For all the heartbreak of Covid-19, the pandemic played an undeniable part in showing how resilient and creative humanity can be. In lockdown and missing the ability to travel, Alexander and his partner Elisabeth were looking for some art to put on their own wall featuring their favorite places on Earth…
Welcome to the nbourhood
Finding nothing, Alexander took matters into his own hands – and the rest, as they say, is history. “He decided to design his own, which other people also liked”, says Elizabeth. “Suddenly they were selling really well. Now it’s a profitable business and we are able to travel the world and create new posters.”
Today, the nbourhood catalog boasts an impressive selection of over 16,000 prints, each meticulously curated and produced to bring the essence of each location to life. It takes full advantage of the digital realm, gathering images from far and wide that truly encapsulate the spirit of each destination, ensuring that prints are as authentic and representative as possible.
A Map to Freedom
With sales picking up, Alexander and Elizabeth were able to embrace their rapidly expanding nbourhood store as a full time dream. When they weren’t designing beautiful prints or creating custom maps, they were racing across them – traveling and working from different locations. “The whole concept of being able to pay your own salary, being your own boss, and doing something that you really like is amazing”, muses Elizabeth. “There’s a special freedom to being a ‘digital nomad’ – able to travel the world while running a business...”
Not All Plain Sailing
Of course, the path of business never runs completely smooth. The couple freely admit that there are still a lot of struggles, such as running out of stock, orders being damaged, theft and delays from carriers in critical moments. But Elizabeth remains philosophical. “You learn as you go, and sometimes you learn more by actually making mistakes, which can be used to strengthen the business in the long term.”
Dedicated to Design – with OrderlyEmails
Any business with an eye for design (and you only have to look at the nbourhood store to see that this team has an enviable talent) cares about their own brand. The experience and consistency of interacting with a brand is important, and Elizabeth and Alexander have always recognized this. “We want to give our customers a special journey when they make a purchase, so being able to customize all steps of the purchase process is important for us,” says Elizabeth.
“As a result, we also decided to use OrderlyEmails to make our post-purchase order confirmation emails and other automated Shopify notification emails that bit more special, and also to provide opportunities for some up and cross-selling. The app is inexpensive compared to the benefits it provides, so it’s a no-brainer to use it, and we have already recommended the app to other Shopify store owners.”
What’s on the Cards?
As you’d expect from a business whose founders are always on the move, nbourhood isn’t standing still! The team is constantly creating new designs and experimenting with other product types, such as apparel, mugs and iPhone cases to expand their portfolio.
“But at the end of the day”, says Elizabeth, “the most important thing for us is to have happy customers. We’re constantly trying to improve our business model to give them an even better experience when purchasing our products. As an example, we have just launched a new carrier for our frames, which gives them a much more premium touch, again resulting in even happier customers.”
So, there you have it: attention to detail, impeccable customer experience and a life dedicated to design and travel – the points of the compass that the nbourhood brand navigates by and thrives upon.
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