When Tim Schafer was laid off in 2017, he and his wife, Paige, saw it as a blessing. The couple ran Schafer Art Studio, a home décor business specializing in farmhouse-style wooden signs, selling mostly through their Amazon Handmade storefront. Since 2015, Tim would return from his nine-to-five and spend his nights and weekends in his woodworking studio.
“By the time I was laid off, I was exhausted,” Tim recalled. “I went through the seven stages of grief on my drive home, and then I was ready for the next chapter of my life.”
Paige was happy too, realizing the change could be a catalyst for their business, allowing them the time and focus to invest in expanding their inventory. Their first thought was to enroll in Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), allowing them to send inventory into Amazon’s fulfillment network and outsource packing, shipping, customer service and returns, ensuring they could keep products in stock and meet growing demand.
“With Fulfillment by Amazon, we can get a bunch ofproduct ready and send it in, and then sell it while we’re sleeping,” said Paige. “We’re making sales without having to get up and pack an item.”
The impact was immediate. Within a year, sales increased 300%. Today, FBA accounts for 20% of their revenue. Their remaining business is custom work, which the Schafers deliver using Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM).
“Using FBA and FBM together has been integral for our business,” said Paige. “It means we can continue to do customized work, letting the customer pick the size, stain and wording of the signs, while also having a sales stream that’s more automatic.”
The biggest value of Amazon, though, has been the tools that help them tweak their business models when sales slow.
“Our wood signs, the bread and butter of our business, was on its last leg. We knew we needed to evolve,” said Tim. Using Amazon’s data-driven tools, like Product Opportunity Explorer to identify what products customers were searching for, he decided to pivot the business from wooden signs to customized shelving.
“We were looking for a product that we could make utilizing the same equipment we already used,” recalled Tim. “From poring over the Amazon data, we realized there was a need for shelving.”
It was a strategy that paid off. Since launching the shelving line in April, sales have climbed 58% year over year. Unlike seasonal farmhouse signs, shelving solves an everyday problem—covering wire closet racks and upgrading pantry storage—making it less vulnerable to shifting décor trends.
“It’s something people need, not just something they want,” said Tim. “And because we’re looking at Amazon’s data constantly, we can see when a product has staying power.”
The couple now offers more than 100 products in their Amazon store, blending batch-produced items fulfilled through FBA with highly customized pieces shipped directly from their home workshop. In a workshop based in their home—converted from their living room and garage—plywood is cut, stained and finished by hand before heading out to customers nationwide.
With so many different products, the Schafers have found particular value in A+ Content, which has enabled them to enhance listings and their product pages with high-quality photos and videos showing how each product is made and customized.
“Being able to show customers that this is handmade in Oregon by real people makes a difference,” said Paige. “A+ Content gave us space to tell that story.”
For Tim, the shift from corporate America to local manufacturing has reshaped how he defines success.
“In corporate, you can do everything right and still be expendable,” he said. “Here, if we bring a great product to life and customers love it, we see that directly. The feedback is immediate.”
That direct connection extends beyond their customers. The couple sources wood locally whenever possible, keeping production rooted in Oregon. Paige, a former fourth-grade teacher, has also mentored other artisans in the area, helping several launch their own Amazon Handmade stores and navigate fulfillment options.
“I love showing people they can do this too,” she said. “You don’t need a warehouse. You can start small, learn the tools, and grow.”
Looking ahead, the Schafers plan to expand their shelving line with coordinating storage accessories, using Amazon’s data to guide what customers want next.
“Trends come and go,” said Tim. “You just have to keep evolving.The audience is there. If you’re willing to learn and adapt, you can keep building.”