How Lauren Went from Making Minimum Wage on Etsy to Earning $14,000 Per Month

The October magazine is live and it’s a great issue this month! Our first two featured sellers were forced to majorly re-structure their handmade businesses after several years of burnout and slow growth. Most of us can relate to this and we love their stories because it’s proof that you can reach massive success even when you’re at a point where you feel like you’ve been failing for years. Continue on to see a preview stories and topics in this magazine issue!

“I could have made more money working a minimum wage job than I was making from my Etsy shop…”

Our first story is from Lauren, who ran her Etsy shop for four years, but was making less than minimum wage from her efforts. So, she closed down, rested, and re-evaluated. When she opened back up in 2016, she employed a new strategy: get rid of every marketing tactic or time-sucking activity that wasn’t producing results and focus only on what was growing her business. The result? She now works less than 10 hours a week and makes $14,000/month on Etsy.

“…and that was the turning point in my shop like I never could have even imagined. I went from stressed and burned out to streamlining my shop so that I could work less than 10 hours a week, produce more products than I had when I was working full time, and make $14,000 per month.”

– Lauren Keplinger Funky Monkey Children & laurenkeplinger.com

“When I started my business I wanted to do everything right now. I tried to grow my business as big, and as fast as I could.”

Our second story features Stephanie’s journey. Like so many new business owners, she wanted to grow as big and fast as she could by targeting every kind of shopper, attending every single event, selling every kind of product she could, and marketing on all of the digital platforms. But this strategy caused her to go into debt and burn out, so she had to create a new, better business plan.

“I was spending more than what I was bringing in to come up with more products to offer. I was slowly being swallowed up by a business that I loved because I was trying desperately to appease anyone and everyone, to make them a customer and a repeat customer. I thought everyone was my customer, and I wanted a product for everyone.”

-Stephanie Turney from Happy Honey Bee Co

Here’s a preview of the goodies inside the October magazine:

October Question of the Month

Last month we asked handmade sellers if they use a strict working schedule or if their days are more free-flowing. Read about their experiences with trying to regulate their days and ultimately what ended up working for them. Click here to answer next month’s question and get featured in our magazine!

I never set out to build a half-million-dollar Etsy business.

From 2012 – to 2016, Lauren was making less than minimum wage from her Etsy shop. So, she closed down, rested, and re-evaluated. When she opened back up in 2016, she employed a new strategy: get rid of every marketing tactic or time-sucking activity that wasn’t producing results and focus only on what was growing her business. The result? She now works less than 10 hours a week and makes $14,000/month on Etsy. Read how she did it in the October magazine!

 

Deb’s Troubleshooting Technique for Business

Learn how you can ask yourself simple questions that lead you to the cause of problem areas within your business. The right questions could transform your strategy.

 

I thought I had to grow my business as big and fast as I could.

In order to meet and gain more customers, Stephanie thought she had to be at every marketplace and on every platform, and sell every kind of product, but she soon became burned out and restructured her business to be more authentic to herself.

 

Funny Stories from Handmade Sellers

We all know that crazy and goofy things happen all the time while running a business, so we decided to start sharing a laugh about them! Handmade sellers from around the world have sent in their stories and you can, too!

 

Kathleen first felt like she was fraudulently masking as a business.

Many new artists and crafters feel like they aren’t “real business owners” when they first start out, and it was no different for Kathleen. Read about Kathleen’s journey from “winging it” to landing a partnership with Coca-Cola.

 

The Power of Story on the Path to Financial Freedom

Can’t stop your self-defeating thoughts? Here’s a clever technique that trains your mind to remove negative self-talk.

 

The October Newsstand

Get updated on the latest industry news, shopping trends, social media changes, and more!