We were lucky to catch up with Brett Snider recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brett, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

SparrowHawk Engraving LLC is based in Brevard County FL. It’s a home-based business which is what really separates me from my competition. What I find in this field of work is that typically people like getting gifts custom engraved. This personalizes a gift, making it more heartfelt. The issue most people run into is time and the lack of it. They remember within a day or two of the event that they need a gift, and they scramble to find something meaningful, and not another gas station gift card. Running my business from home gives me a lot of flexibility. I am available during odd hours, and I can often times get things done within the same day, if not, overnight. This is something you don’t find at a brick and mortar location with standard operating hours. What separates me even more, is that my prices are much lower. My home-based business does not have a lot of overhead. I don’t have rent or utilities to pay and I don’t have staff to employ. This allows me to keep my prices significantly lower. Choosing a home-based business to perform your work does not mean the work will be less professional. I have over 15 years of graphic and design background and I’ve been engraving now for over 5 years, working with several large companies that many of you know and love. I hope that you will consider SparrowHawk Engraving for your next design project!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got started in laser engraving back in 2018. My employer was not happy with the engraving services from the company we were working with at the time, and after a little searching, we found that there were no other viable options. We were stuck with this company. I thought this was a great opportunity to start a side business and take on my employer as my first client. I reached out to some family and friends for some initial investment capital, and I jumped into the business. My background in computer graphics and design shrunk the learning curve a bit and I picked up on it pretty quickly. My current focus is on working with metals and heavy polymer plastics, however I do have the ability, in a limited capacity, to work with more organic material, such as leather, bamboo, and wood. I do a lot of work with knives and firearms, and custom cutting boards, especially during the holidays. SparrowHawk Engraving LLC is an FFL/SOT holder, so we can work on all types of firearms. We can also buy, sell, trade, and manufacture firearms. We are excited to take on new clients. We can work with the individual, or the business, engraving one unique piece, or multiple pieces for bulk production runs.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started this business in 2018, I was operating under the business name Long Island Laser Engraving LLC. At the time I hadn’t expected that I would ever be moving my business, and I didn’t realize that I sort of pigeonholed myself using Long Island in my name. It would seem a bit odd if I wasn’t located on Long Island. Although, LA Fitness seems to be doing pretty well. Haha. I had found out that my employer was relocating the business to Florida, and I was the first to go. I had to not only move my engraving business, but go through the process of closing Long Island Laser and creating a new LLC as SparrowHawk Engraving. This proved to be a major headache. NY does not make it easy when you wish to close a business. FL however, makes it very easy for small business owners. Getting set up in FL was a breeze, and now that the dust has settled, we’re happy to be here.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I was never one to ask for handouts. Coming up with capital was a difficult hurdle. I knew the price of some of these machines that I was looking at, and banks don’t necessarily like to give out loans to start-ups with no track record. I attempted to save a little money here and there, but I didn’t have the luxury of time. My employer needed a solution and if I didn’t move quickly, I was certain they would find someone else to take on the work and I would lose my first client. I swallowed my pride and I began asking family, even some distant relatives who I didn’t have the strongest relationship with. I presented my case with motivation, I expressed my goals with determination. I was surprised at how many people wanted to help me. The thing is, people don’t like to give handouts. They don’t like mooches. But when they see motivation, and inspiration, it’s different. They want something to believe in, they want to invest in you and in your energy. They want to see you succeed and know that they shared a part in that success. Don’t be afraid to go after it. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. The worst they can say is ‘No.’

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sparrowhawkengraving.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/sparrowhawkengraving
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/sparrowhawkengraving