How MichiBikinis 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?
Michi Bikinis began as an idea that micro-style swimwear is rather difficult to come by. My boyfriend had done some photography in the past and primarily shot glamour models (women in lingerie or bikinis). I have a pretty diverse career background (everything from coffee barista to music producer to truck driver to compliance and safety director), so I have that "jack of all trades" personality. So when we were having no luck finding affordable pieces for potential photo sets, I thought to myself, "I think I can make these." We were thrift shopping when I spotted an old Singer sewing machine for $60 and brought it home. The last time I used a sewing machine at that point was in 6th grade! Through some trial and error (and troubleshooting on the phone with my mom), I was able to create the first prototypes to bring to a group photoshoot event. After seeing how the models looked and felt in the designs, I was able to finalize my patterns to a few that are risque yet flattering on many body types.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
My original design of the scrunch butt back string bikini bottom that I sell as a 2 piece set with various coverage options is my favorite. I’ve received so many compliments from models I’ve worked with and satisfied customers that the design accentuates their butts in a way that no other bikini has done before, and I love that! I’m also really proud of my 1 piece bodysuit design, because unlike others on the market, the high-cut waist and thong back make it not too size-specific, and it literally looks great on everyone. You’re not going to feel like you’re wearing a diaper in your Michi Bikini, that’s for sure!
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 opened my Etsy shop back in 2017, so I don’t know exactly how long it took from posting my first listing to getting my first sale, but I want to say it was around a week. Of course, sales started slow, but with the help of growing my social media (primarily Instagram) and consistently creating my own marketing content and posting new listings, sales really started increasing within the first couple months. It was enough to invest everything I was making into buying new fabric and elastic colors to expand the options I could offer. I was running my shop while at the same time working a high-stress full-time office job, coming home after working all day to sew orders all night. After a year and a half, sales were so good that I was able to take the leap and quit my job to focus on the bikini business full time. Once I was able to put all my time and energy into it, my shop took on a whole new life and I realized that this thing that started as an idea turned into something that I could actually succeed in doing long term. Now, I continue to expand the number of items I offer, and my boyfriend does photography full time to keep up with the ever growing need for marketing content creation. He quit his office job at the same time I did, so we are all in together!
Managing MichiBikinis
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?
Etsy makes managing my shop SO EASY. I can’t imagine my business would be where it is today without having the Etsy platform as my website. It’s not only my sales site, but I also manage my marketing, accounting, customer service hub, and inventory all at the same time! At one point, I thought I’d build my own webpage as it seemed like that’s the direction a lot of larger e-commerce businesses go, but I got lost in the technical aspects of building a site from scratch. With the large number of listings I have built on Etsy over the years, with all the different size or color variations and photos within each listing, the task would have been way too time-consuming and expensive. Not to mention, the marketing advantage I have by selling on Etsy is well worth continuing to sell solely on this platform. By selling on Etsy, I’m able to manage the business myself without the need to source outside contractors, and that’s amazing!
The future of MichiBikinis
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
My short-term goals definitely focus on more sales and more revenue, especially during the off-season (for bikinis, that’s certainly the winter months). I’ve streamlined the production process by cutting the fabric into my design templates ahead of time and then sewing every piece to order. I feel like I can handle more volume, and so I’m aiming my current marketing at custom logo options for companies looking to use my pieces in their own media marketing strategies. Adding the customization option to my designs was key to increasing bulk order sales, and I hope to continue to grow in that area. Ultimately, my goal for Michi Bikinis is to be capable of producing any customization in any volume that my customers may need.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
A lot of people may automatically say "Don’t give up" when asked to give advice, and while that’s definitely good advice, I think more importantly, I’d say "Start small." Don’t invest too much money, time, or energy into an idea that might not end up becoming profitable.
Some of the ideas I was most excited about, design-wise, didn’t end up selling as well as some of the items that surprised me in how popular they became. I spent a lot of money on rhinestones before realizing I didn’t have the time or patience to individually glue hundreds of tiny crystals onto fabric whenever a customer might order a blinged out piece. It was an idea that excited me as to the final result, but it wasn’t a practical business decision in regards to the reality of production.
Then, just before Halloween last year, a certain celebrity wore a costume that included a red and white striped bikini top similar to one that I have listed in my Etsy shop. All of a sudden, I had a bunch of orders for that particular item overnight! So, my advice is to find a product that you can create with as few resources as possible at first, and if it becomes popular, you can invest your profits into improving that product or buying your materials in bulk for a better profit margin.
Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.
Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $11,000
Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer:58%
Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 3%
MichiBikinis
Exotic Micro Coverage Swimwear
