From Zero to $1.7 Million: My Journey of Building a Poster Empire

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From Zero to $1.7 Million: My Journey of Building a Poster Empire

Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. Background and Education
  3. Early Jobs After College
  4. Transitioning to Finance
  5. Experience in the Gaming Industry
  6. Starting the Online Business
  7. Finding a Supplier and Printing Process
  8. Launching the Website and Marketing Strategy
  9. Scaling the Business and Changing Name
  10. Challenges and Changes in Marketing Strategy
  11. The Decision to Sell the Business
  12. Current Endeavors and Future Plans

Introduction

In this article, I will share my personal Journey of how I started my own online business and eventually sold it. I will take You through my background and education, the different jobs I had after college, and my experience in the gaming industry. We will Delve into the process of starting an online business, including finding a supplier and establishing a printing process. I will also discuss our marketing strategies, challenges faced, and the decision to sell the business. Lastly, I will touch upon my current endeavors and future plans. So let's dive into my entrepreneurial journey!

Background and Education

After graduating from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in 2009, I explored various job opportunities. Initially, I worked in customer support for a video game company. However, my interest in finance led me to transition into becoming a financial advisor. Despite the allure of monetary success, I soon realized that finance wasn't fulfilling for me. I returned to the gaming industry and joined a prominent startup called Machine Zone, where I worked as a monetization analyst. This experience provided valuable insights into psychological pricing and economic behavior.

Early Jobs After College

After college, I ventured into the job market and took up different positions. From customer support in a video game company to a brief stint as a financial advisor, I explored various career paths. Although these jobs didn't Align with my long-term goals, they provided me with essential experience and a clearer understanding of what I wanted to pursue.

Transitioning to Finance

Having graduated with a degree in finance, I felt compelled to enter the financial industry. The allure of lucrative incomes and the Perception of finance as the ultimate solution to success enticed me. I spent several months working as a financial advisor, but I soon realized that the field didn't Ignite my passion. While personal finance remained an interest, I discovered that my true calling lay elsewhere.

Experience in the Gaming Industry

Returning to the gaming industry, I secured a position at Machine Zone, a popular startup. As a monetization analyst, my role involved designing in-app purchase packages using real-time data and analytics. Working with millions of dollars in daily revenue, I gained valuable insights into scaling a business and the immense potential of the gaming industry.

Starting the Online Business

In 2016, fueled by the desire to be a business owner before the age of 30, I decided to embark on the journey of starting my own business. A mutual friend approached me with an idea to sell custom posters of street maps. Intrigued by the physical product and familiar with the supply chain, I saw immense potential in the business model. The initial investment of $20,000 allowed us to develop a website and establish partnerships with local print shops.

Finding a Supplier and Printing Process

To ensure high-quality prints and efficient shipping, we sought out reliable suppliers. After exploring various options, we found a family-owned print and copy shop in San Francisco. Working directly with the owner, we were able to examine the print quality and streamline the shipping process within the United States. We later expanded our operations and found a printing partner in Dallas, Texas, which offered competitive prices and faster shipping times.

Launching the Website and Marketing Strategy

In May 2017, we launched our website dedicated to selling custom city maps. Leveraging the power of Instagram marketing and influencer partnerships, we quickly gained traction and secured our first sales. Working closely with meme accounts within the online community, we drove traffic to our website through paid advertising. This proved to be a successful strategy, leading to consistent revenue growth.

Scaling the Business and Changing Name

As our business flourished, we recognized the need to expand our product offerings beyond city maps. In July 2018, we rebranded the company as Crafton Oak to accommodate the diversification of our products. The revenue growth was impressive, reaching up to $100,000 in the first year. However, a shift in marketing strategies and rebranding had unforeseen consequences, causing a decline in revenue.

Challenges and Changes in Marketing Strategy

Despite experiencing initial success, our business faced challenges, particularly with maintaining profit margins and managing increasing demand. The cost of marketing efforts began to outweigh the returns, prompting a reevaluation of our marketing strategies. Slowing down on paid advertising and relying more on organic traction had mixed results, influencing our decision to ultimately phase out marketing altogether.

The Decision to Sell the Business

As the business continued to face hurdles and the geographical distance between my business partner and me grew, we made the difficult decision to sell the business. Although the sale wasn't as lucrative as initially anticipated, the experience provided invaluable lessons in entrepreneurship, scaling a business, and adapting to market changes. I ventured into new endeavors, such as content creation on TikTok and YouTube, focusing on personal finance education.

Current Endeavors and Future Plans

As a content creator and entrepreneur, I am passionate about teaching personal finance principles and empowering others to take control of their financial well-being. Through my TikTok Channel and YouTube videos, I aim to bring awareness to important financial topics often overlooked in traditional education systems. While I Continue to explore new opportunities, I am eager to share my entrepreneurial journey and inspire others to embrace their own entrepreneurial endeavors.

Highlights:

  1. Successfully transitioned from various jobs after college to finding my true passion in the gaming industry.
  2. Started an online business selling custom street map posters and scaled it to achieve revenue of over $100,000 in the first year.
  3. Overcame challenges in the supply chain, printing process, and marketing strategies to sustain business growth.
  4. Made the decision to sell the business due to market changes and geographical constraints with my business partner.
  5. Currently engaged in content creation surrounding personal finance education with a focus on TikTok and YouTube platforms.

FAQs:

Q: How did you choose the supplier for printing your custom posters? A: Initially, we found a local family-owned print and copy shop in San Francisco through personal referrals. Later, we expanded our operations and found a printing partner in Dallas, Texas, to handle our growing volume and offer competitive prices.

Q: What marketing strategies did you use to drive traffic to your website? A: Our primary marketing strategy involved partnering with meme accounts on Instagram to promote our products. We paid these influencers for posts, resulting in increased website traffic and sales.

Q: Why did you decide to phase out all marketing efforts? A: The cost of marketing began to outweigh the returns, and the stress of managing paid advertising campaigns became challenging. We also experienced declining profit margins, leading us to prioritize a more passive business model.

Q: What lessons did you learn from selling your business? A: The sale of the business taught us valuable lessons in entrepreneurship, adaptability, and scaling. It emphasized the importance of being flexible in the face of market changes and the need for consistent evaluation of business strategies.

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