Etsy Seller Interview with Karen of StudioNellcoteDesign

How StudioNellcoteDesign 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 brand is Studio Nellcote Design, and I now specialise in modern, unique printed wedding invitations and cohesive stationery. My aesthetic is minimalist, based on striking typography. I started in 2014, when I was based overseas with my young family, and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to change course and lead a more creative life (previously being in hospitality and event management). I drew on my practical, professional wedding experience, and in doing so, I feel like I do have a broad understanding of what young couples look for on their big day. It started with creating printable wedding envelopes and soon expanded to all sorts of other wedding stationery, including invitations. By 2016, I noticed that there was a growing demand for editable stationery, so in 2016, I opened another shop, Studio Nellcote DIY, which specialises in DIY editable templates, which were created as editable PDFs, which are quite cumbersome to use but the best way to do it then. It was a really busy time. Technology started to catch up with demand, and Templeton came onto the market, and I switched to that. It is a great app for consumers, as it gives them so much flexibility. While that shop is still going strong, the market is now saturated as the output costs are low. I started to feel like a hamster on a wheel with ever-diminishing returns, so I decided to invest in myself and go back to the customised side of my business, Studio Nellcote Design. This time around, we are concentrating on building the print side of the business. Technology has changed the wedding stationery business so much in the last decade, but I feel people are ready to return to a more personalised experience, and that is what Studio Nellcote is all about.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

Gatefold Wedding Invitations are really at the centre of my printed business because they are what really kicked off this avenue of work. I initially developed them for Studio Nellcote DIY for clients to edit and print themselves. It was at the request of some of those clients that I realised that it was not that easy to get them printed in the US (unlike the UK). After a great deal of research and many inquiries, I eventually partnered with a printer who was as invested as I was in printing this product beautifully. They quickly became my bestsellers. There are a few reasons for this. They are complex items to print well. Also, they are not an easy product to format correctly, especially with photos. Everything has to be done very precisely. And, of course, the photos need to be high-resolution. If a customer wants this kind of invitation as opposed to a standard 5" x 7 invitation, they are generally inclined to go the extra mile and have it done professionally rather than using a DIY template.

My favourite designs would be Mad Love, Modern Initials, and Classic Minimalist.

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 cannot remember exactly, but I think it was relatively quick. It was right at the start of the concept of printable items being "a thing," and it was soon doing quite well. These days, I use Instagram and Pinterest, although I am really not great with social media. It is one of the things I am really ambitious to do better with in the coming year.

Managing StudioNellcoteDesign

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?

Yes, it is just me. At this stage, I prefer it that way, as I have control and can slow down or prioritise what I need to, depending on the needs of my family. I try to keep things as simple as I can because life gets crazy when I am in high season. In terms of apps, I could not do without the Adobe Creative Suite and use Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop daily. They are expensive products, but they are necessary. The print companies I have partnered with look after shipping for me, which is incredibly helpful.

The future of StudioNellcoteDesign

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I have spent a long, long time wanting my own website and have procrastinated. This year I have bitten the bullet, worked day and night, and just opened Studio Nellcote. I knew it would be a lot of hard work, but I did not anticipate just how hard! The SEO journey has just begun! I will continue to use Etsy as it has been so good for me, but I also want to have independence and the ability to communicate more directly with my niche customers, hence starting to spend more time crafting my social media presence. I have many ambitions that I am excited to fulfil through my website, including finally publishing and selling a Wedding Planning book that I wrote a couple of years ago.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Find your niche!Do not worry about what everyone else is doing. You will not break that market! Allow yourself time to develop your look and style in whatever it is you are doing.

I would not quit my job right away to start an Etsy shop. Start slowly on the side; give yourself time without pressure. It takes space to develop, and there are no shortcuts. When you go through quiet patches after having a really great run, it can be very demoralising. Understand that there are highs and lows, and consistency is hard won (I still struggle with that concept!).