Etsy Seller Interview with Gian of UndisputedPrinciples

How UndisputedPrinciples 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 Gian, and I am the founder of Undisputed Principles. One of our core beliefs is celebrating and cherishing one’s unique individuality, and we aim to do this by customising our socks with all the things that make people unique. From their favourite pets to their favourite coworkers, we encourage people to always be proud of who they are exactly as they are.

Favorite items

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

One of my personal favourite items in our shop is our "Used to Work with Legends" socks. These socks are a gift to a beloved coworker who is leaving the company. You get to personalise the socks with up to 25 different faces of your work team in addition to the person leaving, so they can take a memorable gift they can wear and remember forever. We spend the most time of our lives with our coworkers, so I personally love that we get to highlight this unique moment that often goes unnoticed.

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 can’t exactly remember how long it took, but I do know it wasn’t long. Etsy does a great job at bringing in customers, so I definitely don’t remember thinking that it took too long. I currently use Etsy’s advertising services, and it works great to attract customers!

Managing Undisputed Principles

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 run by myself and Eve. We process orders daily on Etsy and fulfil them from our shop located in downtown Los Angeles. I don’t use any apps to run the shop, as Etsy covers everything I need pretty well.

The future of Undisputed Principles 

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

I plan to grow our Undisputed Principles socks to become synonymous with the perfect gift for any occasion.

We also plan to open four more brick-and-mortar stores in the US.

Advice for new sellers

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

It is crucial to know what you’re going to sell and how you’re going to sell it. The most important thing I can tell any new seller is to truly find out why you want to sell what you want to sell, besides profit. I would suggest setting a goal to inspire people in any way and having your product be an extension of that goal.

Then, once that is clear, do research on Etsy as to what is already selling well and how you can improve upon it. Do not reinvent the wheel, but also don’t just copy people. Add to this beautiful market by improving upon existing and proven products that work.

And lastly, the work and research never end! It will get tiring; it will seem like a bad investment sometimes, and guess what? This is where your "why" or purpose should be strong enough to carry you through tough times.

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: Around $6200

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: 30%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 2.8%