How SchnauzerScribbles 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?
My name is Katy, and I am the owner of Schnauzer Scribbles. I sell quirky, handmade greeting cards for all occasions. I love art and used to hand-draw cards for family and friends. A few years ago, I broke my elbow and couldn’t draw or paint for 12 weeks. I ended up with a lot of time on my hands, so I decided to treat myself to a tablet for digital drawing. I thought I could doodle with my good arm while I waited for my elbow to heal. It was during this time that I wondered if I could use the tablet to design cards to sell. I started to create some rough sketches of card ideas and researched Etsy as a marketplace. I worked behind the scenes for a very long time before I had the courage to open my shop!
I draw most of my designs digitally on my iPad. I love to paint on canvas, but designing straight onto the iPad means that I have more flexibility to amend my designs and offer personalized options. I really wanted to offer a high-quality product while being as eco-friendly as possible, so I spent a long time researching sustainable card and packaging and testing card and printing methods. There was a lot of trial and error involved!
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
I like my 8th wedding anniversary card because I designed it for my husband for our anniversary. I’m a bit of a geek, and I think the card probably reflects this! I wasn’t going to list it in my shop as I had only designed it to give to my husband, but he encouraged me to, and it has become a popular card. It is also the card that has been imitated the most. I do find it frustrating when other sellers ‘borrow’ my ideas, but they do say that imitation is the highest form of flattery!
I also like my 14th wedding anniversary card. My brother suggested I design some anniversary cards, as he was struggling to find a 14th anniversary card to give to my sister-in-law. It’s nice that the cards I have designed for family members seem to resonate with buyers 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?
I had my first sale pretty quickly, mainly because it was from my mom! Most of my early sales were from family and friends, which was lovely as it showed their support. It took around 4-6 months for me to start getting consistent sales of 1-2 orders per day, and it continued to grow slowly after this.
Managing SchnauzerScribbles
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?
My shop is called Schnauzer Scribbles after my dog, Albus. My husband and I have adopted another schnauzer called Daisy since I opened my shop, so I have two furry helpers. They are super cute and make pretty good models; otherwise, it’s just me! I run the shop around my day job working in the charity sector. I’m incredibly fortunate to have a job that I love and a small business that I also love! It can be a bit tricky to manage everything, and I tend to work for a couple of hours before I leave for the office in the morning and then for a few hours after work. As I manage the shop around another job, I don’t have loads of time for marketing, and I mainly rely on Etsy SEO to generate sales. Alura is a great tool to help with this! I print and pack every order myself, and I always include a thank-you note. I think people buy from Etsy for the personal touch, and I really want my customers to know how much it means to me that they have chosen to buy one of my products!
The future of SchnauzerScribbles
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
It's really difficult for small business owners at the moment, so I’ll be happy if people are still buying my cards in 12 months!
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Sell a product that you love to create. Handmade products are very time-consuming, so you have to love what you do!
Offer great customer service. People shop on Etsy to support small businesses, so the personal touch is always appreciated by customers.
Create a unique product. Handmade products are often more expensive than mass-produced ones, so they offer a creative, one-of-a kind design that buyers can’t find elsewhere.
SchnauzerScribbles
Quirky cards for all occasions
