Or... why I voluntarily made my life more complicated.
(Great question.)
When I started selling on Etsy three years ago, I was honestly amazed.
You create something.
Upload it.
Someone buys it.
No packing orders.
No trips to the post office.
No spending twenty minutes looking for a box that's just the right size.
(Those days were still ahead of me.)
Digital products have so many advantages.
And honestly?
I still love making them.
To this day, I sell digital wallpapers for iPhones and iPads, along with Procreate brushes and stamps.
Because once you start creating your own art, sooner or later you'll end up customizing your own brushes.
And then comes the inevitable thought:
"Maybe someone else would enjoy using these too."
(Five hours later...)
Financially, Etsy has actually been pretty good to me.
It gave me the opportunity to earn money doing something I genuinely enjoy, and I'll always be grateful for that.
But after a while...
I realized something was missing.
And it wasn't money.
It was people.
Etsy has become incredibly competitive.
Even if a customer finally clicks on your product...
...they're instantly shown twenty more that look almost identical.
(A bit like going to the grocery store for milk and somehow leaving with three chocolate bars.)
Great for shoppers.
A little less great for sellers.
And then there's another challenge.
Marketplaces have become flooded with mass-produced products from large manufacturers and overseas suppliers.
Sometimes you see prices that are lower than what it would cost to make the product yourself.
(That's usually when you start questioning your math skills.)
But the biggest thing I was missing wasn't sales.
It was connection.
On Etsy, most people find a product, buy it, download it, and move on.
And that's completely normal.
But I realized I didn't just want to sell products.
I wanted to build a brand.
A place where people would come back—not only because they wanted another sticker or wallpaper, but because they genuinely enjoyed following the journey.
I wanted to share behind-the-scenes moments.
Talk about new ideas.
Write blog posts like this one.
Celebrate new product launches.
Maybe even let everyone help decide which bear should become the next sticker.
(The bears are slowly taking over anyway.)
That's why BeeRubby exists.
Not to replace my digital products...
...but to grow beyond them.
I'll gradually be adding my digital products to this website as well.
Wallpapers.
Brushes.
Stamps.
They're still a big part of what I do.
But now they'll have some adorable company.
Bear stickers.
Handmade beaded jewelry.
Cute pens.
And plenty of other ideas that keep me awake at night.
(Literally.)
If you've ever wondered whether digital or physical products are "better"...
...I honestly don't think there's a right answer.
They both have amazing advantages.
They both have frustrating disadvantages.
And that's exactly what I'll be talking about in my next blog post.
I'll compare both from my own experience—the good, the bad, the things I wish I'd known sooner, and what I'd recommend if you're thinking about starting your own small business.
So if you'd like to read it, don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter.
(I promise I won't email you every day.)
Probably just when there's a new blog post...
...or when the bears finally take over the world.
🐻
0 comments