I had the privilege to do an interview with Dave Griffith, a small business owner in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Mr. Griffith designs and creates his own copper art that he displays/sells to local galleries and individuals
TF: What’s the name of your business?
DG: My business is Griffith Copper Art
TF: So, just to start, can you give me a background and kind of how you ended up starting Griffith Copper Art
DG: I worked part time with a very small company that did copper work and I enjoyed doing it. I love to work with my hands so I started doing my own designs and making money doing it. I started selling at art shows and galleries and so far it’s going well.
TF: What were some of the challenges you faced when you finally got started?
DG: Some of my challenges included cash flow starting out. You have to have your product ready to sell but I did not have much capital to purchase material. Also marketing can be hard. The internet does make it easier but you still have to go out and talk to people face to face .In my case direct contact has worked somewhat better than the internet.
TF: When problems arise, how do you go about handling them?
DG: Problems in my business don’t come too often and I am lucky for that but when they do I try to work them out calmly. You have to get to the root of the problem and think it through. I have lost my temper on occasion and it usually makes things much worse.
TF: How would you describe your typical day at work?
DG: The Copper Art business is my second job. So my day working with copper starts around 5 pm. I will check the e-mail for any internet orders and then go to the shop. I go over inventory then cut out the pieces I need for the internet or local gallery order. Once cut out, I form the piece that the customer wants and then I solder it together with oxygen and a acetylene torch. After making the pieces needed for the orders they are colored and two coats of clear finish are applied. All of this takes many steps so it usually takes the better part of a week to finish the order. Saturdays and some Sundays are when I deliver the orders. Some of the galleries are a 150 mile round trip. I might do 2 galleries on a Saturday.
TF: How have the experiences that you have had during this business influenced the way you now run your company?
DG: The slow economy has made me very wary of this business. I no longer make many extra pieces, so in turn I don’t use unnecessary material. Copper prices are pretty high so I use what I need including all the small pieces. The people I deal with have influenced me quite a bit. I get a lot of feedback positive and negative about my product and that helps me give the customers what they are looking for.
TF: How do you best promote your line to your customers?
DG: I have found that taking my product to galleries and talking directly to the owners has worked best for me. My wife finds the galleries and coffee house online and e-mails them. We will meet them at their gallery and show them what I do. I think the personal touch is better than e-mail at least in my case.
TF: How are things going in your company in general, right now: are you hiring, downsizing, or “staying as you are” in terms of your company’s workforce; are sales up, down, or flat?
DG: Right now I am working by myself. I plan to stay that way for a while. Sale’s are the best they have been in 3 years but the orders are not enough to do any hiring yet.
TF: What do you find most rewarding about being your own boss?
DG: Being your own boss is complicated but very rewarding. Knowing that the decisions I make about the company is great. No one else tells me how to make it all work so if you have a crazy idea it’s mine. If it doesn’t work it’s my problem but when it does work it’s a great feeling.
TF: What advice would you give to someone who was considering starting a similar business as yours?
DG: My advice to someone would be to have good people skills, listen to what your customers say and use your money wisely. In this business you meet many people and you have to have a good sense of humor. I have found that helps more than anything to break the ice with strangers.
