The world of print, design, and signage has evolved significantly since the early 1990s, and One Creative has been delivering the goods every step of the way. Managing Director Scott Richmond reflects on 35 years in business.
What inspired you to start One Creative? I was a graphic designer working for a publishing house and wanted to do something for myself. What started as a small design and print business grew into a full-service signage company.
What were the early years like? Tough. Coming out of a failed partnership that was heavily in debt didn’t help. I worked almost 2 years with no salary simply to pay those off. In the early years, it was a very different business, mostly producing printed content, designing magazines and advertising collateral. Long hours, high pressure, but the creativity was exciting.
How has One Creative evolved? We’re now a start to finish service that focuses mostly on signage. While we still do design and printing, the majority of our business is signage and installations, with that work mostly produced in house. That covers shopfront and building signage, shopping centre signage, window and wall graphics, vehicle and fleet wraps, event signage and large format printing – all designed, produced and installed by our own team.
Who are your customers? Our customers vary from large multinationals, through to SME and one person operations. Lots of retail centres, retailers, schools, businesses in travel, healthcare, beauty, entertainment, hospitality, tradies, the list goes on. Closer to home, we’ve worked with businesses, schools and organisations right across the Northern Beaches, while also looking after shopping centres and national retail brands across Australia.
What problems are you solving for them? We are a solution-based service. We work with our clients to develop ideas to solve their marketing and branding challenges, and how they communicate with their customers. Because design, production and installation all happen under one roof, we can look after a job from the first idea to final install. Our clients deal with people who know and understand their business.
Do certain moments stand out strongest? My whole family has worked in the business at one point or another, all my sons and even my wife Kaz, which is very special. And watching my son Keegan take on increasing responsibilities to now be our Operations Manager, overseeing the day-to-day running of the business, has been very rewarding. I am incredibly proud of them all and what we manage to achieve. Being family-owned is a big part of how we work with our clients, from larger projects such as rebrands and development sites to supporting new business, such as a brand-new swim centre in Mona Vale, Next Generation Swim Academy, and a rebranding roll out for The Village Chef across shopfronts and delivery vans. Seeing a business open with signage we’ve designed, built and installed never gets old.
Are there any fundamentals to staying in business for over 35 years? Treat your business as a responsibility, not a privilege. Be proud of what you do, the service you deliver. Always aim to exceed your client’s expectations. That approach has allowed us to develop long lasting relationships. Embrace the fact that the professional environment constantly changes. Adapt and adjust, staying open to new products, new ideas, new ways to deliver better service. And most importantly, take great care of your team, they’ll take great care of your business.
For your print, signage and graphic design needs, contact:
One Creative on (02) 9986 3322,
Email info@onecreative.com.au
Website onecreative.com.au