Key Takeaways
Antima Jain and Pooja Choudhary met 11 years in the past by means of a mutual good friend at a celebration in Minnesota.
They have been each immigrants from India, had quite a bit in frequent and lived three minutes away from one another.
They in the end pooled their private funds to open their very own Shade Me Mine paint-your-own pottery studio franchise in March 2025.
Just a few months in the past, a buyer walked into Antima Jain and Pooja Choudhary’s Edina, Minnesota pottery-painting studio, Shade Me Mine, with a plan to suggest to his girlfriend.
Shade Me Mine permits prospects to select a chunk of pottery like a mug, plate or bowl, and paint it. The studio then glazes and fires it, and the client can choose up in a couple of week.
The shopper wished to color a jewellery tray with the query, “Will you marry me?” and use it to suggest. Normally it took about seven days for Jain and Choudhary to course of a buyer’s pottery after they painted it. This time, they agreed to have his piece prepared sooner.
Jain and Choudhary additionally helped create the ambiance that the client wished within the studio. Later, the couple introduced them a save-the-date card that talked about the studio. For Jain and Choudhary, it was a reminder of their influence. They have been creating an area the place prospects may join and construct lasting reminiscences.
Lots in frequent
That sense of connection can be the inspiration of their partnership. Jain and Choudhary met 11 years in the past by means of a mutual good friend at a celebration in Minnesota. Each had moved to the US from India, have been elevating kids and loved inventive tasks.
“We began speaking and realized we’ve so many issues in frequent, and similar to one another’s firm,” Choudhary tells Entrepreneur in a brand new interview. “We began assembly up.”
They lived a three-minute drive from one another. As their kids grew extra impartial, the buddies started imagining constructing a enterprise collectively. After they began their search in 2023, they explored franchises and visited a close-by Shade Me Mine studio.
“We simply liked the entire vibe,” Jain says. “It was such a clear setting, very organized, very colourful. It simply felt calming. We each had the identical impression.”
They in the end pooled their private funds and spent about $300,000 to open their very own Shade Me Mine location in March 2025. However earlier than changing into enterprise companions, they made a pact: Friendship would come first. No matter challenges arose, they might hold speaking fairly than let the enterprise divide them.
The next interview has been edited for size and readability.
Their immigrant tales
Inform me about your backgrounds earlier than you grew to become franchise homeowners.Jain: I first got here to the US in 2003 due to my husband’s work mission. We went backwards and forwards between India and the U.S. just a few occasions, after which we got here right here in 2012 and have been right here since.
I’ve a bachelor’s diploma in commerce from India. I taught preschool there, and right here I labored at Kumon. I used to be working part-time whereas my children have been rising up. Now they’re each in faculty, so this appeared like the proper time to get into one thing we might get pleasure from and have time to put money into.
Choudhary: My husband was already right here after we acquired married, and I moved to the US afterward. I completed my grasp’s in electrical engineering. We lived in several states earlier than coming to Minnesota across the similar time Antima did.
I’ve an funding property enterprise on the facet, which I nonetheless proceed. I’ve two ladies: one in highschool and one ending center college on the time of this interview.
Deciding to franchise
Why select a franchise fairly than create an impartial studio?Choudhary: We didn’t have expertise working this sort of enterprise, and that was the scary half: How have been we going to do it?
A franchise felt like a stability between proudly owning an impartial enterprise and dealing in a company setting. They supply the platform, however we nonetheless have independence in working the studio.
Jain: The whole lot was laid out for us. The steering and assist have helped quite a bit. Even after our first 12 months, they have been nonetheless introducing issues to make the enterprise simpler to function, together with a brand new point-of-sale system throughout Shade Me Mine studios. We haven’t regretted selecting a franchise.
How did you discover your location and fund the enterprise?Choudhary: The franchisor gave us a territory, and we employed an actual property agent to assist discover a area. We checked out many locations earlier than selecting our location in Edina. There are parks and purchasing close by. The franchise group helped us shortlist places and take into consideration what to search for, together with visibility.
Jain: The startup value was roughly within the low-$300,000 vary. We each invested from our private accounts fairly than taking out a mortgage. Being companions made it simpler to separate that funding.
Buying prospects
How have you ever labored to herald prospects and develop?Jain: We joined the native chamber of commerce, which helped unfold the phrase. We participated in an artwork competition close to our location and held Mom’s Day and Father’s Day occasions. We run recurring promotions and embrace low cost playing cards with completed items to encourage folks to return inside a month. We additionally promote by means of a platform the franchise really useful.
Choudhary: We’ve donated to native organizations and took part in class fundraising, too. That has helped.
The realities of possession
What shocked you most about working the studio?Jain: Hiring. I by no means thought holding a full workers could be such a problem. It’s a relentless means of hiring and rehiring as a result of most of our workers work part-time.
We give alternatives to highschool and faculty college students. Their training comes first, and once they end highschool, they might go away for school. We perceive that, however earlier than opening, we hadn’t actually considered how constantly we would wish to work on staffing.
What does a typical day seem like for you?Choudhary: It’s busy. We don’t presently have a full-time supervisor, so we deal with staffing ourselves. Typically we’re each on the studio; generally we alternate days. There’s additionally glazing, payroll, social media, the calendar and different on-line work. Day by day, one thing wants consideration.
Past staffing, what has been tough?Jain: Calling prospects when one thing occurs to their pottery within the kiln. They might have spent hours creating a chunk, after which it doesn’t come out completely. Telling them that’s arduous. It occurs very hardly ever — we estimate lower than 1% of items — however we nonetheless dread these calls.
Choudhary: We provide a substitute piece and waive the studio payment to allow them to come again and paint once more. We attempt to do no matter we will to make the expertise higher.
Planning forward and defending the partnership
How do you retain enterprise disagreements from affecting your friendship?Choudhary: We knew issues would occur as a result of we have been new to this. We agreed to maintain an open dialogue and discuss if one thing wasn’t working. We’re doing this as a result of we’re pals. If we weren’t going to remain pals, there could be no level in having the enterprise collectively.
Jain: We’re like sisters. There will likely be disagreements; we will’t all the time agree. However I wouldn’t have chosen anybody else to do that enterprise with. If I open one other studio, I’ll do it with Pooja.
What are your targets for the enterprise?Jain: We’d like to open one other studio. We additionally need to attain the highest 5 within the franchise’s gross sales rankings. We’ve been within the high 25 and reached sixth place for one month, however we haven’t made the highest 5 but.
Choudhary: Now we have comparable targets and the identical imaginative and prescient for the studio. That alignment is what makes the partnership particular. More often than not, we’re considering alongside the identical traces.
