Dimple Kapri, Mice@Work

When the above rhetoric was posed to us by Mumbai based entrepreneur Dimple Kapri, we knew that we were set to discover the journey behind yet another very innovative start-up. Mice@work established in 2008 is a team of communication specialists, animators and digital designers who work to create cutting edge animation films that serve as unique personalized gifts for all special occasions.

Imagine a film starring you and your loved ones in an animated format based on a story developed especially for you with your favourite music as background score.

Taking customization to a new level altogether, the team of Mice@work aims to revolutionize emotional communication by capturing moments of the past and the dreams of the future.

“Irrespective of the various options available, people still appreciate a traditional hand written note as against a standard greeting. A printed card is one among thousands if not more. An animated e-greeting card available on the net is sent by thousands if not less. But gifting someone a movie, with them in it one of its kind” elaborates Dimple. 

Creation of a film is a lengthy process that requires back and forth communication and involves the creation of characters, story-boarding, selection of a background score and a script amongst others. Yet with the team of professionals at Mice@Work, one doesn’t need to do more than drop them an email or a call. 

Which means that one could be based out of whichever part of the country and order their own movie, for which the team gets in touch with them.

“Usually about 60 seconds long, an animation takes about 10 days to finish work on and the ultimate personalized greeting film is sent to the recipient by courier on a CD” adds a team member.

Describing her first steps, Dimple explains that it all started when a greeting film that she made for her husbands birthday was liked enormously by friends and family who started requesting her to make a similar one for them.

‘In that way, it just happened’ says the entrepreneur, admitting that her husband and father in law have been her biggest support, always advising her to ‘Dream big, work smart’.

Adds she, “I was new to business and hence extremely hesitant to ask for money. But soon I realized how crucial a resource it is to a start-up and how big a motivator and thereon I have never equated ease of doing business with regards to payment terms and conditions.”

Receiving a multitude of thank you notes from people whose hearts and lives have been touched with their films, says Dimple has been a silent but strong recognition of their work and is an indicator of things to come.

”Since the one year we have been around, we have added smiles to faces of multiple, put a zing back into relationships, helped wipe a tear, moistened some eyes, spread cheer among friends, celebrated success and helped people achieve their goals whether big or small “.

The belief in the unlimited scope of their service comes from the ground knowledge that communication is fundamental and personalization is here to stay.

Dimple’s philosophy of selling is simple “Take it to the people, if they are not coming to you.” says she referring to her future plans of replicating the service into brick and mortar through Mice@Work studios in high density areas like malls. “A first hand introduction to the product will work well to generate interest as well as lead to impulse purchase especially considering we’re not very steeply priced.”

So what does this zesty woman have to say to other entrepreneurs?

 “Bend backwards to help or provide exceptional service, but be upfront about money. The mantra that has worked for us is ‘FOCUS’: Follow On Course Until Successful. For me, even today, every new order is an excitement and every delivery an accomplishment!”