Korczynski's Photo Lab and Studio opened in Victoria in 1976
From left, Benjamin Gossett, Deb Bruner, Patrick Korczynski and Beverly Sparkman stand inside Korczynski's Photo Lab and Studio. The business offers custom framing, in addition to other services, such as copies and restorations for old photos, a digital photo lab and its photography studio.
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Editor's note: Your Money, Your Business showcases small businesses. If you have a small business or know of an interesting one, please let us know. See the end of this feature for submission information.
Business name:
Korczynski's Photo Lab and Studio
Address and phone number:
3501 N. Navarro St., 361-575-2701, www.korczynski.com
Business owner:
Richard Korczynski
Date opened:
1976
Number of employees:
Four full-time employees and three part-time
Services offered:
Our primary business is photography. We do portraits, commercial, sports, weddings and more. We also have a digital photo lab where we do digital prints. Finally, we do custom framing, as well as copying and restoring old photos.
1: Why did you choose the industry?
It started out as a hobby in the 1950s, when I was in high school. I worked at DuPont for 14-plus years and did photography on the side. Eventually I felt the need to go into it full time.
2: Describe your first day in business.
Other than the fact that we moved from our home location to the store, not much was different. We had a lot more overhead than we did at home, though, and it cost more to do business.
3: Describe a typical workday.
It's different every day, which makes the job interesting. But I come in every morning to start up the lab while my son, Patrick, does portraits. We do everything in house, and our days can range from eight to 16 hours long.
4: Why open up shop in the Crossroads region?
This is where we lived. It was home.
5: Is it difficult to find employees in our workforce? How do you find workers?
We're lucky in that we don't have a lot of turnover. Most of our employees have been with us for 10 years plus. Even our part-timers. When we do need to find people, it's usually by word of mouth or from friends' recommendations.
6: What advice would you give others starting a new business?
Don't be undercapitalized. You've got to have money. We went into the business without borrowing a dime. Look at overhead costs, such as rent, taxes, employee benefits and repairs. They're going to surprise you.
7: What is the biggest challenge your industry faces?
Digital photography has been a challenge. People don't put their photos on paper anymore. They keep them on their hard drives. It's taken a chunk of our business, but we have kiosks at our shop and a digital printing site at www.jpegphotolab.com.
8: What is something most people don't realize about running a small business?
The time it takes to run a business. It isn't an eight-hour-a-day, 40-hour-a-week commitment. Also, running a business is expensive.
9: Where do you see yourself and your business in five years?
With the advance of digital photography, I see us working to stay up on things and improving the business. We want to offer customer service people won't find at a drugstore or grocery store.
- Allison Miles, Victoria Advocate
To be considered for the Your Money, Your Business feature, call 361-580-6511 or e-mail Business Reporter Allison Miles at amiles@vicad.com. The form is also available electronically.
