Etsy Seller Interview with Lena of LenasMiniLand

How LenasMiniLand 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?

I am Lena, and I own Lena's Miniland brand name shops. My first shop opened on Etsy, and after some time I started on eBay, Amazon, and my own web store. In the beginning, I made wicker furniture for dolls, but now I also make wooden, 3D-printed, and upholstered furniture, clothes, decor, and even dollhouses. Why and how did I start? When I was a kid, I had a very great imagination, and I imagined that fairy tale characters like fairies, dwarfs, and gnomes really existed. I didn’t have many toys, so I made them myself out of paper, clay, etc. The more I practice, the more I learn different techniques.

Favorite items

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

I am just crazy about miniature items that look like the real ones! For example jungle game board, you probably seen that movie, and that is my miniature replica. But be careful! Do not begin unless you intend to finish!

I just love my Mandragora plants! There are many of them, and they are all unique and different from each other. But cover your ears—they are really making a lot of noise!

I am also very proud of myself because of this devil chair. If you have a tiny witch in your home, she will love to sit in such a chair!

Another of my passions is microcrocheting. And since I love fairy tales about fairies, gnomes, and dwarfs, I make these cute outfits for my dolls.

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've been waiting for my first sale for about 5 months. My start has been really difficult. First of all, I had to improve my items to meet customers’ expectations. At least I have no photography skills and need to learn them. I really made a big difference, and now my craft is full-time work for me. It can be compared to an iceberg; you only see a small part of it. Usually, people see that you’re selling your craft and think it's easy, but it isn’t. I would also compare it with a snowball: all the work you do is collect and start working. As much as you're working—as much as that makes sense.

Managing LenasMiniLand

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 still manage my shops myself and do not use any tools. When you sell handmade items, a big part of the work is actually making the product. Shipping and fulfillment do not take much time. So when I start thinking about delegation, I start looking for people who can make miniatures for me. Usually, these are ladies who just have a hobby and do not plan to make many items or sell them themselves. Now I currently employ a couple of people who make parts for my items and work with specific techniques like macramé, micro knitting, or cotton felt. So they earn some extra money, and I save time.

Actually, I have an Excel file with my inventory, stock, and markings about what needs to be restocked soon or which changes need to be made.

I also use Grammarly because I am not a native English speaker and am still learning the language.
I use Photoshop for photo editing (often I need to remove the photo background for Amazon) and Picasa for simple photo editing in bulk.
I also use Corel Draw. I draw layouts for laser-cut furniture parts with it.

The future of LenasMiniLand

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

Now I plan to learn SEO and improve my own web store. Why am I saying learn SEO if I already work with it? Because the CEO of Google is quite different from the CEO of the marketplace. A lot different.

Advice for new sellers

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

First of all, you need to think about what is popular right now and what products customers are likely to buy. Next, make great photos. That is not only about light and brightness but also creativity—what story does your photo tell? They should be somewhere between product photography and art objects. Next is the CEO; you should use as many words as you can and clearly describe an item you’re selling. The next part is having enough stock. You are not only interested in shopping with 20 items. Even 50 items are not enough; you should add many more. And every little thing about your customer. What they are looking for? If you sell mugs, maybe it will be a good idea to sell sets, mugs with plates, mugs with coasters, etc. If you sell furniture, you should be like Ikea, where people can find everything they need. You should also try social media to attract customers to your shop. And the last one, but not the least important, is to never give up. NEVER. GIVE. UP! I'm wishing you good luck.