Hey everyone, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I know I appreciated the extra time to spend with my family. I have really neglected posting to my blog. As I step back and make some goals for the year posting here is at the top of the list.
I thought I would give you all a bit of a look behind the scenes of what happened in 2017. In February of 2017 I quit my job so I could dive head first into my business. NeoMag had been demanding full time hours on top of working a full time job, so this move was one of the healthiest I have made. I know my family was sure thankful to see me around more. I wake up every day so thankful for what I get to do.
By mid-summer I was feeling cramped in my 200 sqft room in my basement I had been working out of. I looked around and realized my goals and dreams for my business are greater than what could fit in that room. I began looking for shop space to rent in the area. There really was not any that fit my needs or budget. So we decided to look for a new home for our family that also had a building I could convert into a shop. Having a family of 5 our very small ranch was also bursting at the seems.
In November we moved into a little bit bigger home. There was also a fairly new building that could be converted. With a lot of help from a few of my friends we turned a cold and damp building into a warm and bright 700 sqft shop. I have never been so thankful for being above ground and having windows!
The logistics of moving a home and a business around my busiest time of the year was a challenge. Spending most of my day trying to be Mr. Construction as well as keep up with the business was crazy. As of about a week ago the shop is completely finished and fully functional. Thank God!
Some other exciting things happened this year. Three patents were issued for the NeoMag. One utility patent and two design patents. I could make a whole new post on patents and their pros and cons but I’ll spare you. As a guy with an engineering back ground and having made things for other people who have had patents on those items, it is really exciting for me to have these awarded. Now just join me in praying I never have to use them!
I made countless friendships both in the industry and outside of the industry. Going to SHOT Show and NRA show are now more of a chance to spend time with friends than an all out job of looking for connections. I’m mostly thankful for customers who I really see as friends. I don’t look at my job as “find customers, sell product” so much as “meet people, make relationships, and it would be cool if they liked my product.”
This year I have all kinds of goals. Immediate goals like releasing different color anodized aluminum NeoMags and new shirt designs. All the way to new products and new equipment to make my products better.
When it comes down to it all of this is not possible without you. Your support, friendship and business has made all of this happen. I can’t wait to see what the future brings you and me. Please take 60 seconds and watch this video!