GREETINGS CARD LIMA LIMA ANNOUNCES EXPANSION PLANS Based in Colwyn Bay, Lima Lima was launched by Carly and James Brands in 2015 and got off to a flying start, producing and selling daring and risqué gifts and cards that quickly gained popularity and began selling the world over. The impact of Brexit that same year took its toll on the company, notably in Europe, but the couple have diversified and bounced back. They achieved a significant rise in turnover, sell more than 550,000 items annually, and now employ up to 10 full and parttime staff. As they prepare to move to new, larger premises in the seaside town, they have big plans for the future and a fresh selection of product ideas. Mum-of-three Carly, who has decades of experience in marketing, entertainment, and digital media, said their end-toend approach has worked well since day one, though they are now also collaborating with established partners to scale-up and grow further. “We work with local companies and sell a lot of our items and cards direct, but also via some of the major online platforms like Etsy and Amazon given demand internationally,” she said. “When we launched it was a leap of faith as we had never done anything like this before, but because our range was very niche it immediately captured the imagination and things really took off. “Brexit did have an effect, not only on European sales, but on the price of stock, supplies, and the effect of import taxes, but when Coronavirus took hold in the UK our sales went through the roof. “People were in lockdown, and we tailored a lot of merchandise around that, creating light-hearted bespoke cards and gifts – including mugs, pens, and balloons - which brought some light relief at a time when people really needed it. “I even wrote a little lockdown-related ditty for a greeting card, and we ended up selling more than 25,000 of them – the response was phenomenal.” Carly adds: “From there we started to grow and diversify – into content marketing and digital advertising – and we have big plans for when we move into the new building. It’s a case of watch this space!” Novelty candles manufactured and distributed by Lima Lima - named after the firm’s LL postcode – are among the items they are looking to introduce in the coming months. “What was a big step for us both, starting our own company after years of paid employment, ended up being the best thing we ever did,” said James. “Carly and I have so many ideas and are always thinking big, we are excited to relocate and to see how we can take Lima Lima to even greater heights.” For more information, visit the website www.limalima.co.uk ACID CEO DIDS MACDONALD NAMED BY THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION AS A WOMAN FORGING NEW HORIZONS WITH HER GROUNDBREAKING IDEAS This year’s 2023 theme on World Intellectual Property Day was Women and IP: Accelerating innovation and creativity and ACID CEO Dids Macdonald OBE., was amongst five UK women selected for their “can do” attitude of women inventors, creators, and entrepreneurs worldwide and their ground-breaking work. Other UK women included in this prestigious global line-up are Jewellery Designer and trail blazer, Harriet Kelsall; Installation technique for offshore wind turbines inventor and entrepreneur Jacqueline Morrison; Esteemed departmental lecturer in intellectual property (IP) at the Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Le Vu Van Anh; Academic lawyer and professor Janice Denoncourt On her inclusion in the WIPO World Intellectual Property Day Gallery, Macdonald said, “When I entered the world of IP many years ago, it was a very different space where there were few female voices. Fortunately, the tide is turning but not quickly enough. For a truly innovative society to grow, we need complete diversity of perspectives and experiences to flourish. The number of women is rising in areas of the creative industries, largely as start-ups, lone, and micro business owners. Many of these creative businesses rely on Unregistered Design rights, which are notoriously more difficult to protect by law. So it is imperative that women in these areas have the knowledge, tools, and support to strengthen and uphold their IP rights.” In ACID’s continued efforts to draw attention to the disparity of IP rights and who can seek justice for infringements, World IP Day 2023 saw the re-launch of the ACID IP Charter as a free to sign declaration. We are calling on all designers, all businesses, and all people who believe in respect, ethics, and compliance in design. You will receive the ACID IP Charter logo upon signing, which enables you to state openly that you are ethically aligned with protecting original design and upholding the IP rights of designers. This charter enables us to have a wide-reaching arm of support for our campaigns and strengthens our advocacies towards equality in IP for all! If you would like to sign the ACID IP Charter, you can do so Sign the ACID IP Charter Now. www.acid.uk.com 12
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