Redheaded Daybook: quit your day job

Another blog I would love to share has the cutest Etsy shop owners featured: Ryan & Lucy.

They were asked five simple questions about their business and here was their responses:

What five business skills do you have down pat?

1. Quality product. In addition to Ryan’s illustrative skill, we’re very particular that anything coming from our shop is in excellent condition. There have been times when a print has the tiniest flaw, but we’ll never let it leave our studio.

2. Attention to detail. Both in Ryan’s drawings and in our writing and business, we love the details and making things extra-special. It’s why we include a story with each animal print and use photographs with specific purpose and story.

3. Customer service. We strive to address questions and problems as quickly as possible and in as friendly a manner as possible. Sometimes our customers don’t realize they’re dealing with the actual people making the work and they’re surprised when they get a personal response rather than an autobot response.

4. Quick shipping. When I shop online, I love it when my order comes quicker than I expected, so we try to make that happen as much as we can.

5. Adaptability. If something isn’t working, we’ve learned that rather than stress over it, we need to adapt and find a way to make it work. That’s true for selling products, managing our time, and how we work with each other.

What’s your advice for someone considering a similar path?  

Lucy: You have to find your own path. We know it’s not the answer everyone wants to hear, but there just isn’t an exact formula for success, as much as we wish there was. As we get older and wiser, we realize that across the creative spectrum, people achieve success through talent, persistence, and lots of trial and error. We’ve made mistakes, but those ultimately guided our future decisions.

While there isn’t an exact blueprint, we’ve certainly noticed a few things that are consistent in successful businesses: Tailor your craft impeccably, know your audience, be original, and be realistic.