I've always dreamt of transforming my hobby into a profitable venture. For over two decades, I've been involved in crafting wooden models for the model railroad hobby market. The idea of creating my own kits had always lingered, a dream of a steady income to support my family.

A Humble Beginning

After saving every penny I could for over a year, my son and I (I'm a single dad) finally purchased a 10W Creality laser engraver. Initially, the engraver seemed to be just another piece of expensive (to us) equipment in our small shed. Little did we know, this little gadget was going to transform into a life-altering piece of technology that would inevitably be the spark to start our new business venture.

The CrealityFalcon Connection

Shortly after receiving the laser, I contacted CrealityFalcon about some setting up of the machine through Facebook. Luna was a guiding light for us as we were given the opportunity to upgrade to a 22W for a little extra money. Luna quickly realized that we had the wrong machine, and in hindsight, I'm so grateful she did. CrealityFalcon took great care of us every time I contacted them.

Months later, when I messed up and failed to attach my air hose to the laser, then ran a very hot slow burn, I messed the protective lens up. We contacted CrealityFalcon, and our issue was heard, and we were taken care of; a package was sent free of charge. Surely, if I do it again, there will be a charge, but this first reprieve was greatly appreciated. As a matter of fact, I am really happy with CrealityFalcon customer service. Saying that isn't taken lightly for me. I like to think that differences between brands aren't the tech so much as the way they help their customers.

Unleashing Creativity with Creality Falcon 2

Weeks after our Creality Falcon 2, 22W laser engraver, arrived, my 19-year-old autistic son, Dylan, showed a keen interest in the machine. Always inclined towards creating and experimenting, he was immediately fascinated by this new technology. Despite its intended purpose of producing my models, one day, he decided to engrave his beloved cousin Brooklynn's name into a small rock—an endearing gift that she could paint and treasure.

We proudly shared a video of Brooklynn painting her rock on Facebook, not thinking much of it, more than a sweet family moment. However, to our surprise, the post intrigued many throughout our community. The number of likes and comments promptly increased, but the moonshot moment was when we started getting private messages from people inquiring about getting their own rocks.

What we initially dismissed as a fun, creative outlet turned out to be an untapped market. People were not asking for just any rocks, but were interested in memorialized messages engraved in stone. It seemed we had stumbled onto a market that blends art, emotion, and personalization together.

From Hobby to Business

We decided to give it a try and responded to these messages with me taking the role of sales. With our Creality laser engraver, we started a small-scale, home-based business engraving personalized messages onto field stones found free throughout the countryside for customers. From simple names and dates to inspirational quotes, we etched loving memories into stone and sent them off to become cherished keepsakes.

With each new order, we found ourselves feeling exceedingly blessed as our humble home-based business grew. Again, we tried to save as much of the extra cash as we could, making a substantial difference in our lives, but most importantly, it brought us together in a way as a father I never really was able to achieve with my son. Autism is a very quiet friend, only witnessed by those around.

Fast-forward three months later, our living room business evolved into an established venture. Our lives are enriched not just with the extra cash flow but with the joyous satisfaction we achieve from creating these unique, sentimental keepsakes. We are keen to reach the threshold of starting a fully registered and insured business, and gladly, that may be close at hand.

Today, as proud owners of Rockingtons.co, we have doubled our firepower with two lasers. The versatile and easy-to-use nature of these machines has played a prominent role in the success of our venture. We are now exploring other products from CrealityFalcon's arsenal that could benefit our business and our customers’ experiences.

So here we are, a single dad and his autistic son, capitalizing on a never-imagined market, fulfilling unique needs, preserving memories, and engraving messages of love, a stroke at a time on the canvas of our forever memory stones.

Final Word

Not only has our business put a roof over our head, but it has also given Dylan an environment where his unique skills are highly valued and respected. Looking back, I realize that sometimes, opportunities do not just knock on the door; They might come engraved and painted on a rock and shared on Facebook.My journey with the Creality Falcon 2 laser engraver is a testament to this incredible transformation. And that's exactly what we did with Rockingtons.co.