Etsy Seller Interview with Maria of lilhandstoys

How lilhandstoys 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?

Before I started my Etsy shop, I was recently retired and had just become a grandmother, which made me more aware of baby materials and accessories that you can’t buy in a shop but are very useful and educational, like Montessori materials.

The "testing" was obviously done on my first grandchild! I saw the excitement my creations were producing, and I was encouraged to keep transforming and improving them. What became my first products (the hand puppets) were great accessories at story time and made excellent gifts to other children in the family.

With my background in quality management and my sewing hobby, it was just natural to start a small business creating this sort of accessory and toy for other children to enjoy. I chose Etsy as a platform for selling my pieces because of its ease of use and accessibility (though it was a steep learning curve at the beginning for a grandmother who seldom used new technologies). With the help of my daughters, who both work in creative industries, we went through a branding exercise to choose a positioning for my business, a relevant name, and a visual identity for the packaging and marketing materials. My husband jumped in to help with the orders and the many legal aspects of owning a business. The first results of our business were encouraging, so we kept going!

Favorite items

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

When my second grandchild was born, I realized I didn’t have any products dedicated to newborns. This is how the best seller was born: the black and white baby mobile inspired by Montessori philosophy. This baby mobile was different from any other on the Etsy platform because the mobile shapes were oriented downwards, towards the baby, and the quality was really high, with every little detail stitched by hand. I enlarged the offer with other Montessori-inspired mobiles, and many of them still sell well to this day (though, inexplicably, we had a few unsuccessful ones).

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 had my first sale in two weeks after opening, but it really took off when I added more diversity to the shop, products in more colors, and helpful bundles. I’m sure that learning to take better pictures and videos helped as well. Plus, I used some of the tools Etsy offers, like promoting listings, to get the word out.

Managing lilhandstoys

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 manage my own shop and pay careful attention to my customers and their reviews; they help me improve and open the door of my shop to others. Plus, the community—we all learn from one another. For accounting, I use the monthly data provided by Etsy. And the shop wouldn’t be what it is without the help of my curious nephews; it’s always the best to see their little hands in action.

The future of lilhandstoys 

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

Moving forward, I want to maintain the diversity of creations in my shop, even though it’s pretty difficult since I design and sew everything myself. I need to make sure I always have all products in stock so I can ship orders as fast as possible. I plan my fabric supply and try to improve the process as much as possible, but there’s still a lot to learn, especially in terms of being more visible to customers. Short term, I really want to hit the 2000 happy customers mark and hopefully beat the record sales I had in 2019. And long-term, to supply as many little hands and eyes with colorful tools to develop their skills and learn in a fun way.

Advice for new sellers

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

Do what you love, and it will pay off. Although it’s a lot of work and sewing small pieces sometimes late at night is tiring, I love seeing my creations come to life and thinking of new ones. I may not make a lot, but getting a photo of a happy baby focusing on one of my mobiles or a good review from someone appreciating my work is the best. Also, read up on other people’s experiences; sometimes simple things like detailed descriptions or better photos go a long way. Answer every customer’s questions and try out requests; sometimes they help you come up with new ideas. Knowing about sale techniques and digital shops is definitely a plus, but I’m proof that even when you’re very new to that, you can use Etsy successfully. Hopefully my story inspires someone who’s just starting up: "Just go for it!"