Today we’d like to introduce you to Anca Wetegrove.
Hi Anca, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started 15 years ago as a web and graphic designer. After my first client, I soon realized my role was more than drawing something; my part was translating ideas into images. During the year of 2020 I decided to start bringing my designs to life, truly creating and making them.
I am married to an engineer, which you can imagine makes my work easy. And both of our daughters are my candid and loyal reviewers. Without MY TEAM, there will be no HP Design.
I am the owner of HP Design. But I consider my business to be ours. This is who we are and what makes us the perfect team! My husband is BTS actively involved, but he is my unpaid CEO, my business advisor, my business coach, my woodworker, and my best critic! He is always there to support me, even when I’m challenging to deal with. I am a SLOW THINKER and have weird ways of understanding how things work. Due to our culture and language differences, him being German and me being Romanian, we sometimes end up on two different sides of the road. I’m super stubborn, and I find it hard to calm down when the business part gets stressful. But my husband patiently helps and guides me.
I at the beginning of 2021, I started to develop several tools to help me succeed throughout multiple levels of my business. As an entrepreneur, either you learn on the go, or you prepare yourself ahead of time by starting prepared and organized. I was not prepared at the beginning, so I understand how frustrating it can be to grow a business and to see that the work falls short compared to anticipated results.
This year I decided to offer my system to many business owners who needed help in my area. Their feedback encouraged me to start offering my so-called “Playbook”- of operations more openly.
So, stay tuned as there is more to come from HP Design by Anca. A new chapter is waiting for me, and I’m ready to share and help others succeed at what they do!
HP Design is a studio located in McKinney, Texas, crafting goods that enrich the lifestyle and experience of the details of a home, a wedding, or even your outfit.
Each piece is handcrafted; no two pieces are identical. They are designed with full passion and intentionality.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Time and time again, as I attempt to outline what our business is and does, I run into the same couple of problems.
My largest obstacle is that the “laser engraving and cutting” industry is poorly defined. Or maybe just my perception of it; who knows? But when I speak to my customers, I soon realize that I am misunderstood.
We can do nearly anything as a shop with a Mira9 Aeon Laser USA, a fiber laser, and a laser strictly for FOOD LASER systems. And because we can manufacture a wide variety of products it can be difficult to promote our services.
Are we a sign shop designing and producing finished products, cutting acrylic and ADA signage? Yes, but that’s not all, we are also an Online shop, are we on Amazon, are we on Faire, and we on Jane.com. We are crafting and selling handmade consumer products, we are someone a company turns to handle their overflow or backlog of things they need to be fulfilled, but also someone that can outsource cutting or engraving for just one small part of their manufacturing process. We are a B2B branding consultant, a promotional-items-provider and lastly we are someone a company in a related industry can turn to improve and streamline one area of their production.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My target audience is anyone who enjoys quality products and artistic expression for either professional or personal use. Because our lasers can be used to make anything from trophies and laser engraving on cheese, and even wedding invitations, my demographics are based on the needs of my customers.
The time commitment to providing a good quality product has been an obligation to my clients from day one. I am the type of owner who will redo the job if the customer is not 100% satisfied; customers want to see long-lasting, quality items (even potentially throwaway items like invitations.) Orders need to be delivered on time and in full. And the second and most valuable part of what I am known for is my communication strategy, to keep customers in the loop with the production timeline.
I have always been a people person, I like interacting with people, and I am always eager to share everything I know if it helps my clients. I mainly work with small business owners like myself, and when I have something to share that I know will benefit them, I will take the time to help them out. I value everyone’s time and business.
I am proud to say that this commitment has brought me to be an Affiliate Member for AEON Laser USA, and Haotian Fiber Lasers.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
This is a direct message to all of the crafters out there who are contemplating starting their business or have started their business but want to drop the ball.
Do you still remember what it was like working within the system? Fourteen-hour workdays, skipping meals, ignoring minor illnesses, substituting espresso shots for sleep?
Surprise! Being self-employed doesn’t let you off that hook. Working at home removes the rigid workday structure you have in the office, and that’s generally a great thing — until it isn’t.
When you’re your own boss, your time is yours. You sleep when you want to, wake when you want to, eat when you want to… and the challenge is finding the discipline to marshal it all into a healthy day-to-day schedule. How many of us have surrendered to the comfort of working in our pajamas in our own bed, wholly absorbed in our work, until we look up and realize it’s 3 AM and we’d forgotten to eat dinner?
Remember that you are not alone; connect with others and rebuild your in-person network.
Navigating the murky waters of your personal and social lives is no picnic. With a small, trusted network, you can start rebuilding your confidence and motivation.
There will be days when you’ll have to give up one side to prioritize the other, but the trick to not feeling guilty is to remember that each shift in the balance is only temporary, and you can just as easily tilt to the other side next time.
The key is to remember that having it all, all the time, is an expectation, not one you’re expected to meet, and not a valid assessment of how successful you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hpdesignbyanca.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hpdesignbyanca/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hpdesignbyanca
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/WetegroveAnca
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt6F30lqutuNRVzc4g-m3Sg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hpdesignbyanca
