Turning Handmade Wallets into a Million Dollar Business
How Popov leather grew from a basement to a $1M business with 12 full-time employees.
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast · Ryan Popoff, Kurt Elster
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Show Notes
Ryan Popoff founded a leather goods company after learning leather working as a creative outlet. Bootstrapped and run solo in 2013, Ryan is now leading a team of 12 full-time craftspeople in a 1,400 sq. ft. workshop in British Columbia.
Popov Leather makes handmade leather goods like wallets, belts, watch straps, notebook covers, and more. They're made to order, reasonably priced, and have turned thousands of customers into devoted fans.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How to use Etsy to validate ideas
- Practical tips for effective photography
- A straightforward influencer strategy
- and how to know when to hire
Popov Leather is the quintessential rural small town success story. A hobby turns into a micro business following spousal encouragement which then turns into a thriving fast-growth business. Six years after its first sale, Popov Leather today YOR revenue growth as more than 90% of their production is shipped to satisfied international customers.
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