A simple phrase can go a long way and make someone’s day, and it’s been proven in less than two years for a shop named ‘Feel Better’.
Queens-based Etsy Inc. stationery business will open in February 2021. This is almost a year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and closed brick-and-mortar stores. Since launching during a time of economic uncertainty, the shop has sold his 2,817 worldwide as of Dec. 8, with more to come.
Feel Better’s online storefront or “office” allows customers to purchase self-made art prints, postcards, decorative tape and stickers. Behind each order is a store employee, described in the “about” section as “her two sisters who wanted to try something new.”
Unbeknownst to the customers, the sisters are also students and are balancing their studies, part-time jobs, and side jobs.
Janet and Michelle Lee are, as the former puts it, the “iconic brotherly duo” behind the shop. I respect your background.
Janet studied Illustration at the School of Visual Arts, graduating in 2021. The artist behind Feel Better’s designs carries around a sketchbook and doodles when inspiration strikes. Places and objects that evoke her nostalgia, such as nature, bakeries, breakfast cereals, Korean supermarkets, and chain stores, inspire her art.
“A lot of the work I do is very simple and often rivals children’s drawings, but it’s those children’s drawings that have always resonated with me,” Janet said.
A few blocks away from the College of the Arts, Michelle is a junior in operations management at Baruch College. She runs the logistics and financial aspects of her Feel Better, packing orders and managing her Etsy and her Instagram page for the shop. The latter, in the first two months she gained 10,000 followers.
“The experience of having your work recognized from start to finish is truly priceless,” says Michelle. “Being able to have my own creative vision when creating physical products is another fun part of being the leader of my own business.”
Wanting to help her sister feel more confident in her art, Michelle asked Janet if she would like to start a business with her. Janet was also encouraged by people’s admiration and interest in purchasing her art, especially her painting of a dancing Shiba Inu.
To make the most of their time at home with little concern for physical schoolwork as a result of the pandemic, the sisters purchased inkjet color prints and researched and experimented with samples. and after producing enough inventory, they set up shop.
“When the pandemic began, with feelings of uncertainty, loneliness, and excess time, we realized that opening ‘Feel Better’ seemed like something we could commit to. .
The aptly named business aims to bring comfort and a smile to people’s faces through products that deliver that message.
Due to their success, the sisters shared their message with customers around the world and earned the “Star Seller” badge from Etsy for their performance. The customer shared a photo of their order. Some even showed how they decorated their phone cases with Feel Better stickers.
Joanne Lee, a senior at Barnard College (no family relation to the sisters), is a regular customer of Feel Better, has known the sisters since middle school, and has seen Janet’s art. Besides supporting her sister, Joanne buys her sister’s products to add color to the bare walls of her dorm.
“I bought from them and their next launch because it makes me feel good every time I see their art prints on my dorm room wall,” Joanne said.
Feel Better is a side business for them, but the sisters operate in an estimated $5.9 billion market. Industry Research reports that the stationery products market is growing steadily this year with popular brands such as Staedtler, Meade, Muji and Pilot His Corporation.
“It may be more convenient to buy wholesale stationery, but if you ask me, owning items that are only sold in one store is a great deal of pride,” Michelle said, adding that customers added that they hoped they would “feel the warmth in their hearts knowing they exist.” When dealing with Feelbetter, we value “sincere human relationships.”
With Feel Better on the rise, Michelle paused her Instagram page to de-stress and follow the store’s own advice to “feel so much better.”
Just as creative blocks could challenge Feel Better’s artistic direction, the pandemic poses challenges for the sisters as well, such as finding suppliers to provide available and inexpensive materials.Paper is City Papery and Feel Better are trying to source materials from local vendors such as Washi Mill for the sold-out decorative tapes.
Etsy provides labels for orders through the U.S. Postal Service, but it’s possible that the shipping service may lose the package and never reach the customer. In such cases, Feel Better will communicate with you.
As a result, the sisters ship another package for free, which costs them money, especially for international orders.
In addition, inflation in the domestic economy has increased operating costs, such as raw materials, resulting in an increase in Etsy’s services. The platform increased transaction fees for sales-dependent sellers by 30% to 6.5% in April.
“Etsy needs to pay more attention to what hurdles independent shop owners set to not only keep their livelihoods going, but to keep their stores going,” Janet said. increase.
Michelle suggested that e-commerce platforms could “improve the selling experience”, such as updating their websites, to show that it’s worth keeping the fee increases.
Despite inflation pushing prices higher, Feel Better’s customer base remains strong, with repeat customers comprising about half, Janet said. Joanne said inflation has not deterred her from shopping with her sister.
According to Michelle, Korean stationery is expensive in the US and hard to find in stores. Needless to say, Janet’s art comes from personal “wholesome” experiences that add a “homey” feel to her products.
“I feel that our store and what we put out are more in touch with the mental health aspect,” Janet said. increase.”
The sisters say customers are looking forward to new products such as 2023 calendars and tote bags this month. In the future, the sisters hope to open a cafe with an interest in baking and selling art. I also want to attend pop-up events and conventions such as independent art fairs.
Michel advises students to plan, take risks, and improve accordingly to achieve their goals when starting their own business, even if it’s temporary.
“It’s okay to give yourself a break when life gets too busy or too tiring to deal with,” she said. Putting in a lot of effort may not be the best thing for your business or yourself in the long run. Please do not forget.”