Ozarks Profile: Garrick Arnold

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Tell us about your company. |ret||ret||tab|

I own it with my wife, April. We've been in business three years. We specialize, primarily, in branding and identity for small- and medium-sized businesses. |ret||ret||tab|

(We do) a lot of identity packages, logo design, letterheads, envelopes, brochures and target direct-mail pieces, catalogs, things like that. We've even (branched) out into billboards and menu boards. We moved into a new studio downtown just last year, so it's been exactly one year since we've been in our office downtown. We just hired our first employee, so we're expanding. |ret||ret||tab|

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How did you end up in this business?|ret||ret||tab|

April and I had met in college in Denver. We went to school for graphic design and that's where we met. I had actually been in the restaurant business for several years, and we owned a restaurant in Colorado, and I did that for a long time and finally got tired of it and dusted off my diploma and went to work.|ret||ret||tab|

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What are some of the challenges?|ret||ret||tab|

I think educating business owners on the value of what we do why it's important, why it's not something you do just because you have extra money. Coke doesn't spend $200 million a year on advertising because they have extra. It's how they maintain their No. 1 position as a brand and so I think that's probably our biggest challenge. |ret||ret||tab|

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Are most of your clients local?|ret||ret||tab|

Yes. I just signed up a client in Chicago, so we just picked up our first client out of state, really, for all practical purposes. Andy's Frozen Custard is our biggest client, and we just recently completed an entire remodel of their identity. We updated their logo, designed their new menu boards, point-of-purchase displays, cups, T-shirts, you name it. |ret||ret||tab|

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How has brand establishment changed for businesses?|ret||ret||tab|

I think the biggest challenge is that they're forced to spread the same or less amount of money over a wider spectrum. You've got the Web, and now you don't have one phone book, you've got three. So if your business is driven by Yellow Pages ads or stuff like that, then you have to split that money up three different ways. The market's more fractured as far as media goes so you have to kind of pick and choose where you spend your dollars. |ret||ret||tab|

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What about the image of Wildflower Designs? What goals do you have?|ret||ret||tab|

Well, we are doing the Springfield Chamber Expo. We have a booth there, and we're also responsible for all the branding identity for the event itself, so we've designed the logo, the guidebook that goes along with it, posters, all that. |ret||ret||tab|

But probably our next venture is to get a little bit more into the Web side of things. It's something we've done a little bit in the past, but with our expansion of staff we've increased our skill level there. Also, to start promoting e-mailable newsletters for companies so they can stay in contact with their clients. And that's something we want to start for ourselves as well. |ret||ret||tab|

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Tell us about your family. |ret||ret||tab|

We have two kids. Claire is 3 and Luke is 7, and they take up a lot of our time. |ret||ret||tab|

So I guess when we're not trying to grow the business, we're trying to maintain the family life.|ret||ret||tab|

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