How Turning the Formula on Its Head Worked for Sticker Designer Lisa Villafane

When creativity and the perfect audience collide, it can be a beautiful thing. Sticker designer Lisa Villafane learned this when she discovered her target market online, then created her colorful line of fun, practical stickers for planners.

This mom of two has racked up over 14,000 sales on Etsy in less than a year, so we had to find out what she's learned so far about creating a business from her home. 

Read on to find out how Lisa gave up on the world of advertising to pursue a passion closer to her heart.

Name: Lisa Villafane

Business: Sticker Designer and Owner of Lisa V Creations

Started: December 2014

How did you create your awesome job?

I’ve always been super organized. Even as a child, I loved stationery and anything that helped me plan. 

Two years ago, while searching for a new planner, I stumbled on a Facebook group for fans of Erin Condren products and decided to join. I reached out to the 30,000-strong community and found a lot of likeminded people. After talking to the members of this group, the idea for my business came to me.

Before I started my business, I worked in NYC for ten years as a negotiator at the advertising firm Mindshare, but I left my job and moved to Atlanta, GA shortly after having kids. I wanted to focus on raising my family, but I craved a way to keep my foot in the professional world. 

I’d never designed anything before, but I had the advantage of knowing my target customers well from the Facebook group. I knew there was a market for planner accessories, so I launched my shop with 100 products that ranged from the purely decorative (for scrapbooking) to the highly functional (for time management).

I did my research first, so I knew that there was stiff competition. That’s why I made the decision to launch with so many products — I wanted to be seen as a proper business from the beginning. 

It would have been easy to fall into the category of "stay-at-home-mom trying her hand at crafting." Thankfully, though, I’ve gotten off to a pretty good start!

Who was your very first customer? How did you find them?

My first customer was a lady who stumbled across my shop after the soft launch in December of 2014. 

As soon as she bought my stickers, I knew that Etsy was the right platform for my business. She found me without any additional external marketing efforts on my part, and many more followed. 

The best thing about Etsy that I’ve found is that once a customer finds a shop they like, they stay loyal. Up to 75% of my business now is from repeat customers.

When did you know your business was going to work?

I’m very number oriented, so I set up certain goals for myself before launching my business to help me gauge whether it was worth pursuing. I came up with some fairly attainable goals because I didn’t want to fall short and, to my amazement, I hit my three-month target within the 24 hours of opening.

I knew I was onto something, but I tried not to get over excited, so I set some harder targets instead. Incredibly, I beat my newly adjusted yearly target within the first month, and surpassed even my wildest expectations.

I owe much of my success to the "We Love EC" Facebook group. I found my customers first and created a product that I knew would suit them, rather than creating something blind and hoping it would sell. Even still, I never expected it to snowball in the way it did.

What has been the biggest surprise so far after starting your own business?

The personal connections I’ve made. I always aim to give good customer service, but I’m surprised at how many customers and fellow shop owners have become my close friends. 

I was in advertising for so long and it’s quite a competitive field, but it’s different now that I run my own business. Everyone is friendly, including my competitors. 

This is something I cherish because I found the transition from corporate office to working on my own quite hard. I no longer have co-workers to share stories and struggles with, but I’ve found companionship in the communities that my shop has given me access to.

How do you price your products?

I spent several months researching similar products and how they were priced before launching my shop. There’s more to it than just the paper and ink I use, so I needed to take everything into account including my time. 

I was keen to start at a sustainable price point because I knew that raising prices later would be difficult, but I didn’t want to go too high for risk of being overlooked. 

I’ve raised my price for a 5x7 sheet by 25 cents since I launched to account for a price increase in materials, but otherwise the model I use is working well.

If you could go back in time, what’s the one thing you’d do differently in starting your business?

I wish I’d taken my idea more seriously and given myself more credit. When I started, I only had one machine for cutting out the stickers, and now I have six. I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been for the influx of customers and initially I felt overwhelmed.

I also struggled with the lack of boundaries, which I should have put in place much sooner. I didn’t have a game plan but I wanted to impress, so I worked too many hours and found it hard to switch off. 

If I started again, I’d be more strict with my work/family balance.

What would you like to learn today from a network of small business owners and self-employed professionals?

The items in my shop aren't common but my struggles are! 

My workplace isn’t as efficient as it should be, so I’d like to know if anyone has any advice on how to structure a business from home and if anyone has any tips for sticking to a game plan.

Do you have tips for Lisa on how to better structure her business when she works from home?

If, like, Lisa, you also run your Etsy shop or your business from home, how do you approach work/life balance? What are your tricks for staying organized and sticking to a game plan?

Share your story below!