Happy Birthday Panda Motion Designs!
Four Years ago, on the 23rd March, I opened Panda Motion Designs on Etsy. I even made my first sale within a few hours of going live.
I honestly never thought I would run my business, let alone be selling for 4 years!.
How it Started
Before Panda Motion Designs became a shop it was the business name I was using as a Audio/Visual Designer Contractor. I specialised in creating onboarding and knowledge sharing videos for clients, mostly for banks and financial sector.
I then got pregnant, and as a contractor/self-employed person, I didn’t receive maternity leave, so I had to quit working entirely. And during my last few months of working and pregnancy, Covid hit and ended up locked up safe at home.
I wanted to return to work to help pay some income into the household. So, about a year after I gave birth, I decided I wanted to return to part-time work around childcare. However, most of my clients changed their structures and leadership during Covid-19 and they basically told me I was not required and part-time was not acceptable or offered the flexibility to work around childcare.
It was devastating. Feeling useless and I fell into depression. I cried a lot, wandering what to go and where to go for work. I had a few leads but all fell through when they discovered I had a young child. No one wanted to actually offer the flexibility they were advertising on job descriptions. Then one day, my husband had an idea.
Panda Motion is Reborn
My wonderful husband was sad and upset to see me struggle. But watching me draw and be creative with our son, he thought it was a great idea to sell my designs onto products such as mugs, coasters, etc. He did all the research into Sublimation and how it works and how to make sales on Etsy and showed it all to me.
To be honest, I was apprehensive. I tried this before in the past and failed miserably. It can be such a personal thing to sell your pictures, paintings etc. to the world. I eventually came around to the idea and got all the equipment and stock needed to start my own little business..
Panda Motion Designs was reborn as a online store.
4 years later, 1,860+ sales and a new website later I am still here.
I have had some ups and downs with it all. But at least I am feeling like I am contributing to the household in some small way. Enough to treat my son to an extra slice of cake and new clothes.
I am so appreciative of the opportunity to do this as well as all of the amazing customers who have bought from me and left me lovely reviews. Thankful for all the supportive people I have met and chat to on Instagram and Threads. It’s been an interesting journey so far, and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Many Happy Returns to Panda Motion Designs!
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