✨ Customer Spotlight
From Zero Experience to a Six-Figure Laser Business
Interview with Sumita & Anuj Patel, founders of Home Bound Custom Decor
Take us back to where this all started! What do you create?
We create personalized home goods and gifts that can be used for all of life’s major milestones. We strive to offer products that are easily giftable and personable, so the recipient will be able to use them for a lifetime. We love offering items that customers want to proudly display in their home.
We offer cutting boards, coasters, recipe boards, handwritten keepsakes, gift tags, keychains, and religious-inspired items that highlight our South Asian culture.
Tell us about your business and how it has evolved into what it is today.
In July 2019, I showed my husband a set of stamped books that I liked and asked if he could make me a set. These were old books repurposed into decor by taking the cover off and using an ink pad to stamp words of your choice on the spine.
He made a set for our home, and I posted it on Facebook Marketplace to see if anyone else would be interested. We received 25 orders the same day and, by the end of the week, we were up to 100. We knew we were on to something. In about a year, we stamped and sold over 10,000 books.
In August 2020, we decided we wanted to diversify our product lineup and purchased our first laser, a Glowforge Pro. We started by offering cutting boards, and by the end of that year, we sold close to 500 boards in just three months. We paid off our laser in less than a month and added a second Glowforge to get through the holiday season.
However, we knew that we needed something stronger and faster. Right after the 2020 holiday season, we put our deposit down for a MIRA 9. We received it in May 2021 and had paid it off within 30 days. We recently ordered a second MIRA machine that we plan to use solely for rotary purposes, including tumblers and cups.
What were you doing before you had your laser?
We both worked full-time jobs before owning a laser, and we still do now. Sumita is an attorney and Anuj is in marketing. We are also expecting our first child this May.
What inspired you to buy a laser?
We wanted to offer a more diverse product line to our established customer base. We found that most people are looking for something that can be personalized for a special occasion. We felt that a laser machine would allow us to offer a variety of items that can be either generic or personalized.
How has your business grown or changed since buying a laser?
Our business has changed significantly. We went from stamping books to engraving and cutting various types of wood and acrylic. We have since launched our own website using Shopify, grown our Instagram to over 32,000 followers, and shipped orders to all fifty states, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
We have generated six-figure sales each year since launching our laser-engraved items and continue to grow by offering new products each month. We recently signed a lease on a warehouse space that will allow us to streamline production even more. Until now, we have been operating out of our basement.
We were also able to hire an assistant to run the laser machine. We now offer a marketing course for other laser owners to help them get their business up and running.
How has your life changed since buying a laser?
The laser has introduced a new revenue stream for our family that provides stability and the ability to continue growing our assets and net worth. We have been able to pay off our mortgage quicker and save more money for our growing family.
What advice do you have for people interested in getting a laser?
Set yourself up for success by doing as much research and homework on the front end as possible. While nothing can replicate the hands-on approach once your machine arrives, it’s a great idea to become familiar with the terminology, software, and materials you will use with the laser.
Don’t be afraid of investing in a laser. We had no prior experience with crafting, laser machines, or even operating a business, and we learned everything along the way. The laser community is amazing, and most folks are so open and willing to help, especially the AEON team.
Looking back, tell us about your significant turning point, or perhaps even an obstacle you had to overcome to get where you are now.
Our business really turned around when we launched our own website using Shopify. Before then, during the first six months of our business, we were taking orders by hand or via social media and keeping track of everything on an Excel spreadsheet. This was extremely time-consuming and wasn’t sustainable as we grew.
In January 2020, we sat down to create our own website using the templates Shopify offers. Without any prior web design or graphic design experience, we were able to launch our own website, which gave us the flexibility to take orders and add products at any time. While it wasn’t easy, it was necessary and helped solidify our business and stand out from the competition.
What is your superpower?
Being able to introduce a new product and immediately market it to obtain sales. By using creative social media techniques, powerful photography, and unique designs, we have never had a product fail.
Where can people find you?
🏚 Atlanta, Georgia
homeboundcustomdecor.com
Instagram
🛠 Project
Custom Engraved Cutting Board
Machine: MIRA 7 & MIRA 9
Commissioned by: AEON Laser USA
AEON Partner ✅
This project highlights how Home Bound Custom Decor uses AEON laser machines to create personalized cutting boards, home goods, keepsakes, and custom gifts with a professional finish.
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