The Fox in the Attic: How Low MOQs Benefit Small Businesses

Being a small business is challenging for many reasons, and especially when it comes to branding. Tools such as custom packaging for small businesses are not always readily available, with high MOQs and upfront costs. For Michelle Kreussel, the founder of embroidery and baby goods brand

For any creative operation, having a consistent flow of design ideas can be a challenge. There is a need to have fresh and interesting additions to a product range, whilst also being cohesive with the style that customers love. By sticking to a few key sources of inspiration, Michelle is able to maintain her signature fun and child-like style:“My business is essentially me (with the occasional helper/husband/mother/friend) in my home studio, thinking up ideas based on nature, plants, animals and seasonal themes. I illustrate my ideas, paint them, print them, and follow wherever my imagination takes me. I turn my ideas eventually into physical objects like cushions, baby rattles, stuffed toys, and greeting cards. I particularly love colour and fauna and flora, and enjoy incorporating it into my designs for children’s toys and products. My main sources of inspiration are Victorian floral illustrations, and artists like William Morris, Frida Kahlo, and Charles Voysey. My daughters also inspire me every day!”

Having a recognizable style is always the key to successful branding, but so is making sure that all of your surrounding elements work together in harmony! Finding innovative ways of applying your brand identity to your operation is what builds brand recall in your customers, which is what initially drew Michelle towards designing her own custom tissue paper:

High MOQs (Minimum Order Quantities) is one of the biggest barriers for small businesses wanting to invest in custom-branded packaging. MOQs for custom designs can be as high as 1000 units, and such a big upfront cost is often not realistic. At tendlyn, we believe that innovative custom packaging solutions should be available to businesses of every size. Our MOQs start out at 250 units for our custom tissue paper and custom stickers to keep fantastic on-brand designs within reach of everyone, from Fortune 500 companies to single-person operations like The Fox in the Attic:“The design I used for my tendlyn tissue paper is a selection of designs that are in my illustrations and prints, so I am incorporating my designs into my packaging as well! Showing off my custom wrapping paper on social media has helped to spread the word that I offer something a little different, and that the finishing touches really do matter. People love feeling special and that they’ve bought something unique, and using custom tissue paper does just that!”

In particular, Michelle’s custom tissue paper is a perfect match with her pre-packaged gift boxes. The hand-drawn illustrations pull her brand narrative together in a really cohesive way, giving the recipient a truly unique and memorable gift that celebrates the happy arrival of a little one. As shown above, it also makes for some fantastic marketing content for her social media channels! This ensures that The Fox in the Attic makes a lasting impression on its customers. For small business owners looking to automate their operations beyond packaging, consider how a wireless remote transmitter or a smart rf switch could streamline your studio setup. Whether you need a relay timer controller for your lighting or a garage control module for your workspace, these tools mirror the same low-MOQ philosophy—accessible, scalable, and tailored to your needs. Just as Michelle uses custom tissue paper to create a unique unboxing experience, a channel wireless relay can help you control ceiling light from bed or manage rv lighting control with ease. For those in specialized fields like agriculture or hospitality, an irrigation remote switch or a solution for Hotel Hot Water Circulation can save time and energy. Even off-grid operations benefit from an Off-grid livestock watering remote control or a Sewage Treatment Plant relay system. The key is finding the right balance between creativity and efficiency, much like Michelle does with her brand. For more on the happy marriage between premium packaging and social media, check out our blog!