Working

Where did the original idea come from?

I was on a path to find an opportunity to live out my entrepreneurial ambitions and one day, out of the blue, Nadine Meisel crossed my path. Nadine is a Barcelona-based, award-winning inventor and her work is even shown in the local museum of ideas and inventions (MIBA). The one product that really grabbed my attention was the 'photoletter'. One day she was fiddling around with a regular envelope when she was struck by the idea of developing a creative card that transforms into a self-standing photo frame. This sparked the idea of creating the innovative company post&up in Barcelona, that now commercialises the product. Anyone can create their own personalised photoletter on our website. We elaborated on the original idea by adding a whole range of frames that suit different occasions like, for example, birthdays, Christmas or Valentine's Day. The photoletter brings together the advancements of the digital world and traditions, which we then connect with sincerity and love. The last step was to find a printer to make this business possible—we found in Germany a printer that employs people with disabilities. Finally, creativity, technology and social responsibility were tied together, giving us the motivation to seriously pursue www.postandup.com. Nadine’s designer background and my knowledge in IT and interest for business provided the perfect synergy to make this work.

How long did it take to get your business off the ground?

If you define “getting your business off the ground” as getting my weekends back, I would say six months. This however doesn't mean that you can sit back and rest; if you stop, your business will ultimately fail. You need to be dedicated and love what you're doing to make your work successful and sustainable.

What do you wish you’d known when you started?

Marketing is everything. It is not sufficient to have a really good service or product. You have to sell it. It is much more time-consuming then we thought. We spend much more time on marketing now; this includes, for example, continuous improvement of our website, developing our PR, being present on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, investing in high-quality photography and preparing events and promotions for major holidays. When you start your business you should have a marketing plan in tact; be prepared, so you know what's ahead.