Francisco Rivera, a 26-year-old Etsy seller, has successfully transitioned from a part-time tutoring job to running a lucrative Etsy shop that nets $38,500 monthly from selling print-on-demand candles. Rivera’s entrepreneurial journey began after struggling to find a job in the music industry post-graduation from Full Sail University in 2017. He initially took up roles at an Apple Store and later with Outschool, an online tutoring company.
Per a report, Rivera’s side hustle to sell on Etsy took off unexpectedly while on a date in early 2023 when he received an influx of over 70 orders in a single day, a significant jump from the usual ten orders. This surge marked a turning point, leading to his business accumulating over 5,000 reviews on Etsy. Now, managing his shop requires just 20 minutes a day, mainly handling customer relations, allowing him more free time to travel and pursue personal music projects.
In 2023, Rivera’s venture generated $462,000 in sales, with a profit margin between 30% to 50% after accounting for Etsy fees and costs associated with using Printify for manufacturing and the Etsy revenue calculator. The success of his business enabled him to resign from tutoring in December and focus full-time on his online store and personal interests.
Rivera credits his success to leveraging the skills he honed in previous jobs, such as multitasking and customer service, essential for managing his online business. Despite his allergy to them, his strategy involved targeting a less saturated market by choosing to sell candles—a product not widely offered in print-on-demand formats. Rivera’s approach to product design combines aesthetic appeal with humorous phrases tailored to specific niches, significantly contributing to his store’s popularity.
But how much can you make on Etsy? Continuously experimenting with marketing strategies and product offerings, Rivera dedicates time each week to study trends on Etsy, ensuring his products remain appealing to various customer groups, from hockey moms to bridal parties. While he enjoys his business model’s flexibility, allowing him to maintain a mostly passive income, Rivera contemplates future expansion, possibly returning to his roots in education by creating tutorial content on YouTube.
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