When I first met Dan and Shelley Nicholson, it was at the Forza Coffee Company in Lacey. Dan and Shelley were sitting at a booth enjoying the cheese platter, and both were wearing attractive black polo shirts with red and white lettering, spelling out the name of their marketing company, D Zines (pronounced designs.) They were easy to locate in the bustling restaurant.
Why is this significant? D Zines specializes in corporate branding, including custom apparel, which was prominantly on display at the interview. Second, D Zines built their thriving business through networking groups, attending local events like those put on by the chamber, trade shows and through word-of-mouth referrals. I was able to see them in action, wearing custom designed apparel, networking, and supporting a locally owned business and customer. They say it is easy to do when you live in such a supportive community.
Dan and Shelley understand successful marketing and the value in giving back to their customers and community. “We put a great deal of our time out there in the community, often through groups like the Lacey Chamber of Commerce. It has grown our business incredibly. We also support many local non-profit organizations. We really believe that the more you give of yourself, the more you receive,” said Shelley.
D Zines is a marketing and branding company that strives to offer their clients a complete and reliable resource. “Our customers love it that they can go to one place for all of their marketing and branding needs, especially since our pricing is very competitive,” said Dan.
The Nicholson’s started the business in 2006. Dan’s career was in criminal justice, but his hobby was helping local musicians market themselves. When the economy took a dive and he was laid off, he decided it was time to make a major career change and started D Zines. “I’ve always been business-minded and creative. I did a lot of research before starting the company, and was soon joined by Shelley who had a great background in banking and accounting. Together, we had the fundamentals covered for business success,” Dan said.
They originally started their business in Tacoma, and then moved to Thurston County. “At first we didn’t know anyone, so we started immersing ourselves in the community. One of our friends had mentioned that we should join our local chamber, so we went in and signed up. Since Dan doesn’t do anything half-way, we quickly became ambassadors and Dan now sits on the Lacey Chamber’s board. We spend a large amount of time with the Chamber, but we have so much fun it’s all worth it,” said Shelley.
Shelley takes care of project management and accounting, while Dan oversees logo creation, product design and their sales team. Their core business is to help businesses promote themselves. “We are really picky about which vendors we’ll work with. We want to make sure that our customers receive quality products, that they are always satisfied with their purchase,” said Shelley.
They offer a wide range of services, but a majority of their business is promotional products, sign creation, custom apparel, and commercial printing. “We handle a broad-spectrum of services, which works well with our customer base. We have customers that are very small when they begin working with us, but then they grow quickly and our services can meet the larger companies’ requirements as well,” said Dan.
Small businesses often first approach D Zines for logo design, business cards and flyers. Then they move on to custom apparel, promo products and eventually a complete rebranding experience. Dan and Shelley’s team can accommodate just about anything. “We want a long-term relationship with our clients. It all begins with a logo and then there is a world of possibilities after that,” said Dan.
They also assist in political campaigns, from signs to direct mail. “It was quite an experience the first time we printed 10,000 political signs,” laughs Shelley.
Dan and Shelley look forward to continued success in Thurston County, and hope to be an inspiration to others who want to start their own business. When asked if they had any advice for someone just starting out, this is what they shared:
- Fake it until you make it. When Dan went to pitch apparel design ideas to a local hospital, he thought he was meeting with one person. He sat down in the meeting room and 12 managers from all different departments walked in to the meeting. He started pulling out sample shirts. “I walked out of there with an order for $14,000 worth of apparel. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was confident I could do anything, and it worked,” he said.
- Owning a business is hard work. “When we go on vacation, our laptops come with us,” said Shelley.
- You’ll make mistakes. When you do, own it.
- Network, network and network some more, but don’t network so much that you don’t have time to run your business.
- Pick what you like to do and go all in. Give it everything you’ve got. If you put in 50%, you’ll only get 50% out.
D Zines, Creative Solutions and Graphic Designs
info@dzinesallday.com
253-307-4903
Services Offered: Graphic Design, Commercial Printing, Signs of all Kinds, Custom Apparel, Promotional Products, Political Campaign Supplies, Trade Show Branding and Awards & Recognition
