Jake and Jess Munday are the husband and wife co-founders behind Custom Neon, the world’s leading supplier of LED neon lights and signs. What started as a small side hustle has become an international success, with offices in the U.S, U.K, and Australia.
The couple recently took time away from lighting up the world to answer a few questions and here’s what went down:
Could you please tell our readers a brief background about yourself and how you started your business?
Jess: Starting Custom Neon happened by accident. I was looking for a few LED neon signs of my own while I was on maternity leave with my first child, Jagger, but struggled to find quality, cost-effective options and met the necessary safety assurances. It was then that I started contacting manufacturers directly, and I noticed a gap in the market for accessible and affordable LED neon art. From there, I started an Instagram account hiring out the signs I had purchased, and it rapidly took off from there!
What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your business?
Jake: We’ve recently expanded our team to focus more on our marketing and business-to-business endeavours, as these seem to be a big driving force behind our success. We’re also in the process of making some big changes to our brand to help set us apart from competitors and keep our customers engaged.
What form of marketing has worked well for your business throughout the years?
Jake: Our digital marketing has been the best marketing approach since we started our business back in 2018. We like to focus on building organic traffic to our site through on and offsite SEO, as well as through our social media platforms.
What social media platforms do you usually use to increase your brand’s awareness?
Jess: As previously mentioned, our business took off using Instagram, so we like to utilise this to help increase the awareness surrounding our brand. We find this to be the best platform for us to engage with our existing and potential customers while showcasing our amazing products!
What is the toughest decision you had to make in the last few months?
Jess: The toughest decision we’ve ever made was the one to change business tactics at the beginning of the pandemic entirely. We decided to take a major risk in distressing times, and thankfully it paid off.
How has your business been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Jake: It was hard in the beginning. Our primary source of business was weddings and events, and due to COVID, these were put on hold indefinitely. So, as Jess said, we had to risk changing business tactics in some tough times, and thankfully it served us well. 2020 was our best year yet, and 2021 is looking a lot better, so we’re grateful to be thriving so well despite the ongoing pandemic.
How have you adapted your business operations in response to COVID-19 and its associated impacts?
Jake: Shifting our focus from weddings and events, we started directing our resources towards a business-to-business approach, creating signage for businesses struggling due to the pandemic. Now, selling customised LED neon business signs is our primary source of revenue!
What have been some of the most important lessons you have learned because of this pandemic?
Jake: One thing we’ve learned throughout the pandemic is that owning a business isn’t linear, and there are so many ups and downs. It’s best to accept things as they happen and not let them overwhelm you, but to use them to your advantage. Find ways to overcome every challenge, and you’ll end up stronger than you were before.
What do you hope to see happen in the near future for small businesses all over the world?
Jess: I’d like to see more recognition for small businesses all over the world. One thing we like to do at Custom Neon is champion other small businesses. If we could all work together to support each other, small businesses could be so much more than small.
What advice would you give to a newbie Entrepreneur setting up a new business in this pandemic?
Jess: Coming into this, I was a newbie entrepreneur myself. One piece of advice I would have is to stick to your gut and follow your dream. If you’re passionate about something, and you have a goal, there’s nothing you can’t do; you’ll be unstoppable!
