The Moneris Merchant Scoop: StylePhotos

The Moneris^® Merchant Scoop Series is dedicated to highlighting Canadian businesses thriving amidst an ever-changing landscape. Featuring exclusive interviews, learn more about the entrepreneurs behind the scenes, their stories of how they got their businesses off the ground, what it really takes to achieve success, and what the next steps could look like for a resilient future.

In this digital age, brothers Khasan and Husan Aripov understand how costly it can be to run a business. As entrepreneurs, they wanted to use their education and experience in business and ecommerce to help other business owners tell their stories and get their products and services in front of the right customers – all without breaking the bank. 

Together, they began Stylephotos; an Ontario-based company that aims to transform product photography and videography in the e-commerce space through innovative technology. Their goal is to help businesses of all sizes create professional, affordable, and effective product images and videos.

“The idea that businesses cannot be successful because they don’t have the budget is no longer an excuse. StylePhotos is making it possible,” said Khasan. “We saw the gap and wanted to build a bridge between businesses and the digital space, so business owners can focus on what they care about most.” 

About StylePhotos

Early in their careers, while in-between business ventures, Khasan and Husan stepped in to help their mother, who had started an online clothing and accessory store. She sought professional product photography services but was disappointed by the expensive quotes she received. So, her sons purchased their own equipment to capture the photos for her. 

As it turns out, they had a knack for taking quality product images and other companies took notice. They began working with smaller Canadian fashion startups and designers, then larger enterprise clients. In 2022, the brothers decided to make it official by registering StylePhotos as an independent business.

Today, StylePhotos has worked with over 400 clients and offers a one-stop-shop product photo and video studio. The team consists of 15 full-time staff members, and they’ve collaborated with over 180 content creators from around the world to support with their projects. 

Why StylePhotos chose Moneris as their preferred payment provider

Khasan first came across Moneris when he was invited by a friend to attend the first graduating cohort of the eCommerce North accelerator program. Khasan decided to sign up for the second cohort shortly after, and gained mentorship from various senior-suite executives, including a few from Moneris. 

After the program, when the brothers decided to open the first StylePhotos studio space, he knew to turn to Moneris as their payment processor. “I needed a quick and easy way for our clients to make in-person card payments. And now that I was more familiar with Moneris, I just needed to see what solutions were available. I opted for Moneris Go.”

Khasan was really impressed with the customer service he received, noting how easy they made the set-up experience. He also appreciates that Moneris continues to keep him up to date on current and new product and service offerings. 

What’s Next?

Khasan and his team are hoping to take on more clients south of the border, “Tapping into the US market has been a dream of ours for a while. We have clients in the US, but now that we’re becoming a bit more mainstream, we’re hoping to attract more business,” said Khasan. 

The team has also been getting into AI and automation to simplify the post-production process of their shoots and some of their content deliverables. They hope it will result in minimizing costs further for their clients.

To learn more about their journey, read the full story here.