The Art of Juggling High School and a Business with Grace Xu
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Photo credit: Alex Class
Grace Xu is the teen entrepreneur behind Studio April Showers. A global pandemic and her love for arts and crafts led her to start her own business, which provides handmade and unique earrings and other jewelry for people all over the world. For over a year, she has been designing and creating her jewelry with polymer clay, inspired by nature, animals, food, and more. Here is her story.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Before starting Studio April Showers I did not have much business experience. They definitely don’t teach us how to start businesses in high school, so my only experience was a couple of short entrepreneurship programs I had previously participated in.
This lack of entrepreneurship background and experience intimidated me, and at first, made me hesitant about starting my business. But through a lot of googling, reading online articles, and a bit of trial and error, I was able to get my business started.
What inspired you to start your business?
I was first inspired to start a business when I was in elementary school and my sister was selling her art at school craft fairs and online. I wanted to do it too, but at the time I was too young to know where to start.
At the beginning of the pandemic, while I had nothing to do and was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, I encountered many businesses selling their handmade products online and marketing through Instagram. I was so inspired by the creativity and variety of the businesses that I decided to start my own.
Where is your business based?
My business is based online, on a platform called Etsy. I create all my earrings at home on my “crafting desk”. Through Etsy, I can receive orders from all over the world and ship them out from my local post office.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
I first started out by watching YouTube videos to learn how to make earrings. Then, I began to practice. I learned different polymer clay techniques, mastered the proper curing method and got the right supplies to finish the earrings. Once I was happy with my earrings I began to take steps to start my business so that I could actually sell my art.
I first started by creating an Instagram account to promote my business, and then an Etsy store where I could sell my earrings. Next, I read online articles and continued to watch YouTube videos, this time on how to start and promote a business. Finally, even though I still felt unprepared, I officially started my business by listing my earrings for the public.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
The most effective way that I have found to raise awareness for my business is through social media and online communities, such as the earring maker community on Instagram. While social media algorithms are inconsistent, sometimes a few of my posts get more attention and that helps me reach many new customers. Social media has also allowed me to connect with other business owners who are kind and supportive. We share each other’s work on our Instagram Stories and this also greatly helped grow my business.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
I have encountered numerous challenges while running my business such as shipping delays, not being properly prepared, and having events not go as planned, but the biggest challenge I have faced is learning how to balance school and my business and staying motivated.
I started my business while I had online school, so I had a lot of free time that I could spend on my business. But once in-person school started again and my workload and other extracurriculars became more time-consuming, I struggled to make space in my life to work on my business. Even when I had free time, I was not as motivated and enthusiastic about my business as I had been before. This lack of attention to my business could be seen in the reduction of customers and interactions which furthered my lack of motivation.
I have yet to fully overcome this challenge but am working to overcome it in many ways. I have reorganized my schedule to balance both school and my business, as well as starting to work on reevaluating my business model and the way my business runs. My goal is to make adjustments so that my business can expand and continue to grow while not taking over my life completely.
How do you stay focused?
To stay focused, I try to list out what tasks I need to complete before starting work. This gives me goals that I can then work to accomplish.
While creating my earrings, I like to listen to music in the background. When I am inspired and in my “creative zone”, I become very focused regardless of what is happening around me.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
I know there are many other handmade jewelry businesses, using the same materials and inspiration as I do. To differentiate my business from competitors, I make sure that my business and my products represent my personality and my own creative style.
In order to do this, I show my personality on my social media and when I interact with my customers. As a small business, I personally respond to all of my customers, so I do my best to give every customer a personalized and friendly experience. Unlike larger businesses, I can pay attention to each individual customer, and cater to their particular needs such as personalization, and customization of earrings.
My art can be differentiated from my competitors’ work because my artistic style is different from many other people. I explore a wide variety of themes that are unique to me and relate to my personal experiences, such as earrings inspired by my favorite foods and vacations I have been on.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Up to this point, my most effective marketing strategy to grow my business has been to share pictures and information about my products on Instagram. I share when I’m releasing new earrings, what designs I am releasing, and show behind-the-scenes work to engage my customers. Since I began using these strategies, both my business and my social media presence have grown.
While this has been my main strategy, I have been working to explore new and more varied ways of marketing because I do not want to limit myself. Some new marketing strategies I will explore are Etsy ads, TikTok videos showing my creative process, and email marketing to reach potential customers.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
My advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs is that you will not know everything in the beginning, and just because you do not know everything there is about starting a business does not mean you should give up.
When I started my business, I was awfully unprepared and made many mistakes. Had I been too scared to start then, I may not have ever started Studio April Showers. I learned much more from actually starting and running my business than from the tons of videos about starting a business that I nervously watched again and again on YouTube.
Looking back, I may have been better prepared had I known more, but then again, I still do not know everything today, even after starting my own business. In fact, I feel that now there is even more for me to learn.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
My favorite app is Instagram because it is where I market my business and have gotten to meet many other amazing business owners.
My favorite blog is the Merriweather Council Blog because it is where I first learned about how to use Etsy and it helped me gain confidence in my business.
My favorite book is Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon because it completely changed the way I view art and taught me how to create unique art while being inspired by the world around me.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
My favorite business tool is Etsy! Etsy is the platform where I sell my earrings. It made it easy for me to start my business and manage it. The platform is less daunting and easier to use than other website makers. Another amazing benefit is that I can also shop from other handmade businesses on Etsy.
Who is your business role model? Why?
Alyssa, the owner of Lyss Made This is my business role model. She was one of the first artists that I followed on Instagram. Immediately, I was mesmerized by her work and bought a pair of her earrings for myself, which I wear often. I have always been inspired by her work and business. She always seems friendly, and she uplifts so many in the handmade earrings community.
How do you balance work and life?
This is something I struggle with, but what I found works best for me is prioritizing and planning my tasks and responsibilities. I try to organize my week so that my focus is school during the week, but on the weekends I give myself time to work on my business and have time for myself.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
My favorite way to decompress is to make art! Creating earrings can be very relaxing for me, but when I need to make specific things or make a certain amount by some deadline, then it can be very stressful.
So when I want to decompress, I make whatever I want and just allow myself to be creative and relax.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
In the next six months, I plan to find a better balance between school, my business, and other activities. I also plan to experiment with new marketing strategies to help expand and grow my business. Lastly, I plan to do more in-person events so that I can connect with my customers in person instead of just online.
How can our readers connect with you?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.aprilshowers/?hl=en