Summer’s almost at an end…

Well since I took on a full time job with the #1 tech company in the world ….We have been extremely busy. I’ve had the ability to enjoy new friends, lots of training on tech toys, and spend some time inside of Apple products. I haven’t had much time at all to devote to the company or it’s customers. I have put a temporary hold on things until we move to our new home office later this year. We expect to install a full studio/editing room and devote sleepless nights to our photography and taking things to the next level.

Until then, Cheers.

Hunter

back after a long break…

Sorry I haven’t had the time to update the blog…but things have been crazy around here lately. We have backed off of public web development/design and are strictly working on a word-of-mouth basis. Graphic renderings are still in full swing, but our Photography is in season for sure!! We have a few weddings on the calendar for this year, one is getting super close(Kayla and Drew) As most of you know, by visiting our Flickr site, we are still shooting quality magazine cars. Our HandEDub is being ‘bagged as we speak, so we are pretty pumped up about that(not to mention the amount of magazine interest in it already!!!) If you know of a car that is magazine quality, let us know and we’ll put our spin on it.

Killer cars require killer photos: That’s just what we aim to put out. Click.

JonHanna’s Audi on Air.

Back at it…

We are going to try and get back to the whole blogging thing. Not that too many people want to read what we have going one…As soon as Christmas season ends, and business resumes to normal state, we will be back to blogging. Keep reading or subscribing for the latest and greatest of HandEGraphix.

Trick or Trea…ahh, just candy please.

I seem to remember from my childhood, a time of candy, warnings about razorblades in apples, and costumes. The reason I believe that I recall all of this so vividly, is because my brothers and sisters. While the majority of my trick or treating was done with Jacob and Carissa, I know that we were unsafe trick or treaters for a few reasons:

1. Mama don’t like no strangers…but we did if the candy was right. I recall a couple of Halloweens where Jacob and i would exchange candy with other trick or treaters, by the porch light of neighborhood homes.

2. Check all your candy BEFORE you eat it. Now this hasn’t been but 14 years or so, but there were still creeps giving out candy then. Jacob, Carissa, and I would easily be through half of our candy by the time trick or treating was over.(Walking is hard on poor kids, especially me, who lost my new shoes to my brother, for lying to my parents.)

3. Hide and SEE Me?–Living less than a mile from the house I was raised in, allows me to see things differently. While canebrake is still a calm neighborhood, i remember high schoolers, and rushed parents speeding all over the place. I see kids now with reflective stuff sewn into the costumes. Where was that stuff when I was a kid?! We usually picked the $5 costume from walmart-that consisted of a shirt/cape and a plastic mask. This was usually followed by the dollar store’s latest and greatest plastic pumpkin to hold our goodies. I’ve always had a slight obsession with black(maybe cause its thinning?), so I’m absolutely sure that God’s hand was upon our candy traveling. We had no reflectors, no lights, no head visor style lights, no bright clothing, no nothing. Just 3 hungry kids waiting to get our snack on.

Moral of this story: Let your kids dress in black, don’t buy them expensive costumes, and don’t make them check their candy before eating. Riss, Jacob, and I didn’t and we are all okay, right?

The Life of a Graphic Artist

Well today and yesterday have been swamped with work. Thank you God. We are putting out SportsCrap.net designs and print materials, getting Design Image Studios build ready for publishing, and juggling two big jobs that can’t be discussed(whoops) I figured since no one really reads new(er) blogs anyways, I might as well let all of you on a little secret or two. This is exactly how most of my days go.

Wake Up-Breakfast? No I don’t feel like Breakfast.

Turn on Monitor(Macs never sleep in this house), check social networking, photography/automotive forums, and rep the company as best as possible.

Run through the daily checklist–yes, I actually use one…and plan out exactly what goes where and how. Usually things are split up by the type of design, then client.

After categorizing by studio/photography/print/web, I dive into which are needed the soonest.

Work up til Lunch, think about taking lunch, stop for maybe a few minutes, snack, back to the grind.

Back onto the work. Finish up projects before 4ish, then fit in last minute items that people need on the fly.

Hopefully, during all this I remember to take the boys, Keen and Chaco, out to the bathroom/play breaks outside.

5 o’clock rolls around and most things are finished or at least getting wrapped up.

Dinner with my lovely wife, a little TV, and then usually have a urgent request ringing in 2x or so a week, so I head back to the big glass desk and work away till late at night.

This is pretty much what I have going on almost everyday Monday – Friday. Wanna be a part of this? Just contact us and schedule something.

hunter@handegraphix.com

HandEDude.

GraPhiX, Photoz, and DeZines?!?! What can we do for U?

As I am leaving the part time, business running, juggling it all world, and moving to full time status…I ask myself, what do people need me for?!

I’ve developed this Keen discernment as to what customers need to grow their small business into something much greater. Whether it be Vanilla, Chocolate, or Stawberry out there..we will still find the niche, that each customer dreams of. Perhaps, some of my motivation comes from my deemed Self Worth, or the desire to the see the underdog push through? What is HandEGraphix goal with each business relationship formed? Simple.

We want to be able to expose the customer and their “business/product/service” to the world, so that LARGE corporations don’t drown out us little guys.

Whether it be computer or hand drawn media…photography (automotive, studio, or event)…or a simple logo for the business, we will put each and every bit of Umph into it, so that it becomes the company. Don’t choose the corporate graphics company if you aren’t a corporate giant! At HandEG’s, we will make it BIG. Business Relationships to the next level…creating a friendship first, and graphics later.

Creative Design in a Busy World.

-HandEDude
HandEGraphix WeB

Updates

HandEGraphix would like to welcome on our latest clients for whom we have been busy doing work with.

SarahFryeDesignCo–Interior Design/Planning

SportsCrap.net–Sports Merchandise

Venue Merch–Merchandise for Music

and new clients for whom we cannot mention..just yet

Hunter of HandEGraphix will be attending H2oi towards the end of September. He will be shooting hundreds of photos of the events and people. The HandEDub will be entered in the 2009 EuroAutoFestival.

To Grow or not to Grow? Ain’t no question

I’ve decided to simply blog about how I would grow my company and the strategies I’m currently putting into play. As I stated in the last post, it’s not me who is really telling of the secrets…it’s my business latest success story. Put a southern boy with no charm into a room with overpriced competitors, and I’ll win every time!

“What if I could tell you that you could increase business generated income by 400% in 1 year with this business plan? For only $39.95, you too can have what I have”

How many of you have EVER done this? I can honestly say that I haven’t, however I have picked up a good book or 12 on business marketing, strategy, and delivering client approval. I’ve always wanted to break out of my shell and try out something that I think…could possibly..maybe…work?! As a person who was not raised in a wealthy family, I have learned to keep my spending to a minimum(unless it’s jeeps, fast cars, or electronics..and motorcycles) Perhaps business growth is about saving money where it’s worth it, but spending big bucks where it counts? Yes, yes I know. Monumental idea, eh? Lets put this into what I term “Hunter’s perspective” , which is latin for ‘poor guy trying this business thing out’, and push this idea to the limits.

We’ll call this quality—————————————————————————–and this will be quantity

10 Well Running Machines, no maintenance. —– 30 Outdated Machines, Need for IT constantly

5 Dedicated working employees—– 17 Employees who spend time on the phone or solitaire

1 Talented Amazing Awesome Designer Guy—– 5 Designers who are terrible and believe in Fung-shwayyy

Which sounds better to you? Quality or Quantity? To help weigh in on this I have decided to close with a simple question to end all questions…..

Do you want HandEGraphix to do some work for you?
Contact us HERE

How do I grow my business…

By no means do I consider myself a business coach, especially only owning our business for the time we have, however, it occurred to me that there are a few things I do know. These are all ideas that I have formed over working for the man, and being the man. They are not guaranteed to make your business grow exponentially, but it sure has worked for us.

1st: Keep your business plan close to your heart and only allow it to change if trusted counsel is involved. This means that you shouldn’t touch what you have done, unless wise counsel(trusted), who have no role but the best interest for YOU, suggest or help you for the better.

2nd: Use personal character as the backbone of your company. We are in a time where your word is no longer your business, but yet how much money you are worth if you are to be sued. Make sure that your personal character is reflected through the entire small business flow.(ie. trust, timely payments, honoring guarantees, word of mouth promises)

3rd: Draw business from those who are most like you. Sure, we would all like to think that we want business from any and all people, groups, or businesses, but wouldn’t you rather serve something or someone you are most like?! Think of how a trustworthy, word-of-mouth graphics guy could serve a group of corporate cut throat attorneys.[not very well ] Remember to find that common plain and WORK it.

4th: Keep some small things small. As some businesses grow and some plummet, it slowly shapes the future of the business strategy. We all like growth, especially when large amounts of money are involved. I have just taken on a massive client, that once up, will most likely sustain my income. However, I have realized that by keeping certain areas of the business small(workflow, employees, budgets, etc), these and other parts of the business will skyrocket in size, leaving me with a small business making money.

5th: Networking: Yes, Networking. I’m not going to sit here and tell you to be on Twitter 24/7 or setup your Facebook page like a Myspace profile, but make sure that your web presence isn’t going unnoticed. Dive into social media, but make sure that it does not become your only resource in making money. Those that tell you that you can expand your business with a Social Networking guru are correct, but you cannot base your business solely on that niche. Make sure that you aren’t surfing the net all day for articles, retweeting other more important people, or becoming a fan of a page..only to have passed by the guy waiting at your doorstep for business.

God bless,

Hunter

Small Cars Taking Over pt.2

Chicago Skyline Bridge, originally uploaded by HandEGraphix.

i’ve waited a while to blog because so much has happened within the last few weeks. I drove to Chicago with my father in law to pick up a Gti, wedding 1, moved into a new house, wedding 2, and it just keeps getting busier.

I hope that all who are following my blog, will enjoy this little video I modeled after Thomas Woodsons stop motion.