Creating Stunning Embroidered Designs - Join Me in My Etsy Shop!
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- About the Content Creator
- Overview of the Embroidery Business
3.1 The Etsy Shops
3.2 Types of Tutorials and Vlogs
- A Day in the Life
4.1 Starting the Day
4.2 Setting Up the Office
4.3 Dealing with Slow Business
4.4 Childcare Challenges
- Managing Orders and Supplies
5.1 Placing Orders and Free Shipping
5.2 Setting Up Files for Productivity
5.3 The Summer Slowdown
5.4 The Benefit of Rest and New Projects
- Working with Limited Time
6.1 Maximizing Productivity in One Day
6.2 Working During Nap Time
6.3 Balancing Productivity and Childcare
- Dealing with Lost Packages
7.1 The Customer Service Approach
7.2 Replacing Lost Items
7.3 The Cost and Time Factor
- Packaging and Shipping
8.1 Packaging Orders Throughout the Day
8.2 The Convenience of UPS
8.3 Ensuring Safe and Reliable Delivery
- Testing New Designs
9.1 Exploring Different Towel Options
9.2 Using Water Soluble Stabilizer
9.3 Creating Beach-Themed Designs
- Organization and Time Management
10.1 Staying Ahead of Orders
10.2 Handling Backorders and Customer Communication
10.3 Updating Etsy Listings and Ship Dates
- Future Plans and Challenges
11.1 Enjoying Downtime and Good Weather
11.2 Working on New Projects
11.3 Coping with Supply and Blank Availability
- Conclusion
A Day in the Life of an Etsy Embroidery Shop Owner
Embroidery has become an increasingly popular craft in recent years, with many talented creators thriving on platforms like Etsy. One such creator is Ashley, who runs two Etsy embroidery shops and shares her experiences on her YouTube channel. In this article, we delve into a day in Ashley's life as an embroidery shop owner, exploring the challenges she faces, the strategies she employs, and her plans for the future.
Introduction
Embroidery has always been an art form that combines creativity with meticulous craftsmanship. Ashley, an entrepreneur with a passion for embroidery, has turned her love for this craft into a successful business. Her two Etsy shops offer a variety of handmade embroidered products, ranging from personalized shirts to custom jackets. In this article, we follow Ashley as she navigates through a typical day, balancing her responsibilities as a business owner and a mother.
Overview of the Embroidery Business
The Etsy Shops
Ashley's journey began with the establishment of two Etsy shops, each catering to different niches within the embroidery market. The first shop focuses on personalized shirts for various occasions, while the second shop specializes in custom jackets. Ashley's expertise lies in creating unique designs that resonate with her customers, and her Etsy shops have garnered a loyal following of embroidery enthusiasts.
Types of Tutorials and Vlogs
Aside from managing her Etsy shops, Ashley also shares her passion for embroidery through tutorials and vlogs on her YouTube channel. These content pieces provide insights into her creative process, offer step-by-step guidance for embroidery techniques, and give viewers a glimpse into her daily life as an embroidery shop owner. Ashley's engaging style and informative content have made her a popular figure within the embroidery community.
A Day in the Life
Starting the Day
Ashley's days begin early, often before the sun rises. She believes that getting an early start allows her to make the most of her day, considering her responsibilities as a mother, business owner, and content creator. After a quick trip to her office to print off orders and grab some breakfast, she prepares to dive into her daily routine.
Setting Up the Office
Being organized is crucial for Ashley to maintain productivity throughout the day. She starts by setting up her files and preparing her machines for production. This meticulous preparation ensures that she can tackle orders efficiently and meet her customers' expectations. Despite the summer months being a slow period for her business, Ashley remains proactive by using this time to rest, explore new projects, and enhance her product offerings.
Dealing with Slow Business
The nature of Ashley's embroidery business means that it experiences peaks and valleys in terms of demand. She recognizes that the summer months can be a challenging period for her business, but she has learned to embrace the slowdown and take advantage of the free time it provides. Ashley plans to use this break to work on new items and create engaging tutorials for her audience.
Childcare Challenges
In addition to managing her business, Ashley also balances her childcare responsibilities. Due to the summer slowdown, she has reduced her childcare to just one day a week. This presents a unique challenge as she strives to complete as many orders as possible on her childcare day. She acknowledges that working with a toddler in the office is less productive, but she makes the most of those moments when her little girl accompanies her.
Managing Orders and Supplies
Placing Orders and Free Shipping
As an embroidery shop owner, Ashley understands the importance of maintaining an adequate supply of materials. To ensure a seamless workflow, she regularly places orders for supplies. Ashley reveals a savvy strategy she employs to maximize cost savings: buying additional items to qualify for free shipping. This not only reduces her overall costs but also allows her to experiment with new items that could potentially boost her product offerings.
Setting Up Files for Productivity
To optimize her productivity, Ashley prioritizes setting up files for the day's orders. By organizing and preparing all the necessary digital files, she can quickly transition between designs and minimize downtime. This practice enables her to focus on maximizing her embroidery machine's efficiency, ensuring that each item is produced accurately and on time.
The Summer Slowdown
The summer months bring a significant decline in orders for Ashley's embroidery business. However, she views this period as an opportunity to reset, relax, and work on new projects. Ashley recognizes the importance of adapting to the cyclical nature of her industry and embraces the chance to engage in creative endeavors outside her typical routine. She assures her audience that they can expect new and exciting additions to her shop during this downtime.
The Benefit of Rest and New Projects
While the slowdown may initially seem concerning for a full-time business owner, Ashley highlights the positive aspects of having time to rest and pursue new projects. This period allows her to recharge creatively, explore fresh ideas, and push the boundaries of her craft. Ashley's audience can anticipate a diverse range of new items and tutorials as she takes advantage of this downtime to expand and diversify her offerings.
Working with Limited Time
Maximizing Productivity in One Day
With limited childcare availability, Ashley acknowledges the need to maximize her productivity on her designated workday. While she tries to work during her child's naptime on other days, she acknowledges that those moments are less efficient. Therefore, she focuses on completing as many orders as possible on her childcare day, allowing her to free up time during the rest of the week for other commitments.
Working During Nap Time
As any parent will understand, working with a toddler in tow can be challenging. Ashley occasionally tries to juggle her embroidery work while her little girl naps or occupies herself in the office. However, she recognizes that these moments are less productive and prefers to dedicate her sole childcare day to focus solely on her business. This strategy enables her to achieve a higher level of efficiency and reduces the chances of interruptions during crucial work hours.
Balancing Productivity and Childcare
Balancing the demands of running a business and being a present parent is an ongoing challenge for Ashley. Despite the constraints of limited childcare, she strives to maintain a healthy work-life balance. While she acknowledges that it can be nerve-wracking to rely on her embroidery business as her full-time income during slow periods, Ashley appreciates the flexibility and opportunities it offers her as a working mother.
Dealing with Lost Packages
The Customer Service Approach
Like any online business, Ashley occasionally faces the unfortunate situation of lost packages. When this happens, she adopts a proactive customer service approach. While she understands that shipping issues are technically out of her control, Ashley believes in mitigating customer frustrations by taking responsibility for the lost items. She goes the extra mile to replace lost packages promptly, at her own cost, to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.
Replacing Lost Items
When a package goes missing in transit, Ashley takes it upon herself to replace the lost item for the customer. She bears the cost of both the item and the shipping, despite not purchasing insurance for the initial delivery. Ashley believes that providing excellent customer service is more important than trying to shift blame or additional costs onto the customer. This approach demonstrates her commitment to going above and beyond to ensure customer happiness.
The Cost and Time Factor
While there is a financial and time impact in replacing lost items, Ashley weighs the costs against the benefits of maintaining customer satisfaction. By absorbing these expenses and addressing the issue promptly, she aims to maintain a positive reputation and build long-term customer relationships. Ashley acknowledges that the few lost packages each year are a minor setback in comparison to the overall success of her business.
Packaging and Shipping
Packaging Orders Throughout the Day
Ashley's approach to packaging orders differs from the conventional method of doing it all at once. Instead, she prefers to package orders throughout the day to ensure timely dispatch. This approach allows her to be more efficient and prevents any last-minute rush to get orders out by the end of the day. Ashley also takes advantage of the convenience of UPS pickups, saving her from making unnecessary trips to the post office.
The Convenience of UPS
As an embroidery shop owner who frequently ships packages, Ashley has found that using UPS offers significant advantages. With the ability to track the driver's progress through the UPS app, Ashley can time the preparation of her packages to coincide with the driver's arrival. This grants her peace of mind, knowing that her packages are in safe hands and will be delivered reliably.
Ensuring Safe and Reliable Delivery
One of Ashley's priorities is ensuring that packages are delivered safely to her customers. To achieve this, she takes great care in packaging and securing the items, utilizing appropriate materials and techniques. Ashley also avoids relying solely on the postal service for shipping, as she has found that UPS provides a more reliable and efficient delivery service. This reassures her customers and minimizes the potential for delays or loss during transit.
Testing New Designs
Exploring Different Towel Options
Aside from shirts and jackets, Ashley occasionally ventures into other products to expand her product range. In this case, she explores the use of towels for testing new designs. Ashley showcases her selection of white towels, explaining the need for a solid-colored background to ensure the stitches stand out. She discusses the pros and cons of various towel options, including waffle weave towels and microfiber alternatives.
Using Water Soluble Stabilizer
When applying designs to towels, Ashley emphasizes the importance of using water-soluble stabilizer to ensure smooth stitching. She demonstrates the application process, highlighting the necessity of a fine mist adhesive spray to secure the stabilizer in place. Ashley acknowledges that towels with a higher pile or nap may require additional stabilizer to prevent the material from shifting during embroidery.
Creating Beach-Themed Designs
The towels Ashley tests embroidery designs on feature beach-themed motifs such as seashells, waves, and inspirational phrases. She uses a variety of colors to give the designs a vibrant and playful look, capturing the essence of beach life. This experimentation allows Ashley to gauge the market's response to different designs and helps her refine her product offerings based on customer preferences.
Organization and Time Management
Staying Ahead of Orders
In the embroidery business, staying organized and managing time effectively is key to maintaining customer satisfaction. Ashley shares her techniques for staying ahead of orders, including setting realistic ship dates and updating her Etsy listings accordingly. She acknowledges the challenges presented by backorders and communicates openly with customers to manage their expectations and ensure clear and timely communication.
Handling Backorders and Customer Communication
Managing backorders can be a delicate balancing act, as unforeseen delays can disrupt the workflow. Ashley outlines her approach to addressing backorders, including honest and regular communication with customers. She recognizes that providing accurate updates and offering solutions leads to better customer relationships and increased confidence in her brand.
Updating Etsy Listings and Ship Dates
Ashley has faced challenges when managing ship dates on Etsy, as the platform only allows one update per order. This limitation has forced her to cancel and refund orders instead of updating the shipping timeline. Despite this setback, she remains committed to keeping her listings and ship dates up to date, ensuring transparency and managing customer expectations.
Future Plans and Challenges
Enjoying Downtime and Good Weather
The slow summer months present Ashley with an opportunity to enjoy some well-deserved downtime and soak up the sunshine. She looks forward to spending quality time with her family, exploring new hobbies, and recharging her creative energy. Despite the business challenges associated with the summer slowdown, Ashley maintains a positive attitude and appreciates the chance to focus on other aspects of her life.
Working on New Projects
Ashley's downtime also provides her with the perfect opportunity to work on new projects for her embroidery business. She shares her excitement about creating new items and tutorials, ensuring her YouTube channel remains a valuable resource for embroidery enthusiasts. Ashley's commitment to continuous improvement and expansion contributes to her long-term success within the embroidery community.
Coping with Supply and Blank Availability
One ongoing challenge for Ashley is navigating the availability of supplies and blank items for her embroidery creations. She acknowledges that demand fluctuations can lead to supply shortages, making planning and inventory management essential. Ashley remains vigilant in updating her offerings and adjusting to changes in the market, always striving to meet customer expectations and maintain a successful business.
Conclusion
Ashley's journey as an embroidery shop owner offers insight into the daily life and challenges of running a creative business. From managing orders and supplies to dealing with lost packages and working with limited time, Ashley demonstrates a strong work ethic, adaptability, and a commitment to customer satisfaction. Through careful planning and a relentless pursuit of self-improvement, Ashley continues to grow her embroidery business while sharing her knowledge and passion with others.
