Few materials are as universal as acrylic. Versatile in both practical function and aesthetic form, the material is foundational across various industries. For awards and personalization, it can offer countless business-building opportunities.

From professional signage, desk plates, and paperweights to custom photo displays, ornaments, and drinkware, the breadth of opportunity with acrylic is vast, and the material’s popularity is steadily growing.

While many entrepreneurs build businesses around market demands, Katie Cleveland took a different, almost accidental approach. She created a product first and then nurtured a market for it—a tactic that has paid off for her several times in the last decade.

No guts, no glory.

For sole proprietor Michael Mullins, relocating Sonoma Laser Engraving from California to Georgia in 2019 was a bold move. His personalization business relied heavily on a local customer base, and he knew he would essentially have to start from scratch. But, with extended family closer in Georgia and the promise of new work opportunities, he and his family packed their things and moved across the country.

When it comes to personalized products in the sports and academic field, and beyond, tumblers stand out as not only a popular choice for keeping beverages at the desired temperature but also as an excellent canvas for personalization. Vacuum-insulated tumblers have been on the market for a decade or more. Many thought they would be a passing fad, but this type of beverageware has proven its staying power.

Combining UV printing and laser cutting is ushering in new opportunities for exciting acrylic finishes. In many ways, the dual processes are a perfect match: UV printing uses special inks that are cured with ultraviolet light, resulting in vibrant colors and sharp graphics. Laser cutting, meanwhile, allows for precise cuts through acrylic materials of any thickness, allowing you to create intricate designs and shapes that would be difficult—maybe impossible—to achieve with traditional cutting methods.

With holiday gifts, some people are planners and others, quite frankly, are not. Personalization businesses are familiar with both types. Clearly, most businesses would prefer to create as many personalized gifts as possible—as early as possible—for the early birds who know what they want and are thinking ahead. But businesses can’t afford to turn down last-minute orders, even if it means burning the midnight oil.

When DJ and Judi Brown started their business in 2006, they were a small operation that used a foil press to personalize small items like napkins, ribbons and cards. Bit by bit, their business—which was called Getting Personal Imprinting at the time—grew as they added services, such as applying photos to porcelain, mugs and other items.

There is no historical record, but it’s not hard to imagine: An early ancestor chips away at a piece of flint—and bashes a finger in the process. As long as humans have had tools, we have had to figure out the best ways to use them safely.

Having both a laser engraver and a UV printer allows for some creative experimentation and expanded product offerings. One of the most intriguing techniques has been combining laser engraving and UV printing by using the rotary attachments to combine both machines on a single stainless steel bottle. I have a vast catalog of digital artwork, all created in Photoshop, all with multiple layers. By separating the layers, it’s fairly simple to design a job that incorporates the UV printer and laser engraver together. As long as there are clearly defined layers where one layer can be printed in full color and another laser-engraved in black and white, you are ready to go.

Southern Trophy House, Inc. is not a new name to Nashville. The shop has been around since 1960 and was even owned for a time in the 1980s by Bill Pace, a retired NFL and college football coach. Eventually, it ended up in the Brown family’s hands in 1990, where it’s remained ever since.