Creating One-of-a-Kind Signage and Décor

Have you noticed that your friends and associates seem to be displaying more custom signage and décor items in their offices and homes? If so, they're right on-trend. In addition to the overarching market push toward customization, the pandemic lent a boost to the décor market as people renovated and refreshed their home and working environments. Last year, the global personalized home décor market alone was valued at $802 billion and it is expected to grow to $1,300 billion by 2034 according to Fortune Business Insights (1).

Expanding production to include custom interior décor items can help sign shop owners transform their business relationships with customers from acting as a specialized vendor to serving as a high-value partner. These branded and customized pieces are popular with retail and commercial clients alike and can provide healthy margins for producers.

To learn more about how to build a custom-printed décor business, we talked with Brittany Silzer, owner and founder of Knotty Design Co. in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Brittany shares below what products are working for her company, what production tools she relies on, and how her approach to customer service helps her business stand out in a crowded marketplace.

How did you decide to start Knotty Design Co.?

Brittany Silzer, owner and founder: I have always been entrepreneurial and creative, which I probably get from my father, who has owned a local pizza restaurant since he was in his early 20s. I was a nail tech before deciding to go to school for administration and, later, finance. Not surprisingly, I didn't love it, but I didn't really know what else I wanted to do.

I worked full time while completing my degree and found myself very bored as I was nearing graduation. My husband suggested finding a hobby. I bought some signs at a market, and thought, "I'd like to do that."

I founded Knotty Design Co. in my basement in 2018 with a craft vinyl cutter. I taught myself how to use a saw and nail gun. I already had an airbrush machine, so I used it to paint the signs. It started as something to do in my spare time and I sold my products at markets in my area and in Medicine Hat, Alberta on weekends.

Over time, business picked up. Like many people, I found myself working from home because of COVID-19. In October 2020, the company I worked for experienced a cyber-attack, which caused a three-month outage in their accounting system. That time off work really allowed me to focus on producing products for the holiday season and gave me a view of what my business could be.

When talks started about going back to the office, I decided to leave my job and pursue growing my business.

Knotty Design Co. grew quite quickly after this, and I hired my first employee in July 2021. We moved to our first commercial space in early 2022, then moved to our current spot in September 2022.

How are you staffed today?

Brittany Silzer: We are currently a team of three, with Meghan, our production assistant, and Savana, who handles shipping and administration as well as helping with production.

My husband, Justin, is part owner of the company, but he also runs his own business full-time. He helps out at the shop occasionally, picking up supplies, performing shop and machine maintenance, and jumping in during the holiday season when we need an extra pair of hands.

Tell us about your retail store and shop.

Brittany Silzer: We are in downtown Moose Jaw, which is really quite beautiful and has a lot of tourist attractions. Our shop, which had been an auto shop for many years, has approximately 2,000 square feet of space, divided almost equally into finished office space and a garage-like shop.

The shop space, located in the back half of our building, houses our woodworking tools and larger engraving lasers. The front area is separated into workspaces with another laser, our two Roland DG UV flatbed printers, and desks.

We also have a small retail space and showroom where we sell our products to local customers and tourists.

What products did you start with? How has your product line changed or expanded over time?

Brittany Silzer: My very first products were wooden home décor signs. I used a vinyl cutter to stencil the signs and an airbrush attachment on my air compressor to paint them. Some of my earlier signs were pretty rough looking! I sold them at small markets and through social media.

Though we still make home décor signs, they look very different these days as we have leaned into personalization and watercolor-style images using our UV printers.

In general, we have moved towards personalized products that are trending. Our best-selling products are holiday ornaments, particularly ornaments to mark the birth of babies, and ornaments that include customer photos. We sell thousands every year.

We now have over 800 products in our line, with many items rotating out seasonally.

At what point did you decide to add UV-printed production capability to your shop?

Brittany Silzer: I added my first UV printer, a Roland DG LEF2-200 benchtop UV flatbed printer, in late 2020 because I was having a difficult time keeping up with sign orders while working full time. I was looking for a way to streamline production and wanted the option to print customer photos and colored graphics as well.

I didn't really know the UV printer market, so I did some research and compared Roland DG's UV printers with another manufacturer. I ultimately went with the Roland DG printer because the customer service I had experienced with Roland was significantly better than with the other brand.

One thing that was very important to me was ease of use. I didn't want there to be a large learning curve to get up and running. My Roland DG UV printer was simple to understand, and both of my Roland DG devices have performed very well, with only minor upkeep needed over the years.

When it was time to add more production capacity, we debated between a second Roland DG LEF2-200 or the VersaObject MO-240 benchtop UV flatbed and ended up choosing the MO-240 for its larger 24-inch bed size and because it was a newer model. I also wanted gloss ink as our LEF2 is set up with two white ink cartridges.

What products are produced with help from your UV printers? Among them, which ones are most popular?

Brittany Silzer: We often combine laser engraving and UV printing to make our products. We make giftable products including home décor signs, magnets, plant stakes, bookmarks, keychains, holiday ornaments and gift tags, cake toppers, and car rearview mirror charms.

In addition to Christmas ornaments, our most popular year-round products are our photo magnets, photo keychains, and home décor signs.

Have you seen any trends in the custom products customers want?

Brittany Silzer: There is significant demand right now for gifts that feature the customers' own photos, and for personalization in general. People want unique, sentimental gifts that are tailored specifically to the recipient they have in mind — something they can't pick up at a box store.

I have also noticed a demand for very detailed products that feature 3D lettering or elements. I love to pair a UV-printed surface pattern with 3D laser-cut lettering.

How do you sell your products?

Brittany Silzer: We have an Etsy shop that I have dedicated a lot of time to, and this is where the bulk of our orders come from.

We also sell through our website (knottydesignco.com), which we direct our social media followers to, and in person to local customers that come into our shop. We offer wholesale as well, mostly through Faire Wholesale.

We sell to Canada and the U.S. nearly exclusively, with the odd order going to other international locations.

Are you serving businesses as well as individual customers?

Brittany Silzer: The bulk of our orders are to individual customers, but about 25% of our sales are wholesale to gift shops that retail our products, or bulk orders for real estate agents, sports teams, and other groups looking to publicize their brands and organizations.

Why do you think your clients choose Knotty Design Co.?

Brittany Silzer: The market is very crowded, but I think our business does well because of the amount of time, effort, and attention to detail that I dedicate to our product lines. I am continuously researching trends, looking for inspiration, testing new products, and adding to our product range. I add and discontinue sometimes hundreds of products per year to make sure that our offerings are fresh and relevant.

We have a very high return-customer rate because we put a lot of time into providing superior service and ensuring that each customer has an outstanding overall customer experience. We recognize the importance of making sure the personalization is correct and that everything is well-packaged and delivered on time.

In addition, all of our products are fully handmade in-house, so we control the process from start to finish.

What lies ahead for your company?

Brittany Silzer: The economy is a bit slower right now, so we are just looking to operate through that and continue growing our customer base for both wholesale and retail customers.

We are focusing on nurturing our current customer relationships and being a go-to spot for gifting seasons. With our on-site production capability, we can customize and personalize a wide range of products for all the major holidays and throughout the year.

1. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/home-decor-market