Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maria Michael. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Maria , appreciate you joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

When I started MIRootsCreations, I started with a Cricut and a dream of owning 1 acre of land with a home, a small store downtown, and a second store on Mackinac Island (MI).

I started out selling at our local farmers markets on the weekends, started to build my social media presence on Facebook, and opened an Etsy shop.

There are many crucial steps to growing a successful business. I was naive and thought my Etsy shop would bring in thousands of orders and that I would be running a fully substantial business within a year. I was mistaken and quickly brought back to reality. Growing a business is a marathon, not a sprint.

After a discouraging first year on Etsy I took time to really focus on “running a small business”. I educated myself on SEO (search engine optimization) which is crucial for e-commerce. I educated myself on how to run sales and promotions while making a profit. I studied product trends and learned how to advertise strategically and cost efficiently. I continued to grow my social media presence and acquired TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts, while still maintaining my Facebook.

One of the most important things that I did to help my business was creating a brand for myself. One that was recognizable, one that was clear and easy to identify, and one that could be represented across all platforms (e-commerce, social medias, and merchandise).

I didn’t begin to see any growth until my second year. I attribute it to my use of social media. I joined the TikTok app in 2022 and was committed to “going viral” and shared multiple videos a day, pushing my products, sharing who I was as a business owner, how my business runs, behind the scenes, etc. As I began to gain followers I began to gain customers. During 2023 because of TikTok I had three different products go “viral” and become instant best sellers. This gave my online store traction and badges of “Star Seller” on the Etsy platform.

As my social media presence continued to grow so did the opportunities that were available to me. I began to get affiliate opportunities through companies whose products I was using and showcasing on social media. I was eligible to monetize on my social media accounts. I was featured in a magazine publication. These opportunities allowed my business to grow and to gain additional means of exposure.

As of recently I had a product go viral on TikTok in their in app shop. While it was a blessing, it was also a hard lesson learned. I went viral overnight and sold over 1K in product within a 48 hour period. My business was not able to handle the influx of orders and I made decisions that I felt best suited my business and its capacity. When you own a small business you have to make executive decisions, sometimes those decisions are not the best, and all you can do is learn from them and grow from them. I found myself in that situation. The decision I felt was best, was not how the majority of my customers felt. and I received a lot of backlash. I found myself faced with two choices; I could surrender to the social media backlash or I could continue with running my business. I chose the later. You have to have a strong will and tough skin to run a small business. You carry the expectations of Amazon but with handmade responsibilities.

Entering my 4th year I am excited to see what the future holds for me. I have a thriving social media presence as well as a thriving online store and look forward to continuing to grow my opportunities as they arise.

Maria , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I own MIRootsCreations, a custom and ready to ship tumbler and decal small online business located in Southern Michigan. I opened in 2021 following the death of my father in law. His passing inspired me to take a chance and follow a lifelong dream of owning a business and being an artist.

I run an online store where you can find a variety of tumblers from sports themed, funny phrases, seasonal, fan favorites, cause and awareness, and more. You can also order personalized tumblers. Along with tumblers I sell vinyl decals most commonly used for cars. These too are available in ready to ship designs and custom options.

I take pride in my shop and hope that when you shop with me you feel as though you are shopping in a brick and mortar and that you allow my roots to become your treasured memories.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I believe firmly in the power of social media and its importance when building and maintaining a small business. I started first on Facebook because it was where I was most comfortable but have since transitioned to TikTok and Instagram.

There are multiple factors in building your social media presence. The first is branding yourself or your business. It is important that you stay consistent across all platforms that you use. For example, I use the same profile picture for all of my social media accounts as well as my bio that introduces me. It’s important to create a tag or phrase that represents your business. Something catchy that people will hear and know that it’s you. My go to is “Hey y’all its Maria with MIRootsCreations”-they are greeted positively, they know my name and what business I am representing. Secondly, consistency. Even when views are low or you aren’t getting the engagement that you hope, continue to post. If you are in need of content, take the comments and make videos replying to them. Anything can be content its how you use it to your advantage. Educate yourself on the hashtags that you are using. If they are not trending or relevant your videos/posts won’t match the algorithms and won’t be seen. Know the community standards of the app that you are using. If you are not in compliance your account won’t see the traction you hope. Lastly, engage with the community you are posting too. Let them know you for more than just your business, it doesn’t have to be the focal point, but humanize the person behind the lense.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I currently sell on my own site but got my start on the Etsy platform. Hindsight is always 20/20 and looking back I wish I had started with my own site and not on the Etsy platform. Each option has its pros and its cons, I’ll start with Etsy.

One of the biggest pros of selling on Etsy is the fact that it is a direct marketplace. People visit Etsy.com and enter an item in the search and are provided with multiple shops selling the item. The buyer can filtered their results from pricing, seller status, etc. It makes for an easy transaction for the buyer and seller. Another pro to selling on Etsy is the building of your shop. It is very easy, very plug and play and user friendly, even for someone who struggles with technology. Lastly Etsy offers a lot of webinars for their sellers to help with growing their business on Etsy.

Now onto the cons of selling on Etsy. Their fees are astronomical. Here is a quick breakdown (source their website):

•One time new shop setup fee
•.20 per listing fee
•6.5% transaction fee
•3% + .25 (could vary based on bank) payment processing fee
•15% off-site ad fee *if the order is from an offsite add

Aside from the initial shop fee each of those is applied to every transaction. Many new shops also face their funds being placed on a “payment reserve” where a percentage of their funds are held until various factors are met. An additional con is the seller support that Etsy provides. They do not communicate in a timely manner with shop owners. They offer chat and email assistance and responses often take 14 business days with resolutions siding with buyers. I think the biggest thing a new seller needs to consider is that when you are on Etsy’s platform you are still “employed” by someone else. They have control over your shop and can permanently close your shop without warning. As many established sellers are experiencing ending 2024 and entering 2025. If that happens you are banned from the website as a seller and a buyer.

As I mentioned I sell on my own site that is hosted by Shopify. They too have fees but they vary on the plan you select and your individual business’ needs. The largest pro aside from less fees is the fact that I have complete control over my shop. I control its design from branding to layout. A con however is if you are not technologically savvy setting up your shop can be frustrating and time consuming. However they have amazing customer service that is available via instant chat and has always be able to assist me. A con to owning your own site is you are responsible for driving all traffic to your shop. You have to promote and advertise on your own without the help of a marketplace.

Both Shopify and Etsy offer integration on various social media platforms to allow a seller a broader range of customers.

I feel that ultimately before choosing one over the other that the prospective seller visit both websites and read their FAQs, and requirements. Etsy offers their seller handbook to prospective shops on their website.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mirootscustoms.myshopify.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirootscreations1.0
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MIRootsCreations2
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mirootscreations
  Email: [email protected]