A sick grandma and origami inspired this startup

dubai - Abra Cards creates bespoke pop-up greeting cards for special occasions

There is no better way to spread happiness than through a beautiful greeting card, says Kelly Heffey, founder and director of Abra Cards.

Heffey ran a small handmade greeting card company in the UK before relocating to Dubai nearly 10 years ago. She spent more than eight years as a senior executive in the UAE design and multimedia industry. The inspiration for Abra Cards came during her travels to Asia where she came across the beautiful techniques of Origami and Kirigami.
Origmai is the art of paper folding which is often associated with Japanese culture. In modern usage, the word 'Origami' is used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. Kirigami is a variation of Origami but involves the cutting rather than solely folding the paper.

"However, the idea really took shape when my Nana [grandmother] fell down the stairs and I went to visit her. Before boarding a flight to the UK, I looked for something to take back that would make my Nana smile. After frantically searching the local shopping mall to find a suitable card before heading to the airport, it became apparent there was a poor selection of cards to choose from and nothing with a 'wow' factor," recalls Heffey.

She believes that extending happiness from one person to another is the greatest gift one can share. "Abra Cards' mantra is to spread happiness. We believe we can do this through our bespoke pop-up cards which have the 'wow' factor. We are the first 3D pop-up greeting card company in the UAE providing a personalisation service," she says.

She says Abra Cards has introduced new technology to the GCC market when it comes to greeting cards. "Each of our cards is laser cut and hand stitched. Instead of standard cards, which are often mass-produced low quality products, we feel we are setting the standard for high-quality keepsakes that people will cherish and look back on," Heffey explains.

The price for both personalised and pop-up greeting cards range from Dh40 to Dh65, which includes free delivery throughout the UAE.

Heffey says the UAE startup environment is very vibrant and full of opportunities. "Everyone that I have talked to has been extremely supportive. The UAE is a place where people can do business in a freethinking environment. It is a perfect place for startup companies; the market is diverse and growing with many different cultures and nationalities. I think it's an exciting place to run a business with a mix of tradition but forward-thinking business ethics, which fits in with Abra's working ethos," she says.

Heffey is focused to ensure that "Abra provides clients with the highest quality service". "Once we feel this has been achieved with our current offering, we may look to diversify in other locations - namely the GCC, and to develop our product range. We believe in sticking to what we are good at," she says.

Heffey encourages young entrepreneurs to "take risks - be bold, step out of your comfort zone, work hard and do it with a smile on your face."
"You create your own success. Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard," she says.

However, she says finding proper funding to establish a business is the most difficult task. "The banking sector does not particularly cater for startup companies," she says.

Heffey says that technology - either social media or any other form of advancement - is crucial for future business growth.

"The laser cutting technology that we are using is at the forefront of the industry. Any future developments will only enhance operations and will allow us to push boundaries on new ideas. Social media was the pre-launch platform for Abra Cards," she concludes.

- riaz@khaleejtimes.com