Stickers aren’t just for kids! If you are creative and love using planners and being inventive, find out how to sell stockers on Etsy to turn your creativity into profits!
I’ve written before about How To Make Money Selling Stickers On Etsy and today I have one of the most successful sticker business owners around to tell you about her business.
Mim Jenkinson is the owner of a 5 Start Etsy sticker shop and the founder of the Love From Mim, a place for all budding sticker-preneurs.
Mim has turned a fun passion into a money making venture and is here to share her tips with us today.
Some of the things discussed by Mim Jenkinson:
- How she started her sticker business and why she chose stickers
- How much money you can make with an Etsy sticker shop
- The mistakes newbies make and how to avoid them
- The top 3 tips to guarantee success
If you want to start a side hustle and you are interested in opening your own Etsy shop, you’ll get a lot out of this interview from Mim!
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How To Sell Stickers On Etsy: Expert Interview
Hey, Mim! Thank you for sharing a little bit about your business with my audience. Please tell us a bit about yourself and what you do
When did you start your Etsy business?
I started to make my own planner stickers in 2016 and absolutely loved everything from designing the stickers, printing and cutting them and using them in my planner.
It was the ultimate craft for adults and rekindled my childhood love for stickers!
I’d been buying stickers myself to decorate and organize my planner but learning to make them myself meant I could save money too.
I’d been diagnosed with breast cancer a few months before and I was really looking for a new hobby to keep me occupied while I was at home, undergoing chemo and radiation.
I wanted something fun and therapeutic to take my mind off all the other things.
Very soon, I decided to see if others might be interested in buying my stickers so I started an Etsy shop.
Before long, they were selling to customers all over the world and I was able to start making an income from home which helped significantly with all the medical and household bills that were stacking up.
How was life back then before you started the shop?
Before I started making and selling stickers, I worked in corporate and also had a blog. I’d learned so much over the years about selling, creating content, SEO, social media and marketing.
So while my sticker shop was brand new, I knew how to create an audience from scratch.
I enjoyed my corporate roles but I always had this burning desire to have my own business – I just had no idea that it would be about making and selling stickers!
It still blows my mind every day that I get to have so much fun, help so many others and also make money to support my family.
What did the early days of your shop look like?
It had a different name – I went with “Plan with Mim”. I loved that name but it never felt quite right. When I changed the shop name to “Paper Planner Club”, it felt so much more inclusive and fun – it just felt right.
I started making printed stickers first – planner stickers that I would print and cut from home and post to customers all over the world.
A few years later, I made the switch to sell printable stickers only so now my customers buy my sticker files and they print and cut them themselves at home.
It makes my life so much easier and it means that customers can reprint the stickers they buy from me over and over again!
Many people who are looking for a way to make extra money from home struggle with choosing the right side hustle.
Why did you decide to sell planners and stickers and what factors did you consider when you made that decision?
It really came about because it was a combination of something I loved using myself, something I was good at teaching to others and a way to build a business that fitted around my lifestyle.
Even after chemo ended, I was exhausted for many months, years in fact. Even now, I don’t have the energy I once did (that might be because I’m getting older!).
But I also had the chance to really assess what was important to me: having more time with my kids, working flexible hours, working from home etc.
I didn’t want to ever wear a suit again either!
Do you only sell on Etsy or do you use other platforms to sell your products?
I sell on Etsy at “Paper Planner Club” and on my own website, mimjenkinson.com. Etsy has actually been a great traffic source for my website!
I think Etsy is an amazing place for any new business selling handmade products to start.
It’s very easy to set up shop and to list products – it’s a great starting place for people to test out a new business idea with very little up front costs.
Why do you think a sticker business is such a good side hustle?
Well, stickers!
Stickers are not only fun but they are also a great way to help people solve problems, make their life easier, save money, be organized and more.
I’m sure there is a sticker solution for so many problems – we just have to identify the opportunities and create the products that people actually want to buy!
For example, right now, vinyl stickers for laptops and water bottles are really popular!
Do you have to be a graphic designer to make money with this side gig?
Absolutely not – I had no previous graphic design experience.
The software I teach is simple to understand for beginners and you can build on your skills in your own time.
I’ve found that many students of mine are not designers, artists or illustrators – anyone can make their own stickers!
What is the biggest mistake you see people making with their sticker business?
I think it’s doing the same thing as everyone else – rather than coming up with unique sticker solutions that truly help people.
I have a great free class where I share the top 3 mistakes that sticker makers and sellers make, how to avoid these and what to do instead!
It’s absolutely possible to stand out on Etsy without copying others, without being a designer and without having a huge social media following – you can learn how here:
Sign up for Mim’s Free Masterclass here
You run a very popular course that teaches other people how to start their own sticker business.
What made you decide to create the course and who is the target audience?
Shortly after I started selling my own stickers, my customers began to ask me how I was making my stickers – they had so many questions about what tools and equipment I was using and how.
Everything from software to sticker paper.
I wanted to help them! So this inspired me to put together an online course to share all of my knowledge with new sticker makers so they could create their own perfect planner stickers too.
Later, I expanded this course to teach them how to start selling their stickers on Etsy too – because they asked how to move to that next stage.
It just made sense and I wanted to share all I knew.
My course, “The Etsy Plan” was born and became the fastest and most comprehensive way to learn how to make planner stickers from scratch that stand out and make consistent sales. I’ve never looked back
Tell us a little bit about the course, how many students have taken it so far and what is the best success story you have heard from a student on the course?
I’ve now taught over 4000 happy students to make their own perfect planner stickers and many have since gone on to open their own sticker shop on Etsy!
It makes me so happy to see others having success, sharing their gorgeous stickers and making sales.
Tamara at Lilotte Co made her first sticker sale before she’s even started promoting her shop – which goes to show that social media isn’t the be all and end all of making sales!
Within 11 months, she had made 1000 sales. Soon after it was 2000, then 3000 and now she’s well over 4000 sales.
Her stickers are gorgeous and she creates sticker solutions that her customers love and buy over and over again.
I’m so proud of my courses and the results they have helped so many others to get.
They’ve even won awards for digital innovation, leadership and more!
Does the course get updated often and do students get free updates?
I update the course if there are any software additions or updates that I think will be helpful.
Additionally, I add in the things that are working in my sticker shops, trends I see working, things to avoid doing etc.
I care deeply about the success of my students, you can see their results and testimonials here.
What’s next for you and your business? Do you have anything exciting planned for the next year?
I’ll be closely watching how my students are doing and how I can best support them and I’m excited to continue to make my own stickers to sell.
One thing that is important to me is to be working alongside my students in making and selling stickers.
I want to know that what I am teaching them is current and is working.
Plus, I can’t imagine a time when sticker-making won’t fill me with the joy that it does now!
Learning to make stickers was the best decision for my business and has brought endless happiness and opportunities to my life – and for my family and student community too.
Links And Resources Mentioned During The Interview:
Mim’s Free Masterclass On Selling Stickers On Etsy
