Est:- August 2017
Industry/Sector:- Handmade Crafts. (We used to specialise in Apparel, but now we're very much in a broader sector).
Who are Omnique?
Background - Owners: Sam and Alice Cooper
- Inspiration behind logo design: We actually used to work a lot with vinyl and the logo is a simplified version of what it looks like when you're peeling off the excess vinyl you don't need (otherwise known as weeding). We also really like round logos just for functionality reasons (profile pictures, our labels, stamps etc), so that's the reason for that little addition.
What made you decide to start your own business? And together!
Have you always wanted to do it? We definitely have (and still do) want to work for ourselves, but we didn't always want to go into sales. It just sort of happened. We went for our second long holiday in the States and we used machines and materials that were easily accessible over there at the time, to make personalised souvenirs for some of our family members. We both enjoyed doing that so much, we figured we could set up a little business doing that sort of thing. Obviously, Omnique has evolved very much from that original business plan though, (mainly to be kinder to the environment - because vinyl is plastic-based and involves a lot of waste so we wanted to make our products not involve vinyl where possible).
Have you always been creative in this way? Definitely! We both love various forms of art and creative subjects.
Roles within the business... We both know how to do everything, so our roles are definitely not fixed. However, Sam obviously works on the website without me, as he is a software developer full-time and that's his forte, and I, (Alice), do the designing of new products without him, as art and design is my specialism. Whilst Sam has a full-time job alongside, I definitely do more roles in Omnique, but it's not like those roles are assigned only to me; Sam definitely helps out where he can, and that involves taking over the social media sometimes to give me a break, or helping create items for orders if there's a lot to do.
How is it running a business with your spouse? Mostly, it's amazing! You know each other so well that one can take over from the other when needed, and our roles are just automatically adjusted to suit our workload - which we both know so well because, of course, we live together and are together a lot of the time. Obviously, having a business can be stressful at times, and that is difficult when you work from home and your business partner is your spouse, because you can't get away from it, but those stresses would be there even if your business partner was elsewhere. And I actually think that we work through any difficult patches quite quickly, because we love and support each other through everything - so we're used to dealing with bumps in the road together!
What types of products do you sell & how did you settle upon these?
How are the products made? Everything is handmade! However, when we used to make apparel for groups and societies, we did outsource the blanks of those jumpers or tshirts or whatever. Even then though, the personalisation was all done by hand. I'd do the design myself, then we'd cut the vinyl, weed the vinyl (which I described earlier, to mean getting rid of the waste) and transfer the design ourselves. Nowadays in Omnique, nothing is really outsourced as everything is handmade (and largely crocheted). Our cards and prints are either painted or drawn by hand. I'm hoping to do more digital art in the very near future, but I was waiting on some new amazing photo paper to arrive (which has taken longer than usual due to covid) so that launch has been delayed ever so slightly.
How much time goes into the process(es)? Short answer - a lot! Long answer...
Every new product we make starts in a design phase, where I draw and write out everything I'm thinking the new product will be.
Then there's a research phase, where I look at what's already on the market and check if there's a gap that I am filling - (and I make notes on how I am going to target and meet the requirements to fill that gap).
Then I prototype. In this phase, I work out my pattern, or draft designs over and over, until there is one I'm happy with.
Then I think about what variations we're going to offer for this product, (i.e. will it be personalised? Will there be different colours? Will there be size variations? etc). After that I make one of each variation.
Then, I figure out what photos I'm going to need. This usually involves at least 2 scene setups and then a closeup shoot on a white background from various angles. I make a list of the photos needed and then I set out a full day to take those photos (and it really does take all day haha).
Then we have to organise those photos into a system so they can easily be found and accessed. (This bit Sam and I take turns doing, because we both hate it and it's just like 4-6 hours of tediously trawling through all my photos and sorting them into folders).
Then we have to upload to Etsy, which is a big thing in itself as there are specific ways you have to type your titles and add hashtags and variations and whatnot. Making a very first listing for a new product takes about 3 hours; every listing of a variant of that product then only takes about half an hour but it's still a lot of time if you have many variations.
Then I have to look at marketing the product and how we release it on social media. (This takes time every single day! Honestly, the marketing and social media side of things I don't even like to think about how many hours that takes because it's essentially always there, next to me and on my mind haha!)
I then have to think about how we are going to present the product and what kind of packaging will be used. (How will we ensure it has our clear branding, but still be recyclable and kind to the environment, whilst also trying to give every one of our customers that luxurious handmade feel that you only get when you shop small?)
AND FINALLY...when it comes to somebody buying one of these items, we have to make it, package it, and send it off. Making a product can very much be a long or a short process, ranging from half an hour to many, many hours of work. Everything that takes an hour or less, we make to order then and there; everything else, I make over a few weeks/months and list them on Etsy as unique pieces, (e.g. this is what we do with our scarves and blankets).
Most popular product(/type)? Our scarves and blankets we think, or possibly our new matching bookmark and coaster sets (people love those at the moment).
Do you have a set time frame for when new/more products are made & released? I have a rough schedule when it comes to seasonal holidays and occasions, but with everything else I just do what I can when I can - to try to reduce the pressure and stress on myself. This way, our products end up being of a higher quality anyway because, as anyone who is creative will know, trying to force creativity produces the worst work, so I just avoid doing that.
What are your views/plans/goals for the future of Omnique Designs? Although we have sales and product goals as a part of our business plan, (which we won't bore you all with here), we feel like Omnique will always be a part of us wherever our future takes us. It has grown and changed, as we have as people, and we feel it will always do that. As mentioned earlier, we both want to work from home, and for ourselves, in the future, so this is definitely something we can - and want to - run whilst doing that. It is an extension of our household now - we can't imagine our lives without it - so, although the pandemic has left our futures, (as it has most people's), a bit uncertain and unclear, we know that we're going to keep pushing this little dream of ours hopefully for many, many, many years to come.
Not sure if you’ve heard, but there’s this little thing called a pandemic going on at the moment! How have you found being a (small) business owner during this time? Do you think it’s affected your business in any way/at all…or not? Oh of course! The pandemic has changed business massively! In some ways, that change has been good. In others, it hasn't been so good. We have wanted to move to Etsy for a few years now, but we were getting a lot of face-to-face interest, so that move got delayed. The pandemic definitely pushed us into doing that though. All our plans for craft fairs and whatnot last year were thrown out the window. All our social media platforms, which we hadn't necessarily pushed to grow over the last three years, suddenly became essential for us to be able to survive, so we learned more - quickly - and adapted. All these things we wouldn't say were bad... just the timescale of it all, happening just as Alice was trying to write her dissertation and sit her final exams, wasn't the greatest. We did it, though, and that's definitely made us stronger! COVID has massively affected so many small businesses though, as we are all stuck at home, unable to put that face to these handmade gifts in the way we love to. Most of us are fumbling to understand Tik Tok and ever-changing social media algorithms to try and get the message out there about all the work we are doing. Our jobs aren't easy. We put in countless hours of work before we get a single payment or sale, (as I described earlier), and sometimes it feels like nothing is working! The small business community is wonderful though, and by supporting other small businesses where we can, we're all getting through this tough time together. The pandemic won't be here forever, but we know the friends we have made in the small biz world will last a lifetime, so that's definitely the best thing that's come out of all this: the push to create a community that stands together even when we're all apart.
What’s your personal view on why someone should opt to shop small/independent (over larger, chain stores)? Larger companies have their positives: they can provide cheap products that are made quickly; also, because they all basically sell the same product, it's really easy to see which place is selling it the cheapest as they even use the same images for that product most of the time! However, with small businesses, you don't get that. We do everything - from making the products to taking the photos - so our stuff is entirely unique! You can't compare a bookmark you bought from Omnqiue to another bookmark on Etsy, and purely just look at the price, because the products will be completely different! So you have to think, ‘what do I actually want’, and decide which you like best before making your purchase. To some customers, that's a lot of effort, I get it; sometimes you just want a bookmark, and you kind of feel like you don't want to spend hours deciding which one because we're used to just going to larger companies and not being given this extensive choice between such beautiful items! So why shop small, when it's more effort? 1. It's better for the economy! When you shop small, your money goes to a person who reinvests that money into the community, because it pays for their livelihood. Whether they spend it shopping for food, clothes, or gifts for their friends and family, that money doesn't just accumulate on top of millions of other pounds in a bank. 2. It's better for the environment! Many people aren't aware of how impactful things like fast fashion is on the environment and, the best way to explain what fast fashion is, is to ask yourself which thing you're most likely to throw away first: the thing you impulse bought from a larger company, which you paid a couple of pounds for, spent five minutes looking for and could get from any other larger store in the future if you needed another, OR the handmade product you got from a small business, which you paid a little more for, spent days deciding which one was right for you and could probably not find again if you wanted another in years to come? The answer being the latter shows the amount of items that could be saved from going to landfill if we all shopped small wherever possible. Yes, it takes more time and effort to decide on the item but that's a good thing! It means it will be treasured and loved so much more! 3. You are far more likely to find something that fits YOU! So many small businesses make things to order so, if you want something very specific, many sellers can tailor to your needs. You couldn't message a large company and say, ‘I like these coasters, but my living room is yellow so is there any chance you'll make a yellow set for me?’ With small businesses you can! Obviously, some may not have the capacity to make such changes, but so many can - and will be happy to do so! The best example I have of this is that I can only wear earrings in my left ear, (due to having a different kind of piercing in my right), and I have not yet found a small business that isn't willing to sell me earrings either individually, or as a set with odd earrings so both can be worn on different days! If I bought from a large company, one would just go unused, worn and wasted! 4. The items are way more unique and beautiful! Okay this point is heavily biased, haha! But, in all seriousness, having something personalised or unique in your home gives it character and really can bring so much joy and happiness into a space. If you don't believe me just try it. Go onto Etsy or the small business UK tag on social media and spend some time picking out something unique that you'd love. I bet you'll be excited for it to arrive, and then when it arrives you'll want to show your loved ones, and then every single time you look at it you remember that you shopped small and that that item helped the environment, the community and makes you so happy!
Discount Code 'OMNIQUELOVESOWL' will get you 10% off orders £9 and above until the end of April! Why not treat yourself to a coaster, blanket or scarf - (some of Omnique's most popular items)? Especially now you are even more (consciously) aware of the benefits of shopping small/independent. Happy Shopping!
Website:- https://www.omnique-designs.co.uk/
Etsy shop:- https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OmniqueDesigns
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