Paula and Kurt Schultz, co-founders of Tiny Anvil, had previous careers in the airline industry before making the switch.
Paula and Kurt Schultz, co-founders of Tiny Anvil, talk to Tom Raynel about switching from the airline industry and their plans to grow the business.
Every Monday, we interview a small-business owner. This is now a regular feature of NZME’s editorial campaign On The Up, showcasing uplifting stories of success, inspiration and possibilities.
What is Tiny Anvil?
We specialise in providing garden aficionados with premium steel and metal planters to enhance their outdoor area, made from recycled steel. The proof of our quality lies in our demand that all steel is at least an extra thick 3mm, corten or powder-coated steel. Planters, screens, fire pits, or water features – all our products are of the finest quality and built to last.
What inspired you to start the business?
Paula: It was born out of something that we couldn’t find on our own, so we just decided to do it ourselves. We did a bit of work around Papakura and I was the former chair of the business association there. We wanted to do some beautification projects and there really wasn’t anything big that wasn’t hugely expensive.
We went the route of designing our own and looking offshore, and then we decided to fill up the rest of the container and sell them, basically to pay for them, and it organically grew from there.
Kurt lost his job right at the start of Covid-19, so we decided to put everything into the business. It was a good time for us because while everybody was stuck at home, they were buying stuff and renovating their gardens, so the timing worked out well.
Where are the products manufactured, and how did you grow the range?
Paula: We started with the planters because that’s what we wanted initially. I designed them and came up with the sizes and shapes of what we thought might be popular. From there, the additions have really been based around what I like and what other people might like, it’s really trial and error. Our latest addition has been the water features, which we’ve expanded again recently.
All of our steel and products are made in China, but we’ve connected with a local family company that we work with. We go up every year to see them, and we’ve recently just come back from a visit. We were pretty lucky, as they were the first business that we contacted to get samples from.
We can’t control the supply chain so we do test the steel when it comes down, but quality is the number one thing; we want to provide the best quality we can.
How do you plan to grow the business?
Paula: We’ve just recently moved into a warehouse that is three times the size of our old warehouse. That old warehouse was really not fit for purpose. Now that we’ve moved, we can add more products, so we’ve got a few developments in the pipeline of what we want to do. It’s also looking more at the commercial products, and potentially expanding into the United States.
Kurt: I think the New Zealand market, as small as it is, is a great market. There are so many people here who have a real eye for design and they want really high-quality products. I think there’s a lot of room in Otago and Christchurch for us to expand into, but we definitely have big growth plans.
You both had careers before this business. What lessons did you carry over?
Kurt: So I was a pilot with Virgin Australia, and Paula flew for Air New Zealand, so both from the airline world. I fly private jets and private planes for some people, mostly on the side.
I’d say project management and contingency planning are something you learn with that job. Flying a Boeing 747 across the ocean, you have contingencies. Everyone goes swimming if you get it wrong, so you want to get it right. It’s a similar thing in business. Paula’s also always had great leadership qualities, which flows through the rest of the business.
Paula: Airlines are really structured, so [there are] a lot of standard operating procedures, which we’ve brought into the business. If you can have everything so it’s all lined up and everyone does the same thing, it helps for a range of problems, whether you’re in the business or in the warehouse. It keeps everything standardised and running smoothly.
What would be your advice to a budding entrepreneur wanting to start a business?
Paula: Just do it, honestly. Take the first step, even if that’s just to ring some suppliers or email someone to inquire. You just have to start; once you do that, you’ll find your way.
Kurt: It’s a lot of work, so understand that you’re going to have to [take a] risk and you’re going to have to work very, very hard.
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.