazabo 

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

I would just simply create a better design, better images, and better product descriptions, so overall, I would create a better online presence. It takes time, but this is my main goal.

Advice for new sellers

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

Don’t start a shop without watching plenty of videos and reading articles. It takes less time to start and prepare well than to make modifications. Always keep learning more. If you find a good tip, never update a listing that is already performing well. Try new things on listings where you have no or very few sales to avoid losing any existing sales. And try new tools; spend time with Etsy every day; renew your items; share something on Etsy’s social media. Just simply be there and be active.

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

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: £3000-£4500

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: I reinvest almost everything but let's say around 50-60%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 1.5%