Design firm thrives on diversity
Keeping overhead down and profits up

by Christopher Key

 

 

One of them uses a Mac while the other uses a PC. One of them has dial-up Internet while the other has a broadband connection. One of them moved here from graduate school in Iowa while the other moved here from a teaching job in Scotland. Somehow, all these disparate directions coalesced into a partnership called Midline Design.

Greg Heffron learned graphic design on the job when he worked for a non-profit that needed those skills. Phil Rose taught graphic design, photography, and film at the University of Dundee. When they met, they realized that their skills were complimentary and formalized their association last year.

In order to survive in the highly competitive world of graphic design, a firm must have some strong competitive advantages. Greg majored in creative writing; Phil is a professional photographer. Add these skills to the low overhead that results from working at home, and you’ve got an edge.

“We are unique in that we include professional photography as one of our in-house services,” Heffron said. “When you offer a complete package, it’s a better deal for customers.”

Because Heffron already had a going concern before meeting Rose, the two had to consolidate their sites and portfolios. This involved some fairly complex problem solving because of the Mac/PC issues. They feel that this work enables them to use the best features of both operating systems.

“Our low overhead means savings for clients,” Heffron said. “Most of our business comes through word-of-mouth and repeat clients.”

They admit that things are tough in the local economy, so they’ve sought work out of the area.

“Costs are running very high in the Seattle area,” Heffron said, “which means we can seriously undercut some of those firms. The disadvantage, of course, is distance. We’d prefer to deal with local clients we can meet face-to-face.”

Their approach to business rests on creativity and reliability.

“Whatever it takes,” Rose said, “we’ll do it.”

An example of that approach came when a client needed two seven foot banners, 1500 double-sided color flyers and a new logo within one week.

“We put in lots of long hours,” Heffron said, “but the satisfaction was immense and the customer was ecstatic. That work resulted in a continuing relationship and a solid connection.”

Keeping costs under control is also part of the equation.

“You’re a lot better off if you can keep overhead down,” Rose said. “It gives you time to get your sea legs. We don’t have to take jobs we don’t want just to pay the rent on an office.”

They’d like to continue as a two-person office, subcontracting any work that they can’t handle. There are also exciting opportunities involving animation and video production.

“Banging heads together helps,” said Rose. “Getting that outside perspective often helps break those creative logjams.”

Both Heffron and Rose emphasize that while they use computers, they’re not “geeks.”

“People are intimidated by Web and printing jargon,” Heffron said. “We can help translate that stuff into understandable language.”

The most important business lesson they have learned so far?

“Get signatures on everything.”

 

 

Webcasts stream into Bellingham
Local firms collaborate on concert

by Christopher Key

 

If you were surfing the net on December 13, you might have caught the wave of the future right here in Bellingham. Think-a-tron Media Labs and Hardlines Internet Consulting joined forces to produce live coverage of a performance by local band Federation X from the 3B Tavern.

“It’s exactly like shooting a live TV show,” said Think-a-tron CEO John Mortenson, “only it’s going over the Internet, not the airwaves. This is not a home video production, it’s broadcast quality all the way.”

The multi-camera production showed off the capabilities of Think-a-tron, which specializes in video/film, motion graphics, CD-ROM, Internet and DVD development, design and production. The technology is similar to that used for movie trailers on the Web.

“One of our clients is interested in Webcasting,” said Hardlines CEO Aaron Booker. “We decided to test-run the equipment on this performance before offering the service commercially. Nobody in Bellingham has done this before.”

Mortenson and Booker agree that compression, resulting in smaller file sizes, is key to the new technology. Even so, it’s not something you will be using much with your dial-up connection.

“Until recently,” Booker said, “only large organizations such as hospitals could afford live videoconferencing, but the availability of DSL has changed that.”

There are numerous business applications for the technology.

“It’s now possible to have live videoconferences with branch offices and clients anywhere in the world,” Booker said.

As more and more fiber optic connections become available, business-to-business streams will become more common.

“Companies can now stream their training sessions,” Mortenson said. “It’s ideal for shareholder meetings. We might even Webcast high school sports games.”

Mortenson points out that Bellingham has excellent access to broadband connections.

“The Fiber Cloud pipe running to Seattle and Vancouver,” Mortenson said, “gives us unusual facilities for this size town. It’s a great resource for Bellingham businesses.”

Mortenson noted that there were no major technical glitches in the December Webcast.

“I can’t tell you how excited we all were seeing the users log on when we started the Webcast,” Mortenson said. “Our servers streamed the performance to people all over the world, including Canada, Japan and England.”

Producing the Webcast helped the two companies develop some new marketing techniques, which can be made available to local clients, such as setting up a chat room to allow communication between all viewers.

 

New bed business drifts ashore
Making money can be a beach

by Christopher Key

 

Gretchen Herb grew up in Bellingham, went to local schools and Western Washington University. Her career as hospital administrator, however, led her to Arizona. Retirement gave her the opportunity to come back, but she had something in mind besides spending time on the golf course.

Rusty Little was living at Sandy Point and needed a bed. The solution literally washed up right at his front door. He made a bed of driftwood. Herb met Little and Beach Bum Beds was born.

“As far as I know,” said Herb, “we’re the only company that has ever made beds of driftwood.”

Their sales facility and showroom is located on Hammer Drive in the Bakerview/Hannegan district. Customers can choose from a selection of beds already made or select their own driftwood.

“We’re just putting our natural resources to work,” said Herb, noting that any unused pieces get recycled right back to the beach.

For all of their unique character, the beds are very affordable due to the low cost of raw materials. Each piece of furniture is, of course, one of a kind and the wood is already preserved. For those who prefer a less rustic look, a number of finishes are available.

Beach Bum Beds will deliver their products in Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan Counties for a small charge and setup is free.

The business gives a whole new meaning to “drifting off to sleep.”