How ModomnocsBees 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?
Our Etsy shop is Modomnoc’s Bees. We opened our store on February 13 (St. Modomnoc’s feast day) in 2016. We chose to name our store after St. Modomnoc (an Irish name for "My Dominic") from his story of bringing domestic bees to Ireland; it is quite a charming account and matched well with the religious and whimsical elements we wished to incorporate in our shop. As for what to sell, I (Hannah) had been making knotted twine rosaries for several years, just for fun and to give to friends. Since people liked them, we decided to try selling on Etsy to see how it worked, and the shop has grown from there! Originally, I started making only knotted twine rosaries and chaplets, but then my sister, Sarah, began making wreaths and decor items; I soon joined her and began making needle-felted wool ornaments as well. In more recent years, Sarah expanded into making wire and bead rosaries with some very unique colors and designs, and we also added some vintage items (mainly children’s toys in good condition and ready to be loved again) to our store alongside the handmade products. We did not have any set goals or serious destinations in mind at the start; we were just having fun creating things for others to enjoy, and everything grew from there!
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
One of our favorite items in the shop is also one of the most popular: a St. Damien of Molokai rosary with Hawaii-inspired lava beads, pearls, and palm wood spacers. It usually sells out quickly, so we are constantly racing to get the parts to keep it in stock! We believe its popularity is a testament to the enduring charity and compassion of Fr. Damien in his care for the lepers of Molokai, which continues to inspire people today.
Other favorites and popular items are these two knotted twine rosaries:
This one is likely to be popular due to the uniqueness of St. Modomnoc and his story and the fact that he is a lesser-known saint. He is also the patron saint of beekeepers, so there is a niche customer base amongst Catholic beekeepers! It is one of my favorite items because I designed the medal and had it custom-made specifically for our shop and rosaries! (Don’t overlook the little bee on the back of the medal above the flower.)
This rosary is also popular due to its unique design and hard-to-find medal. Our Lady of Walsingham is lesser known today, though her shrine was one of the most popular in the world in the past. Many Catholics, especially those in the Anglican Ordinariate, love her and her patronage, so this is a popular item. This rosary is one of my favorites as well, as I specifically paired the Our Lady of Walsingham medal with the crucifix featuring Our Lady and St. John, as that crucifix design is based on an artifact discovered in England dating back to the Roman period. Last but not least, we have multiple listings for Stella Maris (Our Lady, Star of the Sea) rosaries, and all are very popular both domestically and internationally. Here are a few examples:
These are among our favorites since Stella Maris is one of our favorite titles for Our Lady, and it is a title that inspires confidence and hope. Evidently, a lot of folks out there are devoted to her too!
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?
Our first sale was about a month after we opened our shop. As we were still in the experimenting phase and still building our shop and our listings, this worked well for us to give us some room and time to get things organized. After that, sales picked up gradually, and everything seemed to grow at a very natural, organic pace. Being open to and accommodating custom order requests from folks as much as we could help a lot; it was definitely a win-win, as the customers were happy with their unique items and our sales increased! I did not try advertising online outside of what Etsy already provided, but what helped us a lot was to start selling at events in person. Once we started gaining sales that way, the online orders began to take off as well, as the increased number of sales advertised on our Etsy storefront helped to boost buyer confidence. Today we sell primarily online, and we strive to keep creating new designs to continue to attract customers to our shop.
Managing ModomnocsBees
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?
Sarah and I work together as a team to run our shop. Sarah is primarily a creator for the store, making many of the items and creating new and unique designs, in addition to putting together many of the online listings in our store. I create some handmade pieces as well, but I predominantly handle customer service, photography of items, shipping, and fulfillment. The apps I use are the Etsy Seller’s App (helpful for real-time notifications when there is a sale) and Quickbooks for keeping track of tax information. Our method for shipping and fulfillment is to keep things simple. When an order comes in during business hours, we fill it, pack it, and ship it as soon as possible (same day or the next day). If there are several orders at once, I’ll go through them one by one and pack them up to go out as a batch.
The future of ModomnocsBees
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
Our main goal is to keep providing well-made and unique items for customers at reasonable prices! While getting sales is exciting, we find it more important that customers are happy and have fun and functional rosaries they can use or give as gifts. We are hoping to expand our product lines soon by continuing to create uniquely designed rosaries and chaplets, but we are also hoping to add simple, handmade children’s toys, in addition to the vintage ones available, in the near future.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Relax, don’t get discouraged, and have fun! While it is good to increase sales and get your product out to customers, don’t get too stressed about it or try to fit everything into a rigid timeline. The longer your store is open, the more it will be found, and sales will grow naturally. A little patience and perseverance can go a long way! Just have fun and keep going at it.
