Many happy returns

Picking out the right greeting card – whether for a birthday, wedding or any other occasion – can be no mean feat. If you’re British Asian, the struggle is all the harder. “Every time I went to pick up a card in a store, I would feel like there wasn’t anything that represents me,” says Samantha Alfred. “Cards generally only have western faces and reflect western culture.”

Despite getting the thumbs down for her business plan from the panel on BBC’s Dragons’ Den in September 2006, Alfred is successfully filling the gap in the market with her Asian cartoon characters based around different themes such as Masala Girls, Chutney Kidz and Desi Boyz, using her training in henna design to create the cards. The UK’s largest greeting card retailer, Clinton Cards, now stocks her designs in 100 of its stores and Alfred also supplies Sainsbury’s, Asda, Fenwick and a further 50 online and independent retailers.

“Asian culture is fun: the food, colourful fashion and of course, Bollywood has put India on the map. So I thought why not create a fun card that celebrates my culture?” explains Alfred, who was no stranger to design, having done a degree in English and fine art.

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“I’ve always drawn, sketched, and painted. But while my friends from university hired out spaces to become artists after we graduated, I went to work in the City. I was just too scared I wouldn’t make it in the art world. But throughout my time in the City, I did always have this feeling that I was cheating myself.”

Ten years down the line, she got the kick-start she needed. She was unexpectedly made redundant. “I had no excuse now, and I also had a whole bunch of additional skills that I’d gained from working in the City – negotiating, managing meetings, talking to MDs, marketing and so on.”

Having designed cards for friends since she was a little girl, Alfred ploughed £20,000 into her start-up entitled Jivana Style, gaining business advice from Business Link and her husband, who ran a business himself. Friends and family, despite being supportive, were nervous, particularly as Alfred decided to produce on mass from day one. “I wanted my cards on the high street so that people could find them. In fact, it was only a year into it that I realised I needed to sell direct to customers as well. That’s when I started doing Asian exhibitions and going to local shops to sell.”

But Alfred didn’t order large amounts of stock. “I didn’t have the storage space and I didn’t want to tie up my finances. So I worked on a print to order basis. Still now, I have a small range of stock and a large selection of designs.”

Alfred fell on her feet soon after she launched in February 2006. “I was at a trade show in Birmingham and a member of the purchasing team at Clinton Cards took an interest in my stand. They said they’d been looking for something to fill the Asian market and hadn’t found anything. I finished the show on the Friday, met them on the Monday and arranged a trial in a few of their stores.”

It was just after these trials– when Clinton Cards removed the cards as part of its standard procedure to compile figures – that Dragons’ Den scoffed at Alfred’s idea, accusing her of “dreaming”. But Clinton Cards did come back for more, as did other retailers and Alfred has now expanded into wrapping paper and knick-knacks such as key rings, mugs and fridge magnets. “I’d like to bring out a clothing line next. I think the cartoon characters would lend themselves to T-shirts. I could even see it becoming a cartoon strip. It is potentially limitless,” she says, explaining that her ultimate aim would be to follow in the footsteps of Forever Friends, a series of greeting cards that became a household name.

The ride hasn’t been completely smooth so far, though. “Breaking stereotypes with the bigger buyers isn’t easy. The buyers have often asked for Diwali or Eid cards but nothing else. They’ve missed the point that my cards are about culture, not religion. Although I do make these cards, I’m Christian, so Hindu and Islam are not of great interest to me. I’m personally more interested in cards for birthdays and weddings or Mother’s Day. But it’s been tough convincing them that missing out on the all-year-round market by just focusing on the religious aspects of Asian culture isn’t the way forward.”

A further challenge for Alfred is the growing competition, although she insists she isn’t fazed. “People are trying to do similar things, but it doesn’t really worry me. I think competition is good. If you have a monopoly situation, the buyer doesn’t have anything to compare you against. If you know your product is good, they will make the right decision.”

One thing that makes Jirvana Style stand out is that the cards and products are manufactured in the UK. “Other cards with an Asian theme tend to be produced abroad, but for me it must be the UK. As a British Asian, I have a foot in India and most of my weight in England, and that’s what my cards are all about. I feel strongly about that. It’s part of the ethos of the product.”

Like many entrepreneurs, Alfred started her business from home. But having had a turnover of £70,000 in her first year, she recently decided to move to an office in a business park. Her aim is to take on staff – initially someone to manage the online sales and later someone to take the products to the retailers that she hasn’t approached yet. Eventually, she envisages using other artists.

“I’m happy to grow at a pace that doesn’t put me at risk of toppling over,” she says cautiously. “On the other hand, I know it could be a global business and I am keen to take advantage of that. There are plenty of Asians settled in places such as America and Canada. I’m also keen to offer more ethnic products across the board. I’ve just had an order for a bespoke range of cards for the Arabic English market in Kuwait.”

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