Start at the Beginning
Joshua and Angela Hill, owners of Slingshot Creative, were married in September 1996 with big dreams and no money. They struggled through ten years of college for Joshua. While Joshua was a talented and motivated artist, he knew he could not support a family on that. He graduated from Missouri State University in 2004 with three degrees in Graphic Design, Illustration, and Photography.
For over five years, Joshua worked as a corporate Graphic Designer. During this time, a number of tragedies hit Joshua and Angela. Angela’s brother, Nathan Hammond, was killed in Iraq while serving our country as a Marine in 2004. Less than a year later, Angela’s father was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer. Tom Hammond was dead by December 2005. A number of family crises followed these deaths, including; alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicidal tendencies. At a young age, Joshua and Angela were forced to put family needs above work and financial needs. Due to company cutbacks, Joshua was laid off his job in 2005. He began to work for another company only to have a similar situation occur in 2008. A discouraged Joshua put resumes in the mail to every graphic design company in Southwest Missouri. No jobs were available. Joshua Hill started Slingshot Creative in December 2009. Since then he has done a handful of graphic design jobs, photo shoots, and a residential mural.
While Joshua Hill is skilled in his craft, the marketing, promotion, and financial aspects of the business fall to his wife, Promotional/Business Manager, Angela Hill, who worked as an executive level secretary for over seven years. Slingshot Creative has experienced that any money made thus far goes right back into the business making the current profit margin low. Though they are using creative and cost effective means to advertise the business, they may not see the results for a year.
While it’s true there are Graphic Designers, Photographers, and even Muralists in the Springfield, MO area, there are very few that do all three. Slingshot Creative offers variety that typically cannot be found in one business. Clients can walk away with one quote from one business for three different services.
The name, Slingshot Creative, is taken from the biblical story of David and Goliath. During this time in the economy, there is a feel that the big businesses will be the only ones left standing and many of them are downsizing. We believe that we will “conquer” in the name of the Lord with an ability to offer quality at an affordable price.
Starting a new busines takes education, talent, motivation, and faith, though not in that order. Know that advertising efforts may not be seen for a year. Make sure you believe in the business because you are ultimately seeling your belief.
