I didn’t mean to start a business – I just wanted to read my Kindle without dropping it on my face. But, sometimes, the smallest annoyances spark the biggest ideas. In my case, one slippery Kindle turned into Strapsicle – an e-reader accessory that’s now making reading more comfortable (and less clumsy) for thousands of people around the world.

If you’ve ever dreamt of building something from scratch, here are a few honest lessons I’ve learnt from bootstrapping a business that began with silicone straps and a lot of DMs.

START WITH THE ITCH – OR, IN MY CASE, THE THUD Strapsicle started with a thump – the sound of my Kindle slipping out of my hand and landing squarely on baby Archie’s head during a late-night feed. He was fine (more surprised than hurt), but I was mortified. And also very tired.

Turns out, lots of people have trouble holding their devices – whether it’s due to hand cramps, arthritis, or just wrangling a baby and a book at the same time. That real-world empathy, baked into the very first prototype, is what made Strapsicle resonate from day one. The best ideas often come when you're solving a problem for yourself – especially one that others might quietly be struggling with, too.

TEST TINY AND LISTEN LIKE MAD When I launched my business, there was no PR push or capital injection. Just a few prototypes, some colours I hoped that people would like, and an Instagram account with a friendly tone. From day one, I was the founder sharing my side hustle. We kept it super-small and grew the community one by one.

I started by selling small batches and treated every order as a feedback loop. Customers weren’t shy and that was gold. They told me what didn’t fit, what colours they wished for, as well as how the straps changed their reading life – like the woman with cerebral palsy who could read again after struggling to do so for so long. That message still sits in my inbox. It fuels everything.

FORGET FOLLOWERS – FOCUS ON ONE FAN AT A TIME I couldn’t predict how big the business was going to get. What I could do was answer every Instagram DM like it really mattered, because it did. In the early days, I didn’t have a big marketing budget or slick ads. What I did have was time, care and a sincere connection with the people curious enough to message me.

Reaching out to one micro-influencer at a time, replying to customer questions with kindness, and sharing silly behind-the-scenes posts weren’t just about engagement – this was how I built brand trust from the ground up. It’s not flashy, but it’s powerful. And honestly? It’s still one of my favourite (and most effective) tools to this day.

BUILD COMMUNITY, NOT JUST CUSTOMERS Our readers are brilliant. Since the beginning, Strapsicle has grown not just through sales but through genuine connection: comments, stories, reposted reviews and the occasional meme. They’ve followed me from the very beginning and I know they’re cheering me on from the sidelines. I’ve leant completely into that. I have a passionate Facebook group of over 1000 customers who give us feedback on EVERYTHING. If they don’t like a design, we don’t do it.

People want to belong to something, not just buy from it. Allowing your brand voice to sound human (and a little goofy) makes that easier.

START LEAN AND STAY SCRAPPY You don’t need an office, a full-time team or a giant warehouse to get going. In the early days, Strapsicle ran from my kitchen table with stock stacked high in every cupboard and packing slips flying everywhere. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked.

Instead of trying to build a big team right away, I leant on brilliant freelancers – designers, copywriters, even customer service help – who could jump in whenever I needed specialist support. It kept things flexible and sustainable. Staying small doesn’t mean thinking small – it means growing with intention.

JUST KEEP GOING If there’s one piece of advice I’d pass on, it’s this: take action every day, no matter how small. Some days you’ll make a big leap – launch a new product, land a big feature, hit a milestone. Other days, it might just be answering one customer email or fixing a tiny bug on your site.

But momentum matters. Progress stacks up. And the quiet consistency of showing up, learning as you go, and doing the next small thing? That’s what builds something real.

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