101 Guide on How to Start a Sticker Brand by the Founder of Sassage Stickers

Starting a sticker brand in today’s world, where nearly every Instagram account revolves around stationery, can be quite challenging. While your artistic skills will definitely help, you'll also need to consider investments, design ideas, and marketing techniques. Don’t worry, this article is your ultimate guide! If you're planning to start a small business or a sticker brand, Laksha, the founder of Sassage Stickers, will guide you every step of the way. From overcoming slow sales to tackling creative blocks, this guide has all the answers. Let’s get started, shall we? 

Know your basics

Don’t know where to start? These pointers will help you plan:

• Visually appealing
• Build a Brand Identity
• Set a Target Audience
• Secure your investments
• Invest in proper certifications

When Laksha launched Sassage Stickers, she wished to build a world that reflected the things she cares about most: mental health, LGBTQ+ pride, nostalgia, cats, animals, and other niche interests close to her heart.

“I had no plans on starting a brand. I began with memes and gradually transitioned into stickers, keychains, and more. While my original memes may never make it onto stickers in my store, what people do get is a more polished, playful, and colourful evolution of what started it all. Each sticker still carries that spark of humour, honesty, and heart,” the founder says. 

Defining Target Audience 

Every brand in the market has a target audience, and it is one of the most crucial steps when it comes to marketing the brand later. Here are a few points you can note for the same:

• Should also comply with the trends in the market.
• The product category should appeal to the masses.
• It should match the target audience’s current demands.

As a queer entrepreneur, Laksha aims to create social awareness amongst people through her simple designs and genuine efforts. "Through my simple designs, I’ve had the privilege of educating allies about the various flags along the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. One of my favourite stories is about a teacher who displayed our Ace Flag sticker; her students saw it, asked what it meant, and that curiosity opened the door to an entire class discussion on LGBTQIA+ identities”, the founder reminisces.  

Building a Brand Identity

In a world of fleeting trends, for a brand to flourish, the most important part is for it to resonate with the customers. Thus, a strong brand identity comes into play! Here are a few pointers to remember:

• A good website to boost sales.
• The products should be visually appealing.
• The brand's motto and idea should resonate with customers.
• Should have a strong social media presence with consistent posting.
• Look for a gap in the market and design your products accordingly.
  
  

Potential challenges and precautions

Running every brand comes with its own set of challenges. Here are a few challenges and solutions on how to tackle them:

• Manage your profits and reinvest in things that work for you and the brand. 
• If the sales might be slow, make sure you have a backup business plan ready.
• Running a small business is a task; make sure you have a good team or friends who might help you out during bulk orders or inventory.

If you’re a working individual and wish to start a brand, it’s of utmost importance to maintain a balance between both employment. Laksha, herself being a full-time therapist, initially struggled when she started Sassage Stickers. “When I first started the brand in college, I had more time to create reels, engage with my audience, and experiment with online marketing. However, once I began working full-time, it became increasingly challenging to keep up with the pace of content creation and the ever-evolving algorithm. That’s why maintaining a balance between both is essential. It helps you navigate easily”, the founder opines. 

"I’m five years into this journey, and every day I’m still learning new ways to do things. I began Sassage Stickers with just my internship stipend of 2,000 rupees. It’s scary at first, but it’s absolutely worth it," Laksha advises all the Local Samosa readers who wish to start their own sticker brand one day.