Just Create an Etsy Shop

Last Christmas I received a hobbyist machine called the Cricut. Basically, this is a machine that allows creators to elevate their crafting to the next level. I was never a crafter before this machine, but it’s brought me lots of capabilities, like making stickers, custom logos, custom hoodies and shirts, and custom labels. I‘ve actually spent a lot of time trying to master the machine and its software.

I came up with the idea to create some type of Etsy store to get better and gain the skills to someday make a spectacular product. I wanted to practice creating something that was low cost, high repetition, and relatively high demand. My idea, stickers…

It's been about four months that my sticker business has been on Etsy. I’ve gained great traction and have made a couple of hundred dollars in the process. My start-up fees were around $300, so I’m slowly making my way to my breakeven point. The biggest lessons I’ve learned are that it takes time to create any kind of business, there are many skills to be learned, traffic will come organically, and do not copy any existing logos.

Creating a business is a very difficult task and looking from the outside in seems relatively easy if the idea is right. Well, my biggest takeaway is not waiting for the best idea, everything is a matter of doing. This is the reason many individuals do not start a business. As you’ve maybe heard, 90 percent of businesses fail, which is true unless the creator is relentless in proving their business. There are a lot of behind-the-seen tasks that are daunting to confront because you may not have the skills to execute your idea perfectly. As I said, It’s a matter of doing, things get done through trial and error rather than perfect execution. I’ve spent hours on end developing my skills, and encountering frustrations and doubts. Will people buy my product, will I get good reviews, is this even a good idea? The answer is yes!

-Gior Dior