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I started my Etsy shop with way less than that. I have been a woodworker for years, so I already had the tools. One day, the bamboo spatula that came with my wok broke. I really liked that spatula. So I made myself a new one out of mesquite. I live in South Texas so mesquite is abundant. My wife said I should make more and sell them. So I did. First at a farmers market. I then taught myself how to make cheese knives, spoons, charcuterie boards, etc, and opened an Etsy shop. It has done quite well. Not 60K a month well, but far better than I ever thought it would. This is a great video with very good advice.
I just feel all the RUclipsrs are just keeping all the methods to themselves. I understood that after reading an eBook, no one is talking about how to rank listing properly, how to do off page SEO, how to gain traffic outside of Etsy etc...
@@andrewdoe3488 honestly you could do so much with graphic design! You can make logos, banners, stickers, shirts, etc. experimenting with all different things until I found something i was good at and could make my own is how I found what I love to create! My advice would be to search up what graphic designers make/ sell and what’s popular or what people need, what you could do to make what they sell even better/unique and ofc make sure you love doing it!
What an incredible interview ... watch it all the way to the end because the amount of detail you will learn is more than in most business courses, e.g start and scale, simplify processes, profit margins, equipment, raw materials, common mistakes ... Very inspiring in a practical way. Thanks
My son sent me this video to help me to start my etsy store. He's been hounding me for over a year. Thank you for such an informative and encouraging video! I think tomorrow is going to be the day!!!
I am really impressed with your business setup, basically, you made a small-scale factory in a small space with personalized products, you are a one-man show which is impressive. All the best
That is very nice of you sergio. 😀We appreciate you watching and providing such great feedback. Have you ever sold anything with a service such as Etsy?
It’s so refreshing to hear someone say they don’t FOCUS on social media for bringing in an audience…. He lets Etsy and his ads do that work for him… I also run an Etsy shop and HATE having to create “content” for tik tok, Insta, Facebook… I would rather put that effort into my designs but feel like I have to also do the social media part. I may take a pointer from this guy and lay off that as a focus and put it back into my work. I appreciate all the tips and knowledge you’ve given us!
The ones who lose more money in newly started up businesses are the ones who use ads as they don’t always generate traffic and equate to sales. All you need to learn is how to use great SEO and apply that to your listings.
I tried Etsy years ago and wasn’t successful …. But I also wasn’t consistent about posting nor did I want to pay for the advertising! I’m a professional seamstress and have many sewing machines and tons of ideas fabrics and space to create and I bought a Circuit and need to figure out how to use it! So you have totally inspired me to get to my art studio and start creating again! I would love to read that book you spoke of! I lost my spa business during Covid closures and then my husband suddenly passed away. I became very depressed and just haven’t felt creative ! I’m still in a funk it’s going on 2 years. I know I must force myself to dust off my sewing machines and creat a new life ! Up cycling sails and repurpose jeans and cargo pants horse tack and various found objects into one of a kind bags! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Sheri! Really exciting to hear that this inspired you to get back at it. I'm so sorry to hear about your husband and spa business but we believe in you and know you can make it happen. Are you looking to get back on Etsy?
Thats really rough what you are going through. I wish you all the best! Absolutely restart your sewing, I know you can do it. Take care and keep going!
I love that you guys have a RUclips like this that shows how new or now established business owners started their business from the ground up. Its inspiring and gives people the added motivation to know that they can do it too on their own level. Great job UpFlip!
We really appreciate that Love, Beef & RUclips. These are some of the main reasons we created this channel. 😀 So it's very refreshing when someone gets inspired and informed. Are there any other types of businesses you'd like featured on the channel?
Three years ago I started with a couple power tools I had and $20 in material. I quit my full time job making $23 an hour 6 months ago. First two years I used the profit to get more and better tools.
@@InsertMyChineseUsername not sure where this is at but depending on where you live you can make ok money on minimum wage now. Illinois soon to be 15 an hour within the next two years. But this honestly just makes everything in price go up as well
The numbers that he's saying don't really make a lot of sense. If its $5 for materials, the "$10-11 cost including shipping", then that only means if shipping is $3, he's spending $2-3 for labour on a full collar that's made to order? So it takes less than 5 minutes to full print, sublimate, cut, stitch, and assemble??? Laser takes at least 1-2 minutes. He says it takes 1.5-2mins to make a collar. So he's currently at least 240 collars per day??? Based on his sales, he's sold only half that on average.., nevermind that half of his sales (or more) are just circle tags. Seriously underestimating production times especially because they're made to order, not batch made. Numbers don't make any sense. My guess is at the low low pricepoint its closer to $2-4 proft (10%) which makes sense why he has to borrow so much money for large machinery to scale. As well, 0.75 miill in first year doesn't make sense. His average sale price is ~$16, so with his 88k sales thats only 1.4mil after the 2.5-3 years of sales.... at 10-20% margin thats only around JUST enough profits to pay for the machinery, so reallllly bare bones business. I feel like all of the numbers that are being represented in this video are hyper inflated for the "business beginners" audience... when in actuality you can start with $500 but you quickly need to scale with huge business loans to scrape tiny profits.
yep! something was off. Many steps weren't told or just rushed. And sublimation really is not a good way to print fabric. Is going to peel sooner than later.
Wow JMSG. We love hearing things like this and we really are grateful for your support. 😀🌟👍🏼Thank you for watching from Puerto Rico. What type of business are you looking to start?
@@UpFlip I currently have a side hustle building stuff with wood, but my goal is to be a Handyman. I watched the episode of the North Seattle Handyman and that was the push I needed. Went to GoDaddy and bought the domain I need for the dream. So grateful for your content 🙏🏼
I appreciate this video. I’m a single dad making little money in a crappy job. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do. Tried photography, had some success but nothing sustainable. I do leatherwork but it isn’t panning out. When I manage to save enough for embroidery, I think I’m going to try that
This is liquid gold right here. I am preparing to reopen my Etsy shop and I am taking notes. Through this video, I definitely see what I did incorrectly the first time and I am going to implement a lot (if not all) of these tips this time, as well as getting the book. Thank you so much for this.
What do you think you do incorrectly. I tried to test the water with some Power tool organizers, locally, got a lot of interest. But didn’t sell. I’m sure presentation helps out a lot
I've learned more about business from this awesome guy than all the videos, books I've ever read... it's the first time it's all made sense big picture and the details. Can't wait to check out his channel. Thank you so much for a GREAT no doubt life and biz changing interview! SO good, I took sooooo many notes!! Practically the transcript :D
So glad I discovered your channel and this interview. Almost every question someone could have was asked and the transparency of the answers is so appreciated. I signed up for both your channels and can’t wait to listen to the podcast. Thank you!! (I would love cat collars too!)
It’s interesting that I’ve both Nick and Vlad in my community. One of the reasons it’s hard to find employees since Covid, is because people like Vlad found ways to be self employed, or invest and don’t need to go work for someone else. In a way I thing it’s great.
Don’t spend that $150 on a photographer and get a good light box and tripod for that price and shoot the items yourself bc it’s all about lighting. As a photographer lighting is the biggest difference between amateurs and professionals. You can just use your phone if you have good lighting.
Pro Tip: Uline is extremely expensive and their shipping cost is outrageous. They beat almost everybody with the highest cost possible. A simple internet search will grant you big cost savings. Many better suppliers out there.
I was watching the video on the TV but I HAD TO open my laptop to comment. What a great video!!!! Interesting questions and the interviewer was sooo open and honest! Very refreshing seeing how honest and open he was with the answers. Thank you guys!
So my wife and I have been l looking to do something along these lines. This was a tremendous video to not only show what we can do, but also how to do it!
😱 I’ve purchased dog collars from this shop! The graffiti style collar shown in here is my favorite n it really looks cute on my frenchie! The northern lights collar looks really cute on my girl 💕
I will need to comment about this ; Literally on fire , Perfect explanation and asking all question that we already have in our mind and give us coverage , ideas 💡 thank you for this great interview
@@UpFlip well , First all Etsy owners, manufacturers are producing unique and customize product and being this mind make you special and preferred compare other seller. I would love to brand my own product ; So currently just step up to research and figure out the niche😅 very beginner
UpFlip Dude: "How much do you pay your employees?" Vlad: "I focus on upgrading the machines so anyone can use them" Translation: As little as possible.
“Oy! Think of the poor employees!” If they don’t want to work for scraps, they need to choose to do something else. It’s a business, not a soup kitchen. Good news is, they know how to do their own Etsy shop now! 😏
Seriously appreciate any/all advice given in this video! Becoming successful can be a daunting task but if you really want it all the resources are out there.
Vlad: Take good pictures for your listings. UpFlip: WHOA what an insane BOMB of a tip! Joking aside, great interview. Love the super long format of these and great questions!
I had my store suspended early June ‘22. Took me days and nights to find a way to contact them, asking why??? Crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗 then an email with “is, Best”… Seriously 😳 so I ask again why? what? Crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗 I start sending emails weekly… crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗 It’s now three months one last push - oh it’s been temporarily closed to protect me??? Asks me six questions for me to prove who I am??? Yes 🙌🏻 still waiting…Argh 😖
@@fionatellesson5278Same thing happened to me. I also had issues with my item description showing up on the front page. I have them in the back office page, but nothing pops up from my links or standard customer searches.
this guy really makes it sound easy, looks like there are some other stores that look like they have the same or similar design. Are those his stores as well or is that competition? If its competition, are they making as much as he is?
I had one successful Etsy store before Etsy went public and when it was all about custom products. Once change happened my sales slowly died and I closed the store when my Etsy adds fee start to exceed my sales (though you gotta remember that sales price also include production cost and shipping, so balance could be broken even if your sales x2 of your etsy fees cause of all other cost). Anyways that was in 2017. A year later I opened a new store with completely different product, I had 0 sales in 3 month and closed the store, for almost 5 years I didn't sell on Etsy though i continued sell on all other platforms. Recently (3 month ago) I decided to try to re-open my store with a different product which seems to be hot selling and which I can easy produce as I have all skills? I'm a graphic designer and experienced online seller since 2004 on different platforms. So I did re-open store, invested every free moment of my time, had many many sleepless nights to fill with the listings. I got 15 sales in 3 month, but my etsy fee so far x3 times more then I made sales. Is frustrating, and I know I'm not alone. So it looks like after putting so much afford I will be closing yet another store. So what I wanna say - not every business on etsy are successful even if you do everything right, and its feels like Etsy shadow ban me or something, because I get traffic only through the adds, which is costly because not every add converts. and my average item cost around $10 and it looks like I made a sale per every 30-40 visits - which is actually a good conversion, but just not enough natural traffic to sustain this operation. On other planform I make 1 sale per 100 visit traffic, but it cost me 0$ and I get hundreds, sometimes thousands people per day. So I cannot figure out how to make this profitable: reducing Etsy adds - remove the traffic, increasing cost - gives sales to competition, so Im working hard to make money for etsy only. and have no choice but close yet another store. Don't be fooled by success story videos - to every success story there are 100 that failed.
nice this gave me an idea .... and i love the fact that you like and respond to comments and interact with your people that watch this, i know even if you have millions of subs you will still take the time to like and respond, i hardly see people that have lots of subs hardly like and respond back to their audience.
Im confused. His costs to produce and ship a collar is $11 . He sells each for $20, meaning he gives etsy and paypal about $8. Then he has advertising costs. Has he included his business property rental and running costs in that $11? And what about the wages for the people taking photos, editing them and making etsy listings? I dont see where the profit is in this business model.
Awesome success story! I keep telling myself I'm going to focus more online for my business, but I never do. I sell in person at girls sports tournaments. It would be great to have revenue online. Thanks for the inspiration!
There was a few questions that I wish he would've asked. 1.Where did he get the idea to start his business with specifically dog collars? Was it from a source online somewhere that shows the least amounts of sellers/manufacturers of the most commonly bought and sold items? Or is it just something that shows what key word searches are most popular in certain categories? And where can we find that info?
If you go back towards the beginning of the video, he mentions that as he developed his graphic design skills, some friends who had an Etsy shop asked him to help design some of their products. He did that for a while and they taught him about Etsy. He then got an inexpensive sewing machine and fabric he liked from JoAnn's Fabrics, and I think he said he made doggie kerchiefs. It seems like a natural progression to start creating dog collars along with the matching kerchiefs and leashes, etc. The big take-aways from his valuable lessons here are to listen to your potential customers! Do keyword searches the way a customer would search for an item, and those keywords will what will give you the clues as to what people are actively looking to spend money on! People like to have matching patterns/colors/styles on products that are used together. So offer those. CUSTOMIZATION IS KING! It's all about the customer. Make your business all about what they want. Listen and they will tell you in feedback. It's nit about the particular product niche he chose, it's about being very flexible and being able to offer on trend colors/patterns/styles of "evergreen" products, and at the same time, offering those evergreen products with CUSTOMIZATION! 😊 You can do that too, with just about anything. So for example, if your shop sells t-shirts, caps, mugs, etc with catchy phrases, make sure the designs have a built-in empty spot to add the name/date/event the customer wants to commemorate (lime a birth, wedding date, anniversary, etc). If you are making and selling woodworking items like your own design kitchen tools such as big spoons, scrapers, bowls etc, then allow a location on the products to be customizable! What about cute baby t's and onesies? Of course people love to gift those things! So make them customizable! That type of personalization is what SELLS!
Browsing and stumbled upon this video. Absolutely loved the video. It covered so much. Vlad was so authentic and open. He deserves to do well in his business. He has taken the time to do the research and in this video he gives you encouragement to do your own business. This goes to show as long as you are willing to do the work you can create your own business and it does not have to be something extravagant. This is an awesome video and thank you for sharing
Thank you so much for this Alizek.😀😀 We're very excited to hear this. We really appreciate the support as well. What's the video you've enjoyed most on the channel?
So, the real ticket to his success was to have an entire team of people that already were successful Etsy shop runners to teach him. And also have graphic design knowledge. Right, right, so anyone can do it! /s
Wow! I just came across your channel, this video was suggested to me and I had to subscribe to the channel!! I have a small business that I’m looking to grow and this was so informative!! I loved it!
This is super-awesome, but Vlad should definitely switch to owning his own platform. Etsy could kick him, and any seller really, out of business for whatever reason they might want to find. It's highly unlikely but still not impossible. Etsy can also freeze money and you have made and you have to pay for each time you put a listing online. Honestly as this point in scaling Vlad should reach to pet shops directly since he doesn't want to scale online marketing, which I completely understand! Just my humble opinion, but the fact he's #1 on Etsy and not reaching a million/year in revenue per year just proves that there is a clear glass celling (yeah... I know I know) on the platform.
I’m very disappointed with Etsy and have put it in vacation mode because they keep coming up with excuses to reserve my payments. Trying to communicate with a real human at Etsy to sort out issues is also very difficult and no resolution has been able to be made. It’s very disheartening to put so much work into my product and have to wait 45 or 90 days to get paid.
I have always been an employee all my life but dreamt of being an entrepreneur. This video has sparked my interest anew to start a business. It is these unselfish sharing of valuable experience which truly inspires and motivates hopefuls like me. Thank you for sharing. I will watch more of your videos in the hope that it will help me launch the business that i already have in mind very soon - hopefully in a month or two.
Hey Mon, congratulations! you have been selected as the winner of the book giveaway! Can you please send us your full name, address, and phone number to media@upflip.com
Fantastic interview! Great questions and attitude. And thank you Vlad for sharing your wisdom on manufacturing and setting up shops. Your dog collars are gorgeous! Thanks again, I learned so much.
It shows a dedication to quality and a willingness to put in the work to ensure that the end result is something that you can be proud of. Thanks for the support @raquelocasio8588! ❤
Thank you so much 5-Minute Projects. 😀We really appreciate that. We're so happy you're enjoying the videos. What type of project and designs do you feature on your channel?
@@UpFlip We mainly compile different furniture designs and enable our viewers choose what projects to tackle in their next DIY venture. People often search for inspirations before jumping in to doing something and we make that available.
Thank you Allen. We really appreciate you watching and we're so happy that you were able to get some valuable information from the video. 😀 What information do you think you will find most useful?
I really loved this episode!! I learned so much from all his information. I watched it about 5 times. I’m taking notes and saving tips that I can use in my pet design business if I decide to use Etsy.
Thank you sunshine22284! There really is a high demand for well-made Etsy products. 😀 Its also really cool to see something you've crafted being sold to others that really enjoy it. Would you ever sale a product on Esty?
if you are looking to sell mass-produced items or products that do not fit within Etsy's guidelines for handmade or vintage goods, you may need to explore other options
Start with an idea Build that idea into a rough plan Conduct marketing research to find out your market Write a business plan Go to bank or investor and seek approval on business plan Start business realising $500 is not a sustainable start up fee and there are obviously other factors in this video to start a business. How long does it take to make a consistent 60k a week - years! Folks do your planning and business forecasting when going into a business Or follow your passion and do this as a passion project. We’re coming into crazy times for small businesses and you’re going to need a lot more advice than the above.
This video has me SOOOOO inspired. So generous of him to give so much amazing advice. I’ve been toying with the idea of owning my own business. Now I feel totally encouraged and just signed up for my first sewing class! ❤❤❤🎉
Wow, that's inspiring to hear! Pursuing your dream of owning your own business is an exciting journey, and you've already taken a fantastic first step. 👏
I really enjoyed this video! Vlad is self-motivated and curious. I'm so impressed with his ability to take a simple concept, research it, and apply it to his business in a beneficial way. I love that Vlad has a process or a system for everything! This was a great interview too!
I have been wanting to start an Etsy store to share my creative talents with others. This video is very informative and inspirational. Thanks for sharing your success story with us!
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Because 90% are lying on their numbers
I started my Etsy shop with way less than that. I have been a woodworker for years, so I already had the tools. One day, the bamboo spatula that came with my wok broke. I really liked that spatula. So I made myself a new one out of mesquite. I live in South Texas so mesquite is abundant. My wife said I should make more and sell them. So I did. First at a farmers market. I then taught myself how to make cheese knives, spoons, charcuterie boards, etc, and opened an Etsy shop. It has done quite well. Not 60K a month well, but far better than I ever thought it would. This is a great video with very good advice.
@Dharma it's 50/50
Congrats on your success and credit to your wife for encouraging you!
@Dharma me too! 🤣
Congratulations!! Very creative!
What’s the name of the Etsy shop ?
I just feel all the RUclipsrs are just keeping all the methods to themselves. I understood that after reading an eBook, no one is talking about how to rank listing properly, how to do off page SEO, how to gain traffic outside of Etsy etc...
I have a question, I am a graphic designer, What can I sell as a designer in your opinion?
And can you share the book name please?
I left Etsy cause of how much they take from sellers. I’m on go daddy now and it’s so much easier
@@andrewdoe3488 honestly you could do so much with graphic design! You can make logos, banners, stickers, shirts, etc. experimenting with all different things until I found something i was good at and could make my own is how I found what I love to create! My advice would be to search up what graphic designers make/ sell and what’s popular or what people need, what you could do to make what they sell even better/unique and ofc make sure you love doing it!
What? You can find all that info in yt ! Dont be lazy. No one will hand you anything.
What an incredible interview ... watch it all the way to the end because the amount of detail you will learn is more than in most business courses, e.g start and scale, simplify processes, profit margins, equipment, raw materials, common mistakes ... Very inspiring in a practical way. Thanks
My son sent me this video to help me to start my etsy store. He's been hounding me for over a year. Thank you for such an informative and encouraging video! I think tomorrow is going to be the day!!!
How is it going? Did you started your shop? :)
How are you doing now
What's the name of the Etsy shop that you opened, under the advice of your son?
I am really impressed with your business setup, basically, you made a small-scale factory in a small space with personalized products, you are a one-man show which is impressive. All the best
That is very nice of you sergio. 😀We appreciate you watching and providing such great feedback. Have you ever sold anything with a service such as Etsy?
34:27
It’s so refreshing to hear someone say they don’t FOCUS on social media for bringing in an audience…. He lets Etsy and his ads do that work for him…
I also run an Etsy shop and HATE having to create “content” for tik tok, Insta, Facebook… I would rather put that effort into my designs but feel like I have to also do the social media part. I may take a pointer from this guy and lay off that as a focus and put it back into my work.
I appreciate all the tips and knowledge you’ve given us!
The ones who lose more money in newly started up businesses are the ones who use ads as they don’t always generate traffic and equate to sales.
All you need to learn is how to use great SEO and apply that to your listings.
Don’t use social media. If you have a following send them to your own website because you never know what will happen with Etsy.
I thought: 45 minutes? I will skip- I didn’t skip any second! Every word was gold ! Thank you so much - this was so informative!
Holy smokes! This was golden! This whole channel is golden! There are no excuses for not starting a business in some type of genre!
I tried Etsy years ago and wasn’t successful …. But I also wasn’t consistent about posting nor did I want to pay for the advertising!
I’m a professional seamstress and have many sewing machines and tons of ideas fabrics and space to create and I bought a Circuit and need to figure out how to use it! So you have totally inspired me to get to my art studio and start creating again!
I would love to read that book you spoke of!
I lost my spa business during Covid closures and then my husband suddenly passed away. I became very depressed and just haven’t felt creative
! I’m still in a funk it’s going on 2 years. I know I must force myself to dust off my sewing machines and creat a new life ! Up cycling sails and repurpose jeans and cargo pants horse tack and various found objects into one of a kind bags!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Sheri! Really exciting to hear that this inspired you to get back at it. I'm so sorry to hear about your husband and spa business but we believe in you and know you can make it happen. Are you looking to get back on Etsy?
Thats really rough what you are going through. I wish you all the best! Absolutely restart your sewing, I know you can do it. Take care and keep going!
Vlad is killing it! Knows all his stuff and really worked on improving throughput and being self reliant. That's awesome!
I love that you guys have a RUclips like this that shows how new or now established business owners started their business from the ground up. Its inspiring and gives people the added motivation to know that they can do it too on their own level. Great job UpFlip!
We really appreciate that Love, Beef & RUclips. These are some of the main reasons we created this channel. 😀 So it's very refreshing when someone gets inspired and informed. Are there any other types of businesses you'd like featured on the channel?
yes exactly
@@UpFlip how to sell original art would be cool
it helps a lot. but im not even from the USA and seems like people are hesitant to buy from my country. my country isn't very popular
Where do you get keywords.
Three years ago I started with a couple power tools I had and $20 in material. I quit my full time job making $23 an hour 6 months ago. First two years I used the profit to get more and better tools.
That’s the key,use profit to expand your business,and become better and better,wish you the best!
CONGRATS👏🙌 What is your website? Blessings 🙏🌟🕊️
This has been by far, one of my favorite interviews! I love Vlad’s energy, and all of the information he shared! THANKS again!!!
It’s so fun to see people being successful - and I think Vlad would succeed at anything he put his mind to!
Vlad dodged that “how much do you pay your employees?” question like Neo dodged those bullets in the Matrix. 🤣
Always a reason, I’m certain he’s proud of what he pays them as it’s more than average in the market and doesn’t want to boast, he’s super humble!
If the employees don’t like the pay, they can always start their own Etsy shop!
The way he answered makes me think minimum wage
@@InsertMyChineseUsername not sure where this is at but depending on where you live you can make ok money on minimum wage now. Illinois soon to be 15 an hour within the next two years. But this honestly just makes everything in price go up as well
🤣
The numbers that he's saying don't really make a lot of sense. If its $5 for materials, the "$10-11 cost including shipping", then that only means if shipping is $3, he's spending $2-3 for labour on a full collar that's made to order? So it takes less than 5 minutes to full print, sublimate, cut, stitch, and assemble??? Laser takes at least 1-2 minutes.
He says it takes 1.5-2mins to make a collar. So he's currently at least 240 collars per day??? Based on his sales, he's sold only half that on average.., nevermind that half of his sales (or more) are just circle tags. Seriously underestimating production times especially because they're made to order, not batch made.
Numbers don't make any sense. My guess is at the low low pricepoint its closer to $2-4 proft (10%) which makes sense why he has to borrow so much money for large machinery to scale.
As well, 0.75 miill in first year doesn't make sense. His average sale price is ~$16, so with his 88k sales thats only 1.4mil after the 2.5-3 years of sales.... at 10-20% margin thats only around JUST enough profits to pay for the machinery, so reallllly bare bones business. I feel like all of the numbers that are being represented in this video are hyper inflated for the "business beginners" audience... when in actuality you can start with $500 but you quickly need to scale with huge business loans to scrape tiny profits.
yep! something was off. Many steps weren't told or just rushed.
And sublimation really is not a good way to print fabric. Is going to peel sooner than later.
Your channel has been such a blessing for my life. I'm currently preparing to go on my own business. Great content. I watch from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Wow JMSG. We love hearing things like this and we really are grateful for your support. 😀🌟👍🏼Thank you for watching from Puerto Rico. What type of business are you looking to start?
@@UpFlip I currently have a side hustle building stuff with wood, but my goal is to be a Handyman. I watched the episode of the North Seattle Handyman and that was the push I needed. Went to GoDaddy and bought the domain I need for the dream. So grateful for your content 🙏🏼
That is amazing and we are thrilled to hear from you! Thank you for supporting us and blessings!
@@arrozconcornedbeef I just watched the North Seattle episode about a week ago and loved that one too.
I appreciate this video. I’m a single dad making little money in a crappy job. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do. Tried photography, had some success but nothing sustainable. I do leatherwork but it isn’t panning out. When I manage to save enough for embroidery, I think I’m going to try that
I watched the first minute and already can feel the positivity. I'm so happy to see people like this succeed! Well earned!
This guy seems to be walking the fine line of "hand made" and "factory" items as he has scaled to a factory.
The product someone wants to sell aside, this is some absolutely pure gold information on setup in the modern market to hit target demographics.
The fact that he doesn't even have a dog sold me. Nice Work
This is liquid gold right here. I am preparing to reopen my Etsy shop and I am taking notes. Through this video, I definitely see what I did incorrectly the first time and I am going to implement a lot (if not all) of these tips this time, as well as getting the book. Thank you so much for this.
You go Lamary! We are here to support you…
What do you think you do incorrectly. I tried to test the water with some Power tool organizers, locally, got a lot of interest. But didn’t sell. I’m sure presentation helps out a lot
🧢🧢
Dead ass just gave me a breakthrough in Tshirt idea 👕
QUEEN
Vlad: Literally just orders some packaging online
Nick: "WoWwWw!"
I've learned more about business from this awesome guy than all the videos, books I've ever read... it's the first time it's all made sense big picture and the details. Can't wait to check out his channel. Thank you so much for a GREAT no doubt life and biz changing interview! SO good, I took sooooo many notes!! Practically the transcript :D
I love the genuine passion i can feel in the interviewer's voice and facial expression. good job!
So glad I discovered your channel and this interview. Almost every question someone could have was asked and the transparency of the answers is so appreciated. I signed up for both your channels and can’t wait to listen to the podcast. Thank you!! (I would love cat collars too!)
What’s their other channel?
@@eliseogutierrez5307 TalkShop
It’s interesting that I’ve both Nick and Vlad in my community.
One of the reasons it’s hard to find employees since Covid, is because people like Vlad found ways to be self employed, or invest and don’t need to go work for someone else. In a way I thing it’s great.
Great video. Thank you.What was the name of the book?
Don’t spend that $150 on a photographer and get a good light box and tripod for that price and shoot the items yourself bc it’s all about lighting. As a photographer lighting is the biggest difference between amateurs and professionals. You can just use your phone if you have good lighting.
Pro Tip:
Uline is extremely expensive and their shipping cost is outrageous.
They beat almost everybody with the highest cost possible.
A simple internet search will grant you big cost savings.
Many better suppliers out there.
very true! I used to deal with uline. much better off going with a local office supply distributer, if you can
One of your best videos, yet! Very practical and organic process and presentation.
This video was so detailed! Great interviewer and guest.
Vlad is brilliant! He offered some brilliant tips to the community. Great interview, thank you.
This is the second time I have listened to this knowledge. This time I’m saving it so I can re-listen again.
I was watching the video on the TV but I HAD TO open my laptop to comment. What a great video!!!! Interesting questions and the interviewer was sooo open and honest! Very refreshing seeing how honest and open he was with the answers. Thank you guys!
Glad you love this video! Hope you also watch our other content and find value in them. Any business you want to see next? ☺️
This guy is so honest and authentic! Thank you so much and you deserve to be successful ✨
So my wife and I have been l looking to do something along these lines. This was a tremendous video to not only show what we can do, but also how to do it!
😱 I’ve purchased dog collars from this shop! The graffiti style collar shown in here is my favorite n it really looks cute on my frenchie! The northern lights collar looks really cute on my girl 💕
Upflip is doing an awesome job with these videos. They are so helpful and entertaining. Keep em coming!
Lol love that Vlad was willing to star in the sponsorship video. A man of many talents 😂
Lmao, he 'accidentally' hit the panic button 😂 his face was like "really??"
I will need to comment about this ;
Literally on fire ,
Perfect explanation and asking all question that we already have in our mind and give us coverage , ideas 💡 thank you for this great interview
Many thanks omer. 😀🙏👍We're pleased to hear we are covering all angles with our interview questions. Would you ever get into an industry such as this?
@@UpFlip well ,
First all Etsy owners, manufacturers are producing unique and customize product and being this mind make you special and preferred compare other seller.
I would love to brand my own product ;
So currently just step up to research and figure out the niche😅 very beginner
Thanks for your positive tone, attitude and helpful information.
UpFlip Dude: "How much do you pay your employees?"
Vlad: "I focus on upgrading the machines so anyone can use them"
Translation: As little as possible.
It’s so funny, I was thinking of the same thing. He is brilliant!This was a great interview. Vlad offered some brilliant tips to the community.
@@boukmananddessalines5522 I agree, he did have some good tips.
@@RobertDizzo Yes, indeed.
i just realized i follow that maker on tik tok. I thought he did it all himself. yikes.
“Oy! Think of the poor employees!” If they don’t want to work for scraps, they need to choose to do something else. It’s a business, not a soup kitchen. Good news is, they know how to do their own Etsy shop now! 😏
Seriously appreciate any/all advice given in this video! Becoming successful can be a daunting task but if you really want it all the resources are out there.
Vlad: Take good pictures for your listings.
UpFlip: WHOA what an insane BOMB of a tip!
Joking aside, great interview. Love the super long format of these and great questions!
This is inspirational and educational. I would also love the Emyth book please.
Great content again! One thing about Etsy they are dangerous to work with...I've had my stores close multiple times was not doing anything illegal.
Curious about that. Did they give you any explanation?
I’ve read a lot about these Etsy practices. I’m thinking of starting a business, but I think I’m going independent.
I had my store suspended early June ‘22. Took me days and nights to find a way to contact them, asking why???
Crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗 then an email with “is, Best”…
Seriously 😳 so I ask again why? what? Crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗
I start sending emails weekly…
crickets 🦗 🦗 🦗
It’s now three months one last push - oh it’s been temporarily closed to protect me??? Asks me six questions for me to prove who I am???
Yes 🙌🏻 still waiting…Argh 😖
@@fionatellesson5278Same thing happened to me. I also had issues with my item description showing up on the front page. I have them in the back office page, but nothing pops up from my links or standard customer searches.
This was my favorite UpFlip video.
this guy really makes it sound easy, looks like there are some other stores that look like they have the same or similar design. Are those his stores as well or is that competition? If its competition, are they making as much as he is?
I had one successful Etsy store before Etsy went public and when it was all about custom products. Once change happened my sales slowly died and I closed the store when my Etsy adds fee start to exceed my sales (though you gotta remember that sales price also include production cost and shipping, so balance could be broken even if your sales x2 of your etsy fees cause of all other cost). Anyways that was in 2017. A year later I opened a new store with completely different product, I had 0 sales in 3 month and closed the store, for almost 5 years I didn't sell on Etsy though i continued sell on all other platforms. Recently (3 month ago) I decided to try to re-open my store with a different product which seems to be hot selling and which I can easy produce as I have all skills? I'm a graphic designer and experienced online seller since 2004 on different platforms. So I did re-open store, invested every free moment of my time, had many many sleepless nights to fill with the listings. I got 15 sales in 3 month, but my etsy fee so far x3 times more then I made sales. Is frustrating, and I know I'm not alone. So it looks like after putting so much afford I will be closing yet another store. So what I wanna say - not every business on etsy are successful even if you do everything right, and its feels like Etsy shadow ban me or something, because I get traffic only through the adds, which is costly because not every add converts. and my average item cost around $10 and it looks like I made a sale per every 30-40 visits - which is actually a good conversion, but just not enough natural traffic to sustain this operation. On other planform I make 1 sale per 100 visit traffic, but it cost me 0$ and I get hundreds, sometimes thousands people per day. So I cannot figure out how to make this profitable: reducing Etsy adds - remove the traffic, increasing cost - gives sales to competition, so Im working hard to make money for etsy only. and have no choice but close yet another store. Don't be fooled by success story videos - to every success story there are 100 that failed.
nice this gave me an idea .... and i love the fact that you like and respond to comments and interact with your people that watch this, i know even if you have millions of subs you will still take the time to like and respond, i hardly see people that have lots of subs hardly like and respond back to their audience.
Oh we definitely will ;)
We are here for you! Podcast, RUclips, website and so much more coming for your benefit…thanks for your support.
Im confused. His costs to produce and ship a collar is $11 . He sells each for $20, meaning he gives etsy and paypal about $8. Then he has advertising costs. Has he included his business property rental and running costs in that $11? And what about the wages for the people taking photos, editing them and making etsy listings? I dont see where the profit is in this business model.
he said theoretically 50% margin, but then admitted its just above break even after all the lease and debt payments
Awesome success story! I keep telling myself I'm going to focus more online for my business, but I never do. I sell in person at girls sports tournaments. It would be great to have revenue online. Thanks for the inspiration!
This was a wonderful video. I took notes about all the great ideas he offered for $500 to $1,000 start up. I appreciated it so much
There was a few questions that I wish he would've asked. 1.Where did he get the idea to start his business with specifically dog collars? Was it from a source online somewhere that shows the least amounts of sellers/manufacturers of the most commonly bought and sold items? Or is it just something that shows what key word searches are most popular in certain categories? And where can we find that info?
If you go back towards the beginning of the video, he mentions that as he developed his graphic design skills, some friends who had an Etsy shop asked him to help design some of their products.
He did that for a while and they taught him about Etsy.
He then got an inexpensive sewing machine and fabric he liked from JoAnn's Fabrics, and I think he said he made doggie kerchiefs.
It seems like a natural progression to start creating dog collars along with the matching kerchiefs and leashes, etc.
The big take-aways from his valuable lessons here are to listen to your potential customers!
Do keyword searches the way a customer would search for an item, and those keywords will what will give you the clues as to what people are actively looking to spend money on!
People like to have matching patterns/colors/styles on products that are used together. So offer those.
CUSTOMIZATION IS KING!
It's all about the customer.
Make your business all about what they want. Listen and they will tell you in feedback.
It's nit about the particular product niche he chose, it's about being very flexible and being able to offer on trend colors/patterns/styles of "evergreen" products, and at the same time, offering those evergreen products with CUSTOMIZATION! 😊
You can do that too, with just about anything.
So for example, if your shop sells t-shirts, caps, mugs, etc with catchy phrases, make sure the designs have a built-in empty spot to add the name/date/event the customer wants to commemorate (lime a birth, wedding date, anniversary, etc).
If you are making and selling woodworking items like your own design kitchen tools such as big spoons, scrapers, bowls etc, then allow a location on the products to be customizable!
What about cute baby t's and onesies? Of course people love to gift those things!
So make them customizable!
That type of personalization is what SELLS!
Browsing and stumbled upon this video. Absolutely loved the video. It covered so much. Vlad was so authentic and open. He deserves to do well in his business. He has taken the time to do the research and in this video he gives you encouragement to do your own business. This goes to show as long as you are willing to do the work you can create your own business and it does not have to be something extravagant. This is an awesome video and thank you for sharing
Vlad is such a inspiration. I will start designing my first product today.
Love the practical information and how transparent he was on how he did it, step by step.
This episode was chock full o tips on how to to business on Etsy. Really great channel and super valuable content. Thank you Vlad and UpFlip!
This is a great channel! The guests are always inspiring; I've learned a lot from watching these videos. 👍
Thank you so much for this Alizek.😀😀 We're very excited to hear this. We really appreciate the support as well. What's the video you've enjoyed most on the channel?
@@UpFlip My favorite was "Candle business makes $300,000 in 18 months". This really motivated me!
So, the real ticket to his success was to have an entire team of people that already were successful Etsy shop runners to teach him. And also have graphic design knowledge. Right, right, so anyone can do it! /s
Dude, awesome video. Direct, smart and thought out questions from you and transparent, precise and comprehensive answers. Great content
Wow! I just came across your channel, this video was suggested to me and I had to subscribe to the channel!! I have a small business that I’m looking to grow and this was so informative!! I loved it!
So inspired by this episode! I'm a cake decorator who's so frustrated about not going full blast with my business. Would love to get that book!
What book?
Great advice on harnessing your passion until you find a product that the market demands! Thanks!
I wish all high school students follow and see your videos to give me an idea to start a business!
This video is so helpful! We’re getting ready to launch our Etsy store. I’m glad we found your video before hand
Congrat Juli. 😀😀👍We're so excited for you. What types of products will you sell?
@@UpFlip thank you so much! We are selling beard heath products such as oils, balms, conditioners, etc..
This is super-awesome, but Vlad should definitely switch to owning his own platform. Etsy could kick him, and any seller really, out of business for whatever reason they might want to find. It's highly unlikely but still not impossible. Etsy can also freeze money and you have made and you have to pay for each time you put a listing online.
Honestly as this point in scaling Vlad should reach to pet shops directly since he doesn't want to scale online marketing, which I completely understand! Just my humble opinion, but the fact he's #1 on Etsy and not reaching a million/year in revenue per year just proves that there is a clear glass celling (yeah... I know I know) on the platform.
BEST COMMENT ☝️
I’m very disappointed with Etsy and have put it in vacation mode because they keep coming up with excuses to reserve my payments. Trying to communicate with a real human at Etsy to sort out issues is also very difficult and no resolution has been able to be made. It’s very disheartening to put so much work into my product and have to wait 45 or 90 days to get paid.
He really wanted to drive home his experience and key points - and I'm glad he did.
I have always been an employee all my life but dreamt of being an entrepreneur. This video has sparked my interest anew to start a business. It is these unselfish sharing of valuable experience which truly inspires and motivates hopefuls like me. Thank you for sharing. I will watch more of your videos in the hope that it will help me launch the business that i already have in mind very soon - hopefully in a month or two.
Hey Mon, congratulations! you have been selected as the winner of the book giveaway! Can you please send us your full name, address, and phone number to media@upflip.com
At 11:01 the sewer is cleverly using the railing as a guide for the collar 😂🙌🏻
Fantastic interview! Great questions and attitude. And thank you Vlad for sharing your wisdom on manufacturing and setting up shops. Your dog collars are gorgeous!
Thanks again, I learned so much.
I love that he actually produces his products, and doesn't outsource like so many others do. That's what I aspire to.
It shows a dedication to quality and a willingness to put in the work to ensure that the end result is something that you can be proud of. Thanks for the support @raquelocasio8588! ❤
Yea smart way to reduce cost and add value
As a fellow therapist ready to get out, thanks my guy!
the guy is looks very honest and transparent. thank you.
Thank you for sharing. Your channel is impressive Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much 5-Minute Projects. 😀We really appreciate that. We're so happy you're enjoying the videos. What type of project and designs do you feature on your channel?
@@UpFlip We mainly compile different furniture designs and enable our viewers choose what projects to tackle in their next DIY venture. People often search for inspirations before jumping in to doing something and we make that available.
WOW!!! I Watched ENTIRE Video 3 Times back to back to back to make sure i didnt miss a thing!!!... Awesome and Congrats!!!
👍👍
Thank you Allen. We really appreciate you watching and we're so happy that you were able to get some valuable information from the video. 😀 What information do you think you will find most useful?
I really loved this episode!! I learned so much from all his information. I watched it about 5 times. I’m taking notes and saving tips that I can use in my pet design business if I decide to use Etsy.
Awesome video and example of how to start simple and grow! Great business advice!
This was really informative. Great to see that there is really a demand for well made Etsy products.
Thank you sunshine22284! There really is a high demand for well-made Etsy products. 😀 Its also really cool to see something you've crafted being sold to others that really enjoy it. Would you ever sale a product on Esty?
Yes there is!
Hahaha 04:55 "Take us through the process" (of ordering envelopes 🤣) "I add it to the basket and then ship it to this address" "WOW 🤩"
I love these videos. Makes starting a business feel a lot less daunting.
if you are looking to sell mass-produced items or products that do not fit within Etsy's guidelines for handmade or vintage goods, you may need to explore other options
This was the MOST dynamic wealth of information that I have ever listened to on YT! Awesome and motivating!
The wealth of info in this video is amazing. Can’t believe it’s free.
I opened my store almost 2 months ago and still waiting for my first sale.❤
Another amazing video, I always wonder how a 9 to 5 therapist or whatever just knows about market share and machinery, hiring and all business stuff
Its been a journey!
Start with an idea
Build that idea into a rough plan
Conduct marketing research to find out your market
Write a business plan
Go to bank or investor and seek approval on business plan
Start business realising $500 is not a sustainable start up fee and there are obviously other factors in this video to start a business.
How long does it take to make a consistent 60k a week - years!
Folks do your planning and business forecasting when going into a business
Or follow your passion and do this as a passion project. We’re coming into crazy times for small businesses and you’re going to need a lot more advice than the above.
Excellent thanks Vlad for showing everone the how to and why to of selling on etsy
My pleasure!
This video has me SOOOOO inspired. So generous of him to give so much amazing advice. I’ve been toying with the idea of owning my own business. Now I feel totally encouraged and just signed up for my first sewing class! ❤❤❤🎉
Wow, that's inspiring to hear! Pursuing your dream of owning your own business is an exciting journey, and you've already taken a fantastic first step. 👏
Great episode! Vlad is a wealth of information. So thankful for his willingness to share his knowledge
I've been waiting for this one! I know the founder, incredible guy.
Aww thanks Serg!
THIS WAS AWESOME! first time on the Channel ❤🎉🎉
Just thinking it's time to quit Etsy after 3 yrs with nothing to show but this is SO awesome . Thanks so much. Great interview!
I really enjoyed this video! Vlad is self-motivated and curious. I'm so impressed with his ability to take a simple concept, research it, and apply it to his business in a beneficial way. I love that Vlad has a process or a system for everything! This was a great interview too!
Can anyone list the Equipment machines he mentioned with their brand or links
What a great business story! Love all the tips...this journey will be an experience!
I am thinking of working on my etsy shop again. I make bags from upcycled fabrics.
I have been wanting to start an Etsy store to share my creative talents with others. This video is very informative and inspirational. Thanks for sharing your success story with us!
Go for it AshDeez. We think you'll do great. 😀Sometimes you just have to get started. Thanks for watching. What type of crafting do you do?