Daniel Vu Takes his Ceramics Brand to New Heights Selling In-Person with Shopify POS (2022)

“For most of my everyday living, I’ve been applying white bowls,” says Daniel Vu, founder of Daniel Vu Ceramics. “They had been captivating at first, but now they definitely are not. I wanted to shift into a little something that was a small additional exceptional and brings out that knowledge of having food.”

This want for food-enhancing tableware inspired Daniel to launch his eponymous tableware-targeted ceramics business with Shopify in May well of 2021. He started off the business enterprise by promoting bowls, serving dishes, and blates (a form amongst a bowl and a plate) in earthy, organic hues like terracotta, olive environmentally friendly, and charcoal. Daniel has because expanded his catalog to consist of eye-catching textured vases. “It’s all handmade, one by one particular,” he says.

An artisan at coronary heart, Daniel quickly realized that buying shoppers and making a brand is challenging. He realized he required to go further than online, into the genuine planet wherever his clients could join with him and with his pieces. He started off attending craft fairs and, with this modify in system, he unlocked an additional amount of development. 

Daniel chose Tap to Pay out on Apple iphone, a new way to take in-individual contactless payments on Shopify POS to promote at craft fairs and events. Due to the fact then, has enjoyed: 

• Effortlessly accepting debit and credit rating playing cards, Apple Pay back, and other electronic wallets with just his Iphone, no different card reader required
• Party income now accounting for 70% of earnings
• A surge in on line site visitors and profits immediately after attending regional occasions
• Taking care of his overall business from Shopify’s back again office 

The challenge: Obtaining prospects and escalating the small business on-line

As a solopreneur, Daniel is equally an artisan and enterprise supervisor. Mainly because Daniel spent a great deal of his childhood aiding his parents with their photograph studio, he was ready for the really hard operate that came with commencing his personal business. 

“I was operating all over my childhood,” he states. “That sort of made my mentality to remaining a workhorse. So using on a smaller organization role was a thing that came more normally to me since of that. I was not surprised when I was hit with the workload that is expected to retain this business.”

Nonetheless, what Daniel didn’t expect was how hard and expensive it would be to receive buyers and grow the business by way of on the net sales—especially simply because he results in exceptional property merchandise that market improved when shoppers can see and contact them in man or woman. “It’s incredibly complicated to provide ceramics on the web until men and women previously know and have faith in your brand name,” he describes. “For lesser models like mine, buyers want to see the ceramics for them selves in advance of they experience relaxed getting.”

To improve my customer foundation, I determined to promote at craft fairs in my region. Which is when I understood I required a way to reliably take payments in-man or woman all working day.

The resolution: Advertising at craft fairs with only an Iphone

Daniel recognized that it is nearly unattainable to develop a subsequent without the need of now owning an founded viewers. That’s why he sells his operate at events, significantly craft fairs. Pop-up events supply a near-instant boost in product sales and brand recognition. 

“Go to shows so you can get to know your audience,” Daniel advises. “You can invest all day generating goods, but if you just cannot promote them, you’ll just have inventory that’s heading nowhere.” Daniel states that craft exhibits allow him see if there’s a demand from customers for his merchandise. “If you can not provide your items in man or woman, you’re likely to have a really hard time selling them on-line,” Daniel suggests.  Offering at events aids Daniel fully grasp demand from customers for his goods, which enables him to generate the ideal items: kinds that will provide. 

​​Shopify and Tap to Spend on Apple iphone make accepting in-person payments uncomplicated for Daniel. His merchandise catalog carries around from his Shopify internet site to the Shopify POS app and he’s completely ready to start off selling in minutes. All he has to do is download the Shopify POS application to his Iphone, established up Faucet to Fork out on Iphone, and he’s prepared to very easily accept contactless payments and make sales without having needing a card reader. Tap to Pay on Iphone also works by using his iPhone’s crafted-in security options, which are built to preserve his business and his customers’ info personal and safe. 

Selling in person also advantages his on the web shop. Right before each and every craft good, Daniel’s web page receives a spike in traffic, mainly because activities like these normally backlink to vendors’ web sites. “People browse what retailers will be there and simply click on the kinds they are interested in,” Daniel states. “So in that feeling, activities deliver extra visibility to my web-site, and my internet site is like a portfolio where by people can see what I market and decide whether or not they want to go to my kiosk at the function.”

I adore the ease of acquiring all the things I have to have to market in-particular person on my Apple iphone. I really do not have to stress about card viewers disconnecting and can just focus on the human being in front of me.

The success: Additional in-human being product sales, elevated model awareness, and instantaneous opinions

Now, Daniel sells at craft fairs every other month, and in-man or woman providing signifies 70% of his profits. Many thanks to Shopify POS and Faucet to Pay back on Iphone, the checkout experience is quickly and intuitive for buyers and Daniel.

“I like the plan of not obtaining to use the card reader,” he suggests. “It will make accepting contactless payments come to feel additional seamless, and I can just send their receipt by text or email. My customers are definitely delighted with the checkout method.”

Daniel also appreciates how straightforward Shopify POS is to use—whether it’s the built-in payment capabilities from Faucet to Shell out on Iphone or the capacity to personalize his dwelling display screen with shortcuts to get items carried out faster. “I need to have significantly less friction in my existence,” Daniel says. “Anything that can take much less clicks is far better for me and my income. A person more simply click is a person additional opportunity to lose a consumer.”

Daniel also positive aspects from functioning his on line store and in-particular person marketing from Shopify’s unified again business. He can seamlessly manage stock, customers, and payments all from a person place—in-particular person and on the web revenue continue to be synced and Tap to Shell out on Apple iphone and on the internet checkouts are all consolidated in 1 financial see. “I’m operating hardcore on the Shopify ecosystem,” he states. “If I was employing distinct POS software program, it wouldn’t link straight to my Shopify admin, which is wherever everything is. It makes my lifetime truly straightforward understanding wherever my dollars is likely and where by my stock is at.”

Promoting at situations has also assisted Daniel elevate consciousness for his goods and get instant comments to enhance his item line. As the man or woman who equally creates all of the solutions and runs the business enterprise, this feedback can help him deliver the right stock in time for his subsequent craft good.

Each time other business people talk to, I always suggest Shopify POS. It is simple to get commenced, trustworthy, and I can take payments straight from my Apple iphone with out any further hardware. 

What’s upcoming for Daniel Vu Ceramics? 

Whilst in-person functions offer a spike in product sales and on the web retailer periods, Daniel needs to increase the on line revenue of his organization into a more predictable profits stream. This will enable him secure adequate funds to make investments in manufacturing gear, a greater studio, and workers, which will assistance him scale his enterprise on and offline. 

Marketing in person with Shopify POS and Faucet to Fork out on Iphone has place Daniel on a path of growth. “Eventually, I would love to have a showroom,” Daniel claims. But it usually takes a ton of money to open a showroom and employ folks. “To do that, I have to have to get on the net revenue to the stage where by it is much more predictable and can finance that advancement.”

To generate an audience that he hopes will convert into clients, Daniel wishes to continue making his manufacturer on TikTok. Because he started escalating an audience on the system, he’s seen his brand’s reach mature to new heights, with 36,000 followers and his livestreams building upwards of 200,000 views.  

Likewise, Daniel intends to grow repeat clients with Shopify’s buyer profiles. Each and every new purchaser he gets by means of signups on his on the internet retail store at an function is additional to his mailing listing. With a watch of their buy historical past, he intends to create remarketing campaigns to increase repeat purchases on the web. 

As a solopreneur, I require much less friction in my existence. With Shopify, I really like that I have all the tools I have to have to regulate on the web and in-man or woman gross sales in just one place.