Tom and Olivia Herron have built a successful business generating £1 million in revenue within two years by creating AI-enhanced personalized greeting cards, a venture that has allowed their family to relocate from the United Kingdom to Mauritius. The couple, along with their three children—Max, 11, Finn, eight, and Eva, six—moved to the island nation in January after selling their home in the UK.
The business, named Lookalikey, uses artificial intelligence to transform customer-submitted photos into customized, often humorous or sentimental cards, primarily for occasions like birthdays. Customers upload images of family members, friends, or pets, which the company then digitally enhances and prints. The cards are sold online, typically priced at £4.49 each, with almost the entire amount covering production, postage, packaging, and marketing costs.
Tom Herron, a former public relations consultant with no formal background in computers, was inspired to launch the company after seeing how AI-enhanced images could create amusing personalized content. Alongside his wife Olivia and brother Spencer, Tom taught himself to use various AI tools, including Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Canva, to produce the greeting card images and design templates. Initially operating from their home in Haslemere, Surrey, the family soon outsourced printing and distribution to a company in Guernsey due to high order volumes—at times reaching up to 1,000 cards daily.
Prior to launching the business, the Herrons had experienced financial pressures, including managing a mortgage, rising energy bills, and high taxes in the UK. The couple had previously purchased and renovated a rundown family home in Haslemere, investing £150,000 over two years while balancing full-time work and childcare. The greeting card business offered an opportunity for both financial independence and lifestyle flexibility.
Headquartered in Bolton, Lancashire, where its accountant is based, Lookalikey pays UK corporation tax on its profits. Although the Herrons have not disclosed exact figures, they report the business is profitable and reached turnover of £1 million last year.
Seeking a more relaxed lifestyle and a warmer climate, the family chose to relocate to Mauritius, attracted by its Premium Visa scheme for digital nomads. This visa allows them to live on the island legally while working remotely, provided they meet income thresholds—roughly £1,132 per adult and £377 per child each month—and maintain private health insurance. As Mauritius tax residents, they benefit from substantially lower income tax rates than in the UK, with a graduated system starting at zero for the first Rs 500,000 (about £7,968) and a maximum of 20 percent on higher incomes.
Living expenses in Mauritius, including rent for their three-bedroom villa at £2,500 per month and private schooling for their children costing £5,000 annually per child, are offset by substantially lower energy bills—less than a quarter of what they paid in Britain. While grocery prices can be comparable or higher, and dining at tourist spots more expensive, the family often chooses local establishments and enjoys free outdoor activities such as beach picnics and snorkeling. The Herrons report that although living costs vary, the overall quality of life and flexibility afforded by their business and new environment have increased their family’s wellbeing.
Tom summarized their experience by highlighting the lifestyle change: "You soon adapt to the rhythm of the island... We constantly have to pinch ourselves at what a wonderful adventure we are now all living."