Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Levy.
Lee, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was always involved in some form of design or drawing projects from a very young age. My parents always saw me sketching or painting something, even when we were away on vacations I had a love for art and painting. At an older age, in my teenage years when I was introduced to computers and computer aided drawing there was no turning back. I was in heaven. Then, my parents made me take “computer coding”, which at the time I absolutely HATED. I fought with my parents, saying that I had a career in ART and NEVER in programming. My father forced me to take the class, saying that “computers were the future of the world”. So, I took programming for the next few years and HATED it, but got through it. When I got out of college, my plan was to do strictly graphic design work. However, as a startup company, I also now knew how to build web sites so I built my own site, and actually had a great time doing it. So of course, now that everyone around me – family and friends, knew that I can do this, they all wanted web sites for free. So they were all my practice. Slowly but surely, from the friends I got referrals, and so forth. I also joined some local networking groups and my local chamber of commerce, and received multiple leads and continuous referrals there as well, both in graphic and web design. Today, 11 years later I am proud to say that I have a very fun and successful business and I service many clients’ monthly needs as well.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No business is 100% smooth. In the web design business, our biggest enemy is the constantly changing browsers, search engines and technology that cause issues with web design. Also software upgrades in the graphic industry, and our BIGGEST enemy, hackers and viruses. It’s a constant struggle to keep up with the changing technology and making web sites as safe and secure as we can for our clients. We have to stay on top of it all, take classes, webinars, whatever it takes.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nex Graphics story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a business that specializes in graphic and web design for our clients. We design web sites for all sizes of business, for the startup, medium or large business. We also provide email marketing on a monthly basis for our clients. For our graphic design clients, we provide anything from logos, business cards, flyers, restaurant menu design, trade show graphics, posters and much more. I am proud of the fact that I started this business from the ground up, and I am also a mother of two and that I can still be a great mom, while servicing my client’s needs and working the hours that I please.
There is one major factor that sets me apart from the others. And I hear this TIME and TIME again. I am THE ONLY web and graphics person in this entire area that actually MEETS face-to-face with my clients. My clients LOVE This. Unfortunately just like in any business there are unscrupulous characters and people from FOREIGN countries that use our USA numbers and promise work by email and phone and don’t deliver. Many of my clients have been duped by such businesses and I like to show my clients who they will be working with. They can come to my office, I can come to theirs, or we can meet in a coffee shop which makes for a very friendly first meeting. This makes them comfortable to work with me. Plus it’s MUCH easier to discuss their needs, like and my suggestions when we are both sitting in front of a computer and brainstorming together.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t think luck played any part in my business. I very carefully had a business plan laid out, as for many years I watched my parents, family members and friends open businesses so I carefully watched, studied, and made my own adjustments to my plan, and everything went exactly according to plan!
Contact Info:
- Address: Nex Graphics
21000 Devonshire Street #205
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(by appointment only) - Website: www.nexgraphics.com
- Phone: 8188888235
- Email: [email protected]
- Other: Nex Graphics
