5 Steps for Scaling a NEW Etsy Shop in 2024

Summary

In this video, Mandy shares her successful five-step strategy for growing a print-on-demand Etsy shop. She began an experiment in February 2024 and by June, nearly reached 200 sales. Mandy emphasizes the importance of research to identify market demand, creating batches of designs, and refining listings based on data. She advises new sellers to start with focused efforts, use Etsy ads strategically, and continually iterate based on performance. Mandy highlights that success requires consistent effort, research, and adaptation, and offers resources for those seeking further guidance on their print-on-demand journey.

Takeaways

• 🛍️ Etsy Print on Demand Growth: Mandy's new Etsy shop is close to 200 sales in just over three months, using the same strategy that helped her main shop surpass $220K in revenue in two years.
• 🔍 Importance of Research: The first step is identifying demand by researching broad categories and understanding market trends, not just focusing on niche keywords.
• 🎨 Hobby vs. Business: Treating Etsy as a business, not a hobby, is crucial. Designing based on market demand, not personal preference, leads to higher sales.
• 📈 Batching Process: Mandy recommends working in batches, creating 15-20 designs per niche, to gather enough data and drive traffic effectively.
• 🛒 Niche Infiltration: Focus on infiltrating a niche by creating multiple listings within that niche to increase visibility and sales potential.
• 🧐 Iteration and Expansion: Continuously build out your shop by adding new sections and themes, maintaining cohesion while testing different concepts.
• 📊 Investigate and Adjust: Regularly assess your shop's performance using Etsy stats and ads data to make informed decisions and refine your strategy.
• 📈 Strategic Use of Etsy Ads: Use Etsy ads to gather data, boost visibility, and create early sales momentum, despite initial costs.
• 🔄 Repeating the Cycle: Constantly repeat the cycle of identifying demand, infiltrating niches, iterating designs, investigating performance, and intensifying efforts based on data.
• 💡 New Shop Insights: Mandy's new shop success is built on years of experience, emphasizing that beginners should focus on learning and practicing design and market research skills.

Q & A

What was the purpose of Mandy's experiment with the new Etsy shop?

The purpose was to see how long it would take to get a brand new Etsy shop up to 100 sales using the same strategy she used for her other print on demand shops.

How many sales did Mandy's new Etsy shop achieve by the first week of June?

The new Etsy shop was just a couple of sales away from 200.

What is the first step in Mandy's five-step process for succeeding on Etsy?

The first step is 'Identify', which involves researching to understand where there's demand in the marketplace.

Why is research important in Mandy's strategy?

Research is crucial because it helps identify demand in the marketplace, differentiating between designing as a hobby and building a business.

What does Mandy mean by 'batching' in her strategy?

Batching refers to working in sprints to create a significant number of listings at once, allowing for efficient testing and validation of designs and niches.

What is the 'infiltrate' step in Mandy's process?

The 'infiltrate' step involves creating enough listings to gather data and drive traffic to the shop by strategically testing different designs within a niche.

How does Mandy use Etsy ads in her strategy?

Mandy uses Etsy ads strategically to get more data and create early momentum for new shops, boosting visibility, favorites, and sales.

What tool does Mandy use for advanced data analysis?

Mandy uses Profit Tree, a tool created by an Etsy seller for Etsy sellers, to analyze profitability and identify top-selling and most profitable products.

What is the final step in Mandy's five-step process?

The final step is 'Intensify', which involves doubling down on designs and niches that are performing well based on the data collected.

What advice does Mandy give to new sellers regarding setting expectations?

Mandy advises new sellers not to set their day one bar at the height of a day 730 seller, as skill levels and expertise improve over time with practice and learning.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Experimenting with a New Etsy Shop

In February 2024, Mandy started an experiment to see how long it would take to get a new Etsy shop to 100 sales using print on demand. By June, the shop was close to 200 sales. She uses the same strategies that helped her primary shop surpass $220k in revenue in two years. Mandy introduces her five-step strategy for success on Etsy, emphasizing the importance of research to understand market demand. She explains that treating the venture as a business rather than a hobby is crucial for high sales volume.

05:01

🔍 Identifying Market Trends and Customer Preferences

Mandy delves into the first step of her strategy: identifying demand through research. She highlights the importance of understanding market trends and customer preferences by analyzing broad categories on Etsy and other platforms. Mandy advises focusing on themes that resonate with target customers, such as hobbies, occupations, and life milestones. She emphasizes the need to create designs that connect with customers' identities and passions to increase sales.

10:03

🚀 Efficiently Infiltrating the Market

Mandy explains the second step: infiltrating the market by efficiently creating and listing multiple designs. She advocates for working in batches to test different designs within a niche, allowing for data-driven decisions. By focusing on a substantial number of listings per niche, sellers can gather enough data to determine what works best. Mandy describes her process of batching designs, mockups, and listings to maximize efficiency and market penetration.

15:04

🛠️ Iterating and Building Out

The third step, iterating and building out, involves expanding the shop section by section based on successful batches. Mandy recommends focusing on a few product types initially and building sections around researched niches and sub-niches. By creating cohesive sections and continually refining designs based on data, sellers can efficiently grow their shops without feeling overwhelmed.

20:06

🔍 Investigating Data to Refine Strategy

Mandy discusses the fourth step: investigating data to assess what works. By analyzing shop stats, including visits and favorites, sellers can identify where to focus their efforts. She suggests using Etsy ads strategically to gather data and create sales momentum. Based on this data, sellers can refine their designs and niches to improve performance. Mandy highlights the importance of making data-driven decisions to avoid wasting resources on ineffective strategies.

25:08

💪 Intensifying Efforts Based on Data

The fifth step, intensifying efforts, involves doubling down on successful designs and niches. Mandy advises sellers to focus on areas showing the most potential based on data, adding complementary products and scaling profitable designs. By concentrating on what works, sellers can maximize their shop's performance and attract repeat customers. Mandy emphasizes the importance of continuous research and adaptation to maintain growth.

30:10

🎯 Conclusion and Final Insights

Mandy concludes by addressing common questions about the number of listings needed to achieve sales. She stresses that success depends on thorough research, iterative learning, and strategic action rather than a specific number of listings. Mandy shares insights from her own experience, highlighting the importance of setting realistic expectations and continually improving skills. She encourages new sellers to focus on meaningful actions and join her Simply Thrive Club for additional support and resources.

Keywords

💡Experiment

An experiment is a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact. In the context of the video, the experiment refers to the process of establishing a new Etsy shop to see how quickly it can reach 100 sales using print on demand. The script mentions that the shop is close to 200 sales, indicating the success of the experiment.

💡Etsy

Etsy is an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. The platform is central to the video's narrative, as the speaker discusses strategies for growing a business on Etsy, particularly through print on demand services. The term is repeatedly used to refer to the marketplace where the experiment is being conducted.

💡Print on Demand

Print on demand is a service used by online retailers where products are not manufactured until an order is placed. It is a key concept in the video, as the speaker's strategy for scaling the Etsy shop relies heavily on this service. The script mentions that the speaker has used the same strategy across multiple print on demand shops.

💡Strategy

A strategy refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim. In the video, the speaker outlines a detailed strategy for growing an Etsy shop, which includes five steps: identify, infiltrate, iterate, investigate, and intensify. The strategy is the backbone of the video's message, providing a framework for success in the print on demand business.

💡Research

Research in this context is the systematic investigation and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. The script emphasizes the importance of research in identifying market demand and trends, which is a foundational step in the speaker's strategy for building a successful Etsy shop.

💡Design

Design refers to the process of creating a visual or artistic concept for a product. In the video, design is crucial as it is the creative aspect that attracts customers and contributes to sales. The speaker discusses the importance of understanding design trends and creating designs that resonate with the target audience.

💡Niche

A niche is a specialized segment of the market that has specific needs or interests. The video script mentions finding a niche with high search and low competition as part of the research process. The speaker uses the term to describe market segments that the shop's products are tailored to meet.

💡Batch

In the context of the video, batching refers to the process of grouping similar tasks together to work on them efficiently. The speaker uses batching as a method to create multiple listings at once, which helps in scaling the shop and gathering data to make informed decisions about which designs and niches are performing well.

💡Data-Driven Decisions

Data-driven decisions are choices made based on the analysis of data and statistical evidence. The script discusses the importance of using data from Etsy and other tools to make informed decisions about which products and niches to focus on, emphasizing the need to scale based on actual performance rather than assumptions.

💡Profitability

Profitability refers to the ability of a business to generate profit. The video mentions using tools like Profit Tree to analyze the profitability of the shop, helping the speaker understand which products and niches are the most lucrative and where to focus efforts for scaling the business.

💡Repeat Customers

Repeat customers are clients who make multiple purchases from a business. In the script, the speaker mentions that focusing on serving the customer's needs can lead to repeat business, which is a sign of a successful strategy and an important aspect of growing a sustainable Etsy shop.

Highlights

Started a new Etsy shop in late February 2024 to test the growth potential, and it's nearing 200 sales by early June.

Used the same scaling strategy for the new shop that was successful in generating over $220k in revenue for another shop within 2 years.

Introduced a five-step process called 'Five I's to Rise on Etsy,' beginning with 'Identify,' which focuses on market research.

Emphasized the importance of research to understand market demand, distinguishing between a hobby and a business approach.

Suggested starting with broad general searches on Etsy to spot trends and demand before narrowing down to specific niches.

Advised on identifying designs and trends that are rising in popularity by looking for specific indicators like '20+ in carts' or '3 bought within the last 24 hours'.

Stressed the importance of understanding and targeting the ideal buyer, focusing on themes like hobbies, occupations, life milestones, and personal passions.

Encouraged using external sites like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and bridal websites to gather additional insights for specific target demographics.

Recommended using ChatGPT to generate niche-specific phrases that resonate with target audiences.

Second step, 'Infiltrate,' involves working in batches to create enough listings to gather data, rather than scattering efforts across too many niches.

Advised listing 15-20 different designs per ideal buyer to gather meaningful data and avoid having listings buried by established shops.

Highlighted the importance of iterative testing and validating designs before scaling, rather than creating hundreds of listings without a strategy.

Third step, 'Iterate,' focuses on building out shop sections based on the research and batch testing, allowing for strategic scaling within niches.

Fourth step, 'Investigate,' involves assessing the performance of listings through shop stats, focusing on visits, favorites, and Etsy ad data to refine strategies.

Fifth step, 'Intensify,' involves doubling down on successful niches and designs based on data, expanding within those areas to maximize profitability.

Mentioned using advanced data tools like Profit Tree to analyze shop profitability and identify top-selling and most profitable products for scaling.

Encouraged new sellers to focus on research, iterative learning, and refining strategies rather than expecting immediate success.

Offered additional resources and a membership club for further guidance, strategies, and accountability in building a successful print-on-demand business.

Transcripts

at the end of February this year in 2024

I decided to try an experiment to see

exactly how long it would take to get a

brand new shop up to 100 sales because

supposedly Essie is dead right you can't

possibly see steady growth anymore on

Etsy with print on Demand right spoiler

alert we're in the first week of June as

of recording this and this new Etsy Shop

is just a couple sales away from 200 I

use the same strategy to scale this shop

that I have used for my other print on

demand shops including my primary shop

that has surpassed 220k in Revenue

within 2 years so in today's video I

want to break down my exact strategy for

you and my fstep process for getting

those first 100 or in this case 200

Sales in case you haven't met yet my

name is Mandy and I am obsessed with

freedom from fulfillment using Etsy

print on demand so my goal is to provide

you with strategies to simplify the

journey so that you can start making

progress in your own business to best

explain my strategy I've got a five-step

process let's call them the five eyes to

rise on Etsy first we start with

identify this is a foundational step

that most sellers Miss it's where the

research happens if you are not

researching and digging in to understand

where there's demand in the marketplace

you are not going to make a high volume

of sales period this is also the

difference between designing and

creating as a hobby versus building it

as a business if you put in Hobby level

effort and simply just design what you

like and what you want without any

regard for what your customers want and

what the market is in demand for you're

probably going to get hobby level

results I built my six figure as a print

on Dem man shop with the intention of

building faster and gaining Revenue

research is not just about finding a

niche with high search and low

competition that just scratches the

surface and so I do this research in two

parts Part One understanding designs and

trends that are in demand in the

marketplace whenever I'm looking for

demand and Trends on Etsy I first always

start with broad General searches so

things like women's t-shirts trendy

sweatshirts and even mom shirts I do

this because demand and Trends tend to

show up in these really big categories

first before they hit some of the

smaller niches that you may be trying to

search in specifically and I do this to

really get a broad sense of what's in

style that customers are actively buying

the more you do this the more you repeat

this process even just little bits at a

time the more that you can train your

brain to really identify and spot clues

for demand and what will ultimately make

a

bestseller as I'm searching I usually go

several pages in I'm looking for not

just bestseller badges I'm also looking

at popular now badges badges I'm also

taking the time to actually click into

listings without a badge so that I can

spot the listings that are on the rise

this is what I call the little red magic

words the 20 plus AB USS in the last 24

hours the in20 plus carts the in demand

three bought within the last 24 hours

these could be listings that don't have

as many sales that get them the badge

like other items but but are getting

active attention from buyers which means

we have a chance of spotting demand and

trance before they're even best sellers

in this process I'm paying attention to

styles and colors and themes across a

variety of niches and Aesthetics and

Target customers and that's intentional

because it's these Trends and styles

that I can then bring back into my

specific niches if you start with just

your Niche first or just the keyword

first you're only going to see styles

that other sellers have already done in

that particular Niche and so then part

two of their research is actually

understanding and going through the

process to really figure out who it is

that you're going to be listing for

generally speaking new sellers are often

going to start with a more General shop

so that they can test out a few

different niches which is totally fine I

did that as well I typically focus on

just one or two themes to start with

though you want to make sure these are

themes where you can create a connection

with your ideal buyer and that there is

room to expand this comes down to who

they are what they do and what they get

passionate about Hobbies occupations

life Milestones pet ownership and

personal passions or faith tend to be

the top themes that I like to pick from

I would then look on Etsy to see if

there is demand happening in the themes

that I'm thinking about and if so what's

already selling well in the marketplace

and where can I create something new and

different I'm thinking about who my

ideal buyer is perhaps you're wanting to

design for a younger and trendy

demographic I fre L then I'm also

searching on places like anthropology or

Urban Outfitters or H&M and others where

I know that that demographic shops if

I'm wanting to go into the bachelorette

and wedding Niche I would be looking at

where the demand is on Etsy but also

heading to Bridal websites and blogs to

see what the top themes are for 2024 and

watch for new themes to pop up going

into

2025 if my research led me to wanting to

do an outdoorsy theme I might then

research different outdoor activities

Outdoor Sports and the Styles and

interests of those Target audiences

because I'm not an expert in any of

those at the moment that means again I'm

also exploring websites off of etsy

where these same customers might be

shopping for example REI or Eddie Bower

I also used chat gbt and prompt it for

phrases that only my ideal buyer might

understand so for example you could

prompt it with give me 30 funny phrases

that only a social worker would

understand I guarantee you this will

help you come up with ideas and Concepts

to more fully resonate with your ideal

buyer remember you need to be able to

connect and resonate with their Identity

or their passions when you get to the

actual designing and listings so the

more you can do this upfront with your

research and really fill your brain with

specific concepts for your specific

ideal buyers the more that you can

create a connection with your customer

in your design whether it's in the

elements or the words the more you can

do that the more likely they are to

click into your listing and convert to a

sale so then once you are equipped with

research it's then time for the second

eye which is

infiltrate once you have that strong

Foundation it's time to start working

efficiently to get enough listings up

that will give you enough data this is

where my batching comes in I think of

this as working in Sprints a lot of

sellers make the mistake of creating

only one or two designs in one Niche

then another one or two designs in

another Niche and then maybe three or

four over in another Niche and the

problem with that is you're not going to

be driving enough traffic to your shop

to make datadriven decisions on any

single one of those niches your handful

of listings as a new shop will get

buried against shops that have an

established track record instead work

towards listing at least 15 to 20

different designs per ideal buyer that

you're targeting if you follow my

Channel at all you know that I'm kind of

All About Time blocking batches and so

this is where I work in those batches so

that I can scale efficiently which means

I can knock out an initial section for

an entire niche in just a couple batches

now Within These batches I focus on

having different designs within a niche

so that I can determine which ones will

eventually perform the best I don't want

to create 15 to 20 listings but then

five of them are all the same design you

need to use these batches as a way of

testing and validating before you start

scaling a single design if you want to

see a recent example of my batching

process I'll link last week's batch

designing video for you as well some new

sellers will take a single design and

then immediately turn that into 50 plus

designs for 50 different niches and you

can totally do that however with my

specific strategy I'm focused on working

in batches so that I actually focus on

several different designs for the same

Niche or theme at one time because

remember I've already researched this

Niche and I know that there's good

potential there so now I need to focus

on really trying to infiltrate the

market with some new and different

options for this Niche another reason

that I batch in this particular way is

so that when I get to creating listings

in printify and finalizing them in Etsy

with specific keywords and tags I can

essentially again infiltrate that Niche

that I just got done researching with a

bunch of designs to start getting an

idea of what's going to stick and

attract a buyer for that Niche versus

list one shirt for one Niche separate

listing in keywords for another Niche

and so forth it ends up being a lot of

back and forth I want to be able to

strategically test and validate not only

designs but also these individual niches

and sub niches as I go so I batch the

designs I then batch mockups then I

batch getting them all into printify and

then I batch finalizing them in Etsy I

carry one batch through all the way from

beginning to end and then I move on to

the next one from there we iterate or

build out in this stage we're building

out your shop section by section using

these batches if you have a general shop

this might be finding multiple niches

that have strong potential if you have

more of a theme to your shop for example

Hobbies this will mean batching and

creating additional sections in your

shop that are related for example if you

have a sports mom or coach shop you

might have a batch of 20 listings for

dance mobs another batch of listings in

a section for volleyball moms

another section in your shop for cheer

moms or cheer coaches and so on another

example if you have an initial

Bachelorette focus on your shop you

might have a section for Camp

Bachelorette and another section for

Vegas bachelorettes and then eventually

with this building out you might start

thinking about how else you can serve a

similar audience to drive additional

traffic see you might have a section for

his and her matching shirts for

engagements or honeymoons you might also

have a section for wedding party gifts

with designs geared towards the maid of

honor or Mom of the Bride or groomsman

this is a strategic way of testing

different concepts and themes but doing

it in a way where there's still cohesion

and keeps you focused Without Really

diverting and going in a million

different directions which can start to

feel really

overwhelming and since you've done some

of the research already in the earlier

stages right you may be able to carry

through some similar Concepts and themes

but by doing it section by section

you're able to efficiently batch as you

go and this Focus again helps you rein

in the temptation of shiny objects and

feeling overwhelmed by trying to create

listings for 10 different niches all at

the same time as you build out I

recommend creating sections in your shop

based on your researched niches and sub

niches I also highly recommend picking

just one or two product types to focus

on at first when you are building out

building out like this is all about

efficiency and trying to reach your

ideal buyer so that you can learn the

design styles that will perform the best

for them become an expert in designing

for your one or two products first then

worry about scaling to other products

once your designs actually start selling

because then you will have a proven

design and you won't feel like you're

spinning your wheels build up a section

for a niche so that there's again at

least 15 to 20 listings then move on to

the next by the time you get a few

sections into it you can then go back

and start looking at some data and this

is where you

investigate in this stage of the

strategy it's all about assessing what

is working and determining if you have

landed on niches and Designs where you

can continue scaling or if you maybe

need to go back and make some

adjustments and keep iterating this

ensures that you don't get so far down

the path of hundreds or even thousands

of listing

before realizing you've got some major

changes that you need to make I

accomplish this process in a few

different ways the first is with your

shop stats turn on your individual

listing view in your shop manager so

that you can see individual listing

stats for the last 30 days look for

visits and favorites visits are a clue

that your listings number one are

showing up and that people are clicking

on them this means that you're getting

visibility so that's one part of the

puzzle favorites on the other hand are a

clue that there's interest in what

you've actually created these are going

to be your first signs of where you can

potentially Focus your attention when

you're working on new batches or themes

where you can potentially expand on

further this can take a little while for

these numbers to start to climb when

you're a new shop you need enough data

in order order to make a datadriven

decision which is why I like to speed

things along with Etsy ads yes I know

Etsy ads nowadays are kind of like a bad

word but here's the thing new businesses

need a marketing strategy and when

they're just starting out they invest in

paid advertisements to start bringing in

potential customers and to test the

market similarly I use use ads in a very

strategic way to get more data when

building out a new shop as long as I

have done my homework in the first part

of the strategy meaning I've done the

research I've put in the time to study

design Styles and I'm doing my best to

use research niches and keywords then I

turn on ads not because it's going to be

making me more profitable in the

beginning it won't Etsy ads when done

early like this are an investment in

getting number one more data for your

shop and number two creating sales

velocity and early momentum to start

boosting your listing quality scores

faster in the form of sales and reviews

Etsy ads can boost your views boost

favorites on some of your listings and

yes ideally get you those first

sales if you see these boosts happening

from your ads that means you're on the

right track pay attention to the

additional benefits of this added

traffic pay attention to those visits

and favorites and where you're seeing

more traction in that ad data per

listing if you aren't seeing an added

boost meaning you're going for 45 days

or more with no sales and minimal

traffic in your shop turn off your ads

for now and go back to your strategy you

can experiment with different design

Styles or perhaps explore and research

different niches I will also link my

video for you on some specific fixes

that you can experiment with based on

the data that you're seeing on your

individual listing stats ultimately

don't just keep throwing money

at something that isn't working that's

no longer an investment that's a money

pit use it as a sign that you need to

keep researching and refining your

strategy sometimes that lack of results

is a result in and of itself if you'd

like me to do a deeper dive on my ad

strategy specifically especially as a

new shop let me know in the comments and

then finally Advanced Data as you start

to scale there are more sophisticated

tools out there that can give you a much

better picture of your Shop's

profitability and where you can have the

most potential one of the tools that I'm

using right now is called profit tree

this is actually a newer platform

created by an Etsy seller for Etsy

sellers that just recently launched this

year and as a total visual data nerd I

of course had to try it out on this new

shop and I'm kind kind of geeking out

with it what this tool has allowed me to

do is look at my data from Etsy as well

as my costs from printify and see my

exact profit beyond that though and what

I'm finding to be most helpful as I

start to get sales and I'm trying to

identify where to scale is that I can

see where my top selling products are

and I can see my most profitable

products as an example when I have top

products that are my top sellers in this

shop I want to make sure I'm paying

attention to those similarly I might

have a product that is selling really

well but it's not as profitable so I can

think about are there ways to scale this

design to perhaps a different product

where I can still reach the same

customer but increase my profitability

or I might just need to consider a j

buting my prices on that top selling

item so that I can really maximize its

potential when I talk about looking for

Clues on what to assess and where there

is the most potential to scale data like

this paints a beautiful picture then

from that data regardless of how many

layers of data we're looking at we can

then intensify our efforts once you

start seeing data and where there is the

most potential double down on those if

you're seeing listings in one sub Niche

get more favorites or sales than your

other sub niches double down on that one

visit a handful of big General Shops

look at the listing counts for each of

their niches if they have them by

sections often times we'll look at these

big General shops and think gosh they

went after all the niches and they're

being really successful at it but if you

actually look closely many times these

big shops will have sections or themes

that have significantly more listings

than other sections and this is where

they've doubled down on what is working

they see the data they see what their

customers want and they make more of it

and this is where I like to think of

that as really in intensifying that

effort they're probably still getting

sales on some of those other different

niches and categories but they've

recognized where they're seeing the best

performance in their shop and they're

intensifying those efforts age of my

shops are no different in my general

shop I have lots of niches that's how I

got my start with it but what I

predominantly sell and where I have more

volume of listings because I scaled them

and intensified based on the data is

really in just a few themes another

example is my dog shop I don't add a ton

of listings there anymore because the

only people really going there are you

guys because those searches are

resulting in low conversions but for

those first six months or so when it was

a really performing well I started to

see which breeds got more attention and

where more more sales were occurring and

I made more of those for those customers

in this new shop again same thing I

tried a few different themes and

products and have been able to start

seeing some patterns and Trends with

traffic that allow me to double down or

intensify on some of my efforts if you

have a design style that is consistently

getting lots of favorites or is

consistently selling Double Down on that

design style add it to a complimentary

product type as well as experimenting

with that design style in another

related Niche that fits within your shop

if you have a theme or Niche that is

doing well intensify on serving that

customer so that you can keep them

coming back for more all of my shops

have utilized this strategy and results

in multiple repeat customers even at a

brand new shop this is how you

strategically Scale based on what's

working or not working and then from

here I constantly repeat this cycle of

identify infiltrate iterate investigate

and

intensify research and demand along with

intensifying efforts based on my actual

shopid data are always the bookends of

my strategy and they work hand inand

which leads me to the question that I

get asked all the time how many listings

do I need to start getting sales the

truth is that it differs for everyone

it's not about a specific number there

isn't a magic number and there's also no

magic guaranteed time frame for getting

sales it's about the action that you are

taking to get those results it's about

the research the iterations and the

learning that you're doing along the way

you have to have all of that together if

you're just blasting through hundreds of

listings for the sake of volume thinking

that it's going to magically start

working you've completely missed the

point you're missing half the steps and

you're not really thinking about what

the market or your customer customer

really wants if you're going to do this

do it right now a few other new shop

insights in case you're curious the very

first listing went up on February 22nd I

tried out a couple different themes and

styles within my batches my first

listing that sold in this shop was from

that first series of batches listed on

then February 28th and on March 3rd the

first one sold I have zero

personalization in this shop I have zero

social media or email marketing for this

shop there are two main product types

all designs start on apparel first and

then when they sell they go on a totee

bag because it's a complimentary product

for these Target customers I am using

Comfort colors T-shirts from printify

and I'm using Swift pod as my go-to

provider as I always have for the last

two years I also experimented with the

really trendy baby t's for a few niches

though I will say Comfort colors is

still out selling anything else I have

had requests for the comfort colors boxy

te's which are slightly cropped so I've

started adding in some of those as well

for some of the designs that are selling

well interest inter inly enough one of

the recent insights emails that I get

each month on printify indicated that

across their merchant these box CS have

seen an increase of over 100% month over

month so this could be a sign of a

product Trend that I'm keeping my eye on

the totes that I'm using in this shop

are different than my other shops that

you probably heard me talk about I'm

actually using the canvas bags from

Monster Digital

and the reason that I'm using these

instead of my usual go-to duum versions

is because I wanted to be able to offer

a black color but I still wanted it on

that really kind of natural feeling

canvas material now there's one thing I

want to make clear in all of this today

is not my day one of print on demand and

when I first opened this shop at the end

of February that was also not my my day

one of print on demand I have been doing

this for over two years now and I have

been a Etsy seller for almost 7 years

now I think it's really important that

new sellers not set their day one bar at

the height of a day 730 seller it's not

the same my skill level today

particularly for Designing is not the

same level it was two years ago when I

first started with print on demand my

first shop did not hit 100 sales that

quickly because I had not built up the

expertise in any niches or expertise in

spotting demand or expertise in design

skills I was a beginner just like you

are right now my friend and those are

all skill sets that have to be learned

and practiced repeatedly

but being new is not an excuse for

saying that Etsy and print on demand

doesn't work if you want to start and

scale a business in

2024 do it make each step count focus on

less doubting and more doing put your

head down do less Doom scrolling of all

the clickbait videos about Etsy and

print on demand and more taking control

of your own path and your own dreams of

running a business turn down the noise

of I can't or this won't work or it's

slow right now and amplify your how can

I and your let's go I hope this has been

helpful for you if you're looking for

additional strategies resources and

accountability on your print on demand

journey to help you stop the overwhelm

and start making progress consider

consider this your personal invite to

join me over in the simply Thrive Club

in addition to all of the resources

templates nich and Trend reports and

group coaching that's packed into the

membership each month I host a new

master class to cover the biggest topics

related to operating a successful print

on demand business you can learn more

right now by heading to Simply Thrive

club.com in the meantime be sure to

check out my free print on demand course

in the description as well as my time

blocking series here on my channel for

an even deeper dive on the critical

steps for Success thanks for watching

I'm so glad you're here and I'll see you

in the next one

[Music]