101 Guide on How to Start a Stationery Brand with Dots and Doodles

Did you know, the stationery industry in India is estimated to reach Rs. 71,600 crores by the end of 2025 and early 2026? Well, stationery is no more about boring pencils and the same old sharpeners. Today, the consumer doesn't just demand quality but also aesthetics! Yes, apparently, aesthetics are not just limited to Instagram stories or posts but also the things you own, like stationery! With social media's strong presence and pop culture, everyone loves customised curations. From plain solid colours to customised and colourful designs, stationery is now beyond just school and office. If you're someone who wants to begin their entrepreneurial journey in this market, then in this 101 guide, we break down the ABCs of how to start your own stationery brand with the founders of Dots and Doodles. Let's dive in, shall we?  

Dots and Doodles, founded byKrisha Seth and Yamini Gandhi, began as a small design studio and has blossomed into a vibrant lifestyle brand. What makes the brand special is its ability to turn everyday objects into experiences. From stationery to homeware, pet accessories, and apparel, every product is infused with original illustrations, detail, and storytelling.

At its heart, Dots and Doodles isn’t just about selling notebooks or planners—it’s about sparking joy, inspiring creativity, and creating design that feels both personal and timeless. “What started as simple stationery has evolved into a broader lifestyle aesthetic—but we’ve stayed true to our creative roots,” says Krisha. “Balancing creativity with business—pricing correctly, building systems, and scaling without losing essence—has been our biggest learning curve,” adds Yamini. In this 101 guide, Dots and Doodles explains how to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey in the stationery and lifestyle category. 

What You Need to Know Before You Start

What kind of person is usually drawn to this business? Someone equal parts dreamer and doer. Stationery appeals to people who love:

• Art, design, and illustration
• Storytelling through objects
• Organisation and detail
• Creating small moments of joy in everyday life
• But passion needs to meet discipline: paper quality, packaging, and even margins are all critical to success

What skills or tools are helpful?

• Design and illustration (or access to designers)
• Print knowledge: offset, digital, screen
• Business management: pricing, sourcing, inventory
• Digital marketing: reels, SEO, brand voice
• Community building: customer service, engagement

Tools that help early:

• Adobe/Canva/Figma for design
• Shopify or Instamojo for e-commerce
• Trello/Notion for workflows
• Instagram & Pinterest for visibility 

Is it scalable or best as a side hustle? “Stationery can be both,” says Krisha. “If approached casually, it’s a beautiful side hustle. But with systems, expansion, and strong positioning, it can scale globally—many lifestyle brands started small before becoming big.”

Brand Identity

• USP (Unique Selling Proposition):
• Dots and Doodles stands out with original hand-illustrated designs, a playful yet personal brand voice, and collections built on storytelling.

Target niche:

• Millennials & Gen Z
• Value personalisation, creativity, and aesthetics
• Found via organic engagement, customer feedback, and offline events

“Every collection tells a story and feels original. That mix of creativity and character helps us stand out in a crowded market,” says Yamini.

The Setup 101

• Initial setup requirements
• Design setup: Software, devices, illustration tools
• Production partnerships: Printers and paper suppliers
• Packaging: Stickers, boxes, tissue—all brand-alignedLegal: Business registration, tax compliance, trademarks
• Sales setup: Online store or small-scale retail channels.

Approximate investment range:

• Beginner (side hustle, small batch): Rs. 50,000–1.5 lakh
• Intermediate (varied SKUs, small team): Rs. 2–5 lakh
• Professional scale (exports, large inventory): Rs. 10 lakh  and more

Pricing and Positioning

How to price products:

• Cost of printing and materials
• Packaging and logistics
• Overheads (team, tools, rent)
• Profit margins (30–50% ideally)
• Perceived value (design, uniqueness, storytelling).

Common mistakes:

• Pricing is too low, expecting volume to cover costs
• Ignoring packaging and shipping costs
• Launching too many SKUs at once
• Underestimating the importance of brand voice.

How to stand out:

• Position products as experiences, not commodities
• Focus on storytelling, unboxing, and originality
• Highlight handmade, illustrated, or personalised elements.

Where to Sell

Best sales channels:

• Online: Instagram, Pinterest, and a D2C store for scale
• Offline: Pop-ups, flea markets, stationery fairs for trust
• Hybrid: Build reach online, emotional connect offline

Early visibility tips:

• Beautiful product photography
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Leverage friends/family for initial reviews
• Start with small, affordable impulse-buy products.

Marketing Playbook for This Category

Content that works best:

• Reels: design-to-product process
• Aesthetic unboxing
• Behind-the-scenes: illustration, printing, packing
• Relatable memes/quotes for shareability
• UGC: customer stories and photos

Low-cost marketing ideas:

• Collaborations with artists/influencers
• Pop-ups with creative workshops
• Unboxing contests or DIY content
• Community building through newsletters.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Underpricing to seem affordable
• Ignoring packaging and hidden costs
• Over-designing product lines too early
• Giving away freebies without factoring them in

Lessons from Dots and Doodles Design:

“Start small, keep your SKUs limited, and test demand before scaling. Details like paper quality or packaging can make or break trust,” says Krisha. What not to spend on in the beginning:

• Expensive shoots—DIY works fine
• Overproduction of SKUs
• Big ad spends before building community.

Growth and Scale

When to turn full-time: When revenue can consistently cover production plus a salary for yourself, usually 1–3 years, depending on consistency. Scaling looks like:

• Bulk printing orders
• Stockist partnerships
• Expanding into lifestyle categories (like Dots and Doodles did)
• Building catalogues for exports.

When to expand team/website/catalogue:

• Once orders exceed what the founders can manage alone
• When you diversify product ranges
• When customers demand a professional e-commerce experience
• Learn how to start a stationery & lifestyle brand with lessons from Dots and Doodles—covering setup, pricing, marketing, and scaling with creativity