Finding humour in the everyday: How this witty small business made it big

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Designer Anna Blanford wanted to do Mother’s Day differently. While browsing through rows of generic department store greeting cards one thing had become abundantly clear: she could do better. Forget the go-to formula of “insipid floral motifs” and syrupy sweet messages. What the world needed was something truly genuine (and funny).

An underwhelmed Anna explains, “I mean, they weren’t even nice arrangements of flowers! And everything was along the lines of: ‘I love you Mum, thanks for doing lots of housework.’ That’s certainly not the kind of relationship I have with my mother.”

So, the enterprising creative set to work. “I’d drawn a card with a smiling pregnant woman, and I explained to my husband Gareth, ‘I basically want this to say: Thanks for carrying me around for nine months Mum’.”

In all the markings of a true partnership, Gareth knew exactly what Anna was looking for. “He replied that the caption should read: ‘Thanks for the lift.’ It was perfect.”

Making the mundane a cause for celebration

And so, Able and Game was born. Now a growing ten-year-old business, Anna and Gareth specialise in handmade greeting cards and giftware designed to celebrate not only the milestones, but also the mundanities of everyday life. That means everything from staying in for the night, to having your email hacked or even simply touching a cat (and liking it).

Anna explains, “We ask ourselves, what are the seemingly boring or routine things that everyone experiences? And how can we celebrate them in card form? It’s so easy to get bogged down in the everyday, but by turning it into a cause for joy, you gain a fresh perspective.”

This winning combination of humour and genuine sentiment has seen the little Melbourne-based brand grow to be stocked in stores everywhere from Tasmania to Hong Kong.

Mastering the challenges and sharing in the special moments

Here at Xero, our driving force is helping small businesses like Able and Game to do beautiful business. Which is why we’re proud sponsors of Finders Keepers – a sustainably-minded market that features the work of more than 1200 independent makers and designers from across the country.

A Melbourne Finders Keepers regular, Able and Game’s approach is perfectly matched with the growing demand for small, local producers who design to last. “We create nearly everything in house – we even do our own printing. It might make us more expensive than the mass-produced stuff, but the quality is undeniable. Plus, we’re way funnier.”

But this husband and wife passion project isn’t without its challenges. Anna divulges, “As a small business owner, you have to juggle countless different responsibilities, and it’s hard. It doesn’t help that I’m the type of person who gets distracted easily (and arguably don’t always manage my time so well). That’s why we’ve taken an accountant on board and switched to using Xero. Now, I can devote myself to the parts of the business that excite me.”

And nothing is more inspiring than the customer stories. “There was an older man whose daughter had just had her first baby. He picked up a card that read: ‘I’ve choreographed a special baby dance for you.’ And he told me, ‘This reminded me of when she was a baby, and I would dance around the nursery trying to get her to sleep. And now she has a baby of her own!’”

“It’s nice to know that you’re part of those special moments.”

It’s official: Australian businesses are now required to digitally report their payroll information to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll. Join the team behind Finders Keepers in discovering that STP is as simple as a few clicks with Xero.

Melburnians, don’t miss the chance to support small business and find yourself a treasure or two at the AW19 Finders Keepers Market at The Royal Exhibition Building on 18 to 20 October.

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