CheapTweet Blog

This week we talked to Amanda Roberts, owner of Geek Details, a fun store filled with “geek centric items.”

Amanda is 26, married, and has two kids, two dogs, and two cats. She’s spent the last nine years going where the military tells her family to go and now that that part of her life is over, she’s looking forward to seeing what comes next. Check out her Geek Details site and Etsy store, or find her on Twitter or Facebook.

Tell us a little bit about Geek Details. What sorts of items do you sell?

Geek Details is a store based off of my current art interests. You’ll always find funny pinback buttons, magnets, art prints and hand painted dishware.  My current obsessions are specimen based off my favorite books, hand painted luggage, button jewelry, and more. The items change depending on what I’m working on at the moment.

How did Geek Details get started?

Geek Details was started in the dining room of my last house. It was quickly moved to the master bedroom (yes, my husband gave up the master bedroom for me) because the business grew so quickly. I started it because I have this need to create but I also have a need for an uncluttered house. Then I had the desire to contribute to my family’s finances without having to worry about what will happen to the kids when they’re sick and can’t go to school.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Late night drunken conversations with friends… I also carry around a notebook with me and jot down ideas when they strike me. I later go through the notebook and use it to create items for the store. Sometimes an item is made to fill a specific need and other times they’re made just because they look cool in my head.

How do you market or promote your store?

Word of mouth really. I’ve done a couple Project Wonderful ads on noncrafting website. I’ve also recently started reaching out to some blogs to do features like this one or to do a giveaway from my store. I try to only reach out to sites that I think my items fit in with the theme of the site so that I’m not wasting the site owner’s or my time. I try to avoid the handmade market (other Etsy seller websites, sites devoted to making crafts) and instead focus on people that would like my stuff and can’t make it (webcomic sites, home decor sites).

How do you use Twitter to help with your business?

I don’t. I know it sounds odd, but I don’t try to use it as a business tool. I talk about my life, sometimes my store, I will post treasuries I like, talk with other Twitter users, build relationships, etc…  I see it as a social outlet. Do I get business from Twitter? Yes I do, but I try to just talk on it like I would with a friend which means only occasionally mentioning my store and just commenting on other people’s stuff a lot. I think it helps my business more to quietly build relationships with people then to be a street crier constantly pimping my wares.

What kinds of lessons have you learned since you’ve owned Geek Details?

I have learned that there are some harsh sellers on Etsy and that some sellers will try to intimidate you in to pulling items from your store because they think they own the right to that item when they don’t. I’ve also learned how to converse about my store without being that chick people avoid because she talks about her store too much. I can balance work and family better now and I can set attainable goals for myself too.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting her/his own business started?

Small steps, small steps. You can’t open a store with hardly any product and no feedback and expect people to find you and purchase from you right away. Take little steps every day to improve your store and product and realize it takes a little while and a lot of work to get a store off the grown. Don’t be afraid to ask for constructive feedback on your store even if it means someone tears you down in order to help build you up better than before. I had to go through that a couple times, and while it was distressing to see someone tear me down, I used their words to make my store better and am more successful than before I asked for a tear down.

If you’re interested in sharing your experience running your online business, we’d love to interview you! Send us an email to find out more.