How These Two Art School Buddies Brought Their Business Vision to Life Co-founders Louie Hinnen and Paul Outlaw explain how their company The Factory NYC utilizes human creativity and digital tools to establish itself at the intersection of art and commerce.
"We make a lot of stuff here," laughs Louie Hinnen, when asked to explain his business The Factory NYC. Co-founded by Louie and his art school buddy Paul Outlaw, The Factory NYC is a design shop that specializes in event fabrication, photography sets, pop-up shops, custom props, and much more.
The Factory NYC opened in 2013 and within a few years, the business went from barely squeaking by to exponential revenue growth and it hasn't slowed down since. "The biggest challenge we had was just starting," says Louie. The partners scraped together enough money to get a couple of months on a lease and purchase the bare minimum amount of equipment and supplies they needed. And with the support of family and a little bravado, they quit steady day jobs and jumped in. And as they reinvested profits right back into the company, they flourished.
"Equipment investment is a huge part of how we do things," says Paul, "And now we recognize the power of 3-D printing and digital fabrication to make our work more efficient and better."
The co-founders note that the internet is essential to accomplishing their daily and long-term goals. "We use cloud-based storage and cloud-based transfers for just about everything we do," says Louie. And the nature of what they do — creating surprising, one-of-a-kind art — makes privacy a vital part of their business. "All of the information we share with clients and with our team is under lock and key — cybersecurity is a key component of keeping everybody safe," notes Paul.
Having cybersecurity measures in place allows Louie and Paul and their team of artists to focus their attention on what matters most to them. "We just want to make cool stuff," says Louie. And with powerful technology at their fingertips, the team is looking to expand their business outside of the walls of their New York City location to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami. "We like to think that we're one of the best in the business, and in order to grow, we're going to need to expand into other markets," says Paul. "We're addicted to growing our business." Powered by their creative drive and the digital tools that allow them to engage customers anywhere in the world, the possibilities are virtually limitless.
Securing Your Success, a series that highlights small business success stories and the importance of connectivity within entrepreneurship, is sponsored by Comcast Business. Learn more at entrepreneur.com/comcastbusiness.
