As any small business owner knows, starting your own can be a rollercoaster. From what started out as a mother and son business just over 5 years ago, has blossomed into what we like to call “an entrepreneurial, mother and daughter, match made in heaven”.
When we first launched the PoxyArt brand, we learnt that there was only one ‘F-word’ that mattered…Failure. Through various attempts at creating some beautifully bizarre resin art creations, we soon learnt that it was through these experiences that we would use them as our steppingstone to success – after all, if you’re not failing, you’re not growing.
With our locally manufactured craft resin in hand, we soon opened our online store. We spent what felt like years trying to find the perfect products to introduce to the South African market and finally we found our game changer – ‘Pinata Alcohol Ink’. This was the just the beginning – we soon started adding more pigments, moulds and accessories to our growing online store.
And then Covid hit… the uncertainty felt by small business owners across the world was now at our doorstep and we had no idea how things were about to change.
Life came to a stand still in South Africa and the mandatory lockdown saw unemployment reach an all time high, but we were determined to save our family-run business. We soon realised that the lockdown was a blessing in disguise for PoxyArt as many of our customers soon turned to resin craft as a means of making ends meet as well as finding new and exciting way to earn an extra income.
Since then, our beloved PoxyArt brand has become a household name across the country – with the opening of our physical store, new additions to our online product range and now supplying various South African and Namibian outlets with our products, we could never have imagined how far we have come.
“A big business starts small.”
Esmé – The Alpha, the Big Cheese, The Head Honcho
As the founder, owner and financial investor of PoxyArt, Esmé takes ‘Boss Lady’ to an all-new level. Having never imagined that her brand child would one day be one of the major online and in-store suppliers to the resin art industry, it’s safe to say she takes her role seriously. It was with her helpful insights in production and management as well as her fearless attitude that has made PoxyArt into the brand it is today.
Other than her passion for PoxyArt, Esmé seeks dead people. You read that correctly… dead people. In her free time, Esme loves Genealogy* and even competes in competitions (Cue the Law and Order Special Victims Unit song).
"Genealogy"
NOUN - the study and tracing of lines of descent
"Where we confuse the dead and irritate the living.”
In addition to her weird and wonderful hobbies, Esmé is our very own Derek Watts – always keeping the team up to date with local and international breaking news. Ever wondered who is on the other end of the ground-breaking advice and answers to your questions on our social media pages as if researched by a top journalist? That’s right… it’s Esmé.
Nicole – The Big Kahuna, The Kingpin, The Top Dog
Ever heard of the saying “Dynamite comes in small packages?” – it could only have been inspired by Nicole.
As the other half of our mother and daughter dynamic duo and entrepreneurial match made in heaven, Nicole bought into the business in 2019 as a fellow owner. With a background in project management and design, it was a no brainer when Nicole wanted to join PoxyArt.
With her die-hard attitude and firecracker of a personality, Nicole quickly made PoxyArt her own. Running a small business requires a certain amount of “je ne sais quoi” as well as being strong-willed, and that’s exactly what Nicole brings to the table. She knows what she wants, and she knows how to get it done.
Nicole has a “hit the ground running” type of personality therefore her middle name is ‘Fast-forward’. From the minute she opens the store doors in the morning, to the minute she goes to bed, she is stuck on fast-forward – she’s our very own ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’.
In her free time, she loves spending time with her son and husband, especially on a Friday night watching family movies. As Nicole is someone that cannot sit still, watching a movie doesn’t quite cut it so she must sit and crochet as well. Her ability to multitask, prioritise customer service and be the world’s greatest mom and wife (Esmé might have something to say about this) – should be considered a superpower.
Kiara – Our little grappling Elf on the Shelf
When you walk into the PoxyArt store and hear the little ‘ting’ of the bell, it’s Kiara’s welcoming smile which you will see first. From assisting our in-store customers and restocking our shelves, Kiara is also your personal online shopper. On the other end of those “add to cart” notifications, is our very own happy helper elf, personally picking your items to be sent out.
Being the newest team member, having joined our crew in 2021, Kiara has made it her duty to make a mark within the company. There is no such thing as free time in her day, as she also helps packaging everything weird and wonderful that is resin related.
Although considered our little ‘Elf on the Shelf’, Kiara packs a punch – quite literally. As our one-woman security team, Kiara competes in MMA and BJJ and offers ladies self-defence classes in her free time.
Our ‘behind the scenes’ teams:
Apart from our in-house team, we also rely on a number of outside resources that make the PoxyArt journey possible (Cue rolling credits to the theme song of ‘The A Team’).
The Courier Guy – Ensuring your orders get to you on time.
The Creative Café – Supporting our social media marketing journey and website development.
Crema Café – Keeping our tummies full and our energy levels high (and of course the caffeine we need to function).
At PoxyArt we focus a lot on service delivery. A quick and easy service makes for a happy customer.
Having a simple and sufficient method for customers to purchase your products is crucial and getting orders out to your customer as promised should be your #1 priority.
Always put your customer first and be honest and open. We find that being honest and open with your customer builds a good trusting relationship but keep in mind, sometimes errors/delays happen, and it is best to resolve it ASAP and keep your customer informed.
When it comes to choosing our favourite product, our PoxyArt Craft Resin was a no-brainer. If it wasn’t for this product, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We take pride in the fact that our Craft Resin is locally manufactured (local is lekker), and that this was the very first product we introduced under our brand name just over 5 years ago.
PoxyArt Craft Resin Kit: Product Features
This Kit includes Resin + Hardener (available in different volumes)
PoxyArt Resin is a 1:1 mix ratio (by volume), clear, UV Stabilized Epoxy Resin for Resin Art, Crafts, Jewellery and Castings.
Maximum volume that can be mixed at a time is +/- 200ml. Depending on casting area.
Easy mixing with no fumes, no VOCs and no fuss.
Gel time approximately 20 to 30 minutes, Hard Set in 10 to 12 hours.
Sets clear but can be tinted with Acrylic, Ink or Enamel Based pigments. (We recommend doing small tests when using paints before doing your final piece).
If you would like to know more about our selection of epoxy resin products, or are on the lookout for more creative project ideas for resin art, be sure to get in contact with a representative from PoxyArt today.
