As I promised, this week’s article will be about STARTING A STICKER STORE!! Woohoooo!! I’ve considered starting my own little shop for a while now so I am really thankful that Brenessa Roach was able to answer a few questions for me 😀 I hope this helps you guys out as well and maybe inspires you to start your own little store 🙂
1. Why did you start your sticker store?
I started my sticker store “Shop Brica” back in July 2020 during the pandemic when I found myself to be very inspired and in a creative swing. Before I opened, I posted a TikTok of a t-shirt design I made for BTS (a kpop group) and someone asked me if I sold them. I thought about it for a few days and decided to try opening a shop! From then, it just made me more motivated and inspired.
2. Did it take a lot of planning before you started your store?
I thought about it for a few days but it didn’t take too much planning! I also happened to already be into Digital art and had the supplies so I basically opened the shop spontaneously.
3. What equipment/materials are needed? What's the estimated cost for these?
The supplies I use vary depending on the product but the majority of what I sell are stickers. So for that, I just need sticker paper which costs around $30-$40 depending on the finish of the paper. If I am making scrunchies, keychains or photo prints, it’s usually under $15 and I get it from a craft store, where I work.
4. Where/how do you create your sticker designs?
I used to use a drawing tablet connected to my laptop with photoshop but recently I upgraded to an iPad + Apple Pencil using Procreate. The Digital art aspect is the priciest part but, you can make stickers with just a notebook and scanning it or drawing directly on the sticker paper, so you’re not obligated to have expensive equipment.
* I print my stickers at home and hand cut each one myself! *
5. Where do you get your inspiration for your designs?
I get inspiration from real life, sometimes I will see objects in my room or when I am out and I will take a picture of it and try to come up with a design. My mum is also a big inspiration because she will give me suggestions of things to draw or make stickers of. A lot of my sticker designs are based off of things my friends and I like (such as flowers, bubble tea, kpop, etc.). I also get inspiration from other digital art mainly for brush textures or colour palettes. Previously, I mentioned I work at a craft store, so being around different supplies and my coworkers who are creative, really help with my inspiration.
6. How long does the whole process usually take?
I usually design my stickers in about 2-4 hours depending on how large and detailed it is. If I am doing a sticker collection, that usually takes a few days because I tend to have 8-12 stickers in a pack. Printing the stickers takes about 20 minutes because I always have to size the stickers on a regular paper, test print it and make sure the colours and size is to my liking and then I print it on the sticker paper. Cutting the stickers out takes a while and takes me the longest because I need to have a steady hand and I usually bulk print so I have a lot to cut. I always package my stickers once someone has ordered and it takes about 15-20 minutes.
7. How/where do you advertise your stickers for selling?
Initially I started off as solely an Instagram shop so I would promote fully there! However, a few weeks after opening, I created shopbrica.ca and that is where people are prompted to purchase my products. I still promote on my Instagram every time a new product is released. I utilize stories so much because I post teasers of new products, I do story polls/suggestions and I also get tagged in stories when customers receive their packages, so I always re-post those. Also, since I have a few kpop merch, I promote my shop on my personal twitter and I have gotten traffic from there.
8. Do you have any tips for someone who may want to start their own sticker store?
I have been asked this question a lot since I opened my shop and the number 1 thing I tell people is to just go for it. Opening a small business means you kind of have to go in with a blind eye and hope for the best. It takes time to build a relationship with customers and to grow your little shop but being consistent, replying to people, following back, all leads to something great and big!
There you have it, I hope you found some of this information helpful and use it on your own personal journey— and this ends our two part series with Brenessa, I hope you guys enjoyed it 😀
