The year 2010 brought its own set of struggles, mostly stemming from a lack of capital. Their parents assisted as much as they could, covering rent and some day-to-day running costs, but the financial burden weighed heavily on the family. Their father was working away for weeks at a time, only to return to a pile of unpaid bills. Significant expenses included ordering $7K worth of wallpaper base directly from a mill in Europe. Without their parents’ support and generosity, the business wouldn’t have survived beyond that year.

Richard and Bryce were steadfast in their ambition to become significant players in a centuries-old industry. They understood they had to adapt to the industry norms. Even though they were printing their wallpapers using digital technology, they were part of an industry still largely rooted in analogue processes. Traditional producers in the UK could manufacture a roll of wallpaper for less than £5. This insight drove them to constantly seek more cost-effective production methods, like sourcing paper directly from mills in Europe. However, larger scales meant larger costs, leading them to borrow money from various family members and even occasional girlfriends (all of which was repaid in due course).