How RomanLappat 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?
Hey, I am Roman, and I am a miniature diorama artist and teacher. I am self-employed with painting projects for clients and have been teaching private coaching lessons up to large group workshops since 2009. As I am mainly teaching hands-on, I searched for a medium to teach online too and was not convinced by quick and fast videos. I studied to become a teacher at college, and I do not believe in fast learning. I found teaching my art in eBook format very appealing and decided to use Etsy to sell inspiring tutorials, insightful step-by-step articles, and motivational write-ups there. Also, physical products like premium art prints of my work I usually create a diorama or a miniature project, document all my steps, and write up the complete tutorial afterwards.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
My favorite items are tutorials that are motivational and go beyond painting. For example, my motivational one or the one that teaches you to see nature with the eyes of a painter.
They are not the best-selling ones in my shop as there are other ebooks that focus on more dramatic and eye-catching topics, but I think these are the most important for me as they are a starting point for a grand journey into miniature diorama art.
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?
To be honest, my first sale did not take long at all. I think I was lucky in the long term. I did not start out with Etsy. I am working for myself as a teacher and artist for almost two decades now. In the tiny world of miniature painting, I branded my name and, with it, my quality of teaching. I am also very honored to have collectors of my art and to get invited to special events as a judge or guest of honor worldwide. I work hard for these things, and the first ten years were no fun. In the meantime, I learned more about running a business and not just being an artist with dreams. Goals are important. COVID and the times when I was not allowed to teach in person made me rethink and discover my goal of eBooks. A lot of my Etsy customers come to my shop via my social networks. I do have a solid Instagram Account and also do quite a bit of YouTube content. I think working on these first for years made it easier for me to get a good start on Etsy.
Managing RomanLappat
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 is only me. I use the basic Etsy app to run my shop. As I am mainly selling digital products, the workload is okay. Once in awhile, when I sell an Art print, I pack it up and bring it to the post office. Sometimes I have to order a specific print, and there could be more waiting time for the client, but I am not stressed and mentioned all of this in my descriptions. As a one-man army in many things in life, I realized that stress is the enemy. I would rather be precise, as being precise is fast and consistent in the long run.
The future of RomanLappat
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
I want to write many more tutorials and things I have on my mind for the people who are interested in my creations and want to learn from me. I want to inspire, and I am happy that in the tiny world of miniature painting, I am a true influencer.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Focus on the quality of your presentation. Take time and effort to make your product an ace. Put your heart and soul into it. Rewards will come from this. Connect to social media channels as well as you can, and be patient. Everything grows with patience. A painted miniature diorama and your own Etsy story.
