Here at JOE we’re always looking out for Irish entrepreneurs that are willing to take a chance on unique business ideas. Wooden iPhone cases certainly fits the bill.
Created by Dónal Moloney, Carve Cases is a one-man operation set up to fight back against the blight of cheap iPhone accessories that see users slap an uninspired, tacky piece of plastic on their coveted tech. Admit it, we’ve all seen it happen.
Unique and undeniably beautiful, there’s a great contrast in having state-of-the-art tech housed in a home-made wooden case and it’s one of the reasons that Dónal is deluged with worldwide orders for his creations, with custom offerings set to follow in the near future.
As busy as fully qualified carpenter/joiner Dónal is, we’re glad he took some time of his busy schedule to explain how Carve Cases came to pass, his advice for fellow budding entrepreneurs and what the future holds for the business:
JOE: What was the inspiration behind Carve Cases? Did it bother you to see expensive gadgets housed in cheap covers?
DM: There were a few things that inspired me to start Carve. Initially I was playing around, trying to create a unique case for my own iPhone. I couldn’t find one already on the market that I liked, so with my background in CNC [computer numerical control] manufacturing; I gave it a shot.
When people saw it, I started to get requests to make more. The more I looked into it, the more I discovered that a lot of people don’t like to cover up their beautifully designed iPhone with plastic.
It seems a bit off the wall to me to spend over €500 on an iPhone and then cover it with the cheapest plastic case going.
JOE: Considering that the concept of Carve Cases is quite unusual, how did friends and family initially react to your new business venture?
DM: Yeah, I suppose it does seem a bit mad! When I first explain to people what I do, there are usually a lot of quite sceptical follow up questions.
Mostly I’m able to make people see that the idea is well thought out and actually quite a logical business move. There’s an old business saying; “When everyone else is digging for gold, be the one selling shovels”.
In this case I see the iPhone as being the gold and the cases are the shovels. The huge fascination with and hype surrounding Apple products allows designers and manufacturers to build great businesses based on the accessories that accompany them.
JOE: Have you received much attention worldwide or is it mainly from Ireland for the moment?
DM: I have had quite a lot of orders from the UK. While my website stats show up a growing interest across Europe and the US. I really want to turn this business into a monster!
I don’t want to limit myself just to Ireland so international sales and promotion are high on my priority list. I’ll be doing everything I can to push sales abroad.
JOE: What advice would you give anyone who similarly has a left-field entrepreneurial idea but is reluctant to start a business?
DM: If it makes sense to you, do it! Obviously, don’t go with the first crazy notion that comes to mind. But if you have done the research, thought it through & planned it out and it still makes sense to you, go for it!
If slightly strange ideas were never acted upon, a lot of great businesses wouldn’t have come about.
JOE: So how long does it take to create a single case and what is the process?
DM: Firstly, the timber is prepared into small machine ready blanks. This is done using the table saw, band saw and belt sander. The cases are CNC machined in about seven minutes. That’s the easy bit!
They are then hand sanded, hand filed and then get three coats of hand-applied finish. The hand sanding and finishing is quite labour intensive, but the results are very satisfying and the end product is definitely worth the effort.
JOE: Can you tells us about the customisation options you’re bringing in the near future to the business?
DM: Yeah, absolutely. This is something I’m really excited about. This option is currently available to pre-order on the website. Basically, the design of your choice will be laser engraved to the back of your Carve Case.
This can be anything; a nice text inscription; a company logo; a design or illustration. It means your case will be completely unique and personal.
I’m also planning a design series of cases. A range of cases with unique art by various talented designers and artists will be available also as a laser engraving on your case. I can’t wait to get this up and running.
JOE: So what does the future hold for Carve Cases? Would you consider moving into iPad cases too or would they be too expensive?
DM: Hopefully the future is very bright! Currently the cases are available online only, but already I have had some keen interest from some mobile accessory distributors who have contacted me since I launched the business.
I have a lot of ideas for various products relating to both iPhone and iPad. These products are a few months down the line yet. This will allow me to concentrate on the iPhone case solely for the moment and establish a strong business before branching out.
Interested in finding out a little more about Carve Cases or ordering your own? Then you can head over to the Carve website here.
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