Rick Sturdivan has been working in the custom picture framing industry in La Mesa since 1979. After graduating with a B.A. degree in Painting and Printmaking from San Diego State University, he decided this city was a perfect fit for his family. His decision was simple and strategic. La Mesa is 20 minutes by car from most places in San Diego county.
In 1991, after realizing there were no guidelines in the picture framing industry, Rick and three other framers created a board to set standards for what is appropriate for conservation framing. He held multiple positions in the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA) and taught a course to the trade on French matting. He is the Yoda of framing.
His store, Rick’s Custom Framing, has been in the same location on La Mesa Avenue since 1999. A lot has changed since then. Over the years, the demographic of La Mesa has become younger. First time parents moved east for the allure of bigger backyards and extra bedrooms. With that influx, more restaurants and coffee shops followed. La Mesa has become, like North Park 15 years ago, “up and coming”.
For Rick, one of the biggest changes has been the framing industry. There used to be 12 frame shops in La Mesa alone. Now, custom picture framing is becoming a lost art.
Consumer trend shifted toward readymade frames. Many small shops lost their market shares to corporate stores offering the promise of cheaper, do-it-yourself framing. The tradition of preserving memories, highlighting art collections, and curating heirlooms for the home is practiced by fewer people.
But Rick thinks the tide is turning. There is a movement toward local, high-quality products crafted with pride and expertise. Don’t believe it? Take a walk down India Street in Little Italy and you will find a myriad of small shops offering artisanal products made locally.
Traveling, social media, and online searches open our eyes to other ways of living. We are becoming better informed. We are replacing quick fashion and cheaply made clothes with high quality, versatile pieces unique to our personality. We are learning to spend more wisely – choosing things that leave lasting impressions instead of a one-night stand. Quality beats quantity. What’s better than recycling is not throwing away the item in the first place.
Rick understands this mindset. It is why he started his business. He has customers who want their art framed with the same high quality as museum pieces (which his shop is an expert at). Many want to preserve memories from their travels and experiences with unique framing. He has customers who are 3rd generation. They come to him because, like their parents and grandparents, want to preserve memories for their children. All want the personalized experience backed by years of expertise. His shop operates from a philosophy that fine art deserves the utmost attention to detail and design. And if you look at one of his framed pieces or talk to one of his customers, you know he lives that philosophy.
Small businesses are fueled by passion, and not a small dose of naïveté. Rick has learned a lot over the years. His advice to all new business owners is to:
- Start with a business plan.
- Learn how run the business and understand the financials (Profits & Loss statement, sales projection, return on investment, cost per day to run the business)
- Learn how to promote your business.
- Support the community (Rick does it by donating materials to schools and supporting his clients’ causes)
- Listen to your customers, observe trends, stay nimble.
- And most importantly, embrace change.
Who knows what La Mesa will be like 30 years from now. But if, like him, small businesses embrace its biggest strength: staying true to its roots while being open to possibilities, we may just see La Mesa emerge to become a hub for local businesses. What will that look like?