Holographic StickersHey everyone, Gareth here!
It’s time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to what’s next and share a little more about myself and the business. 2024 was an incredible year for Decal Empire full of challenges, growth, and opportunities I never imagined when I first started this journey.
I initially launched Decal Empire as a side project, drawing on my background in printing and over a decade of experience in teamwear covering everything from printing and sales to embroidery. My goal was to push my skills further and take on a new challenge in a competitive market where I knew I could offer something unique. And so, Decal Empire was born!
Building the business was a slow but steady process. For over a year, I sold my own designs on Etsy while growing a modest customer base. Eventually, I made the shift from designing to manufacturing your incredible artwork. That transition led to rapid growth between 2022 and 2023, with a steady increase in customers and a reliable stream of income.
At the time, I was still working full-time as a lead graphic designer, using the equipment available at my workplace to keep things running. This meant long, exhausting hours, but seeing the positive feedback and watching the business grow made every sleepless night worth it. By the end of 2023, I was able to invest in my own industrial printer and bring production fully in-house (literally), which gave a massive leap forward in both speed and quality.
Upgrading from a four-colour printer to an eight-colour printer, with double the print width and a range of new materials, allowed me to refine my process even further.
Then came 2024 a year of explosive growth. Sales skyrocketed, jumping 25% from 2022 to 2023 to an unbelievable 410% in 2024 compared to 2023… Nice. It was a shock to the system, but in the best possible way. This growth gave me the confidence to take the biggest leap yet, leaving my stable job and going full-time with Decal Empire. It was a daunting decision, stepping into the unknown, but I have zero regrets.
You, our amazing customers made this possible. Your support, kind words, and trust in Decal Empire have been nothing short of incredible. And because of that, I’m taking another big step: Decal Empire is getting its own unit this year. If everything goes smoothly (pending a succesful application). We find out within one to two months. (If not then there will be other opportunities) This move will allow for massive expansion, new machines, and new products bringing other skills into play that I haven’t had the chance to use yet (embroidered garments anyone? Maybe some spot gloss stickers are more your fancy, or that mythical unicorn that is holographic i’ve been teasing…). But! Changes have to be made… The current system is unsustainable if growth continues. Expansion is needed in all areas.
The Elephant in the Room: Price Updates
When I first set our prices, I was still learning. Figuring out materials, refining the production process, and understanding the real-time investment required. I quickly realised that some costs, especially for larger jobs, were underestimated. To continue providing the quality and service you expect while also ensuring the business remains sustainable, prices will be increasing across all products.
I want to be transparent about this: I believe in the value of what we offer. The quality, service, and after-sales support we provide more than justify the increase. That said, I also don’t want to take the piss because you guys have margins as well and most dreams can start and end when the costs of things start to spiral. Which is a position I don’t want to put you in. So, we’re positioning our prices in the middle of our competitors offering top tier quality, fast turnaround times, and excellent support, just at a fairer rate that allows us room to grow and really start competing with the big players in this field.
Product and Service Changes
- Die-cut stickers: Prices will be increasing across the board. We will be adding more sizes and quantity breaks.
- Sticker sheets: A moderate price increase to account largely for print time. We will be offering more sizes and quantities (A4, A5, A6, A7. Quantities 1-20000).
- Sticker packs: A moderate price increase and a wider adjustment to how many we offer along with some added extra features.
- Banners: These will see the biggest price increase. The truth is we weren’t making any profit on them before. We will also be standardising our sizes.
- Multiple designs: Will remain free forever, even if you want more than 25 designs per order. There will never be an artwork setup fee.
- Shipping: Still free, but we are switching to Tracked 48 for all orders, with an option for Tracked 24 at an extra cost. Please consider this when ordering for a deadline, but we will cater for the occasional SOS, because life happens, and we’re always going to be here for you when you need it.
- Processing time: We will continue to dispatch most orders within 2-3 working days if your order is under 1,000 stickers.
The changes will take place during Febuary, some tweaks may be made here and there but largely they will be set by the end of next month.
The year is going to be a wild ride, we are going to chase after the big guys and see where we land. So grab your favourite towel and come along for the journey.
Love, Gareth <3
