Not long ago I was contacted by a company that sells high end luxury products. They were seeking quality hand engraving with the catch that the work would remain private, and I wouldn’t be able to show the finished pieces, talk to anyone about who I was working for or what I was engraving, and of course not post photos of my work. I told them I would not do work for them under those conditions.
As engravers, we spend our careers building our brands and our reputations, and having restrictions like that can be a huge setback. Before you know it the months and possibly years go by without the benefit of showcasing your best work. Part of the payment for our labor is getting good photos of our latest engravings which will be used to generate future work. No matter how you look at it, working under a secret arrangement means you’ll be making less money when you factor in the loss of building your brand.
From a business perspective I understand where the company’s coming from. They’re probably not bad people. They want all of the glory for the product, and they don’t want future customers or competitors working directly with the artists. They’re making business decisions which they feel are in their best interest.
I’m not saying engravers shouldn’t work under a secret arrangement. Weigh the pros and cons and if you think it’s in your best interest then by all means go for it. Just remember what you’re not getting in the deal.
~Sam Alfano
As engravers, we spend our careers building our brands and our reputations, and having restrictions like that can be a huge setback. Before you know it the months and possibly years go by without the benefit of showcasing your best work. Part of the payment for our labor is getting good photos of our latest engravings which will be used to generate future work. No matter how you look at it, working under a secret arrangement means you’ll be making less money when you factor in the loss of building your brand.
From a business perspective I understand where the company’s coming from. They’re probably not bad people. They want all of the glory for the product, and they don’t want future customers or competitors working directly with the artists. They’re making business decisions which they feel are in their best interest.
I’m not saying engravers shouldn’t work under a secret arrangement. Weigh the pros and cons and if you think it’s in your best interest then by all means go for it. Just remember what you’re not getting in the deal.
~Sam Alfano