10 Questions with Wendy Kubota, Founder and Creator of Gel-a-tins

1. How did you start your company, gel-a-tins?
   
   Gel-a-tins actually came to be thanks to both consumer and retailer demand. It started out as a different name in June 2004 as a regular feature in a monthly kit club. When the stamps were featured as a "latest find" in a popular consumer magazine we decided to start wholesaling. So we created the name - which is stamps that feel like gelly stored in a tin - and we sold the kit club. We began operating as gel-a-tins in October 2005 and attended our first CHA in July 2006.
   
   
2. How is your company set up?
   
   To offer a variety of stamp personalities, we design some of our own or license the work of other designers. We then have our clear rubber stamps manufactured in the United States by the best company in the business. Basically, we use a company to manufacture our products that can produce non-yellowing, art-quality rubber stamps and can meet our quality guidelines. Currently, we have three full-time employees and two-part time employees.
   
   
3. You are located in Canada. Do you sell most of your products in Canada, or do you ship more out of country? What issues do you deal with as an international company?
   
   As with any business, we sell our products based on how the population works. For instance, Canada's market is 10% of the size of the United States. So as any other company doing business in North America, you will find your sales per country to represent the market size.
   
   Although our head office is based in Toronto Canada, we also have a warehouse in Niagara Falls New York where we ship products to US residents and some international destinations.
   
   We regularly ship internationally to both customers and retail stores and have not encountered any issues. It's just another part of running the business!
   
   
4. How do you come up with ideas for your stamp sets?
   
   Ideas come in many shapes and forms, from shopping to watching my kids doodle to dreaming! Ultimately, each design is reviewed to ensure it makes sense for both scrapbooking and card making. We have an amazing design team that has used the stamps in their work which is shared in our online gallery.
   
   
5. What advice do you have for people who want to start their own scrapbook business?
   
   Plan, plan and do some more planning! Create a solid business plan that identifies your target audience and your competitors. Make sure you spend time on both inventory and cash flow management. There are some great small business planning templates available (just use Google to find them) that are free and very user-friendly.
   
   
6. What was the hardest thing about getting your business started?
   
   Time and money - isn't it always? You want to do so much but need to pace yourself so you don't get yourself in debt that you can't manage. You really need to understand money coming in and money going out. Then it's the balance between work, family and time for yourself. Besides never having enough cash there is never enough time. If you can't take time for yourself then ultimately, the business suffers. You will lose your creativity and your love for the business.
   
   
7. What advantage(s) does owning your own business give you?
   
   Flexibility is the best advantage. Although you always seem to be "on" and thinking about your company, it does allow me to decide how to balance out my day. I can choose where I work (such as home and not always in the warehouse) and when I work.
   
   
8. What do you see yourself doing in five or ten years?
   
   Most likely standing and chatting at yet another CHA tradeshow! Seriously, five years from now I hope to continue doing what I am doing now but seeing gel-a-tins as a well-grounded, trusted and valued brand.
   
   
9. What makes your stamp sets different from other stamp sets on the market?
   
   First, consumers need to identify the types of stamps on the market so you can make a proper comparison. Currently, you can find red rubber, clear rubber (photopolymer) and clear acrylic. In terms of performance and longevity, rubber stamps out stamp and outlast an acrylic stamp which is basically made by pouring liquid acrylic into a mold.
   
   Our stamps, made of clear photopolymer rubber, perform the way you would expect a red rubber stamp to perform. You'll have clear, crisp art-quality impressions and a stamp set that will last as long as you wish to use it.
   
   Once you start comparing our photopolymer rubber to other photopolymer stamps you spot the difference with gel-a-tins:
   
   - All of our stamps come in one of three metal storage tins (look for a "gelly tray" to store your stamps coming soon!)
   - Each stamp is guaranteed for their quality. If you damage or even lose an image, we will replace it free of charge.
   - Designs are bold, graphic, full of life and many times, are created to interact with other stamp designs.
   - We offer fun accents such as embossing powder (we call it gelly powder) in scented, regular and glitter.
   
   
10. What do you recommend people do to take good care of their stamp sets?
    
    The best way to care for your stamps is identify the best way to store, such as in our tins, so they are organized and you don't lose them. For cleaning, we suggest keeping it simple such as with soap and water or my favorite - baby wipes. For those who like their clear stamps looking as new as possible, use a stamp cleaner such as our gelly wash which is specifically designed for use with photopolymer rubber.