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How MDNT45 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?
As with so many good stories, ours starts with a girl. Anatolia has loved to create clothing since she was a child. At fourteen, she had already designed clothing for herself and her friends. For many years, it was just a favourite hobby. Back in 2014, while working at an interior design studio, friends asked her for special looks for their parties. One time she made a mantle for her friend Michael, and he told her that he liked it so much he was going to just wear it all the time, not just at a party. After a year of work, doubts, and improvements, the mantle was ready for prime time, and Anatolia decided to leave her job and go all in on clothing design. She produced a first batch of twelve black coats herself, hoping that she could sell some of them, and they sold out during a weekend on her personal Facebook page. She discussed it with Michael, and he offered to partner with her in creating a small clothing company. MDNT:45 was born. Shortly after this, they created an Etsy shop, where we offer that very first item to this day.
The process of each item’s creation is unique and is based on the inner feeling that our designers want to convey and how they want our customers to feel wearing it. When it comes to sourcing, our approach to production and operation in general is what sets us apart from mass giants.
Firstly, sustainable production on demand We create an item only after it is ordered. As a result, there is much less waste for the planet and more attention to every piece while creating.
Secondly, we're 100% happy with handmade. Skilled, experienced, and talented people create our uncasual styles, from the cut to the last stitch, pouring their soul and energy into the work they do. Therefore, we prefer humans to robots, keep investing in their work, and care about the team rationally and emotionally.
Nevertheless, we love technical progress, implementing software for the optimisation of the work process, and letting people do the most interesting and creative parts.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
Ivan, our Etsy shop manager, lists the following as his favourites:
"Personally, I like them best because these products best convey the "classic" style of MDNT45: unique and uncasual, while remaining quite versatile and suitable for wearing them on almost any occasion. Our customers agree with me that these items are among bestsellers; most of them are in the top 10 products, while the rest are among the top 25 products by sales.
And, something that I personally value, they’re among the most rewarding listings when it comes to advertising.
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?
Nobody really remembers how long it took, but legends say it took us one day to get the first sale. Our main focus now is on Etsy ads, together with constant optimisation of the store's listings to improve their display in search. When it comes to social networks, we use Pinterest only, and its share in attracting buyers is minimal.
Managing MDNT45
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?
We have one shop manager and a customer support agent. Of course, behind the scenes, there is also a whole creative team that is responsible for all that beautiful content you can see in our shop.
The main tool our manager is using is Erank, which makes working with listings more effective. We had to build some custom integrations as well, to make it easier for our production and shipping teams.
The future of MDNT45
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
We have even more unique styles coming, and we’re constantly working on the quality of the products. We’d love to see our store grow, resulting in more happy clients all over the world.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
We've got a bunch:
1) It is important to systematically collect statistics and key figures for the store (we do it 1-2 times a week). This gives a whole picture and highlights what requires more work and which things in the store or listings should be adjusted first and foremost.
2) You should constantly work on optimising your listings as much as possible (rewriting and revising descriptions, updating product information, keywords, photos, etc.), because sooner or later at least some keywords in your listing may become "outdated", which will lead to a decrease in sales. This is a never-ending process that should be constantly addressed.
3) The most essential part of the listing are its photos, and they deserve special attention. Unlike other marketplaces, Etsy does not have a lot of restrictions on them, but it is recommended that each listing be completely filled with 10 photos, showing the product from all possible angles. The photos don't have to be professional, but they should be of high quality in any case. Once the listing is created, it's always a good idea to go to its page, check everything out, and ask yourself, "Would I buy this product with that listing I just created or edited?"
4) Finally, don't be afraid to test different hypotheses that arise as you work with the store. For example, if ideas come up about how you could improve the effectiveness of your advertising, it's worth testing them without fear of losing a little more advertising budget than usual. Even if the assumption is not proven, at least there will be an understanding that this approach does not work and that it is worth trying something new to improve the result.
Good luck!
