NottyPooch is a design company founded in 2007 by Huey and Wah who are based in Malaysia. The duo designers give a new life to billboard banners by creating trendy accessories out of them. They are all created at their studio and are 100% handmade. The unwanted and used banners are either collected from trash area or passed on from friends.

The accessories created at NottyPooch look really fashionable and trendy. It's kinda hard to make out if they are actually made from billboard banners. They  have great variety as well; ranging from mac book covers to wallets and from storage bins to coasters.

We have one of its founder, Huey, with us to share her experience as an online merchant and what led her to  enter the world of online selling. Also, she is gonna share some fun facts about NottyPooch. Catch her exclusive interview with us below:

Huey, please introduce yourself to E-junkies.

My name is Huey. I'm from Penang, Malaysia. In case you didn't know, part of Penang is an island (which is where I'm from!) with lots and lots of awesome food. I have background in Fine Arts and Mass Communication. I work with my partner a.k.a boyfriend, Wah in our little business named NottyPooch. By the way, Wah is a hopeless perfectionist.


We are really inquisitive to know the significance of the name NottyPooch?

It was rather random, but definitely came from our love for our dogs. When we chose the name, we had two very messy dogs. In fact, our logo was made to look like one of them.


Tell us about the inception of NottyPooch? Do you have any interesting story that you would like to share with our readers?.

Initially we started NottyPooch not knowing exactly what we wanted to do. We thought we were going to do some home decor kinda thing - which we actually did but it didn't feel right to us. We also did some t-shirt design and screenprinting but it also didn't feel right. It was all trial-and-error at first.


We think that the concept of re-using unwanted billboard banners is pretty cool. How did this creative idea strike you?

It all started when I needed a wallet for myself but couldn't find a suitable one in the market. At that time, my work had plenty to do with billboard banners so I thought perhaps, you know, they can be of some use. Besides, I've always been a typo-graphic kinda person. So I made the first billboard banner wallet and it was hand-sewn (ouch!). Luckily Wah came along and he is very good with structure and the sewing machine. :)









































What is the process of creating a whole new product from an unwanted piece of scrap? 

We first have to figure out which part of the banner is suitable for which product. We have a very picky taste so we normally spend quite a lot of time staring at the banners picking out parts that we want. And then it's all about cutting out, brushing and cleaning, folding, more measuring and cutting for the details, and lastly sewing up.




























We noticed that you are currently selling online through Etsy. Have you considered selling directly through your own website or any other marketplace?

Etsy is a great place and they really does provide great tools and exposures for sellers. We have no plan to switch at the moment. We do have our own website in which the checkout is linked to Etsy.
















































You sell your products both online as well as offline. Share with us your experiences selling through both the channels.

Our main channel is still selling online. We participate in markets 2-3 times a year in Kuala Lumpur. With online selling, we connect to our customers through writings. But at markets, we could connect with them face-to-face, chat, and have fun. Selling online definitely gives us the opportunity to reach a wider (and further!) market. Selling offline gives us the privilege to connect and receive responses first-hand.


How do you think small businesses can leverage social media to grow their business? 

Utilizing social media is a great way to connect to customers or potential customers. A lot of times people are curious on the process of how you make something. Social media can help small businesses to achieve that by sharing work-in-progress and engage in conversations. It makes people 'know' you and your business better.


It has been more than 4 years since you started your business. How has been the journey so far?

It's been great! We're learning new things everyday. During the first 2 years of our business, it was more like a part-time thing for us. We still had our day job and it was very difficult to take care of both sides, especially the day job also has some long (although flexible) hours. And of course at that time, we know nothing about selling online and it was really just a trial-and-error thing for us. But we're glad that we took the leap and decided it was time to quit and concentrate in our business.


We have gone through the range of products on your website. Do you have any plans to expand your product portfolio?

Haha, definitely! We have a whole long to-explore-and-make list to attack - and it keeps getting longer and longer!


















































Many aspiring small business owners would look up to you for inspiration. What message do you have for them?

To us, a lot of things in small business are trial-and-error. And you just need to get up and do it to see if it works. If it doesn't, move on to the next one. You lose nothing but gained an experience. :)


And the interview sums up with a very useful advice by you Huey. Thank you for the interview and making it happen. We really appreciate what you're doing and we wish you all the best for the success of NottyPooch.

NottyPooch on Facebook, Twitter and Etsy.