The entrepreneur above is Ashley Sedelbauer and she is the owner of Home with Ashley. She sells mid century modern and bohemian home decor. She runs her brand/business in Ohio so we decided to do a text interview that worked with both of our hectic work schedules. I sent her all the questions (underlined) through email and she answered them for me. Please enjoy some business insight she has to share!
Thank you
Questions for Home with Ashley:
- Tell me a little about yourself!
I’m bad at this question lol but I recently turned 30(wow) My animals are my life. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Communication and minored in Marketing. Obviously have a love for vintage items since before I can remember. My ultimate goal one day would be to open my own store! J
- Tell me a little bit about how you started Home with Ashley?
Its actually really random, I’ve had a home decor account for a couple years (homewithashley) and I kept having people asking me where I get things but most was thrifted so I didn’t really have a personal source to tell them. I looked into a couple Etsy shops and started following them, then I had a shop owner reach out to me and tell me I should start a shop! I basically took it as a sign from the universe that that’s what I should do so I did it!
- What are some challenges you faced when starting your business.
SHIPPING! It was annoying, time consuming, and sometimes lost me money but since then I have figured it a lot better. (Thankfully)
- Do you still currently work another part time or full time job to supplement money for your antique passion? Or does it sustain itself?
I still work a 40+hours a week bartending and was a real estate agent but recently got out of it to focus more on this business that I love and want to grow. I’m confident it will and one day I can just solely rely on it but in the meantime I’m focused on paying off some student loans, credit cards, ect. or I will be paying on them for the rest of my life.(really tho)
- Did you always intend to work in the antique world?
Not really, I was set on a real estate career but I always have loved to thrift, go to estate sales and garage sales to find stuff for myself but I never thought about re-selling them.
- Is there any formal education that you needed to work in this line of work? Or any training or education you suggest?
I don’t think any training Is necessary, maybe help with social media or help with figuring out shipping etc. But I don’t think anyone could teach you what to pass up while out hunting or what to choose, that’s just something your instincts should tell you. Which is why you should know your market and truly enjoy the things that you sell.
- How has the experiences that you have had during your entire career influenced the way you run your own company?
Well this career hasn’t been too long so far but a huge thing for me is just to be kind, respond to messages, give people advice if they ask. I’ve come across some pretty rude sellers who don’t want to give anyone insight into anything, I’ve also come across people who are rude to me because I find pretty awesome stuff if I do say so myself. Its crazy to me so I just stay kind to anyone I come across, throw in an extra surprise in their order, hook them up with discounts, there is plenty of this stuff to go around so the last thing I want to do is be stingy with it. I’ve noticed something so simple like being kind has brought back a lot of customers.
- What is your client retention rate?
I should keep track of this kind of stuff (lol) It definitely grows everyday whether I post or not. I notice it will grow a lot if I do a show local (which I’ve only done 2) but definitely gained a lot of local followers after them which is great. I’m honestly blown away at the rate my little shop is growing, even when I barely have time to focus on it lately, and when I go MIA for awhile because I believe social media breaks ARE necessary haha I am very grateful for it all.
- How much time is dedicated to your business a day?
Life has been so busy lately its not nearly as much time as it should be but I try to either package orders or list new items to the shop in the morning before work. I try do pictures for Etsy right when I get home from work, and I sometimes multitask during work and work on my shop. Also, I pretty much thrift everyday if I can which is a little time consuming but worth it! So I would say more than most of my day is spent dedicated to my business.
- Could you describe a typical day?
Ill describe a day off from my bartendiing job which are my favorite kind of days. I usually wake up around 7 and start my day with a yoga sesh.(I love yoga) Then I will pack up orders or get new listings in the shop. Around 9 its estate sale/thrifting time! The rest of the day is working on my new home, painting, organizing, etc. and Ill try to get some etsy pictures done if possible.
- How are things going in your company in general, right now: are you hiring, downsizing, or “staying as you are” in terms of your company’s workforce; are sales up, down, or flat?
I wish I could afford to hire someone! Haha But business is just okay right now, like I said life has been so busy, I recently just moved, had a big vintage show I did(which was great), moved out of 2 store spots and then moved into 1 new one, plus working a lot I’ll be the first to admit I’ve totally been slacking on my shop the last few months but im ready to get back to it! The hunt for vintage treasures however has not stopped. Lol I also started renting out my chairs so that has been a new door opened in a great way!
- How do you price your products and what type of research do you have to do before you price?
I usually have a good idea of how to price most things without research, but if I ever am questioning it I will find the same or similar things on Etsy and price similar.
- How do you keep up to date with the best practices in your industry?
If Etsy tells me I will disappear out of searches if I don’t have free shipping then I will do free shipping.(this happened recently) Overall I don’t really keep up on much, just kind of do my own thing. Might be a good thing or bad, not sure lol
- How do you generate the most foot traffic for your business (social media, word of mouth, etc.)?
I’ve promoted a post here and there but other than that not much on social media, I’m terrible at Facebook too haha. In person however I am never without a business card and especially with being a bartender and selling on Facebook market at times, I always fill people in on my business when I can.
- What is your social media strategy?
I think the more post/stories a day the better, Im still working on it but do think it’s a great way to get yourself out there. I love teaming up with other people and doing a giveaway too! Need to work more on this aspect of the business as well!
- What advice would you give to someone who was considering a career in antiques selling?
Love what you sell! You truly have to be passionate about it or I believe you will struggle with pricing, staging pics, and even finding things. You have to have an eye for, not just try to find certain things because its “trending”. Also, if you plan on shipping items be familiar with all shipping aspects before attempting to ship as well. Lastly don’t be too hard on yourself, I remember when I opened my shop I didn’t have a sale for over a week aside from a sale from my bestie, I was freaking out but I’ve learned since then patience is key.
I wanted to say thank you again for letting me interview you! It means a lot that you would take time from your day to do this for me.
Thank you! These questions made me realize some improvements I can make to my business!
