Client Sarah and Randy Hobart
Business Paper Creations by Hobart Printing
Website hobartprinting.com
Sarah and Randy Hobart have a passion for printing.
Their business, Paper Creations by Hobart Printing, is a leading provider of creative, personalized wedding stationery and event invitations.
Hobart Printing began as a home-based business and operated out of the couple’s Benton home for more than a dozen years before moving into a storefront location in Bryant.
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock assisted the Hobarts with obtaining expansion financing to purchase a facility and equipment. Business Consultant Nancy Knighten helped them compile a loan package that included a narrative, cash flow projections, assumptions, and market research.
“We had outgrown the home completely. Half the kitchen was the command center for the business, and file cabinets were in the bedrooms. I was meeting brides and moms in coffee shops,” said Sarah.
“We had been looking for a location. We knew we wanted to own the location. Nancy was so helpful when we found this place to look at the numbers and forecast. She did a great job with the market research and putting the business on paper. The information she provided was very useful.”
Amanda Legate of Paper Creations by Hobart PrintingThrough the years, the Hobarts have grown their customer base from local business and commercial clients to include brides, wedding planners, and event planners from across the state.
Proactive about industry trends, they added equipment and technology and design customization. Their daughter, Amanda Legate (at left), became an integral part of the family business.
The ASBTDC paired the Hobarts with UALR College of Business students to review opportunities in the market for growth.
A team of students from the Market Research course helped the business identify the demand and need for a letterpress machine. The team’s research coupled with their own research led the Hobarts to acquire a letterpress.