Late 2009 early 2010, technology finally caught up with Richard and Bryce’s ambition. A printer capable of printing long-run rolls with water-resistant and rub-proof ink was manufactured. The problem was, they couldn’t secure financing to buy one. However, they managed to strike a deal with a local salesman to use his demo machine. They would pay for the ink they used, with the only catch being they could only use it at night. Richard would pack a sleeping bag and a zip disk of files to print and set off for the night. The printer could produce roughly 33 feet per hour, so catching some sleep was essential.
Richard would return home in the morning, and they would hand-trim and package the orders he had printed. They were still too financially strapped to invest in packaging, so they would rummage through the local supermarket’s recycling bin. They handcrafted boxes from the best and cleanest cardboard they could find. Richard would often strut into the office, proudly showcasing the latest box he had created. “Have a look at this one,” he would exclaim. To which Bryce would respond, “You’re getting better. That’s a good-looking box.”
The rapid growth of the internet saw their website and products pushed further than originally anticipated, so much so that they were spotted by a wallpaper seller in Japan who wanted to represent their brand – and the next thing they knew, they were exporting!
This marked the end of their first full year of producing wallpaper, with total wallpaper sales reaching an impressive (at the time) $9,000.
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