Note: Donations that go above my goal will allow me to hire a professional website developer, or go towards renting an office/premises to operate the business from.
When my pet Loomy passed away, I wanted to remember him in a way that was unique. Using my creative nature and love for art, I came up with an idea for a memorial using his paw prints, but no way to bring the vision to life. I would need equipment, crafts, and a frame which would be expensive just for this one project. Unless these were put to bigger use and I perhaps created a stream of much-needed income for me.
This is where the idea for Loomy Prints came to life. A small, home-based business which could cater to my own want (Loomy's memorial item), and supply others with unique memories and gifts. I decided to use my own love for creating art to research and compiled a list of products to design, make and sell: pet memorials, bookmarks, greetings cards, vouchers, and framed artwork! There is scope to expand and introduce a wider range of products further down the line, and potentially hire staff if the demand is high enough, but for now I'm trying not to get too excited and carried away. The heart of this project is more than a business. It will provide me some stability to work towards purchasing my dream home, and it will put me in the position to be able to support causes I'm passionate about - animal welfare, food banks, and mental health. I know that from the success of Loomy Prints, I can support these causes through donations of profits or products.
The fun part of developing a business like this is coming up with the ideas. The next fun part is hand-making each product. But the big obstacle is how to fund my new business. My goal amount has been carefully figured out through what it costs to purchase equipment such as a large-format printer, print supplies, art frames, packaging materials, website domain, and so much more. In the event of not being able to raise the full amount, it's still possible to get Loomy Prints set up with limited equipment and fewer store products for the smaller amount of £2,955.