12 www.homebusinessnetwork.co.uk Issue 3
FRANCHISE FOCUS :: SIMPLY COLORS PROFILE :: ART ANGELS CASE STUDY :: ANANYA
Arty party planner’s
Graham Cooke
pirate expansion
By Emily Hill delight of making their own
masks, jewellery boxes and
IF you thought Paris Hilton was other items that they could take
the only person to make a living as home to show mum and dad. In
a party animal, think again. Vicky September last year, on Charlie’s
Connor from Bolton goes partying for third birthday, Vicky published
a living... in a sense. Her home-based The Art Angels’ Book of easy
business is Art Angels, a national Crafts for Kids. She’s now a firm
company that provides arts and believer that “your book is your
crafts activities for children’s parties. best business card” and says
Vicky started the business when the book has not only provided
her son Charlie was eight months an extra stream of revenue for
old because she wanted to create the company, it’s also raised the
a lifestyle for her family that was profile of the Art Angels brand.
flexible and allowed her to be When the recession hit, Vicky
there for Charlie when he needed decided that “fight” was a much
her. Art Angels more attractive
was launched
three years ago.
❝
When the recession hit,
option than
“flight” so she
Without any bank Vicky decided that “fight” launched ‘Party
funding available,
Vicky taught
was a much more attractive
in a Box’, a
packaged product
herself how to
option than “flight”.
❞
that enables
make websites cash-strapped
and used her credit card to fund parents to run their own low cost
the other start-up expenses. In Art Angels party. The result? “Our
retrospect she says she wouldn’t business has doubled this year –
recommend going down the credit when we expected it to halve”.
Keeley Edge with son Oliver
card route, but it was her only The next step – which is co-
option at the time. incidentally going to occur on
Birthday gift led to
Art Angels’ growth was entirely Charlie’s fourth birthday this
organic. Parents of delighted children coming September – is the launch
told their friends about the service of a new sister company, to be
colourful new career
and it wasn’t long before Vicky was called Pirate Days. Vicky says:
receiving calls from customers all “Art Angels tends to attract more
over the UK who were excited about girls than boys, so we’re launching
Ceri Henfrey
By Kate Chandler complete career change and a the idea of having a Party Angel
Pirate Days as a way of tapping
venture that would allow her to lead an arts and crafts session at into the male market. Boys don’t
Keeleyedge runs the UK and work as well as spend plenty of their child’s birthday party. Having
like to sit still for too long so they’ll
Ireland franchise for Simply quality time with her son. Keeley briefly considered and then rejected
do a small amount of arts and
Colors, selling personalised runs the franchise from her home a franchise model, Vicky set about
crafts before dressing up as pirates
clothing for babies and children. in Fleet, Hampshire. recruiting other Party Angels to help
and having professional pirate
With a head office in Holland, “Here at Simply Colors we expand the brand.
make-up applied – this will include
it has franchises in most of love our kids because they are Within 18 months, 15 Party
fake blood and scars!”
europe as well as the US, Canada, unique, funny and energetic. We Angels were providing kids
www.party-angels.co.uk
Australia and China. feel that these big personalities all over the country with the
Vaishali Shah: Looking to sell in the US
Keeley, 36, launched her in their small sizes should be able
Simply Colors franchise in May to express themselves with their
Vicky Connor: Branching out
last year at the NeC Baby Show clothes,” she adds.
with a stand and five friends to “Our collection of cool and
help out. She sold just under unique baby and kids clothes is Cultural card company is looking to expand
600 t-shirts a commitment
which were
❝
Although I had
to quality and
Having plugged a gap by offering top quality greetings cards for festivals such as Diwali, Vaishali Shah – who heads her home-based
personalised on expression.
the stand so the experience of running a Our super-soft
Ananya business – now has her sights on the US. Philip Smith reports.
customers could
business, this is a completely
cotton basics
wait and take come in 10
NOT only is Vaishali Shah looking to extend her
the shirts away
different industry.
❞
colours. Almost range of greetings cards and bespoke wedding
with them. every item can
stationery, currently being sold in stores across the
“I was introduced to Simply Colors be personalised online with text.
UK, but she also wants to branch out into the US.
by my little boy’s auntie who lives in This can be the name of your
Vaishali created Ananya in March last year
Spain. For Oliver’s first birthday she baby or a funny (self thought of)
having built up her eight year old corporate design
sent a fantastic personalised t-shirt phrase or slogan. you can choose
business that helps firms with Asian origins better
and hoodie from the Spanish Simply from more than 17 different kids-
project themselves to a multi-cultural audience.
Colors. The hoodie said ‘I’m the inspired fonts in over 21 colours.”
“I realised there was a need for a culturally
Best!’ and the t-shirt ‘I know because
aware design agency and I wanted to target British
my auntie says so!’ (in Spanish).
www.simplycolors.co.uk
Asian businesses and help promote cross cultural
“I was so impressed by the
awareness. I decided to make the most of my Indian
❝
great colours and quality that I
heritage and european upbringing,” she says.
wanted to buy some as gifts for
“A lot of Indian designers didn’t understand the
Oliver’s friends but was really
“Get together with
UK sensibility and aesthetics and, while there are
surprised to see that Simply
a few contacts from
a lot of great graphic design agencies here, they
Colors wasn’t available in the UK,
different market sectors
didn’t understand the Indian sensibilities.
so I wasted no time in signing up
and brainstorm around
This latest business venture - Ananya – builds
to bring Simply Colors here.
marketing strategies
❞
“I used to ran a health and
T
I
P
on that Asian design aspect by specialising in up
to see what others are
market greeting cards for religious festivals such
skin care clinic in Twickenham
doing in their field which
for 11 years so although I had
T
O
P

as Diwali (Hindu) and eid (Islamic and Sikh). Until
may be transferrable.”
her range appeared, she said, British Asians were
experience of running a business,
Bill Miller, Director,
limited to bulk buying packs of cards from Asian
this in a completely different
The Entertainment
supermarkets or importing from India.
industry,” says Keeley.
Company
“you could get 10 Diwali cards for a pound,” she
It was after she had Oliver
says. “I couldn’t find any sophisticated superior
www.tradeshowweek.com
in 2006 that Keeley wanted a
quality cards. There were a lot of cards coming in
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