This week has been a quiet one orders-wise, which has given me a little time to revamp my Etsy shop! First on my agenda was rewriting my shop's story; something which I initially saw as a bit of a chore, but I ended up enjoying it so much that I thought I would share it with you on my blog!
Anyone who has their own online shop will appreciate the importance of sharing their shop's story with their customers; for Etsy sellers, like me, the About Page of your shop enables you to give customers a little window into your handmade world, and provides you with a great opportunity to personalise, the often anonymous, online shopping experience.
When I first sat down to write my shop's story - back in November of last year - I had only just opened my Etsy store, so inevitably what I wrote focused mostly on why I had decided to set up my own small business, and less on what myself, and my shop, were able to offer to the handmade marketplace - at this early stage, with no sales to my name yet, I didn't feel confident of what I was offering yet!
So, four months down the line, with a healthy amount of experience under my belt, I felt it was high time for a rewrite! The few months experience I have had of making and selling has given me a much clearer understanding of what makes my little business unique, and what features of my crafting process, my finished products, and my customer service, make my shop special!
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| Getting Started with a Few Notes |
Anyone who has their own online shop will appreciate the importance of sharing their shop's story with their customers; for Etsy sellers, like me, the About Page of your shop enables you to give customers a little window into your handmade world, and provides you with a great opportunity to personalise, the often anonymous, online shopping experience.
When I first sat down to write my shop's story - back in November of last year - I had only just opened my Etsy store, so inevitably what I wrote focused mostly on why I had decided to set up my own small business, and less on what myself, and my shop, were able to offer to the handmade marketplace - at this early stage, with no sales to my name yet, I didn't feel confident of what I was offering yet!
So, four months down the line, with a healthy amount of experience under my belt, I felt it was high time for a rewrite! The few months experience I have had of making and selling has given me a much clearer understanding of what makes my little business unique, and what features of my crafting process, my finished products, and my customer service, make my shop special!
My Shop's Story:
I decided to set up my own small, handmade business in autumn 2013, with the goal of being able to work for myself and, most importantly, be creative every day! Etsy provided the natural marketplace for my work, with its focus squarely on handmade products; its desire to provide shoppers with a high quality purchasing experience; and the value it places on sellers’ craftsmanship.
My little business, All Wrapped Up By Alice, grew out of my love for paper, gift
wrapping, and all things handmade! Above all, in my work, I strive to make sure all my
products have a natural, rustic feel to them. Pure kraft paper is my favourite
material, and I use it in the majority of my work; most of my products are also
directly influenced by nature, whether it be the 50s-inspired dill flower print
on my gift wrap, or the quirky woodland creatures which feature on my greetings
cards.
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| A Selection of my Current Products |
The aspect of my work which I am most proud of has to be
that every product in my shop has been made by my own two hands. I am a
one-woman-band and I don’t use any sort of machinery in the production of my
items. Every sheet of paper is hand printed by me, using traditional patterned rollers;
every detail on my greetings cards has been hand stamped by myself. This way
you can be sure that every item you purchase has been made with love and care!
Making all my own products from scratch means that custom orders are no problem; in fact, they're one of the favourite parts of my work! Whether you want a custom length of wrap, or a personalised card for a special occasion, I'm always happy to help!
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| Keeping it Natural, with Pure Kraft Paper & Natural Twines |
Making all my own products from scratch means that custom orders are no problem; in fact, they're one of the favourite parts of my work! Whether you want a custom length of wrap, or a personalised card for a special occasion, I'm always happy to help!
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| One of my Customised Wedding Cards |
The exception to my one-woman-band business is my
partnership with graphic designer Michael Jamson. Michael and I got together to
design my range of bespoke wedding busy bags, after noticing an unfulfilled
need in the market for quality children’s wedding favours. The result of this
collaboration is our beautiful Big Day Colouring Sets, which provide the
perfect way to keep the little ones entertained on the Big Day! The sets come
in a variety of options to suit different age ranges, as well as different types
of wedding – with our Bride & Groom, Bride & Bride, and Groom &
Groom ranges there’s an option for everyone, whether you’re having a White
Wedding or a Pink Wedding!
So, that's my shop's story...so far! If you run your own small, online shop and would like some inspiration and guidance for sharing your shop's story, then head on over to Etsy - they have lots of ideas to get you started!
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| Groom & Groom, Bride & Groom, Bride & Bride |
So, that's my shop's story...so far! If you run your own small, online shop and would like some inspiration and guidance for sharing your shop's story, then head on over to Etsy - they have lots of ideas to get you started!
