Can you give the readers a little background about yourself?
Well, my name is Jacques and I’m 23 years old. I graduated from college last May and I’ve been designing for about 5 years.
What is Boogie Graphics and how did the name come about?
Boogie Graphics or BG is a digital marketing agency. The name…well, I lived in Brooklyn, NY before I moved to Albany for school and when I was in high school, my peers used to call me Boogie because I was always dancing. I also used to produce music on a small scale. That name just transcended when I decided to name my business. I used to focus on ,solely design and graphics but now that BG has branched out into marketing and other digital avenues, Boogie Graphics means something completely different. We represent young and fresh ideas, fun in the workplace, innovation, and overall positivity.
What or who inspires you?
My younger siblings look up to me as a role model so they are my inspiration. I want to show them that anything is possible.
If you can do something differently, personal or business-wise, what would it be?
I would have started sooner. I know I’m pretty young but I still believe I started to put things in motion late.
Boogie Graphics started in 2010. What are the 3 milestones in the past 3 years that helped form Boogie Graphics today?
Well first, in October of 2010 I was selected as one of the finalists for Student Entrepreneur of the Year. I traveled to Missouri for 2 days to compete against 3 other students. It was such an eye opening experience and I learned a ton of things about my company and myself. Secondly, in April 2011 I landed my first international client for a WordPress website– design + development. Most recently, in September 2012, I opened my first office location in Albany, NY; you can see a few photos on Instagram.
What would you recommend to other designers who want to transition from being a freelancer to starting their own company?
Raise your prices and work on building a team to complement and supplement your skills.
You’ve taken on 4 new employees in the past 1 ½ years. How does it feel now that you have a team behind you?
It’s a learning experience for us all. I am learning more how to manage others, delegate and oversee rather than always doing. Overall it’s great, I have dedicated team members who are working tirelessly to make BG more successful.
Jacques you were featured on Podio Blog Chat. How important is networking to your business?
I believe that people do business with people, not businesses. So in my opinion, it is extremely important to network, meet new people and get your name/company name out there. Being featured in various blogs allows my company’s name to get out there and that awareness will reinforce credibility and bring prospective clients.
You are dabbling into teaching. Can you tell us a little about, Business Tune Up? What is our role? What can people expect if they attend? When will the next training take place?
I love sharing information to others so for Business Tune Up, my good friend and fellow business owner asked me to give a presentation about digital marketing and social media. People who attend the Tune are mostly business owners who want to learn tips on how to improve their business; there are usually 3 presenters and we each give expert advice on our subject area. The next Tune Up is not yet scheduled but feel free to visit https://www.facebook.com/TeamEffort for updated information.
Do you plan to teach more? If so, is there anything already lined up that you can tell us about?
Yes we are planning at speaking at a few upcoming events. Everything is in the works but we keep our Facebook page and Twitter page updated with this information. Like us and follow us!
How does the future look for yourself?
In the near future, I plan to be a partner/owner of four more start-ups. This is already in the works, so stay tuned!
What is in store for Boogie Graphics?
Three locations throughout the continental US in the next few years and team growth. We’ve got a lot in store. Again, stay tuned!