Highlighting Small Businesses: Mooshu Earrings
- frontpageinitiative
- Aug 14, 2021
- 3 min read
1) Tell us about your small business!
Mooshu Earrings is a small, nickel free polymer clay and charm earring business. We sell clip on options and normal piercing options. We run off of etsy (www.etsy.com/ca/shop/mooshuEarrings)!
2) How did you come up with your small business idea?
I dream of going into biomedical engineering when I'm older. This means 4 years of undergrad and 3 years of med school. However, I do not want to rely on my parents to pay for post-secondary education, and because of COVID-19, I’ve been unable to work and make money to save up for my tuition. I decided to open my business because I figured it would at least help a little with the money I'm not getting from working.
3) What are some struggles that you face during the COVID-19 pandemic? How have you overcome those?
Getting orders has been very difficult because of COVID-19. Many people have lost their jobs and have less money. Understandably, they spend the money they do have on more essential things like food instead of material possessions. I've tried to be a bit more active on my account and support other businesses, while trying to gain more exposure for Mooshu. However, it’s difficult at times like these to market and gain the audience.
4) As a student, do you find it difficult to balance school and business-owning?
It isn’t easy, but I wouldn’t call it difficult either. I’m very focused on my schoolwork and tend to focus on my business on the weekends. It’s a bit stressful when I get orders during the week because I tend to get a lot of homework, but I manage. It is all about prioritizing and optimizing my time so that I can work on my business while still maintaining my grades and club activities.
5) If you could re-start this process from the beginning, what do you wish you could have done differently?
I would definitely focus more on social media if I had to start again. I used to be very inactive on my socials for my business but since I've been active, I get more views and clicks on my listings. I would also decide what genre of jewelry I wanted to start with to avoid spending a lot of money on stuff that never sold to minimize wasted materials and time.
6) What advice can you give to future small business owners?
Patience is key- it took me 3 weeks from when I opened my etsy to get my first order. Do not give up on your business just because you aren’t selling in the first or second week of your shop existing. It takes time! Also, make sure to be active on your social media and engage with your followers when you can. Support other creators when you can, whether it be by sharing their posts or buying their things. We all work very hard to sustain our shops and it is always nice to build that community of support around your business. Finally, use the tools you have! Whether it be Instagram reels/tiktok, when used right, can be your biggest tool to get exposure. You can consistently get thousands of views from people, meaning more clicks on your shop. Good luck and have fun with your shop!
Published May 11, 2021
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