Kristi Smith, previously an accountant in Villa Rica, has laser focused on a different business endeavor. After closing down her small bookkeeping business she has opened Golden City Designs Co., a home decor and gifts shop. “I’m focusing on kind of my more creative side… which is where Golden City Designs came from.”
“I had a business making things…with Cricut or Silhouette Cameo… and it just sort of graduated until I bought a laser cutter,” said Kristi. Cricut and Silhouette Cameo are powerful precision cutting machines that can cut through a multitude of different types of materials.
Kristi’s big sellers are personalized trays made of wood and metal. “Basically,” she says, “I take the tray, I take it apart, do the engraving on it, and then I stain it, seal it, and then put it all back together.” But other sought-after designs include wood signs and welcome signs that range from your generic welcome to an amusing ‘Welcome-ish, Depends Who You Are & How Long You’ll Stay.’
Kristi recently added an additional laser, with two lasers, one will be used for engraving small items and tumblers. “Everything on this site for the most part is done with a laser cutter engraver,” she says. And her other creations run the gamut ranging from wooden earrings that can have a monogram added, to a family-tree sign of mothers or fathers that have kids’ names dropping from the tree, nursery signs, custom-engraved slate coasters, cutting boards, wooden key chains, and Apple watch bands. She plans to include more items in the future. Kristi adds, “I enjoy making the personalized [items] because that just, to me, makes it a little special.”
She continues, “I think I’ve always had a creative side; but you know, when you work full time as an accountant, you just don’t get a lot of opportunities to explore that.”
Her advice to others starting out in the small business sphere is to pick up tips where you can, “always do your research…,” and to “go for it.”
Check out Golden City Designs Co. on Etsy here for a new baby gift, wedding gift, anniversary gift, Mother’s and Father’s Day gifts, birthday and graduation gifts, or something special for yourself.
