The Start Up Hub Blog is all about showcasing business owners who have started up a small business from scratch. As you know my passion is helping create awareness for small businesses and each month we will chat to a different biz owner who will share their highs, lows and advice with getting their business off the ground.
Tenille Moren from Paper Scissor Rock has taken time out to share with us information about her little business and I especially can’t wait for you guys to see which well know celebrities bubba’s are wearing Paper Scissor Rock clothing line.
A little history about Paper Scissor Rock. It was established in October 2014 and stands for “design on PAPER, cut out with SCISSORS and ROCK those threads”! It is a mother daughter team who hand make stylish threads for little ones! And the cutest threads I must say!
Tenille and her mum have shown with utilisng their skills, hardwork and determination that a dream can come true. If you are trying to take the leap of faith or want to learn from another small business owner then I suggest reading Paper Scissor Rock success story below. You never know, you may just learn something to kick your biz along quicker.
How long has PSR been trading for?
PSR has been trading for 2 years this month! I started PSR back in 2014 after my youngest son was born however I played around with ideas and started doing bits of sewing back in 2012 after my eldest was born!
What is your WHY for starting up PSR?
I started PSR as back in 2012 I wanted to try making my son some clothing. I started off making little leggings which I put a photo up of them on my private Facebook profile and then a friend asked if I would mind making her daughter a couple of pieces. Looking back at that photo I can’t believe how far we have come!!!!
PSR was my own thing, a way to be creative! I love being creative and missed that! We (mum, Julie, and I) also decided we wanted to be able to pay for the whole family to go on a big overseas trip to FIJI which we are finally doing next May! We are so excited we have been able to make tour WHY happen!!
How has PSR impacted your life?
PSR has been hectic and crazy at times! I don’t know how many times my husband used to say of a night time “you’re going to sew at your mums again?” and was sick of all the threads he would find around the house. But he finally saw where PSR is going and is very understanding of it all now. I think some days he has higher expectations for it then I do and I love that!
It’s also been so rewarding and worthwhile! We have had such highs and along with some lows as everyone experiences! As mentioned above I am now able to use my creative side and I love love love seeing clothing we have made being worn by kids all around the world – it’s the best feeling!!
What’s the hardest decision you have had to make to date?
I haven’t really had any hard decision as of yet and I am sure they are to come. At present I am working 2.5 days at my day job and the rest of the time juggling PSR and family time! I am hoping one day that this will be my full time job – can only dream right! This will be the a big decision to decide when the timing is right to transition to PSR full time.
I recently saw a psychic for my birthday, who told me that if I decided to do it, it would pay off!! It’s just following through as that’s the hard part! Hopefully one day!
Do you outsource tasks or employ staff ?
We don’t employ staff as my mum, Julie, and I run the business together. She worked many years in a local sewing factory Exacto and used to sew hoodies, pants etc. I wasn’t sure if she would have joined me in this venture as she said she would never get back into sewing after doing it every day for so many years! I’ve learnt so much from her and am always in awe of her skills. We do have our printing done by a local company called TNT Explosive Printz, Terry and Troy, are amazing and so efficient! We want to keep as much outsourcing local to support other businesses in our area.
What advice would you give a new small business starting out?
I want to say it doesn’t happen overnight – you need to work hard as you need to wear many hats when first starting out and a lot of things are trial and error! If you have a new idea, believe in yourself , as you can make that dream into something! Some days will be hard and you will doubt yourself whether you should keep going, but the other days you’re so thankful you kept on trying because all that hard work is worth it!
You will question yourself and whether people will like what you have created or offer. Some people will and some people won’t but believe in your product or service! Just remember it isn’t for everyone and that’s OK!
Don’t ever give up! Believe in yourself! After 2 years we have just reached over 9k followers on Instagram and selling our clothing worldwide and it’s all taken hard work but worth it!
What does the future hold for PSR – what are the key milestones you would like to achieve?
First milestone will be 10k followers on Instagram, can’t believe we are almost there! What a dream come true! I look forward to growing our business and to keep on creating new ideas etc.
Second milestone will be working in PSR full time!
What makes you stand out from your competitors?
Being individual! I note down all ideas I have and sketch them out by hand! I then research to ensure no one else has the same design. For our summer range I had a piece of paper on our fridge and when an idea would come to me I’d write it straight down and draw a sketch and the idea would come to life on paper!
We also take time to source material and colours to ensure the prints ROCK on the clothing!!!
It’s so rewarding when you create a piece and it comes out exactly how you envisioned!
What’s one exciting moment you would like to share?
Exciting moment when Michelle bridges and commando Steve started following us on Instagram! Their little dude, Axle, has a couple of our camo pieces in his wardrobe!
We also recently had Tori Spelling from 90210 follow our Instagram account and wife of soccer star, Adam Federrici, bought a few matching pieces for him and their daughter! It’s such an amazing feeling having people follow you and Instagram is such a perfect social platform for businesses. Using the correct hashtags for our business has helped PSR get noticed!!!
What are the links to your social media and website?
You can find Paper Scissor Rock:
Instagram: @paperscissorsrock_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PSRclothing
Website: https://paperscissorsrock.bigcartel.com
Would love for you guys to go to PSR’s social media accounts and let them know you have read their story and show some love!!!