August 2009 www.homebusinessnetwork.co.uk 13
FRANCHISE FOCUS :: SIMPLY COLORS PROFILE :: ART ANGELS CASE STUDY :: ANANYA
Graham Cooke
Web Doctor
Google UK
VAISHAlI has built Rival companies are
a strong foundation currently bidding to
for the business, appear against these
selling cards through types of keywords on
big name shops in Google, and therefore
the UK and giving will pick up customers
the brand offline from the extra traffic
visibility. However, being driven to their
running web searches sites. Being ‘found’
for keywords that online is vital to ensure
are important to the Ananya is considered
business, like ‘Diwali within that decision
greetings cards’, making process.
‘eid greeting cards’ The web can
and other terms offer important and
mentioned on the instantaneous market
website, the business research on exporting
❝
has little visibility. to the US. A quick
When making Google Insights for
decisions on products Search check shows
and services around the biggest demand
❞
key events and for Diwali greetings
special occasions, in the US is in New
especially something Jersey, Illinois,
as personal as Massachusetts, New
greetings cards, york then Texas,
people will naturally so it may be worth
Keeley Edge with son Oliver
turn to the web starting to sell
to research and products in these
purchase items. places first.
Ceri Henfrey
Head of Business Banking
Alliance & Leicester Bank
VAISHAlI’S business risk generated by
is already well fluctuating foreign
established here in the exchange rates
UK however, to sell and risk of dealing
www.party-angels.co.uk her cards successfully with businesses in
Vaishali Shah: Looking to sell in the US in an overseas other countries and
market, she will need therefore Vaishali
Vicky Connor: Branching out
to understand her needs to discuss
Cultural card company is looking to expand
customers, what these with her bank.
influences their buying Vaishali also needs to
decisions and who her consider how she will
competitors are. promote her business
❝

Having plugged a gap by offering top quality greetings cards for festivals such as Diwali, Vaishali Shah – who heads her home-based
Before Vaishali in the US.
Ananya business – now has her sights on the US. Philip Smith reports.
starts to sell and While referrals
promote her cards will be very cost
only is Vaishali Shah looking to extend her from India but they didn’t appeal to me as British Vaishali hopes that piece
overseas, my advice effective, they may
❞
range of greetings cards and bespoke wedding Asian,” says Vaishali, 37. of US work – the result of a
would be to carry not provide the
stationery, currently being sold in stores across the “There’s a huge market and my cards are now referral - could open the gates
out careful research, volume of orders
UK, but she also wants to branch out into the US. sold via Harrods, Paperchase and Cards Galore for Ananya cards to be sold in
to find out if there she is looking for
Vaishali created Ananya in March last year for between £1.95 and £2.50 each.” last year she the States. “I would be looking
is a demand for her and therefore she
having built up her eight year old corporate design printed 35,000 cards. at Macey’s, Bloomingdales and
product, how large should consider
business that helps firms with Asian origins better Vaishali and her team of six – which is spread bookshops,” she says, building
the target market is, attending a trade
project themselves to a multi-cultural audience. across the world - designs the cards, and the on her Harrods success.
are there any cultural event, as this would
“I realised there was a need for a culturally recently added line of bespoke wedding stationery, “We are now also selling
issues in her target enable her to meet
aware design agency and I wanted to target British and organises the printing and distribution. general occasion cards
market that will affect potential customers,
Asian businesses and help promote cross cultural Vaishali’s london home, from where Ananya is
❝
The greeting card
in Harrods using the
sales and promotion, distributors, agents
www.simplycolors.co.uk
awareness. I decided to make the most of my Indian based, is opposite the British Museum. “I often go predominant Islamic colour
etc. There are guides and journalists.
uropean upbringing,” she says. there for inspiration,” she says.
business dropped off
of green but adding other
available online on She may get
“A lot of Indian designers didn’t understand the The move into producing one-off designs for
a bit so I developed
contemporary colours. They
how to research orders on the spot,
UK sensibility and aesthetics and, while there are use at weddings was prompted by the recession.
the personalised
are available all year and are
overseas markets or the event may
a lot of great graphic design agencies here, they “The greeting card business dropped off a bit so used for birthdays, thank
and you can also yield business
stationery range to
I developed the personalised stationery range you and new home, that sort
read about issues opportunities,
This latest business venture - Ananya – builds to counter that. “I am currently designing some
counter that.
of thing. Harrods is where
to consider before contacts or useful
I
P
❞
on that Asian design aspect by specialising in up wedding stationery for a couple in New york. the wealthy Arab and Asian
selling overseas on the feedback. Again,
market greeting cards for religious festivals such They are both African Americans so there is no communities shop.
link2exports website. information on
id (Islamic and Sikh). Until Indian influence at all. But what is important is “I’m looking now to appoint
looking to enter trade shows for
T
O
P

T
her range appeared, she said, British Asians were understanding what is important to them.” a representative for the Middle
a new market also her industry and
limited to bulk buying packs of cards from Asian It’s not cheap. A personalised monogram can cost east. But the next logical step
raises a number of export destination
£100 then there is the stationery design and print is to branch out into the baby
financial issues such is available online at
ou could get 10 Diwali cards for a pound,” she costs on top of that. “But people spend so much industry - it’s a good link to
as international websites such as
says. “I couldn’t find any sophisticated superior on a wedding,” she says. The bespoke wedding weddings – and make bespoke
payments, the www.tradeshowweek.com.
quality cards. There were a lot of cards coming in invitation service starts from £500. baby announcement cards.”
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