Inside My Laser Business | Financials, Tips and Lessons Learned

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Welcome to the official April Wilkerson KZbin channel. I’m April and I’m the creator of Wilker Do’s. I'm not professional or have any training, so I just pick the project I want to tackle and figure it out step by step. On this channel you will find a variety of content like DIY home improvement, How-To’s, construction and more.

[@jimhatch5873]

I was an original Glowforge crowd sourcing purchaser, tested early pre-release units and have had mine ever since mass production started - so 7 years or so. I did a lot of testing of materials and for wood, Proofgrade is great since it's a known laserable product with consistent thickness and finish. It's also a big timesaver not having to finish the end product so it's not as expensive as it seems. For acrylics, there's far less variation from other vendors so typically use a lot of other vendors for plastics. There's also a ton of other variations in available materials including two and three color layered acrylic, mirrors, etc. For wood, a good, but unfinished, alternative is Home Depot's Columbia Forest Products project panels. They're sized for the Glowforge bed just like Proofgrade and come in a variety of wood species as well as thicknesses. Since they're only available online, they come in 10-packs at a significant savings over Proofgrade. You'll have to finish them, but especially if you want a different finish, say high-gloss or flat/matte, you can't get that from Glowforge's Proofgrade. If you start expanding your material sourcing you may find inspiration for other products that aren't possible by sticking only with Glowforge Proofgrade.

[@olivermartin9893]

The creators like yourself who share their process, regardless of success or failure is like the heart of the pre-social media internet of the 90's, just experts and enthusiasts talking about the stuff that engages them with other people. Thanks for the videos

[@evanbarnes9984]

I really miss bouncing around the internet in the late 90s and early 2000s. Just a bunch of nerds like me finding each other in forums and making all text websites to share info about our hobbies! It was the best, so calm and hopeful. I remember feeling like I had the world's knowledge at my fingertips, rather than having to be on the lookout for yet another Russian disinformation campaign or whatever.

[@richardproebstel6201]

Thank you for being so honest with your new side hustle and how it all works. My wife and I really appreciated this series and would love a follow-up quarterly. All your videos are first rate! Also, thank you for taking the extra time making all your videos. We know it takes sooooo much longer to haul us around with you in order for you to get a job done. (Not to mention all the editing hours!) Take care and may God overwhelm you and your staff and family with blessings!

[@raytice8964]

I would love to hear more about the time involved. Not just the per piece production/packing/shipping time, but time spent in designing and refining the products, researching sales and ad platforms, setting up the store, accounting for taxes, etc. After all, time is money.

[@FrugalShave]

Just like any business, year 1 can be rough, then it slowly becomes less and less of an issue year after year. By year 4 my Etsy side hustle had very little time devoted to design and research. I did a lot of word of mouth "advertising" in the relevant Facebook Groups in the first 3 years. (Mostly posting pictures of my new designs and getting feedback) The feedback is important because if folks don't get excited and start asking you if they can buy one immediately, it's a dud and will not sell. Since then I have not done any advertising at all because my queue is never shorter than 2 weeks and has been up to 6 weeks during Covid and I am running at my full side hustle capacity.

[@michaelkenefick]

And utilities costs.

[@allez2015]

I'd like to hear more about all costs and time to produce the stated revenue. What sort of profit margins is she achieving? It's easy to flash a big revenue number on the screen, but it means nothing if you are producing products with no profit and spent a bunch of time to do it.

[@gregorythomas333]

I would not mind a quarterly update about your success with this business.

[@Steve-hh8tg]

Yes, being a golf category, I'm wondering how it does after summer!

[@jimfulmer3526]

As a person just starting out in a side business, I want to thank you for taking the risk and being open as you are with your business experiment. It's been very encouraging, please continue.

[@dagwood1327]

@15:55 “There is nothing about me that makes me more capable of doing this than you” Although that is sweet of you to say and such an encouragement to others, you have the vision and drive to get you where you are. I can pretty much make anything I have a picture of. I thought everyone could. If I had only been as good in business as you. Thanks for your content.

[@Karrde]

Not only that, but she also has one and a half million viewers allready. Even if only 0.01% of her viewers look at her store and 1% buys something of her store... that would be a real advantage others don't have. She does not start at the same line.

[@dcbrown2125]

@@Karrde she started from scratch and built herself up. so yeah therefore the same line

[@dagwood1327]

@@Karrde She has worked hard for a lot of years to get where she is. Sure she has advantages but she has multi tasked to get there. The point I was trying to make is that she is very humble to think we are all on an equal capability scale.

[@Karrde]

@@dagwood1327 that's my point too. All those years of hard work are giving her an advantage people just starting out don't have. So when looking at the example with the Glowforge in this video, it is not really comparing apples to apples. Now if she did this experiment under another name and made a video only after it was concluded, then her KZbin career would not have been a confounding factor. But she didn't so it is. While I don't blame her and I agree she works very hard and deserves all the success she is getting, other people should adjust their expectations when looking at the numbers she is providing in this video.

[@foolforspeed]

This series really helps me with my new adventure. I have had a construction company for 30+ years and I decided to start making small things to sell online as I am getting older and want to get away from heavy work. Thank you April for doing the leg work.

[@alanwilliamson9350]

Congrats on the huge success of the Glow forge! The happiness on your face when you figured the second set of numbers was amazing. Keep rockin it and thanks for sharing!❤

[@barbarianatgate2000]

I'm so glad to hear that this is going well. Not only for you, but to show others what can be done. As far as the nay sayers, I'll simply offer this. There are people who will encourage you. There are also people that will see you improving your life and, after examining their own, will decide its easier to discourage you than to improve their situation. The more you succeed, the more they are faced with the realization that they lack the drive or courage to push themselves into something new. Others may feel that they are somehow above you and feel threatened if you begin to catch up. It's important to recognize when people are giving you advice to protect you because they care, as opposed to those who are trying to protect themselves because they don't.

[@zodiaccentral8908]

Absolutely agree!!!

[@ronhart4166]

THIS is exactly who you are !! And why you have had so much success. Always humble and you love giving back. You're the best Mrs April........ and I have no interest in a side hustle, but I love who you are and all your content 🥰

[@AprilWilkerson]

I appreciate your kind words. I'm glad you enjoy my channel. Thanks for watching and being so supportive.

[@georgedoolittle7574]

​@@AprilWilkerson while strolling through the Park one day In the Merry Month of May I met April in the Park And it was after dark

[@user-uy8pr6sp5s]

Congratulations! I love how transparent you are!

[@sharkrivermachine]

I have had an Etsy store for several years and it has been very successful for me. That being said as the store becomes successful Etsy enters your listings into a Marketing Program. You can't opt out of this program once you have reached a certain number. The Marketing program is very expensive and it cuts deeply into profit margin. This has been an interesting series, thanks for sharing.

[@louroberts5567]

Hi, April! WOW! 10k! That's some serious steam!! You go, Girl! I wish you continued success. God bless.

[@argyleforge]

I have been thinking about this for some time, you may have just given me the kick I needed!

[@joshcreager1140]

Definitely would like to see more updates. either at the 6 mos mark or end of the quarter. Something I'm considering and branching out to other hobby sports or fandoms

[@WebbedToedWorkbench]

Thanks April. Loved this series. Would love to see it applied to other shop tool financing like a entry level cnc. And a deeper dive into your creative process of designing a new product from scratch. Would be cool to revisit some early projects (ex. Height chart) from the start of journey and see how your experience and workshop evolution would change your approach to it today.

[@alaskankare]

I would like to know what the actual profit numbers looked like. You said the 10k did not account for costs of materials or labor/time. so what were the real profit margins? thanks for showing the results. it was helpful to know etsy was the best. I never thought i would have a chance of selling anythinv on there with so much competition. I have tried a website before spending hundreds on promotional stuff, donations, advertising...and didnt get a single sale. 😢

[@smeggy22]

I have a Glowforge competitor laser (The Omtech Polar) - and am paying nothing per month, can use Lightburn, and I just looked up Proofgrade ply pricing and nearly had a heart attack - 1/4" cherry ply 12*20 sheet is $30 from GF - or, $5 from Colombia Forest. I'd be fascinated what the actual profit is out of the $10k after material cost is factored in!

[@jasonchaney5382]

Great video, and definitely more fuel for the fire. I wish you had shared a break down of the fees ETSY charged though. I've seen other makers complain about their fees, and I feel like not mentioning that makes $10k in sales seem like a lot more profit than it really is.

[@TedH71]

I believe Etsy only charges you fees to post a product. I've not used Etsy to sell the stuff that we make. I've set up a website and we sell from there and we do free advertising from FB.

[@Sbregher]

April, thank you so much for so graciously sharing your experiences and financials! You rock!! And your videos do too!!

[@AprilWilkerson]

You are so welcome! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@jasone679]

I can't imagine how anyone could be mean to April, she seems so sweet and genuine. I actually haven't seen the first two videos in the series, but I'm going to go back and watch them. I love side hustles and have always had one or two going of my own and am amazed that more people don't. Update: after reading other comments I realize there are some real jerks wanting to poo poo this series, most likely because they are jealous and ashamed that they are too lazy to try it themselves. If you don't like it just move on. Oh, by the way, if you are filling your comment with exclamation points you make yourself look like a raving lunatic.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you for your kind words. I have a great Monitor who removes the disgusting comments and depending on severity, even the rudest ones. Thanks for watching.

[@Vormulac1]

I would be interested to know what the actual profit is in that time; without factoring in the costs associated with equipment outlay, materials, time spent, shipping, energy costs etc etc that $10k bottom line is pretty abstract.

[@clintmyrick4128]

Thanks for investing your time and sharing for our benefit! Very inciteful.

[@samuelsmall8449]

We got our Glowforge a year ago and I've had some success with making custom items. I've just been afraid to take the plunge into Etsy until now. Thank you for sharing your story. I've been a huge fan since the beginning. Keep up the splendid work.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.

[@BearCreekWoodworking]

Your enthusiasm is contagious April! It’s the thing I like most about you! I’m sure there will be several new side hustles started because of this video series. I would be interested in quarterly updates of your progress. 😃👏

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you so much!!

[@zvit]

Yes, material expenses and shipping can be deducted from the gross sales, but when calculating net profit, labor and time are not directly deducted as expenses.

[@agrariancrafts5132]

Return on investment is an important thing. For my business I shoot for six months or less. I recently added 3d printing to my leather shop to create tools and patterns for leather work. I got four machines and already one third paid off after a month

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing and for watching.

[@johnhubbard3485]

Sage Advice - Design/Create and price a few projects first. I can't remember how many times I have purchased a new toy/tool for one of the shops only to have it sit there for weeks months until I learned how to use it, or decided what to use it for.

[@DeannaMaurice]

Both of my Glowforges paid for themselves it’s worth it!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Glad to hear. Thanks for Sharing and for watching.

[@eggie1633]

Please keep doing these type of videos about glowforge. They are very helpful and gives an idea as to what to encounter if others decide to open an Etsy busyness. This type of videos are encouraging

[@splinters_66]

Congratulations, you’re the one putting in the hard work, you deserve everything you reap.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.

[@curiousfirely]

At the school I work at, the shop class has a laser cutter. They use it as a fundraiser, making plaques, signs, and other items. It helps keep the class going!

[@HalfAssHomestead]

April, I have my own store, which used to sell just garden seeds, but now we carry Artisan Soap, because who doesn't want to get clean after working in the garden. That brought in essential oils, because not everyone can sit in the flower bed all day to enjoy the aroma. Then we moved from there to Board Butter, that I make here in my shop. I use my OmTech 60 watt CO2 laser primarily just to put my labels on anodized custom aluminum tins for that product. Now I'm adding another cool product, which is leather hat patches, as I also run a full print shop. My wood shop has taken the back burner, but we are still making the occasional custom cutting boards. I may try your IKEA Idea (lol). My total investment so far, not counting labor, etc. has been well over $250,000.00, but last years sales alone were around $388,000.00, and everything is paid for up front. Now I get to play with new products I never would have dreamed of in the years past.

[@mikegower2419]

You are doing a great job! Thanks for being so real!

[@Odin31b]

So much respect for the transparency and inspiration. Been a fan for a few years now and you continue to wow with great content.

[@gerarddelmonte8776]

' Follow your enthusiasm ' is perhaps the best advice you could give. Consider just two more vids in this series: one at the half-year mark, and one at the one year mark, to provide longer term context.

[@lindyengineer]

love this. Thanks for all the information. I'm inspired!!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@Inawoods]

This is excellent help and advice to anyone looking to start their own small business. It always takes thought and experimentation, but you showing the steps helps make it seem more achievable to more people. I think thats great.

[@derek2593]

Thank you for this. I am also starting a laser side hustle, but you are much better with numbers than me. So, thanks for this. I need to work on my organization. But, I love how friendly the laser community is! We ALL help each other. And I have found a rather obscure and profitable market, so, I need to get better with the numbers.

[@kyfireman]

I truly believe April is doing well on this hustle. Saying that there's no way I would buy a glowforge over a thunder 24 or 35.

[@fluiditynz]

I've chosen a Gweike Cloud 600 which should arrive soon. I design for my 3 3D printers and i also have a CNC machine but they are mostly hobby. I make some money with my 3D print designs and with my Ortur LM3 but it's only 10 watts and has material limitations. I see the CO2 as a step up with good productivity. At my age I'm skilled in too many things including programming and circuit design, the Laser seems literally bread and butter as an online income generator. It's that transition that's the problem for me. 45 hour week day job, feeding my creativity and wind on water hydrofoil sports. It's good to see people like yourself finding niche products and then expanding for form a likely sustainable income! Keep it up!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for Sharing and for watching.

[@sparkythebuilder]

I would like to see more updates every quarter to see if this can be sustained. Also, I would like to see what the net profit is after you deduct all of the material and shipping costs and Etsy fees to get a clear picture of how viable this side hussle could be.

[@johnleith3161]

I would love to know how the personalising bought items works out.

[@PunkR0ckz09]

Hello April, I love the breakdowns and everything you talk about in these videos. However, I am curious if you would be willing to do the same exact thing, but with a name that is NOT connected to "April Wilkerson", or any other "branding" you had like "Wilkerdos", because I am sure that this is skewing a bit the results (there may be quite a few people only paying for an item because they like you and want to support you, so for US, the "normies", we wouldn't have that to boost the results)

[@richardjones8236]

This video content is absolutely awesome!! Thank you so much for taking the time to gather the information and share it with us. Also, for being so transparent with your numbers and platform results. I would love to see more of this "real-life" content. If you could do as much as your comfortable with I would appreciate it very much. Congratulations on such a successful kick-off.

[@misinformationwithrandy]

Definitely would like to see this quarterly for the first year, then yearly after that.

[@Myopicvisions]

I quit Etsy over fees and them signing me up for pay per click advertising without my consent or notifying me. My last sale was $25 and they took all but $8. Before then, my fees averaged 12-20% when they started charging a percent fee on what I collected for shipping and handling. They suggest flat rate shipping to avoid it, but when you sell a bunch of smaller lower priced items it doesn't make any sense to charge more for shipping than the cost of the item.

[@sawdustwoodcrafting2105]

Couple of things, April. It would be good to warn people that Etsy (and others) will send a 1099K if you transact $600 or more in a year. Unlike a regular 1099, this will include fees, sales tax charged (albeit paid out again), and NO refunds, so there is a lot of work to be done when filing taxes. Also people worry about charging for machine time ; I figure my usage as 8 hours a day for 200 days a year, i.e. 1600 hours. I figure replacement at one year as a worst case, so on a $6400 machine, I allocate $4 an hour to my costs, (and I log each job, so I can track each product)

[@albertshilton5336]

You did a great job and I am very excited for you. You talk about sale’s improving, but you don’t talk about “gross and net” income. What’s the bottom line for all your labor. Love to know. Thanks, Al

[@michellewelch6013]

I’d be curious to know how much your KZbin videos drive your business?

[@clarkmcc]

What a great video (as always). One of the things to point out about Etsy (as opposed to all the other platforms mentioned) is that Etsy is really a MARKETING platform ... they bring the eyeballs that purchase your products. I have been making a living for 10 years on Etsy (woodworking and laser engraving), and it's definitely harder than its ever been to make a living there, in large part due to the Glowforge, there is such a crazy amount of competition, and always someone very eager to steal your new product ideas. Great work, inspiring for sure!!

[@jellen7332]

I have watched you off and on for years. You were first women woodworker I watched I was surprised when you said you didn’t tell anyone that you were selling these. I sell plants on Etsy and I do fairly good for me but not as great you have done When I first started on woodworking and Etsy I made the “rope” shelf but I advertised as a stuff animal shelf and I sold like 3-4 then now I see pp selling it everywhere for more money keep it up you’re a motivation

[@christinekranz4844]

GREAT JOB!!!! I'm truly excited for you! I know you said your pencil holder was designed by you -. Do you design EVERYTHING you sell or do you sell some of the ideas that comes with the flow forge and patterns from other people or do you STRICTLY sell your own designs? (Asking because this girl isn't great at creating wood designs on my own.....😬) Super happy for you!!! And you gave me more confidence and inspiration. Thank you! 🤗

[@momoney2272]

It’s always great to have an increase in sales and growth, April. You call this venture a “Success”!!! Hmmmm??? 4 months is not a long enough time to factor any Venture a Success. Your sales bump yes could have been from Fathers Day, but I think the golf season has opened! People now are playing more golf - the PGA tour - LIV, are contributing factors. But, at the end of the day, it’s the money that you put in your pocket that matters. What was your Net Profit from your sales? - You did not talk about that. - Did you pay Full Price for your Glowforge? - Is Glowforge an affiliate thru you? Do you get any renumeration from Glowforge for each machine Sold thru your link? I’m concerned that you are not truly “Transparent” as you’ve said you are.

[@ejoyner]

I think your success is awesome and inspiring. I've been watching you from the beginning of your KZbin launch. How far you've come baby! Keep it up and well wishes for your continued success.

[@malva4838]

This is refreshing! I've heard so many negative things about etsy and how high their fees are that they were squeezing out individual makers. Even though that's how they started

[@QuiltersHandyman]

But....April you are the face of your operation how many empoyees do you have, paid or unpaid, who help you. I am exhausted thinking about what you must do to keep everyting running. Social media sites to maintain, a web page to keep current, and Etsy site to refresh constantly, purchasing material, machines and equipment to maintain, not counting designing, producing product, taking orders, packaging and shipping. And probably dealing with unhappy customers (even a few)I am a professional hobbist....ham radio, 3d printing, woodworking, and now laser engraving. I can't keep up with my hobbys. WOW! GO GIRL..

[@AprilWilkerson]

I am not just the face of my business' but am actively involved in all. Yes, I have employees that have certain dedicated duties but the Glow Forge business of golf products, I handle all aspects of those myself. Thanks for watching.

[@appreciatetoday5071]

So, I wonder if having 1.52 million youtube subscribers have helped this business? That is a huge exposure that most people do not have. Anyways, congratulations on a successful side hustle!

[@antkn33]

She addresses that in this video. Did you listen to it?

[@teejay9373]

Turn up your hearing aid 😂

[@dragonshoarddesign3094]

I just started. I bought the machine in Jan 2024. Currently learning lightburn, shopify, etsy.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Best of luck to you! Thanks for watching.

[@Local11-m9r]

To anyone considering starting a laser business. KNOW YOUR MARKET. Etsy is a race to the bottom. I would suggest designing a project and finding someone to do the cutting for you. Get like 10 made and see if you can sell them. And with ETSY by the time you get the 10 sold you will have someone copy your design. And undercut you. Hence race to the bottom. The laser is a tool. A framing carpenter can tell you his hammer made him a million dollars and you go out any buy a hammer expecting a million dollars. It is a TOUGH market out there. Especially with the flood of cheap laser out there. Also the best laser projects are the ones you cannot tell were lasered.

[@WillysPerformanceCycleCtr]

This has been a great educational experience! It would be beneficial in say, 6 - 8 months, just to share a short recap of how things are going. Not necessarily a lot of detail, just an update. Thanks again for this series! Keep on buildng!

[@projectbumblejeep4190]

As a fellow tool user, I think you might appreciate this idea. I try my best to keep my tool boxes as organized as possible. So here is my idea for you if you're interested. Will your machine cut KAIZEN FOAM? Now this is more for mechanics tools as opposed to carpentry tools, but still tools. If your machine can handle KAIZEN FOAM, I think this would be a great product idea. Most guys that use this method of organizing their tool boxes, hand cut each sheet of KAIZEN FOAM to fit each tool. Very time consuming and labor intensive. If you go with the pre cut drawer liners for specific tools, they are very expensive. Maybe with you machine you can market a lower priced solution for those of us who are OCD about our tool boxes, but don't have the time to cut our own KAIZEN FOAM drawer liners. Just a thought/idea. Do with it what you will. God bless, stay well.

[@bobwadsworth4799]

A $7000 investment just to see if something might work is not something most can really afford. BUT, April's advice on how to go about this business is very sound! Thank you!

[@brentkelley9560]

Just started my store last night. I’ve had a c02 laser for a while now, and been dragging my feet to get started. Thank you for the insight and inspiration!

[@AprilWilkerson]

That's awesome! Best of luck! Thanks for watching.

[@BraxEvans]

Incredibly helpful advice especially on all of the work designing a product and pricing out materials that can be done before I invest in a glowforge so I can hit the ground running once I finally do pull the trigger on that. Your videos have definitely convinced me to give this a try.

[@dchall8]

So glad this worked out. I was very skeptical. Apparently I'm way out of touch with the golf community nowadays. I've been off the golf course for 60 years, and the golfers I remember would not have been interested in gadgety golf stuff. I'm happy to be wrong, though.

[@mlob535]

Wow! That's amazing! You found that niche and are killing it! I've been on Etsy since 2016 and haven't had huge sales yet. I have a niche as well but I think my niche is very obscured. I need to find a way of making it more main stream. I do have a laser cutter but I'm using it more for my art. I would love to see more of this series (not sure what) but this is very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@mitzibud6908]

Another awesome video!! Very inspiring!! Thank you!!😊

[@vadenmohrmann2844]

I really appreciate the update and would like you to continue to make them!

[@sammisworkshops3762]

Fantastic, Yes please do some more updates along the way, It gives folks ideas, including me! Thannks for doing these candid videos.

[@airsnapshots]

Thanks for sharing April. Would love you to continue the series, especially to hear of you come up with new products. Love the fact that you are s concentrating on something you love (golf). Been thinking of something similar but with 3D printing. I have a lot of ideas for drone parts and accessories for myself and if they work out, being able to make those available for the public. Thanks for the encouragement you bring us.

[@SuperDukie]

I love seeing the progress and seeing the true numbers. Thank you for all of this. The one thing I find misleading is you claim to not have put your branding on your products but yet you have these videos on your main channel with 188k views on the first two. This isn’t something we would have as a complete start up with no branding. I would bet you got sales from the first two videos without a doubt and those videos massively helped.

[@AprilWilkerson]

I didn't advertise my site on the videos though, so felt it was as honest as it could be. The Etsy store I created had nothing to do with my name or Brand. Thanks for watching.

[@Diggar72]

Please keep us posted quarterly as I am still learning and want to learn more.

[@FrugalShave]

After running a Makerspace for 10 years I can say that a Glowforge would not be my first choice. Not that it is a poor product, but it is priced far too high for it's value. I have been using Etsy for my 3D printing side hustle for the last 8 years. It has been an easy experience for the most part. There is a problem if you need customer service because they canceled their customer service phone line and if your problem does not fit into the narrow list of items on the list of problems they provide they will not give you the option to even chat with a human. They will also refuse to give specific reasoning for actions they take that effect your vendor account. Instead they just copy and paste the boiler plate available on the website even if it does not apply.

[@LoriCheezem]

I would love to hear more about your business. Please continue your series.

[@christopherbennett6916]

I’m totally blown away sand so happy for your success. Loved your channel now, and had an idea for a great product. I’ll message you.

[@cobymcgee8026]

Thank you again for this series. I love the idea of this side hustle.

[@richardbrobeck2384]

We use that same glowforge in the classroom one the things that was well worth the buy was the dust collector for glowforge !

[@Artsplore]

Next topic should be about branding. Once a product designer gets successful, copycats start coming out of the woodwork. An authentic dated and signed April Wilkerson design is what will get inspired and loyal customers confidence in hitting the purchase button.

[@allisonwoods6161]

Great video giving details and inspiration. Will you be covering your trip to Australia in May for Wood Dust down under 😊

[@splinters_66]

I hope so,April, Jimmy and Matt and everyone involved were so nice and generous with their time, it was such a fun weekend and a pleasure to meet them all !

[@johnjensen5540]

Great series and advice! If you keep doing it I'd love to see more.

[@johnsaverino]

So appreciative of you. You are very inspiring and motivating. Looking forward to all that you are willing to share. Your KZbin productions are excellent!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you so much!

[@edwardholmes91]

Thank you for sharing so openly about your project. It's very insirational and certainly food for thought for lots of people who have been considering setting up a side hustle. I'd be interested in quarterly updates about how things are going.

[@richragan4810]

Thank you for your time April and yes I'd like to see more. My Etsy shop is FAR more siccessful than I ever imagined.

[@anncorrell2399]

Excellent advice on designing first prior to purchasing a Glowforge!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@Wolfen6]

I see and hear (podcasts) many Etsy sellers discuss total collections instead of profit details. Most of my research on selling through Etsy shows that your profit would be about 20% to 30%, so, in this case, about $3,000. If your sales continued at their current rate, you would still pay for the Glowforge by the end of first year dedicating ALL profits to paying for the equipment. Could you give more of a "Profit and Loss" breakdown? The Glowforge itself costs almost $7000. To say that it "paid for itself" at this point is misleading...but it will eventually if you keep this side hustle up.

[@jimdinwiddie4837]

Excellent information. I enjoy all of your videos, keep up the great work.

[@keithjones5384]

You do very awesome work! Congratulations on all your success. Hard work and dedication pays off and you seem to be a very hard worker and hats off respect to you.

[@lovermansmith9082]

Very Cool ! You Go Girl . Find your Vids most interesting . Educational . Fun . Not too long . Thanks !

[@csusrugger]

Been a fan for many many years. To be honest and critical in a good way, do you think your experience would have been different if you weren't April with millions of viewers? I would love to see a similar idea, with a different user name on Etsy and one video 6 months in summarizing your experience. In full disclosure, I bought your chicken coop plan from years ago so I'm not only a fan, but spent my own money.

[@AprilWilkerson]

The Etsy Store I opened for this was not with my name but a different name. I did not advertise it associating it with me or my Brand. Thanks for watching.

[@yvesjolicoeur747]

Thanks......just your positive energy gives me a boost

[@anncorrell2399]

Congrats April!

[@jimpiatek5063]

Great video April, it’s exciting seeing how you generated this amazing business ❤

[@ChadAmI80]

In short, yes, keep making updates. 2. can you maybe do something similar around an entry level cnc machine?

[@joemattes8389]

As a small business owner I’ve really enjoyed the series.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Great! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@schairphoenix4059]

remove background on photoshop is fast, but you have to pay or know someone who has it. ebay has a remove background that works pretty good because they want solid white aswell. you could prob learn to do it in photoshop in 5min. amazon handmade will prob be big

[@genicemilliner7667]

Do you have any experience with Squarespace? I would definitely be interested in seeing more of these videos!

[@khayfer]

Alright! I'm going to try this!! Thank you April for this series and your encouragement at the end

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. Best of Luck!

[@fredericrike5974]

ON a semi regular basis, a "few words" on how any of your enterprises are fairing would be great. How for instance do you appraise the value of slabs of sawn timber?