By Moses Leos III
A fulltime job in graphics design has been the dream of Kyle Resident Mark Hufford. So much so, he worked a 50-hour a week job to support his full-time status at the Art Institute of Austin, receiving his degree in 2012.
However, last January, Hufford was at a crossroad.
His nine-year graphic design job at Crate and Barrel in San Marcos’ Outlet Mall was gone. There was no opportunity to transfer.
Despite his layoff, Hufford was determined to get back into the graphics design field.
His solution? Start his own business. In May, he launched Personali-T-Z, a digital t-shirt printing business. Personali-T-Z is a direct-to-garment printer, where customers can get shirts in as little as an hour.
The process is straightforward. Instead of using multiple screens to create a design, Hufford presses the ink directly onto the garment. This is done digitally, where the ink is embedded in the shirt. The process saves time, but resources as well.
“Nothing is screen printed,” Tina Galindo, co-owner of Personali-T-Z said.
Galindo said the digital printing process is a cost effective one, both for the business and consumers. Customers who use traditional screen print shirts pay per color. With digital, it shoots out hundreds of colors at once. As a result, set up costs are non-existent.
It is also a “green” initiative. She said the ink is nontoxic, and the company sends in empty ink cartridges for reuse.
While a novel idea, Hufford admits to struggling to get his business off the ground.
“It has been a slow process,” Hufford said.
Like most start-ups, Hufford began his enterprise from home. His house is now a defacto warehouse and office.
“My bedroom is where I store my product,” he said. “My garage is my pretreatment room, and my dining room is my office.”
He said a lack of visibility keeps customers from rolling in – he recognizes the need for a brick-and-mortar structure.
Ideally, Hufford is looking for a 700 to 900-square-foot space, big enough to store product and have printing presses, but not overwhelming. And staying in Kyle is important.
Hufford thinks Buda is a city with an older population, which is not conducive to reaching his target audience of college students. Galindo agreed. She felt the ecofriendly nature of the business is attractive to a younger demographic.
Setting up shop in Kyle would put him closer to San Marcos with 35,000 students at Texas State University. He feels his business can thrive between the two cities and their younger demographic population.
He also acknowledges the faster rate of growth in Kyle. The landlocked nature of Buda is not enticing to Hufford and his group of four business owners.
A lack of space along Main Street is also a troubling issue.
It all sweetens the pot to build in Kyle. Galindo felt the city could help the company grow and thrive.
Getting to that point may be the toughest challenge.
In order to build capital, along with paying his regular bills, Hufford has taken a second job as a server at Applebee’s in Kyle. The restaurant industry is nothing new for him, having worked in a variety of positions for a total of 30 years.
Hufford continues to operate the business out of his own home, while working three days a week at the restaurant.
It’s all a balancing act. Yet, his love for the job continues to drive him.
Ultimately, he wants what every small business owner wants: A piece of the American Dream.
