Poster Prosperity

When Steve Webb started, he was just a poster boy. He was working in the competitive market of nightclub promotion, fighting over space on the streets to advertise events. When Webb saw the potential to market his skills in business and design, he started Metropol, which is now a full service design and print shop.

“It occurred to me that we were all spending wasting a lot of money trying to compete for a finite amount of space,” says Webb. “I would fight for equal representation… I would put up a poster on every second cylinder, and everyone would get the same coverage; regardless of how much money they had the ability to spend.” This allowed for a more broad reflection of events in the community such as all ages events, as well as saving promoters the time and money it took to battle over telephone poles.

“The city loved the idea, a lot of the individual promoters didn’t,” says Webb. For the first four years he walked the streets putting up posters. Over time and through negotiations, he gained the support of Victoria event promoters. “That was 13 years ago, and we haven’t looked back since,” he says.

From a small idea grew a booming business. They got their own printer and cutter, and the business grew to fit the demands that they met. “Basically, in response to what people asked for, we continued to offer more services,” says Webb. By expanding their services, they became the exclusive design, print, and production facility of their existing customers.

Webb continues to face new challenges, such as the competition of online print companies offering cheaper rates, but Metropol takes pride in their customer service. “What we needed to do, and I feel that what we have done, is find the thing that those online sellers can’t provide, and that thing is customer service,” says Webb. Regarding those who choose to work with online sellers, Webb says, “lots of people do it, but if you want truly great results, you want proofs, you want to talk to someone.”

Webb’s advice to other entrepreneurs is to start with achievable goals, “Don’t be a tiny company trying to be a big company,” says Webb. “Start small, pick a thing that you enjoy, that you’re adept at, to some degree… If you’re not doing something that you enjoy, it becomes exponentially more difficult. You have to be able to find the joy in what you’re doing.”