Graphic Impact Prints founder Duane Christian talks hard work, taking risks and survival in a pandemic
By Adia Wynter
Risky is the road that the entrepreneur walks, and difficult are the decisions he makes. His heart must be full of courage with a mind overflowing with determination, and entrepreneur Duane Christian has put these qualities on the front line in the building of his business.
Graphic Impact Prints, offering customised apparel printing, was built with Christian’s courage and determination at its foundation.
In sharing his story with Observer, he explained, “I had a different business before. I owned an arcade… and the industry was kind of going down, so I was looking for another business to get involved in.
“I had my friend, Chris, who kept telling me about the custom apparel business and that it is something good to look into… so I did,” Christian added.
Through much hard work and research, his uncertainty was traded for conviction and his ideas for physical accomplishments.
“For a couple months, I researched it and checked out what we need to do to start it and all the different things we need to know… and what was available now – if I could bring something new to the game,” Christian told Observer.
An individual relies on the voice of the visionary within themself to guide their walk through the entrepreneurial lifestyle, and Christian’s had him searching for the things that would brand him as unique.
He said, “Before, when I checked out the competitors that were in the game already, not much of them could do the full colour, and they were also limited in the vinyl… so I just thought that when I started my business I would work on those different things to make it more appealing.”
Covid-19 had its widespread effect on the economy, and Graphic Impact Prints was not exempt from the shockwave. Christian shared that his feelings of contentment still shine through in the hard times as his hard work leaves him with much to appreciate.
He said, “I feel good, because, like I said, we are in the middle of a pandemic and things were getting really sticky, but when we opened back up, we just pushed full force… We knew what people were going through.”
To the visionaries whose plans are blocked by hesitation, Christian says, “Believe in yourself, and just go with it… When you come up with an idea, research it until you get that confidence. Don’t just jump into it. Do the numbers and work it out.”
Tune into Marketplace on Observer Radio at 8.30am this Saturday for a live interview with Duane Christian.
