I made my best mate a cheeky card when she got dumped – now we earn £105k a year – The Sun
WHEN a heartbroken Stina Sanders was dumped by her boyfriend of four years she was left feeling miserable and unwanted.
But her best pal at Bath Spa uni, Roya Soleimanifar, knew exactly how to cheer her up – with a card reading MEN SUCK.
The 27-year-old, from Manchester, couldn't find anything already out there so she printed her own – and it made Stina smile for the first time since the break-up.
Seeing a gap in the market, the pals set up their own sassy, straight-talking card company after graduating – which made £105,000 last year.
Roya and Stina, 28, spoke to Fabulous Digital for #BOSSINGIT, our series about ordinary women who have launched incredible businesses.
Stina, who lives in London and works in PR, said: "The idea for CheekyMinx actually came from a dark place. My boyfriend has just dumped me and I had a breast cancer scare.
"It wasn't a good time for me and to cheer me up Roya went out of her way to find a card for the rubbish occasion.
"She couldn't find anything suitable, so she made me a card which said MEN SUCK on the front.
"The card was simple, yet it described my situation perfectly.
"It was at that moment when we both realised there was a gap in the market for cards that say it how it is."
The idea for CheekyMinx actually came from a dark place. My boyfriend has just dumped me and I had a breast cancer scare
The girls launched their business in February 2018, investing just £250 each in website and printing costs.
Roya, a regional manager at a car rental company, said: "We literally brainstormed on the back of some wrapping paper but it gave us a starting point.
"My mum was our first customer. But I remember our first real sale – that was very exciting.
"Then our first customer came back a couple of days later and purchased another card. That, to us, was proof that CheekyMinx worked."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsimCG3HYkT/
I need a 6 month holiday, twice a year. #weekendvibes photo credit @callenndoyle
A post shared byRoya Soleimanifar (@roya_sol) on
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Off to the Attitude Awards ? @attitudemag #attitudeawards
A post shared bySTINA SANDERS (@stinasanders) on
Stina added: "CheekyMinx is a nickname we call each other whenever we do something mischievous.
"That's exactly how we visualised our brand – the naughtier the better.
"The idea for CheekyMinx started as a laugh. We bought a domain name, printed some cards and advertised on Instagram.
"Within a week, we had sold out of cards and that's when we knew it wasn't a laugh any more. In that time we made £2,000."
https://www.instagram.com/p/Belz2DKAJ-j/
#mylove @stinasanders ?
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Charging £2.50 for their signature white cards, Stina and Roya initially focused on break-up and divorces.
But they've now branched out into cheeky cards for all occasions – including Father's Day, weddings, new babies, love and Get well soon.
Among their best sellers are No-one liked him anyway, Congrats… I give it a year and the ever-popular phrase What's your WiFi password?
That's exactly how we visualised our brand – the naughtier the better
Stina said: "In just over a year we now have a turnover of six figures and expect it to increase. It's a very exciting time for us but exhausting."
Roya added: "Every day we work on our business. Although I have a 9 to 5 job and Stina has her own PR business, we still find time to grow CheekyMinx. Somehow."
Stina & Roya's tips for success
- Get ready to face rejection
- Find your niche – and stick with it
- Create a solid plan
- Be flexible and listen to your customers
- Take care of yourself
The card business is worth £1.7 billion annually, but just 5 per cent of this comes from online sales.
The girls admit: "In the early days, CheekyMinx was turned down by lots of stockists because our cards were too rude.
"Eventually the right stockists came along. You just need to be patient.
"Not every idea works so adapt your business as you go along.
"The cards we thought wouldn't sell became our best sellers, and some cards didn't sell so we took them off the site."
CheekyMinx is currently in talks with a popular supermarket and the cards are stocked in boutique stores and garden centres all over the world.
In last week's Bossing It, we spoke to a mum who was a Club 18-30 party rep until she got pregnant – now she makes £300k.
You can shop from CheekyMinx here.
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