CREATIVE MERCH FOR YOUR SMALL BIZ
deliver a pro brand experience on a #startup budget
Imagine walking down the street, scrolling on Instagram or pulling up behind a car at the traffic lights – and there it is…
YOUR brand.
Whether you’re a side-hustler. A self-starter. Or a small business owner on the move. You dream of growing a stellar brand with a professional look and feel (even if revenue’s less than $100).
…A passion project set to make bank. One that lights up your eyes (and theirs) every time you’re asked “how’s biz going?” One that edges you towards replacing a day at your 9-5. Or funds your next getaway. Opens stores across Australia?
Like every business, you’re starting at ground zero. Maybe you’ve landed a few online orders (congrats!), or recently swung open your doors (woo hoo!). Now it’s time to attract dream customers, craft next-level unboxing experiences and delight buyers, so they return again and again.
Good news! Building a strong brand rep that’s uniquely yours doesn’t have to cost you everything you’ve made so far.
we help everyday businesses elevate experiences even if revenue hasn’t cracked $100 (yet)
PERSONALISE STAMPS, STICKERS & SUPPLIES
MINIMUM ORDERS
the ingked story
creative merch specialists for side-hustlers and self-starters
it started like most love stories do – with a police officer, an OT and a Chinatown takeaway shop
In 2005, a police officer named Paul wandered into a takeaway shop in Sydney’s Chinatown. The shop was run by the parents of an Occupational Therapist named Uyen, who helped out at the shop on the weekends at the time. After being introduced by a mutual friend, the two got chatting – and the rest is history (depending on who you ask. Paul will tell you he pulled Uyen over in a dramatic car chase).
The duo began dating almost instantly. Six months later, they were engaged. Six months after that? Married. #efficient
An entrepreneurial creative at heart, Uyen was always making things on the side. Think: personalised keyrings, hair accessories and birthday cards. It was the perfect relief from her high-pressure day job. Especially with the encouragement from Paul, who was always there to support all of Uyen’s wild business ideas.
Eventually, Uyen and Paul started a gift and framing business, which they ran alongside their full-time jobs. But this next taste of ambitious would take a turn in a new, unexplored direction.
a boss lady and her sidekick (aka hubby) here to help you bring your brand to life
Fast-forward to three kids later. In 2017, one of their little ones was struggling at school, so Uyen made stamps to encourage him. They worked! Uyen bit the bullet, ordered 200 stamps and began selling them to help teachers ignite creativity, enhance productivity and inspire imagination. She called it Teachit Co.
A workplace-stress-related throat condition forced Uyen to prioritise her health and consider a career change. Eventually the biz had grown so big that Uyen needed more team members. Could her newest sidekick be Paul? Paul agreed to take six months’ leave to help Uyen and see how far Teachit Co would grow.
The pair ramped up marketing, and the orders started pouring in. Uyen and Paul looked at each other. At the numbers. And at each other again, with a glimmer of excitement… they’d replaced Uyen’s income and were on their way to replacing Paul’s too.
Each taking a deep breath, the duo said “sayonara!” to their day jobs and went full-time at Teachit Co. The hardest part? Telling Uyen’s parents, who were incredibly disappointed that Uyen wouldn’t be using her university degree! Fun fact: Uyen’s parents ended up joining the business, and still work there to this day!
Today, Uyen and Paul have expanded to launch ingked, helping other ambitious creators and makers achieve the same growth they did when they started treating their ‘side hustle like a real business.
At ingked, we help fellow side-hustlers and self-starters like you bring your brand to life, so you can grow your own way.
meet the ingked team
the creative wife
uyen
Is the brains behind: ingked
Loves: her bed-delivered morning barista-made coffee from Paul
At home: plans the finances and the schedules, is a workaholic
In the biz: customer happiness, stamps, stickers and supplies visionary
“I’m not sure if we’d be married if we were sitting next to each other while we work. Because on the computer, I’m actually working, and I have no idea how those new machines work – haha!”
Says Paul is: a perfectionist, with a great eye for detail. Plus, he’s a pro at getting the kids ready for school, cooking and cleaning like a boss.
It’s important to: keep a healthy flow of orders to pay the household bills and to live life and have some fun along the way!
the hands-on hubby
paul
Is the brains behind: ingked.threads
Loves: clear box collection of hats and shoes (seriously, it’s an addiction!)
At home: gets the kids ready, organises school drop-off, cooks and cleans
In the biz: machinery wiz, ingked.threads apparel curator
“Give me a computer, and I’ll immediately be watching reels and YouTube. Give me a machine, and I’ll make it my personal mission to figure out how to work it, and how to run the process efficiently.”
Says Uyen is: an expert multi-tasker and super organised. She’s also the most expensive and useless tool in the kitchen.
It’s important to: get all orders out at the highest possible quality and rock merch that’s ahead of the trends.
ingked values
REAL BIZ TOOLS FOR THE REAL WORLD
creative business merchandise that elevates experiences
sooo… what’s the secret to a successfully-run husband-and-wife business?
elevate packaging, promote brand identity and build customer loyalty with on-brand creative merch
Happiness Guarantee
Happiness makes the world go round. And the same goes in business! While you take full responsibility for your final design, if you’re not absolutely over the moon with the quality of your ingked goodies, please let us know. Reach out via our contact page within 30 days, and we’ll discuss the next steps to get that smile back on your dial, plus your custom made merch/supplies, firmly planted on your products and on your ‘I love them!’ list.