This week I'm featuring Heather Lynn, who runs a successful Etsy shop called HeatherlyDesigns from the one-bedroom apartment she shares with her beau Seth and their min-pin Bella. Her jewelry designs are vintage-inspired and some of her creations include vintage parts, which I love, and her prices are very reasonable! See below for some sound advice - we can learn a lot from this young lady. At only 24 years of age, she has it together. Her Etsy shop alone has had over 1400 sales! Want to learn more about Heather? Visit her Etsy shop, and while you're there, browse the wonderful collection of jewelry available for purchase! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5086593.
How did the idea for your business come about?
I started making seed bead necklaces with my cousin when we were 11 or 12. I got bored with putting little beads on a string and decided to move on to bigger and better beaded jewelry. My mom encouraged me to do festivals and fairs with her in the summer and sell my designs. After a lot of positive feedback & sales I decided to open some type of online venue to sell my jewelry. I created a myspace page for my company and met a friend who also made jewelry. I was checking her page one day and saw her etsy shop. I signed up that day and started listing later on that week. And have been making jewelry ever since.
How did you come up with your shop name?
Well my name is Heather Lynn. When I was a kid my dad used to tease me and call me Heatherly. I struggled with a name for my jewelry for quite a while until using my nickname hit me in the head like a brick. From there I went to register my DBA as Heatherly Designs.
What inspires you and what keeps you going?
What inspires me are new supplies. I love coming across new suppliers to buy from and when I look through their goodies I think, “Oh I know what I could do with this!”. What keeps me going is my passion for designing, my happy customers, my positive feedback and my family & friends' encouragement.
To what do you attribute your success?
I would have to say my mom pushing me and always encouraging me to be creative. She graduated from F.I.T in Manhattan and 90% of her jobs have been creative. She always had the patience to sit and teach me things and when I would get frustrated because mine was not as good as hers she would always say, “Heather, practice makes perfect.”
Three pieces of advice you can share with fellow Etsians aspiring for success in our marketplace? The most important thing is to take good pictures. People can’t handle your items so your pictures are your main marketing to sell. I hate to sound cliché but love what you do and do what you love. Your passion definitely shows through in your work. And follow the trends; it’s not selling out, it’s being business savvy. I feel you have to follow fashion trends to some extent. Take them and make them your own by finding your own niche in the current market of what’s popular. Pop culture drives a lot of people.
How do you go about marketing your business?
Wear my jewelry as much as I can. Always have business cards on hand. I am outgoing so I have no problem handing them out to people when they ask where I got a piece I am wearing. Doing festivals got my name out there locally. Getting into local boutiques on consignment. And of course the free sites out there; Flickr, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Indiepublic & Blogspot.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this week's shop of the week! From one Heather to another, I am inspired! ♥
How did the idea for your business come about?
I started making seed bead necklaces with my cousin when we were 11 or 12. I got bored with putting little beads on a string and decided to move on to bigger and better beaded jewelry. My mom encouraged me to do festivals and fairs with her in the summer and sell my designs. After a lot of positive feedback & sales I decided to open some type of online venue to sell my jewelry. I created a myspace page for my company and met a friend who also made jewelry. I was checking her page one day and saw her etsy shop. I signed up that day and started listing later on that week. And have been making jewelry ever since.
How did you come up with your shop name?
Well my name is Heather Lynn. When I was a kid my dad used to tease me and call me Heatherly. I struggled with a name for my jewelry for quite a while until using my nickname hit me in the head like a brick. From there I went to register my DBA as Heatherly Designs.
What inspires you and what keeps you going?What inspires me are new supplies. I love coming across new suppliers to buy from and when I look through their goodies I think, “Oh I know what I could do with this!”. What keeps me going is my passion for designing, my happy customers, my positive feedback and my family & friends' encouragement.
To what do you attribute your success?
I would have to say my mom pushing me and always encouraging me to be creative. She graduated from F.I.T in Manhattan and 90% of her jobs have been creative. She always had the patience to sit and teach me things and when I would get frustrated because mine was not as good as hers she would always say, “Heather, practice makes perfect.”
Three pieces of advice you can share with fellow Etsians aspiring for success in our marketplace? The most important thing is to take good pictures. People can’t handle your items so your pictures are your main marketing to sell. I hate to sound cliché but love what you do and do what you love. Your passion definitely shows through in your work. And follow the trends; it’s not selling out, it’s being business savvy. I feel you have to follow fashion trends to some extent. Take them and make them your own by finding your own niche in the current market of what’s popular. Pop culture drives a lot of people.
How do you go about marketing your business?
Wear my jewelry as much as I can. Always have business cards on hand. I am outgoing so I have no problem handing them out to people when they ask where I got a piece I am wearing. Doing festivals got my name out there locally. Getting into local boutiques on consignment. And of course the free sites out there; Flickr, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Indiepublic & Blogspot.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this week's shop of the week! From one Heather to another, I am inspired! ♥
What an amazing shop!! Love the necklace.
ReplyDeleteShe has a necklace that is called token of affection that I love. Nice feature!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous jewelry from one Heather and great vintage from another:) I love the treasury below - beautiful choices!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog...thanks so much for leading me here:)
Thank you whimsical pam!!
ReplyDelete