From Idea to Online Store Success
Wacky Mail Pop | Southern California
Wacky Mail Pop is an online store that produces and sells stickers and stationery products.
...the Roland DG VersaSTUDIO BN2-20 printer/cutter... is perfect for my business because it can do so much.
Before
- Martina had sourced a wide variety of cute stickers and stationery items in South Korea, but needed a way to produce them from her home office in the U.S.
- She was also searching for a versatile, robust machine that could help her with a variety of printing needs, including producing signage for her business when she sells at markets.
After
- With the BN2-20's professional-grade production, Martina can print and cut hundreds of stickers in about an hour.
- The BN2-20's color gamut produces bold, colorful, and consistent prints for a variety of applications, including signage.
- The BN2-20's design is compact enough to fit on a desktop and blends in well in her office environment.
Back in 2017, Martina Padilla was starting to get bored. She had moved with her husband to South Korea for his job, but without a work visa of her own, she was looking for things to do. While exploring the area she found lots of stickers and stationery produced by local artists. In 2018, she started an Etsy shop to share these items with people in the United States.
Since then, Martina and her husband have moved back to Southern California. She continues to run Wacky Mail Pop, now a thriving business, with help from her mother, Yolanda. We talked with Martina about her decision to launch her business, how she curates the items she sells, what production equipment she relies on, and what lies ahead for this talented entrepreneur.
Tell us about the steps you took to start your business?
Martina Padilla: When we were living in South Korea, I was finding all kinds of extremely cute stickers and stationery items that I thought people in the U.S. might like too. Etsy was a great way to start my business. Since then, we’ve moved back to the United States, and I run my company from my home office. However, the work has started to take up more and more space, so I may need to move my business to an outside office in the future.
I work at Wacky Mail Pop full time. My mother, Yolanda, works for me part-time to handle all the shipping and inventory. We've been working together since Day One.
How did you decide which printing equipment to invest in?
I was looking for a high-quality, durable printer ideal for a variety of printing needs. I'm using the Roland DG VersaSTUDIO BN2-20 printer/cutter, which is perfect for my business because it can do so much. I've recently started to vend at markets, and it's been great having a professional-grade printer that can print signage as well as print and contour cut stickers.
I've had the machine for a few months now and I have been very pleased by the print quality as well as the print speed. I can print and cut hundreds of stickers in about an hour. I’m also impressed with the inks. I love anything bright and colorful and the designs I print always include bold, vivid color. The BN2-20 has delivered on that and on many other fronts.
In addition, the BN2 is designed to fit on a desktop so it doesn’t take up too much space. It also has a clean design that blends well into my office environment.
Have you expanded your product range?
When we started, we only sold items from brands and artists in Korea. I have since expanded my offerings to include a selection of international artists. I learned about many of the artists we stock by seeing their items in sticker and stationery shops in Korea or by attending Illustration expos, which are huge events where hundreds of artists exhibit and sell their items. I have also begun to make and sell my own stickers.
The online shop still primarily sells digitally printed stickers, that's been our biggest draw since the beginning. We also sell washi tape, journals, and binders for storing stickers. We always try to have a fun and colorful selection and make it a point to include some new and exclusive items.
...it's been great having a professional-grade printer that can print signage as well as print and contour cut stickers.
What factors do you consider when choosing which products and designs you’ll carry?
I always look for quality and uniqueness. My main point for curation is: "Do I like it, and do I want to use it?" It's important to me to stand by what I'm selling, so I make sure that I personally love and use the items in my store.
Which products are most popular now?
Journaling is definitely having a moment! People have become more interested in recent years in journaling and sticker collecting. Sticker rolls (small rolls of individual stickers) have also been very popular lately. Each roll contains a lot of stickers that are easy to share with friends since they can be cut up and sent with a letter or greeting card.
What would you say is the best thing about owning your own business?
Running a small business usually means you are often doing things on your own…and figuring out how to do them. I've learned so much over the last six years and I have really come to enjoy a challenge. The satisfaction of completing a task or project that seemed intimidating is always the best reward.
What does the future hold for Wacky Mail Pop?
I will continue to sell a selection of stickers and stationery from other artists, but I am most excited about designing and producing items under the Wacky Mail Pop brand.
