New guy + printing resource

[Cruzinbaja]

Hi Guys, I just gave a mini intro in the "what do you do" thread, but I guess I should have just posted right here. I don't mean to double post and if mod wants they can move one/delete one. Anyway -

I run a printed media company with a few of my friends from high school. We all went to college and decided jobs suck, we want to be in charge. Let the good or the bad be totally our responsibility and if we strike gold we can reap the benefits and if we don't we'll go down together.

I guess that sounds dumb but it's pretty much accurate. Maybe I'm just stubborn and don't like being told what to do.

I started out as a lowly photoshop novice, probably like most of us. I took a graphic design class in HS and I was intrigued. I took a few more in college and had my business on the side, making whatever I could through weekend jobs and trying to keep my fridge full. Romin and mac and cheese anyone? costco frozen food section owned my soul, haha. Somewhere along the line we started brokering our own print jobs out, making commissions on the work we used to have to merely charge the client what we paid.

We finally attained a few solid clients and realized that we can't manage the little jobs and orders as well as we used to. Little things sometimes got lost in the background and we found ourselves torn, we can't turn customers away, but smaller jobs just weren't helping us anymore. We decided we needed a site that would allow clients (and designers) to upload a print ready file and we could simply process the orders.

Our site - www.********.com - has been months of work in the making, I'm a shitty programmer and I know it. Somehow we got everything up and running and I brought in the help of a pro for the shopping cart. I still don't fully understand what he did to make it all work, but it's done!

I'll be on the forums trying to improve my design skills as well as trying to bring in new business if the moderators don't mind. I've been lurking on this forum the past few days and everyone seems REALLY helpful. I'm excited :)

edits by admin: no advertising, soliciting, or offers on the forum

[Kool]

I'll be on the forums trying to improve my design skills as well as trying to bring in new business if the moderators don't mind. I've been lurking on this forum the past few days and everyone seems REALLY helpful. I'm excited :)

You're welcome to use the forum to improve your design skills but advertising of any kind isn't allowed. :)

[Cruzinbaja]

o ok cool. I saw "new guy multimedia company" a few threads down and thought it was allowed. No biggy I'll still be around.

Thanks

[CkretAjint]

Welcome!!! Always nice to have more professional minds hanging around here. :)

[Cruzinbaja]

I only pretend, haha. I'm professional when I have to be, I'm a california beach bum though too. Two totally different states of mind.

I've been reading a lot of the posts here, everyone is super helpful and gives real constructive criticism.

Hey am I allowed to have a link in my sig? or does that count as advertising too?

[CkretAjint]

Yes, just don't make it too gaudy. Also, people around here aren't to fond of picture sigs either, so I would stick with simple text. ;)

[Kool]

o ok cool. I saw "new guy multimedia company" a few threads down and thought it was allowed. No biggy I'll still be around.

Thanks

"new guy multimedia company" got the same warning as you did. :)

If you'll take a few minutes to check out our New User FAQ (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7786) most of your questions will be answered.

[PrintDriver]

I think you are fairly lucky Kool blotted out your link.
Telling the entire searchable internet your print company is run by a bunch of "friends from high school" and that "Little things sometimes got lost." While I have no idea whether or not you have any print experience at all, it sounds like a service I wouldn't even want to take a flier on even with a small insignificant job.
Your marketing skills need some polishing.
;)

[Cruzinbaja]

Printdriver - fair points.

I think it's unfortunate that professionalism is associated with being anal to some extent. I have to constantly prove that I am qualified as a smaller company, and that's why we failed as a marketing firm, and maybe for the reason you jut said, that my marketing skills could stand to be improved. on top of that competition from more established companies is just too stiff for a little guy to come in without tons of funding.

My description was as much for the introduction of who I am than to advertise, it was just a double purpose if it was ok to do, which I now know it isn't.

Friends from high school who went to Cal Arts for graphic design, Cal Poly Pomona for international business marketing, and Cal state fullerton for Public Relations isn't really that bad of a "high school friends" group. Though I understand your point. I'll keep that out of any professional conversations I have in the future.

Little things getting lost in the chaos and requiring either expansion or recruiting more people should be any small businesses dream. Having more clients than we know what to do with is forcing us to become better at what we do. I'm not saying it's acceptable but that's why we've created the site and are looking into hiring some more people.

I'm not trying to get too defensive but I did want to clarify/address your points. And honestly they were fair, I think I'll keep some of that stuff to myself in the future.

[Red Kittie Kat]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/RedKittieKat/smilies/wel2.gif

Welcome Aboard :)

[Two-Toe Tom]

welcome to the forum cruzinbaja! :)

[JuanBossa]

when I saw the link www.*******.com (http://www.*******.com) I thought "wow, that's a cool original name!...." LOL


















yeah, I know.... I'm a noob :p

[Virgo Nightingale]

Welcome aboard, Cruzinbaja!!

[Cruzinbaja]

when I saw the link www.*******.com (http://www.*******.com) I thought "wow, that's a cool original name!...." LOL

yeah, I know.... I'm a noob :p

HAhahaha, that's awesome I wish that was the case. Nobody would ever forget my name!

Thanks for the welcome guys