Etsy Seller Interview with Lisa of Luckyhorseshoe43

How Luckyhorseshoe43 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 Lisa, and I’m the owner and creator at Luckyhorseshoe43, where you will find many gifts and accessories for special occasions and weddings, all lovingly handcrafted by me. I have always been a creative person with a keen interest in art and design. In order to help me relax, I started making—this is where it all started. I can honestly say that when I’m making, I’m ‘in the zone"—I guess you could call it one of my ‘happy places’!

To begin with, I made lucky horseshoe gifts for a bride from wood. When wanting to purchase one as a gift for a relative, it became apparent that the majority of shops that did sell horseshoe gifts on the high street were all pretty much the same; there was nothing unique and individual. I had a look at the availability online and thought that maybe I could make one myself. I found a shop online that sold blank wooden horseshoes made from birch plywood. Initially, I decorated them with my own handcrafted mulberry flowers, satin ribbon, and other various jewelry findings and embellishments. I was happy with the end result and decided to give it away; it was well received. Having gained some confidence, I decided to design and make more pieces, sourcing items to use for them mostly from online sellers as well as local stores. I’m always on the lookout for interesting beads, lace, jewelry findings, and flowers to use.

After researching various marketplaces, I decided to have a go at selling my handmade pieces on Etsy. I have now broadened my horseshoe designs to include real aluminum horseshoes decorated with silk and real flowers. I also make hair accessories, wedding charms, "something blue" gifts, and jewelry too.

Another item that I make is light pulls made from beads. The idea for these came from making one for my own bathroom from a broken bead necklace. I loved the idea that the beads weren’t going to waste and thought that maybe this could be something else that I could make to sell. These have proven to be popular, and they now have their own Etsy shop called Lightpull47 (a link to this shop can be found on the main page of Luckyhorseshoe43).

Favorite items

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

Together with the light pulls, some of my other favorite pieces include bridal lace and pearl hair accessories, ivory and white wedding horseshoe gifts, and wedding bouquet charms, which can also be used as "something" blue. Some of these items have proven to be quite popular, and I think it may be due to the designs being original and unique, together with having a classic and elegant feel to them. I always use high-quality materials and spend lots of time lovingly handcrafting them while paying attention to detail. Please find links to some of my pieces here:

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 honestly don't remember when I made my first sale, but it was probably within the first 2-3 months of opening my Etsy shop. I can remember the feeling of joy knowing that someone liked my product enough to purchase it. It’s such a great feeling and one that never goes away, sale after sale. I’m always extremely grateful when a customer takes the time to leave positive feedback and lets me see their own photographs. I currently have discounts if a customer adds an item to their "favorites" or adds an item to the basket, enabling them to save 10%. I also participate in sales during peak seasons to help increase views/sales.

Presently, I don’t engage in social media, as sometimes it can become very overwhelming. However, I do think that it’s a valuable means to get noticed, and it has definitely helped me in the past. When I first opened my shop, using Instagram helped me make online friends with similar interests, and we would all support and help each other to get recognized.

Managing Luckyhorseshoe43

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 just me at Luckyhorseshoe43. I’m a very conscientious person, so good customer service is a big priority of mine. I always ship items on time and I use as much environmentally friendly packaging as possible. I always add a note to say thank you to the customer to let them know I’m grateful, together with a business card and sometimes a free gift. Currently, I use Royal Mail to post all items, sending out items under £10 by standard 2nd class post (to keep the cost down) and everything over £10 by 2nd class signed-for post. I do give the option for customers to choose expedited shipping at the checkout if required. As my local post office is relatively near me, I post items every 1-2 days, Monday to Friday. From experience, I know that a quick turnaround from placing an order to a customer receiving their purchase is good.

The future of Luckyhorseshoe43

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

Looking to the future I think that I may dip my toes into the social media world again, but for the time being, I’m happy with how things are going. I do want to spend some time looking into designing a logo and branding, as this is something I think my shop would really benefit from. I also want to try out some new ideas for photographs.

Advice for new sellers

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

Running an Etsy shop can be challenging at times; it’s important to be patient and give your shop time to get noticed. Make sure to include appropriate tags and headings for items to help gain visits to your shop. Being completely honest with informative descriptions of items together with photos taken in natural daylight with no filters to give an accurate representation is also key. Adding images from different angles, including close-ups, and using various background colors can make a difference to the image. I take all photos myself, and as with everything, it's a constant learning process to see what works and what doesn’t.

Etsy is relatively straightforward to use, and if, like me, you are not very tech-savvy, it gives you the tools to help run a successful business. If you have the time, it can be extremely rewarding. Stick to making what you enjoy making; then you can put your heart and soul into it. It’s no good to make something that isn’t enjoyable. One last tip: don’t be too hard on yourself if an idea doesn’t work out; it’s all part of the learning process!