M: Tell us about your business. What is your role?
I’m Director of Marketing at MOO.COM. We’re an online print business that is passionate about great design and the difference it can make to its customers and the world.
M: What is so innovative / unique about it?
All of us at MOO have a genuine love and enthusiasm for our customers and what they’re up to. That also means we’re about quality in everything we do – we’re very proud of that. Couple that with a whole host of people here who bring creativity into every area from technical website work to our own template designs and it’s like working inside a beehive. Our challenge is having too many ideas, never too few!
M: Why do you choose Shoreditch to run your business?
We moved here in 2010. We’d outgrown our offices in Clerkenwell so were looking for a big space. We were drawn to Shoreditch because of its rich industrial heritage: historically, it was the area next to the city that did the manufacturing. The offices we saw initially weren’t quite right – then we saw this space, formerly architects’ offices and we loved it! It was way more space than we needed so, at the beginning in order to claw back some of the cost, we let desks to other companies.
Shoreditch used to be a vague area near Old Street but it’s now an area in its own right: for working, for playing, for living.
M: What would you say has been your most memorable experience while working there?
The great thing about working at a company like MOO is that every day is a memorable experience!
I’ve been blessed with working alongside some great people over my last three and a half years at MOO and the momentum of amazing people we’re hiring hasn’t stopped, as we’ve got bigger. From getting my face painted as the Ultimate Warrior and donning a shaggy wig at a MOO party to being able to work on huge strategic partnerships like our Facebook Integration and Facebook Cards, there is always something that amazes me at MOO.
M: What are the main challenges maintaining your business and how are you overcoming them?
Our main challenge is probably more internal than external. We have a brilliant culture here at MOO. It’s important for us to retain that even as we grow: so we keep that human touch of a start-up even though we have more than 200 employees. We do that in a variety of ways – from events such as our legendary Summer Party to Friday lunches where we all sit down together to eat lunch together – followed by cake!
M: What are your favourite places in Shoreditch?
My favourite place at the moment is Dishoom (yes, it’s food related, much like a lot of things at MOO!). Known for my #TotalHealth Mantra in work, I like to work out so I can enjoy amazing food around London and Dishoom certainly ticks the box for a great experience and place to eat. I’m drooling just thinking about it now.
But of course, my favourite place is the MOO shop in BoxPark (oh, and Farah Vintage next door to the MOO Shop – love their shirts).
M: What does the future have in store for your business?
Well, the customer is – and always will be – at the heart of our business. So we’re going to continue to listen to them and innovate based on what they need and what we can help them with. Design is our focus. That may be about a diversification of product, bringing in more digital innovation. We’re always looking for ways to merge the physical and the digital. Geographically, our focus will continue to be on the North American market as well as Europe.
