We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matt Hicks a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

There are many factors that challenge our profitibility as a company. Rising costs for materials and apparel, rising minimum wage, short staff, expensive rent, high taxes in California, and employee worker’s compensation have all eaten the profitability potential of small business. Materials are now double of what they were before Covid, and now t-shirts have gone up 20-40%. Add the minimum wage of at least 20 per hour per employee along with employee tax and we have a recipe for disaster. We are all for compensating our employees with most we can, but our hands get tied with all the high bills. Rent is outrageous in Southern California as well. As soon as we see some light at the end of the tunnel, California hits us with more taxes to be paid. That money could be invested in the business but it goes to the government instead. We need to fight harder for lowering or at least capping the taxes on us small business’s. It also means more than likely hitting the pavement to generate more sales. It’s total survival mode.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

This company officially started in our basement 11 years ago. Previously I had a screen printing side business that was growing while I maintained my full time graphic designer job. After our Daughter was born we decided to give it a go full time. We ended up moving our business from Pennsylvania to California in 2014. My wife, Tanya, is from California and we have family out here, so that made it a lot more doable.

I graduated from Art School back in 1998 and have a degree in graphic design. So, our company also creates logos and designs for customers. That was and still is our niche. We can offer design service to print service. In essence, the whole process under our roof. Our customer’s love that.

California has been great for our company. As far as meeting amazing people here and being able to expand has been awesome. Our client list goes from our local sports teams, breweries and construction companies to printing for major brands like Fender Guitar and Toy Machine Skateboard Company. Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Vista are the mecca for screen printing, graphics, and big name apparel companies. You would be surprised how many tee shirts are printed in this area for the entire world.

We are a family business that includes 5 of us working full time and our kids (11 and 4) who help out and hang out at the shop. The name MH derives from my wife, our kids, and my middle and last initial. Lily Marie, Tanya Marie, Owen Matthew, and Jeffrey Matthew Hicks. Our three employees, Jose and Jose and Emily are also our family from another mother. They are simply the best!

Look for our own brand soon called “My House” (merch). Keeping the MH in the name we have created this brand that includes all the designs of our own over the last 10 years. Each of us will have our own “closet” of designs we will offer. Our goal is to eventually just print our brand mainly and have it “out there” in shops and an online store for the whole country.

You can find us on instagram @mhcustomprinting and online at www.mhcustomprinting.com. You can also find My House on instagram @myhousemerch and online at www.myhousemerch.com.

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

In 2011 I went from an employee of a big company to a small business owner. It was scary at first to think about being able to generate enough income for the family. Luckily Tanya was still working her full time job that was giving us a stable paycheck. But in less than a year she had quit her full time job and started at MH. I needed help! I was so overwhelmed with designing, printing, ordering, answering emails, quoting jobs, so on and so on….it’s true that a small business owner wears a lot of hats.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think great customer service is where it all begins. Of course, a high quality product is also important. But, most of all being able to give the customer what they want and need in a timely fashion and served with a smile is what builds your reputation. If you can come through in a pinch for people and deliver with a quality product that also helps. Customers know they can count on us to do the job right.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mhcustomprinting.com
• Instagram: @mhcustomprinting
• Facebook: facebook/mhcustomprinting
• Yelp: MH Custom Printing

Image Credits
Matt Hicks Emily Devlin