To start my 6-figure Etsy store, I quit my job as a warehouse worker.

• Erik Soto Ayala was an ex-warehouse forklift operator and started a side business to escape the 9-to-5 grind.
• He was open to selling any product and searched Etsy for products with the lowest competition.
• After landing on personalized wallets he made $67,000 profit in his first ten months of business.

This essay is based upon a conversation with Erik Soto Ayala (23-year-old Etsy entrepreneur) about engraved wallets. It has been edited to improve clarity and length.

While I was grateful for my job as a warehouse operator and floor product stacker in the warehouse, I long for a break from the 9-to-5 grind. I knew there was more to life that just clocking in/out.

I quit my job in October after almost four years — handing in my two weeks’ notice was one of my most freeing experiences ever.

I was able to quit because I had launched a side-business six months prior and was earning more income than my salary. My warehouse job paid me $2,600 per month. My side hustle generated $26,000 in income in September and I took home $14,000.

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I have tried side hustles before but Etsy was different.

My side-hustle journey was not easy. I tried launching side hustles in the past — Fulfillment by Amazon, investing in cryptocurrency, drop shipping, and even social-media management — but they all failed. I spent between $2,000 to $3,000 on each venture and worked overtime to finance them.

My Etsy business was different because I wasn’t trying to reach an oversaturated marketplace.

I instead researched products that had low competition and improved on what was out there. Instead of selling brand names on Amazon I saw a huge opportunity with personalized gifts on Etsy.

I was open to selling anything from wood crafts to embroidery on Etsy. I was also constantly brainstorming, watching YouTube videos and reading blogs written by successful Etsy sellers.

I found a video on laser engraving around the middle of January. I had never heard of a laser engraver. I knew this was the right product for me.

From January to February, I spent up to eight hours researching Etsy’s engraving market.

I bought the best laser engraving package I could find for $1,200. To save money for my Etsy shop, I began working overtime in January. By February, I had enough money to purchase the laser engraver.

The next step was to choose what to engrave. I needed a new wallet at the beginning of March. That’s when I thought, “Why not engraving wallets?”

I landed on a niche product with little competition

I found a lot of potential when I searched Etsy for personalized wallets. There were only two or three other competitors on the site. I thought I could offer better products and better customer services than the competition. I had noticed mixed reviews at my competitors’ shops.

I spent $200 to purchase a small order from Alibaba. When the wallet arrived, I tested it and it looked great. To build my inventory, I spent another $400.

My fiancée took product photos using my iPhone, and I uploaded them to my Etsy shop. My first sale was made five days later.

I knew that customer service was something I could control, and I could use it to differentiate my store. So I committed to providing the best customer care. This meant answering customers’ questions as quickly as possible, and ensuring next-day delivery.

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Prioritizing customer service helped me gain an audience quickly

May was the first month that my business opened. I received 16 orders totaling $521.20. I made it a point of communicating with my customers via Etsy messaging, and sent them a notification when their order shipped.

My competitors shipped orders within three to five business days of a purchase. Customers sometimes received their orders up to two weeks after purchase. I was processing orders within 24 hours. This is what I believe was the key to my store’s success.

In June, I had sold nearly $1,000. To keep up with the demand, I began to buy larger bulk orders of wallets. I knew that I needed to do something new as sales increased. I was still managing my store alongside my full-time job.

I purchased a second engraving machine in July so my fiancée could help with fulfilling orders. I organized my time into two sections: packing and engraving at night, and customer service during my breaks at work. This helped me manage my Etsy shop and work.

My Etsy shop was so successful that I quit my job as a warehouse worker to start it.

I had earned over $80,000 in six months. I decided to quit my job as a warehouse worker to start my business full-time.

To test new products, my Etsy ads cost $3,500 for the first six month. I now rely mainly on organic Etsy traffic. I chose a market and a product people liked, and I believe sales will continue growing as long as I provide great customer service.

I had already made more than six figures in sales in seven months selling wallets on Etsy. $67,000 was profit.

I control my hours and can be creative while running the store with my fiancée. I put everything back into the business. I hope to start making a salary and have saved some money for the event that the store slows. However, right now I am very excited about the future of the business.

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