Entrepreneur Stories – Zangaroo Designs
Reilly Newman was a sophomore in high school when he decided to start his graphic design firm. Zangaroo Designs has been serving local and international clients since 2008.
Is it hard to run a business at such a young age?
It hasn’t affected the way I run my business much.
Do you use word of mouth advertising?
Word of mouth clients have been coming out of the “woods” requesting our services. This has been extremely encouraging for me.
What other unique forms of advertising do you use?
My firm starting to develop a “clothing line” branch, and anywhere from Italy, to the sunny central coast of California, you can see people (not necessarily clients) wearing Zangaroo shirts.
We also have several articles being written about Zangaroo and me.
What else has contributed to your success?
I believe hard work, honesty, and fun create the perfect work environment. And thanks to these standards, I am able to do what I love for a living and also help others with their needs as well!
What’s next?
With a whole lot to still learn about: business, design, and life; I look forward to every second and experience of it.
What were the obstacles to starting your business (educational requirements, certifications, licensing, insurance, etc.)?
People not believing in me because of my age and what I wanted to accomplish. Not so much legal issues, if people want you to work for them, then they’ll find away to make that happen.
How did you find suppliers/services you needed to get started?
It was as easy as typing it in to a dear friend of mine, Google. Although the search engine helps a lot of a vast array of situations and needs, word of mouth from clients and supporters has helped me the most.
How did you finance your start up?
Made some sacrifices, but mainly just working hard and landing both small and big design jobs.
Is this a full time business or a supplemental income?
This is a full time business. My business is doing what I love.
What advise would you give others?
People are people. No matter what title they have or where they are located, with today’s technology anyone can be contacted. Never be ashamed of your work or shy to share. Be yourself, do what you love. If you’re good, you will be found.
What organizations do you belong to?
Zangaroo
How has your lifestyle changed from being an employee to becoming a business owner?
Brewing more coffee, enjoying my work, and meeting incredible people who I might have never met being stuck inside a “work environment”
3 Responses to “Entrepreneur Stories – Zangaroo Designs”
Dominic
Inspirational story, glad it worked out well for you and that this story may encourage other people to do the same thing.
Tarakit
we have been using a lot of ads on line and spending too much with it, but still we have a low rate of success and sales .
Devon
It is great to know you are doing what you love. I do believe if you are good at doing anything you will be found. People seem to think you need to be in a big city, but success will happen anywhere with hard work involved. It will help young adults see that things can be accomplished despite age. A good article that should show other entrepreneurs what is possible.