Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stacy Griffin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Stacy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today
Well hindsight is always 20/20 right? There are things I have done that I would just skip and get right to the products I offer now of course. I started out wanting to learn how to sew and then thought I could make a little extra money doing it so I actually started with home decor type items, like cloth napkins. Not only were they not selling, but it didn’t make me happy. But dogs make me happy so I started making dog-related items. If I knew then what I know now, I would actually have spent a little more capital and invested in some of the things that I think make my product better than it was eight years ago.
Stacy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I work full-time in government and I have always needed a creative outlet – whether that is sewing a dog bandana, redecorating a room, or going to a craft class. Creative things make me happy… and so do dogs! So I combined my love of both into Sassy Bliss Boutique.
I started my business in 2015 with just a sewing machine and some fabric and not a ton of knowledge about starting and running a business. But I was interested in learning more about sewing and the business side of things too.
My dog at the time (she has since crossed the Rainbow Bridge) hated the knots that came with tying traditional bandanas around her neck so I decided to try my hand at making over the collar dog bandanas. She liked having them on because of the extra attention she got from others when she was “dressed up.” Her cute bandanas made her happy, which in turn made me happy and I wanted others to have that feeling too.
From her few bandanas, Sassy Bliss Boutique was born! Now I offer more than 200 designs of dog bandanas and just this year worked with a manufacturer to have my own line of collars, leashes, and poop bag holders manufactured.
I have refined my bandanas over the years but one thing that has always been important to me is providing a high-quality product at a reasonable price. I make all of my bandanas by hand and do a few extra little things that make a big difference in my product like reinforcing seams, using special scissors to keep fabric from fraying, and make all of my bandanas reversible so you get two bandanas for the price of one.
I am proud of the quality of my product and the care that goes into them as well as my customer service. When I get a good review, especially ones with pictures of the dog wearing one of my bandanas, it genuinely makes me so happy.
This year I have started adding digital products to my Etsy shop. I have the cutest dog birthday party invitations that are customizable. I have also started creating logbooks and workbooks on Amazon and one of those is a dog wellness log book where you can record all of your pup’s vet visits, illnesses, grooming appointments and it has several pages so you can leave instructions for a dog sitter. My book is unique in that market in that it accommodates multi-dog households where most only let you track one dog. It’s been a fun new addition to the Sassy Bliss lineup.
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
Being a very small business I am not only the creator of the bandanas but I am also director of everything else too. Etsy has been my primary selling platform for over eight years now. I have surpassed 9,000 sales on Etsy and I have a solid five star reputation there that I am proud of.
Etsy has definitely changed as a platform in the eight years I have been on it. Sellers have faced increased fees and changes in policies where anything other than a five-star review actually hurts the seller, and a growing sentiment that Etsy doesn’t value it’s sellers. But all of that being said, it is still the best place to sell handmade products. Oftentimes people go straight to Etsy when they are searching for a unique or handmade gift.
I vend at local markets too, especially in the fall. There’s so much that goes into preparing for a market but once you get there it is nice to meet people and sometimes even their dogs. I love what I do so much because people are always happy to show me pictures and talk to me about their pup.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I hope that my reputation is built on a few things – trust, quality, and customer service.
I think my customers trust me to do the right thing. Whether that is using quality materials, pricing my products fairly, or just being upfront with them about the product, I pride myself on being open and honest with customers and potential customers. I won’t steer someone wrong on sizing or a pattern to sell them a bandana. I would rather lose a sale by being honest than get one sale by not having integrity. If you are honest with the person that you lost that first sale from, they will likely remember that and might come back to shop with you later.
Quality is also a focus of my shop. If I wouldn’t be happy to receive it or I wouldn’t be proud to put it on my own dog, it doesn’t go out the door. I use high quality materials and use sewing techniques that help reinforce seams that will get tugged on when putting the bandana on a collar. With my new line of collars and leashes, I sampled products from a few vendors to get the best quality product, paying attention to padding in the collar and leash handle to make them more comfortable for both the dog and the owner.
And I try to provide top-notch customer service. I strive to respond to inquiries fast and to ship out orders before deadlines. I basically go by the Golden Rule here and treat others like I would like to be treated. Fortunately I have wonderful customers who are trying to make their pup happy so we have that in common!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/sassyblissbandanas
- Facebook: Facebook.com/sassyblissboutique
- Other: Etsy: SassyBlissBoutique.Etsy.com