For the second time in just about two years, Name Bubbles is moving.
When we started it was out-of-the-home type of business and within six months we had already leased out office space. Now, we’re looking into moving again in the fall, that’s our hope, said CEO and Founder Michelle Brandriss.
Name Bubbles is a small online business in Saratoga Springs that sells funky personalized waterproof labels. Gone are the days of reapplying masking tape and writing names in Sharpie, said Brandriss.
`It’s definitely a need. More parents are wanting to save time and money during that early morning rush to get out and get the kids off,` said Brandriss.
Brandriss used to order labels from various companies but wasn’t pleased with the quality or aesthetics of them. After toying with the idea, she decided to take the plunge and launch her own line of labels for mothers just like her who were searching for better labeling options.
`By law in many states you’re required to label a child’s item and a lot of people might use masking tape or Sharpies eventually the tape wears off and Sharpie rubs off but Name Bubbles really do stay put for years at a time,` said Brandriss.
The labels are colorful and come with designs or plainer options and can withstand dishwashers and washing machines. A lot of the evolution has come from customer feedback, said Brandriss.
`A lot of our initial styles were really well suited for very young kids and a I had a lot of moms saying ‘My 8-year-old won’t use one with an icon, he wants something plain,’ so I’m going more toward a stylized look that can be suited for all ages,` said Brandriss.
Name Bubbles might be local but Brandriss’ customer base is largest in California and Texas.
`I have found that New York State is definitely one of the leading states but it’s not the leader I’ve also noticed that the labels tend to migrate to larger cities and I think they might have a more urban appeal,` said Brandriss. `They’re a little more modern, more fresh and some are even a little preppy.`
Brandriss said she wasn’t at all surprised by Name Bubbles’ fast success.
`I had the feeling it would be successful and when you’re planning something like this, from the beginning you really want to plan for growth,` said Brandriss. `Suddenly our bubbles are going all over the world to all these places I’d love to go to someday, so that’s the interesting part of having an online business.`
With a growing customer base and more products, it was only natural that Name Bubbles as a company would grow too, said Brandriss.
`It started out as just two of us and then ends up now we’re looking at 14 employees,` said Brandriss, who said she plans to keep Name Bubbles a family-owned business.
Making new label designs is one of her favorite parts about Name Bubbles, said Brandriss.
`It’s been really fun learning how to make the product I get really excited when I can focus on making a new line and that creative aspect of it,` said Brandriss. `Some of my background was in fine arts so there’s that creativity side of it I think is very fun.`
Name Bubbles is the only company in the Capital District creating these heavy duty labels, said Brandriss. Her biggest competition is in Canada, California and Colorado.
A Name Bubbles School Pack contains 88 personalized labels of various sizes and costs $33.88. For more information about Name Bubbles or to order some, visit www.namebubbles.com
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