Tammy Dinh is an online entrepreneur who has successfully built two income streams while pursuing her college education. She generates impressive earnings of up to $9 500 per month from her Shopify business and an additional $10 000 per month from her YouTube channel.
Tammy's primary venture revolves around crafting clay figurines, which she skillfully produces in her apartment and sells through her Shopify website and brand called Uncomfy. Initially, she launched Uncomfy on Etsy in 2020 but later transitioned to Shopify in 2022 to expand her reach and increase her sales potential.
To attract a wider customer base, Tammy strategically utilizes popular social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. By showcasing her captivating creations and engaging with her followers, she effectively drives traffic to her online store and generates sales.
In this article, she explains how she was able to build a thriving online business while still in college.
Background Story
Tammy grew up watching YouTube videos of people skillfully creating various items using polymer clay. Intrigued and inspired by their work, she began experimenting with clay figurines at the young age of 9. These figurines became more than just a hobby for Tammy; they provided comfort and solace during moments of anxiety, as she would play with them and find relief from her worries.
As Tammy progressed through her design school years, her passion for working with clay continued to grow. It was during her second year that she stumbled upon a TikTok video featuring a woman crafting polymer clay trinkets. The video sparked a newfound excitement within Tammy, and she saw the potential for pursuing this craft as a business opportunity.
At the time, Tammy was juggling her studies and a graphic design job in the corporate world. While she enjoyed the creative aspects of her job, she yearned for the independence and freedom that came with running her own business. Moreover, she wanted to provide financial support for her family. Motivated by these aspirations, Tammy decided to take the leap and establish her own art shop, which she named Uncomfy, in October 2020.
"In October 2020, I started Uncomfy, my art shop, with my best friend, selling clay key chains and stickers on Etsy because it's the easiest place to sell for people starting out. While the business was in my name, we worked in partnership for the first few months and split the income. I started running the business by myself in December 2020.", Tammy says.
Building the Business
Tammy made her items on demand to minimize the risk of incurring extra up-front costs. Being aware of the physical effort required, she diligently crafted each item by hand, investing hours of dedicated work into every piece. Initially, Tammy priced her key chains at $12 apiece, reflecting the value she placed on her creations. However, she soon realized that the income generated from her sales was insufficient, leaving her with earnings below the minimum wage threshold.
In January 2021, Tammy made the decision to increase the price of her key chains to $15, recognizing the need to fairly compensate herself for the time and effort she invested in the production process. As her business gained traction, customers began expressing interest in larger items.
Responding to their demands, Tammy decided to expand her product line by creating "desk friends" — larger figurines specifically designed to adorn desks and provide companionship.
"I don't think artists should be broke. I looked at what other artists I admired were charging and increased prices to $20 for key chains and $25 for desk friends. I also bought an expensive resin to ensure my items lasted.
My biggest fear when I first started my Uncomfy was spending money on up-front costs. I don't want to create a lot of stock without knowing whether the items will sell. By making products once I've sold them instead, I can conserve materials and don't waste anything.", Tammy explains.
Promoting the Products on Instagram and Other Social Media
Tammy Dinh, the determined entrepreneur behind Uncomfy, wasted no time in establishing a strong online presence for her business. On the very same day, she launched her Etsy shop, she also set up an Instagram account dedicated to her venture. Maintaining an active posting schedule, she shared captivating content every other day to engage her growing audience.
To expand her reach and connect with like-minded creators, Tammy used strategic tactics on Instagram. She conducted thorough research, searching for the popular hashtag #polymerclay, which led her to discover numerous accounts showcasing handmade items. She took the initiative to follow these accounts and actively engage with their posts, forming valuable connections and friendships with fellow artists.
"I started making Instagram Reels and TikToks — but it's a lot of work", Tammy says.
When Tammy started posting photos on Instagram, she initially preferred not to use her face or voice. However, she soon realized that incorporating videos into her social media strategy was essential. In 2021, Instagram was encouraging creators to make Reels, and Tammy had to adapt to the changing landscape.
To meet the demands of Instagram, Tammy started posting Reels twice a day. Creating each 20-second video required a significant amount of time and effort, often taking her an hour or more to complete. Among her most popular short videos are the ones where she shares the story of how she started her business.
Tammy also repurposes these videos on TikTok, although predicting which content will go viral on that platform can be challenging. Despite having collected over 100 000 followers on TikTok, she finds that she has a stronger sense of community on Instagram. There, people actively engage with her posts, leaving comments, and expressing interest in updates regarding her shop.
Switching from Etsy to Shopify
Tammy says that she switched to Shopify when Etsy increased its seller fees because she noticed that most of her sales were generated through her social media posts rather than Etsy's marketing efforts. Realizing that Etsy was taking a significant portion of her earnings, Tammy made the decision to go independent and establish her own online shop.
One of the main advantages Tammy found with Shopify was the ability to customize her own online storefront, something she couldn't do on Etsy. This allowed her to create a unique brand experience for her customers and tailor the shopping experience to her liking. To ensure she complied with regulations and operated her business properly, Tammy obtained a sales-tax license in Colorado and registered as an LLC in March 2022.
Initially, Tammy says she was concerned about whether her customers would follow her to the new platform. However, she discovered that a simple change in the link on her Linktree, which she used to direct traffic to her shop through social media, from Etsy to Shopify was all it took to migrate her customer base seamlessly.
Getting into Youtube
Tammy says that she uploaded her first YouTube video in August 2021. She had seen that other small businesses were having success with Youtube and she was excited to try long-form content.
"People are interested in the process of making the figurines and building my business. One of my videos has 930,000 views.
I see YouTube as more personal than Instagram and TikTok. With those, you have to grab people's attention right away. But I can be way more artistic on YouTube", Tammy says.
Benefits of Having Multiple Streams of Income as a College Student
Tammy says that having multiple revenue streams helps her financial security:
In 2022, I made up to $8 800 in sales every month. Recently, I've had the confidence to start charging between $45 to $75 per item. I made $9 561 in sales in January, 2023. I spend only about $200 on materials to make my items each month, so I make quite a high profit.
I'm in my fourth year of college now. At times, I've needed to take a break from my business. I studied abroad in Italy in December. I couldn't fulfill orders, so I had no income from my shop. But my YouTube account meant that videos from three months prior were still making me money.
I got monetized on YouTube in September, which you can do only if you've had at least 1 000 subscribers and 4 000 watch hours in the past year. It varies, but I make about $1 000 from YouTube AdSense a month. One video blew up, and I got $9 934 from AdSense in February. Each video takes me between 15 and 18 hours to make. I'm about to graduate from college and I'm so glad I've built my business.
Conclusion
Tammy Dinh expressed her gratitude towards her younger self for the relentless hard work that went into building Uncomfy. As she approaches her college graduation, she eagerly anticipates dedicating more time and energy to her shop.
Unlike many of her peers who face the daunting task of job applications and corporate employment, Tammy has created a business for herself, allowing her the freedom to pursue her passion and be her own boss.
The journey hasn't been easy, but Tammy's determination and commitment have paid off, providing her with a sense of fulfillment and independence that surpasses the traditional career path.
