accelerator AHA! Moments

How Paper Paper Co Found Clarity and Scaled with Lean Marketing

From Marketing Maze to Profitable Exit

Challenges

From Passion-Fueled Purchase to Marketing Overwhelm 

Janet Lee, new to business ownership and the wedding industry, acquired Paper Paper Co (generating AUD 170k annually) with a vision for growth. But the path to scaling her luxury stationery business quickly became a marketing maze...

  • Lost in Marketing Mayhem: Without a clear plan, marketing efforts felt like "spraying money" on ads with sky-high uncertainty and a Customer Acquisition Cost that had doubled. This ate into precious cash flow and added immense pressure. As Janet put it, she felt "all over the place with a strategy."
  • High Web Traffic, Vanishing Leads: Despite impressive website visitor numbers (tripling year-over-year by November 2024!), actual quote requests stagnated. It was the classic "leaky bucket," a frustrating sign that her online presence wasn't effectively capturing potential clients.‍
  • Capped by Inexperience & Operational Bottlenecks: Time spent on hit-or-miss marketing, coupled with unexpected operational costs (like design revisions) and the financial strain of a new venture, left Janet feeling stuck and struggling to see how she'd reach her ambitious growth goals.

Solutions

A Clear Roadmap & In-House Marketing Empowerment 

The Lean Marketing Accelerator provided Janet with the strategic framework and 1:1 coaching to build sustainable, results-driven marketing from the inside out, transforming her approach and her business:

  • Ignited Strategic Clarity & High-Value Lead Capture: Developed a 1 Page Marketing Plan (1PMP) for laser focus. Revamped the Paper Paper Co website with compelling, conversion-focused copy (leveraging feedback from Copy Clinics), clear Calls to Action, and a smart lead magnet to engage prospects earlier. The previously cumbersome online quote form was drastically simplified to reduce friction.
  • Systematized for Proactive Sales & Consistent Nurturing: Implemented a game-changing new sales process emphasizing immediate, personal phone calls to new leads, turning follow-up from passive to proactive. An email nurture sequence was established to engage her significant existing database and new opt-ins, while ad spend was re-strategized for quality over quantity.
  • Empowered In-House Action & Operational Alignment: Janet gained profound confidence and practical skills, learning to manage key marketing tasks herself, including SEO. She also implemented vital operational improvements, like an "expectations contract" for design clients, to protect profitability by managing scope creep—crucially aligning marketing, sales, and day-to-day operations.

Results

Unleashing Growth & Engineering a Profitable Strategic Exit 

The transformation from marketing fog to strategic command wasn't just about feeling better; it delivered tangible results and an unexpected, highly positive outcome:

  • Key Performance Metrics Took Off: Instagram followers grew from 14,000 to 18,000 (Oct 2024); website traffic tripled YoY (Nov 2024); Google Search exploded from 0 to 40% of all quote requests, even landing a direct $3,600 order (Jan 2025); and, critically, Paper Paper Co achieved its "Best Ever" Invoice & Profit Month (March 2025).
  • From Cash-Strapped to Coveted Asset: The deep strategic and systemic improvements significantly boosted the business's intrinsic value. So much so, that when personal circumstances shifted for Janet, she was positioned to sell Paper Paper Co MORE than she had paid for it—a fantastic ROI and a far cry from potentially just closing the doors.
  • Owner Empowered with Skills for Life: Janet didn't just get a business makeover; she underwent a personal transformation. "The money you put into Lean Marketing, you've got life skills that you're going to take with you, wherever you are," she reflected. (May 2025 Call) Her confidence in marketing and overall business management soared.

At a glance

Challenges

  • Lost in Marketing Mayhem
  • High Web Traffic, Vanishing Leads
  • Capped by Inexperience & Operational Bottleneck

Results

  • Key Performance Metrics Took Off
  • From Cash-Strapped to Coveted Asset
  • Owner Empowered with Skills for Life

‍

Janet Lee

Director, Entrepreneur

My experience with Lean Marketing, I would recommend it 100% to anybody that asked me. I think it was the best thing I did as a business owner.