Today we’d like to introduce you to Prime Caranzo.
Hi Prime, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
This all started November 2019. I was a mechanic working between two aerospace companies for a total of 76 hours a week when my 2000 Honda Accord finally broke down and I needed a new vehicle. When I purchased my Kia Optima I decided I wanted it tinted and thought I’d give it a shot since I was familiar with tinting from my late teen years (diy). Well, there was definitely a learning curve, but I wanted to keep trying and got the idea of offering the service. For about 3 months I worked 3 jobs to get the business going and 2 things happened- I realized the high demand for window tinting and was anticipating what would be my 3rd lay off coming due to covid. That’s when I made the decision to keep the business as my second job and that went on for a few years until my final lay off. By then I had built a pretty decent reputation in the area and had a consistent revenue when I finally pulled the trigger to go all in and use my severance money to open up shop. Actually, the end of August will be my 3 years anniversary of truly working for myself 100%. There have been many struggles since November 2019, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not.
On the business end it was challenging trying to find a good quality manufacturer since cheap window film won’t reveal itself until at least 3 to 6 months later. Accounting was a huge learning curve, and then there’s the problem many face, which is that’s how do we find more customers.
As far as the work itself I was 100% self-taught, and it is a very tedious process. But the only way to get better is by getting my hands dirty.
The problems never go away, they just change over the years.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We offer automotive, residential, and commercial window films.
We offer a variety of window film/window tinting that provides privacy, rejects heat/UV, and even security films that strengthens a normal school window making it very difficult for an intruder to enter.
We are known for and very proud of our quality, mom ‘n pop customer service, clean shop, and fair pricing.
I am genuinely grateful to be able to do what I do and our customers know and can feel that.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There has been consistent growth for many years now. The demand for safer schools and federal buildings has skyrocketed where states have made it mandatory to have security films installed. The general public are also tired of their vehicles being so uncomfortably hot and on top of that interior damage from the sun so the demand is there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stlrestyle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stl_restyle_llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STLRestyleLLC/
