As small business owners, we have had a remarkable journey with our brand Aulive, where we work with faux and plant-based leather alternatives. When we first started Aulive, our vision was clear: to offer leather alternatives to a community who just like us grew up with few options. This vision grew bigger and far more important with the current climate challenges. With that in mind, we set out to create high-quality bags and accessories that are not only stylish and timeless, but also aligned with our values of sustainability and compassion for animals. In a short span we were able to work on handcrafting accessories from innovative, environmentally conscious plant based leather options too.
The years after the pandemic have been challenging to say the least but also landed up being great learning curves. One of the biggest challenges we faced was navigating the financial impact of the pandemic. We had to make the tough decision of pausing online adverts, in order to pivot our funds towards the salaries of our team of artisans and their medical expenses. Their dedication and craftsmanship are the heart and soul of Aulive, and we couldn’t compromise with their lives. The only reason we were able to take this challenging call was because of our initial savings. The key lesson learnt when small is the significance of frugal spending and saving before investing. We would spend months saving as a company before purchasing expensive plant-based fabrics, and prioritising slow productions and design processes.
Bootstrapped business offices in the early years often look simple. We don’t have fancy chairs or colourful walls. Our classic bags and alternative fabrics make up for decor while the laughters & conversations create the charm. Despite the challenges, the love and support we received from the community, customers, and fellow small business founders has been immense. It has been inspiring to witness the growing demand for vegan and conscious fashion choices, and we are proud to be among the bright brands that are also working towards the same goal as Aulive.
We have been spending all our time and efforts on backend sales and B2B orders to keep the company going. Our social media pages barely spoke all this while because a tiny team cannot do it all. As we look towards the future, we are excited to launch new products in 2023 after over a year of no new product launches, while also looking to grow our team. We are continuously striving to create a positive impact in the fashion industry by promoting vegan fashion and responsible business practices. We remain committed to building a strong team, managing finances wisely, and embracing sustainability in all aspects of our operations.
Thank you for being a part of our story, and we look forward to sharing more exciting updates with you in the future. If you have any questions or would like to know more about our journey, feel free to ask!