We know how daunting it can be to start a new business, especially if you’re disrupting an industry or creating an entirely new one. When there is no path to follow, the biggest question is, where do I start? There is so much to do, but before you get ahead of yourself, let’s start at the beginning. To kick-start the process, and ease some of those first-time founder nerves, we’re asking successful entrepreneurs to share their stories in our series, From Scratch. But this isn’t your typical day-in-the-life feature. We’re getting into the nitty-gritty details of launching a business, from writing a business plan (or not) to sourcing manufacturers and how much founders pay themselves—we’re not holding back.
Photo: Courtesy of Steffi Lynn Tsai
Naming a business is no easy task. The right one is not only memorable but also embodies your values and conveys your distinguishing characteristics to potential customers. For artist Steffi Lynn Tsai, inspiration came from an unlikely source: a plastic take-out bag. “I literally decided on the name the day I decided I wanted to open up my shop and was eating take out from a bag with a have a nice day design on it,” Tsai tells Create & Cultivate. “I thought of Have a Nice Day because I wanted something cheerful, easy to remember, and just overall a happy saying.”
Known for her quirky, colorful work, the name was a perfect fit. Have a Nice Day boasts the artist’s signature smile-inducing designs on everything from stickers and stationery to socks and T-shirts. Although her glass mugs and water bottles are sold out on online, you can snag the sought-after Have a Nice Day Glass Water Bottle at Create & Cultivate’s inaugural Small Biz Pop-Up in Los Angeles where locals can safely shop via Postmates or via contactless shopping, thanks to Square, when visiting the IRL pop-up at Platform. During times like these, who couldn’t use a reminder to “have a nice day?”
Ahead, Tsai takes us behind the scenes of her career as a freelance artist and tells us how she turned her love of product design into a cool accessories line that makes people smile.
On launching her online shop…
“Honestly, it started because I loved seeing my work on items and was experimenting with hand making a lot of my products. It came to a point where I was just hoarding all these handmade goods at home! I posted a bunch of my work online about all the little things I was making and people seemed to like them! So one day, I just decided to start selling them!”
On writing a business plan (eventually)…
“I definitely fell into ‘starting the business’ because my original thought was just to create work and share it with the world! I loved experimenting and just seeing what my illustrations or lettering could look like on a product and selling them helped fund that hobby and it turned into something profitable. I didn’t create a business plan until much later on, when I realized I had to make a plan in order to expand. It definitely helped a lot for me to think and reflect on where I wanted to see the business in five years.”
On coming up with the name “Have a Nice Day”…
“I literally decided on the name the day I decided I wanted to open up my shop and was eating take out from a bag with a have a nice day design on it (the classic plastic bag). I thought of Have a Nice Day because I wanted something cheerful, easy to remember, and just overall a happy saying. It was perfect and simple, and people say it almost every day to at least one person. I loved that. I don’t believe in forcing something to happen. I may be a very persistent person, but I think things should come naturally. Be observant, look at everything around you, listen to everything around you. You might hear or see something that just ‘clicks,’ y'know?”
On setting up the business logistically…
“I had a really hard time with this because I thought everything would be super easy. I started off on Etsy and it was just ‘an Etsy Shop.’ To me, I thought that was good enough. It is really difficult for me to not have control over every aspect of my life, so asking for help was not an option I wanted to explore. That being said, my biggest advice is asking for help and not to be stubborn about it! Your resources are all right in front of you and your biggest resources are your peers. Ask fellow business owners questions!”
On finding the look and feel (and audience!) for the brand…
“I kind of fell into starting a business so I didn’t do this right off the bat. But what I did, later on, was: make a mood board, make lists of your market, and research your demographic.
Mood board: I am a very visual person, so I like to take photos and collect items that I catch my eye. Making a mood board is so important because you can see everything you like in front of you and find the connections between everything. This will help you with your brand colors, aesthetics, etc.
Lists: Make a list of all the shops that you admire, that you shop at, that will be your peers. See what they are doing and what is successful for them
Research your demographic: What kind of age group are you looking to sell to? What are they into? What is trending for them?
On locating the right manufacturers to work with…
“Lots, and lots, and lots of Googling and asking for estimates and quotes. It is super scary and hard to invest money into a product, A) you’ve never made before, and B) from a company that you’ve never worked with before so make sure you look at all your options!”
On self-funding the company…
“I did a lot of freelancing jobs and saved a lot. I have always been super good at saving because I am in constant panic that one day there might be a crazy emergency and I will need a large amount of money for some reason? That paranoia definitely helped with saving. Obviously, this depends on the type of business and the product one is trying to make—because different products cost more or less. I personally think self-funding will always be my go-to because I feel like I am in total control.”
On making the mistaking of stocking too much inventory…
“Most production prices go down when you order in bulk, so it is appealing to order (for example) 1000 stickers at $0.25 compared to 100 stickers at $.75. But the worst thing is to have too much inventory that is not moving. It is basically just sitting money. There was one time where I thought I could move a lot of a specific product, and I didn’t. The product was not selling and just had thousands of dollars worth of products, sitting around in my apartment. And I don’t think I really ended up profiting from it.”
On freelancing from the get-go…
“I actually started freelancing in college and then started the shop right after I graduated. I have always been super eager to work. So I took advantage of all my downtime to freelance and save money because I knew I didn’t want a full-time job ever. And after I graduated, I immediately started my shop.”
On growing a team…
“I have an assistant that helps with some orders, but I personally like fulfilling orders myself. I like that I get to touch every order and add a personal touch. However, as Have a Nice Day grows, I will definitely have to sacrifice that detail since it will end up being not practical.”
On being transparent…
“I think it is important to be transparent and open about what goes on behind the scenes. People want to know the BTS! Show them!”
On her #1 piece of advice for aspiring small business owners…
To be kind of yourself, be open to learning, don’t be discouraged, and make sure you put love into what you are doing—it’ll show.
To discover, support, and shop all of the brands featured at the Create & Cultivate Small Biz Pop-Up, head to our C&C Small Biz Pop-Up hub.
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