Step back in time and get nostalgic: BabyTweeds sells the vintage children's clothes you grew up in.
Today I'd like to present a talented woman, Christine Schell. She is the woman behind a lovely store selling the cutest vintage and handmade baby and children's clothing called BabyTweeds.
1. Name: Christine Schell
Where are you from? Originally from Michigan but now live in
Seattle, WA
2. Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop/ business.
I opened my BabyTweeds shop at the start of 2011 which
features handmade children's clothing and vintage children's clothing. Prior to
opening my Etsy shop, I was a stay at home mom for 1 year and prior to that I
worked in the high tech industry in the area of Human Resources.
3. When did you open your shop?
At the beginning of 2011.
4. Why did you decide to start your shop?
I had this idea in my head for months about starting my own
business and making handmade baby clothes. I just couldn't shake the idea and
my husband encouraged me to move forward with my idea as I was so passionate
about starting this business. This morphed into my current shop which mostly
features vintage children's clothing and accessories and some handmade items
(made by me). I was also anxious to do something new and needed to have a
business with flexible hours and I wanted to do something that nurtured the
creative side of me.
5. How do you promote/ market your business? What
works best?
I have a Facebook site, a board on Pinterest, and I also have a
Twitter account. I also love to create several treasuries every week and belong
to several Etsy Teams which is a great way to gain exposure. I also have
business cards which I try to give out as much as possible. I am going to
create a blog in the future and I also plan to begin working on my
Flickr and Stumbleupon site. I think that Facebook works
the best and Twitter is a close second.
6. What’s your favorite item from your shop and why?
I love this set because it is all made by hand and the satin
material and lace is absolutely exquisite. It is also versatile enough to be
worn by a girl or boy which is great.
7. Where do you get inspiration?
Other Etsy shops,
feedback/support from family and friends and my 3 year old daughter.
8. Who is your target audience?
Moms, grandmothers,
anyone needing to buy a baby gift.
9. Do you ship internationally?
Yes.
10. What has been the most challenging part of starting and
running your own business? Finding the time to take photos, uploading the
listings and ensuring that the listing descriptions and tags are correct in
order for potential customers to find me via various search tools.
11. What has been the best part of starting and running your
own business?
The creative aspect of it in terms of making clothing but also
the enjoyment that I get out of finding vintage baby clothing to sell. The
flexible hours are also a huge plus.
12. Do you have any business tips you’d like to share with
us?
Stay positive! Selling can be tough these days for a variety of reasons but
do not get down on yourself or your shop. Also, make sure that your photos are
clear and simple looking, that your listings are as descriptive and detailed as
possible and that your tags are correct so that people can find your shop
easily when they do searches on Etsy, Google, Yahoo, etc. Buyers only have a
picture and description to go on when they buy something online so make your
listings so "real" that they buyers can almost touch and feel what
you are selling. Also, join Etsy teams that have shops that are similar to
yours. I have gotten an incredible amount of great advice/feedback from various
team blogs and also gotten some great visibility from other team members who
have tweeted out my listings or treasuries or featured them on their blogs.
13. If there were anything you could change about your
business, right now, what would it be?
I wish that I was more visible on other
websites already like Stumbleupon. Flickr, Tumblr, etc. -there just aren't
enough hours in the day!
14. What are your goals and dreams for your business for the
future?
I would love to have a brick and mortar business somewhere in Seattle,
but this is several years down the road.
15. Where do you hope your shop will take you?
I would love
to have enough visibility to be featured locally in the Seattle media and
eventually would love to have greater visibility nationally and
internationally.
16. What’s next now? Could we get a sneak peak of what
you’ll be doing and sharing next?
I hope to have a blog up and running as soon as possible. Also, I will be listing several amazing girl's dresses from the 1950's, many of which are made of chiffon with ruffles,
lace and rhinestones.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I love being a part of the Etsy community. I have found the community to be
incredibly supportive and great for getting constructive feedback.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview, Christine! It's been lovely getting to know you and your business :) I can't wait to see what the future holds for you, and I hope that all your dreams come true.
Readers, be sure to share your love by commenting your thoughts on Christine's business below, and follow her via twitter, facebook, pinterest - or shoot her an e-mail if you wanna get personal ;) And don't forget to visit her shop!
Let us know what your favourite items from her store are below :)
Ps. Be sure to check out our past interviews also.
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