Comparing Commissions

The feedback from Consultants regarding Paperly's new Commission & Career Plan, which is still relatively new (we just launched it on 09/01/10), has been overwhelmingly positive. And yet, I still occasionally hear from folks interested in joining Paperly, "Why are Paperly’s commissions limited to 26% when I see other direct selling companies offering 30, 40 even 50%?" Nothing could be farther from the truth!

1. Paperly's average party size in 2010 neared $450. I believe the industry average is closer to $350. Clearly, larger parties means larger commissions, so be sure to ask other companies what their average part size is.
2. Paperly’s Consultants do not need to carry inventory. Instead, Paperly's products are personalized and drop-shipped. No inventory means no additional investment beyond the Starter Kit. This is not true for most other companies. They need to offer a higher commission rate, because their Consultants need to re-invest in additional samples and inventory. Therefore, do not looking solely at raw commissions. Instead, you need to calculate your "return on investment" – i.e. how much you make versus how much you spend.
3. Paperly’s 26% is merely its base rate. Many of Paperly's Consultants earn substantial bonuses (up to 12%) by hitting achievable personal sales targets. Also, the 26% does not count the additional commissions a Consultant can earn: e.g. downline commissions (up to 6%) and team/generation bonuses (up to 8%).
4. Lastly, when I helped build Paperly's commission plan, I was adamant that a Consultant could be successful via (i) personal sales, (ii) building a team or (iii) both. I talk to Consultants every day and I know each ticks differently: some like to sell, some like to recruit… and that’s perfectly okay with Paperly. Please be wary of any direct selling company that requires you to recruit as the only way to be successful.

All that said, I think Paperly’s Plan is VERY competitive. Don't be blinded by looking solely at base rates, because so many other factors go into your final payout. Truly, the best advice I can offer when you’re trying to compare commission plans is: Find a company and product that you absolutely love, share your passion with everyone you know, and you’ll likely be very successful.

Happy Holidays,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Give Yourself a Gift

What gift are you most excited about this Christmas? Jewelry? Clothes? Something else your heart fancies?

Although jewelry and clothes are wonderful and appreciated, wouldn't you truly want (and deserve) a gift that:

• Provides the potential for unlimited financial gains
• Realizes a lifelong dream to be your own boss
• Enables you to have tap into your fun, creative self

Doesn't that sound like the perfect gift?

All too often, we're so eager to spend hundreds of dollars on others, but once that money is spent, and that gift is consumed, it's gone forever. That's the difference between spending and investing. Spending does not reap future rewards; investing does.

Just last week, I received a note from a potential Paperly Consultant who said, "I want to join Paperly, but I have to wait until after Christmas, because I've already overspent my budget." I bit my tongue and replied, "Great – Can’t wait!" In truth, I really wanted to say, "All the more reason to join Paperly now! Invest in your future; earn back what you've spent; start making money rather than simply spending it!"

Of course, I appreciate that 'tis the season to give. I agree – give to the homeless, the jobless, and the parentless (among others). But also give to yourself and your future. Invest in your future, and come next Christmas, you may never overspend your budget again.

Happy holidays,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Actually, It’s a Great Time

Over the past few days, I’ve heard from a few potential Consultants that they’re concerned they've "missed Paperly’s holiday selling season", so why should they join now?

Actually, it’s a great time to join Paperly!

Why? Well, to be honest, there's probably never a perfect time to join, right? You’re too busy at work, you’re traveling too much, your kids have been sick, etc. Given that there’s always something going on in your life, and without sounding overly flippant about an important decision, but why not now?

Furthermore:

1. January is typically a big month at Paperly, because customers need lots and lots of thank you notes. So if you join Paperly now, you can spend December selling last-minute holiday items as well as getting up-to-speed for a big January.

2. Although it has yet to be officially announced, Paperly plans its first-ever incentive trip in 2011, with the qualification period starting on 01/01/11. So if you join Paperly now, you’re able to accumulate points from the beginning of the contest.

3. Even though Christmas will come and go all-too-fast, it’s quickly followed by Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, graduation, confirmation and Father’s Day, among a handful of other occasions along the way.

Basically, there’s always a reason and need for personalized stationery. Wouldn’t it be nice if you started off the New Year with a new career – something you’re passionate about? If so, then now is the perfect time for Paperly!

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

So Many Reasons to be Thankful

With Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow, I’d like to take a moment to send a "thank you" to everyone that has made 2010 an amazing year at Paperly:

To Paperly’s Consultants: Thank you for sharing Paperly with your friends and family members. You're the ones "out in the field". You're the ones doing the day-to-day to make Paperly successful. Without you, Paperly wouldn't exist. So thank you for being the best team I could have ever asked for.

To Paperly’s Staff: Thank you to Cindy, Jenny, Kristin, Susan, Jenna and the others who answer the phones, submit orders, manage our books, and do everything possible to make the Paperly experience a smooth (and hopefully, fun) one. I am very lucky to have such an amazing staff to work with.

To Paperly’s Customers: Your ideas, feedback and – of course – purchases, drive Paperly forward. Thank you for making Paperly better every single day.

To Paperly’s Hostesses: Thank you for inviting your friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues into your home so they too can fall in love with Paperly’s products. True, the free and discounted products you earn are a nice perk, but not a moment goes by without me wishing to thank you for your efforts.

And finally, thank you to all the printers, designers, software developers, service providers and others who have helped make Paperly’s future appear so bright.

I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely, Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

No Salaries at Paperly

I am a big believer that pay should reflect performance. If you don’t succeed, then unfortunately, you don’t get paid, or at least, not as much as someone who has succeeded. Of course, it’s one thing to recite that mantra; it’s a whole other thing to live it. That said, I am proud to say that there is no such thing as a salary at Paperly. As CEO of Paperly, I currently do not receive a salary and neither does Cindy, my wife and Paperly’s co-founder.

Why is this important? Well, for a few reasons:

1. Like all direct selling businesses, Paperly’s Consultants earn commissions and bonuses. Their pay accurately reflects their hard work and effort. It’s the perfect meritocracy. Since their earnings are solely dependent on their output, I believe the same should hold true for my earnings. Which brings me to my second reason...

2. Paperly is ~3 years old and I am proud to say it has far exceeded my expectations. We have 100+ Consultants located in 30 states coast-to-coast who are selling a ton of personalized stationery and gifts. And yet, Paperly has a long way to go before it is where I want it to be. Thus, until it hits my lofty expectations, I don’t feel as if I've "earned" a salary.

3. Lastly, I’m a firm believer that pay drives behavior, and a committed salary – regardless of performance – can cause contentment to settle-in. With Paperly, I am far from content. I plan to continue to drive the business upward and onward. There are so many wonderful opportunities with Paperly, I’d hate for salary to become an obstacle.

I live, breath, eat and sleep for Paperly’s success. I know my Consultants do too. Thus, we are all in this together... where pay reflects success. Personally, I can’t wait to pay my successful Consultants beyond their wildest dreams!

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

P.S. For more on my philosophy on pay, read my blog entry from June 2010, "Money matters, but it’s not the only thing".

Broad and Deep

Paperly is very excited to announce that it now has Consultants located in 30 states coast-to-coast. Below is a map which highlights our expansive coverage across all 4 corners of the United States.

As the map above illustrates, I strive to grow Paperly both broad and deep. What does that mean? Broad means I want to build an organization that covers all 50 states, and ultimately, expands internationally. Deep means I want to build an organization deeply rooted in teams that serve local communities and are guided and mentored by Leaders.

To me, Paperly needs to be both broad and deep to succeed. If one falls out-of-balance, then Paperly will fall out-of-balance too. Why?

Let’s assume Paperly forgets about being broad. For example, let’s assume Paperly becomes too concentrated in one geographic area. Or perhaps the vast majority of Paperly’s sales occur from one Consultant and her team. If either scenario occurs, you can imagine what would happen if that geographical area became economically depressed, or if that star Consultant decides to leave Paperly… Paperly’s performance would suffer dramatically.

Oppositely, let’s assume Paperly forgets about being deep. For example, let’s assume Paperly has hundreds and hundreds of Consultants all reporting into Home Office – i.e. no teams, no downlines, no mentors, no leaders. Clearly, Corporate cannot play all these roles. It’s simply too taxing. There’s little doubt that leading and mentoring works better from like-minded Consultants out in the communities. If Paperly forgets about being deep, then it can also forget about being successful.

The examples above highlight the precarious balance Paperly must find between broad and deep. As the map above shows, I think we’re doing a good job at it. But to spur additional breadth (and ultimately depth), Paperly is offering a very limited time promotion, expiring this Sunday (11/07/10):

Be the first to enroll in 1 of the 20 states Paperly does not currently operate within

and Paperly will give you 50% off your own 2010 holiday card order!

learn more >

I’m confident one day soon, Paperly will operate in all 50 states – even internationally – with hordes of Team Leaders in each state. I can’t wait.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Paperly is “Buy Later” Friendly

When it comes to buying gifts, I have found you are either a “Buy Now” or a “Buy Later” person.

Buy Now-ers are always on the prowl for the perfect gift – even when the occasion is months away – and probably already have half of their holiday shopping list completed. (I am certainly not a Buy Now person!) Suffice it to safe, buy Later-ers do not feel the same sense of urgency to complete their holiday purchases.

Historically, Buy Later-ers have faced significant challenges when they wished to purchase personalized products. Personalizing products takes time – often weeks – and Buy Later-ers simply didn’t have the luxury of time.

However, today’s world, with its high-end technologies, is a lot different. Whereas personalized stationery was rarely an option for Buy Later-ers, Paperly’s technical advancements and operational efficiencies now enable personalization in a matter of days, not weeks. In fact, some of Paperly’s products, such as its Color Collection, clipboards, wallets and tins, can be elegantly personalized within 2-3 business days.

So rest easy Buy Later-ers. I know firsthand your plight and I’m excited that Paperly can save our collective hides. As for you Buy Now-ers, feel free to finish your list at Paperly. That way, I can’t completely despise your timeliness.

Regards, Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

The Yearend Family Letter

You know by now that I am a very strong proponent of the handwritten note. Paperly was founded on the belief that the handwritten note is alive and well. Today, few things are more heartfelt and memorable as receiving a personal note on well-designed stationery.

Yet, how does the handwritten note fit-in with the tradition of including a yearend family letter alongside your holiday card. You know those letters… they typically include a brief summary of the year that just passed (e.g. “Sally went to overnight camp for the first time” or “Hard to believe Jimmy is now in first grade”) as well as pictures of the kids.

These letters are typically typed, rightfully so, to ease the process of including a copy of the note in each holiday card sent. So does the typed letter remove your obligation to include a handwritten note in your correspondence? In my opinion, absolutely not!

I completely appreciate the need to type the letter, but that should never inhibit your writing – perhaps in the margin or as an attachment – a note, no matter how small, sharing a personal thought with the recipient. It can be as simple as “Wish we could see you this holiday season!” Or as individualized as “I am so excited to hear about your new grandchild! I can’t wait to see pictures when we see you in a couple of weeks.”

Personally, I love the family letter. I receive holiday cards from friends who, because of time or distance, I hear from all-too-infrequently. Thus, the “Year in Review” lets me stay connected to their lives. However, I truly relish those notes that include a personal sentiment. I’m confident you feel the same.

So as the seasons change, and our thoughts turn towards the holidays and the annual rite of sending holiday cards, please take the extra minute per card to handwrite a note on each. (If you order your cards early enough, you can spread the task over weeks, rather than days. Paperly has already released its Holiday designs.) You’ll feel good, the recipient will feel good, and perhaps, it’ll rekindle the personal connections and warmth we all covet from the holidays.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

8 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make With Your Holiday Cards

Although the holidays are still a bit away, now is the time to jump on your holiday cards. Try to avoid the "Top 8 Mistakes" I list below, and you'll thank me later!

1. Waiting to place your order 

Paperly’s holiday designs are available now! Buying today means you receive the newest designs all-the-while avoiding any unforeseen delays that may occur later in the season. Plus, when you add together all the steps in the ordering process – proof, production and shipping – it can be a bit before you actually receive your personalized holiday card.

2. Hoping for the perfect family picture 

The kids are always going to be tired. The dog isn’t going to cooperate. And someone will close their eyes when the picture is being taken. Don’t fret; just keep trying. Digital cameras are great because you can simply delete the bad pictures and start afresh. Try to take the picture at a time of the day that you know your kids are going to be in a good mood. Line-up a neighbor or a friend if you plan to take a family photo. Although scheduling an appointment with a professional photographer can be daunting, it is often worth the additional stress and expense because the photos typically come out wonderful.

3. Portrait card, landscape picture 

Whichever you do first – take the picture or purchase your holiday card – be sure you match orientation. If taken as a portrait, no matter how great the picture is, it will not fit a holiday card that is landscape oriented.

4. Starting your list from scratch 

A guaranteed way to embarrass yourself is to forget to send a holiday card to a friend or family member. To prevent this, don’t start your list from scratch year-to-year. Instead, use last year's list as a starting point. If you don't have last year’s list, start with your address book, your wedding invitation list, a recent birthday party list, etc.

5. Writing all your cards in one night

You might envision sharing a cup of hot cocoa around a warm fire with your family, leisurely writing and addressing your holiday cards. Get over it; that isn’t going to happen. We’re all pressed for time, so don’t delay. You can start addressing envelopes today, even before you get your cards finalized. (A great time saver is to have your return address pre-printed on your envelopes or purchase pre-printed return address labels.) Then, start writing a few cards each day during October and November. Worse case scenario and you run out of time, don't worry – most people are pleased to hear from you no matter when your card arrives. Alternatively, skip the Christmas/Hanukkah “deadline” entirely by sending a New Year's card.

6. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (I think) 

Mrs. Manners probably has a hard time keeping up with today’s complicated marriage situations. Check and recheck names before addressing your envelopes. For example, do your recently married friends use the same last name or different last names? 

7. Needing 100, but having 75 

There are always last minute additions to your mailing list. Order a few more cards than your original estimate. It is always less expensive to order extras with your initial order than to place a second order.

8. Not enough postage 

If you include separate photos and notes alongside your holiday card, you may be surprised at how much the whole package weighs. Before mailing it, weigh it at the Post Office. Otherwise, you run the risk of having all your holiday cards returned because of inadequate postage.

(P.S. A great time saver is to buy your stamps online from the U.S. Postal Service. Buy your holiday stamps early; sometimes they run out of special issues.)

Hope you find these tips helpful!

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Uplifting Words

Because of Paperly’s 2 new catalog launches (Everyday Collection 2010-11 and Holiday 2010), for the past 2 weeks, I’ve either been overseeing my data entry team or performing data entry myself… hour after hour. The work is both tedious and exhausting, yet the attention to detail must remain high, because an error can create dramatic consequences (i.e. a bad customer experience, a wrong price, etc.)

Fortunately, while doing data entry, the Paperly team was also shipping out the new catalogs and sample sets to our team of Consultants, which now reaches across 27 states coast-to-coast. I say "fortunately" because as the new catalogs and sample sets arrived on the doorsteps of Paperly’s Consultants, I started to receive phone calls, voicemails, emails and Facebook postings about how much they LOVE what they received. Those kind words gave me the extra fuel required to plod along with the data entry. So, thank you to all the Consultants who shared such kind words about our new designs.

I thought you too might enjoy a few of their comments: 

• "My catalogs and samples arrived yesterday… They look great! I gave out several sets at a football game today and got a good response."
• "SO excited to receive the catalogs & samples today - Everything looks so beautiful, and I can't wait to share it all..."
• "I received my new catalogs and samples sets today!!! I LOVE EVERYTHING!!!! I can't wait to share the new designs with my friends and family."

Here’s my favorite from a Consultant as she eagerly awaited the arrival of her catalogs:

• "I keep waiting by the front door for my box o' catalogs every day @ 530! Can't wait to get them in my grubby hands!"

And finally, although a bit unrelated, I received this quote today, from a new enrollee, and I loved it so much, I wanted to share it:

• "After looking through the catalogs for all of 3 minutes, I made my decision to join her team."

Wow! It is words like that which keep me going. And now, back to data entry.

Regards, Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Anatomy of a Launch

My apologies for the delay in posting this latest blog entry.  Although it’s not an excuse, we are in the midst of launching 2 new catalogs next week: Everyday Collection 2010-11 and Holiday 2010.  The entire Paperly community – Consultants, Customers, Hostesses and employees – is very excited about the launch.  That said, I thought you might find it interesting to read the basic steps that occur prior to such a massive unveiling.  Please note, I’ve grossly simplified each step below, but I’m hoping to give you an idea as to what occurs “behind the curtain” at Paperly.

• 6 months prior: Paperly aggregates all the feedback it has received from its Consultants, Customers and Hostesses about its designs.  By mapping strengths and weaknesses, Paperly is able to identify what direction its future designs might head.
• 5 months prior: Paperly begins to marry its new design ideas with its team of designers.  For example, one designer might be a better illustrator while another might be better at geometric patterns.
• 4 months prior: Initial design ideas are reviewed and feedback is given to designers.
• 3 months prior: Final designs are agreed upon, and then, designs are carried through all product types (i.e. gift stickers, address labels, etc.)
• 2 months prior: The design of the catalog begins.
• 1 month prior: Loose samples are printed and quality checked.  Photos are taken of the loose samples.
• 2 weeks prior to launch: Catalogs go to the printer, e-catalogs are created and the website begins to be populated with products.
• 1 week prior to launch: Boxes are packed full of catalogs/sample sets and shipped.  At times, it’s hard to find a square inch of Paperly’s office that isn’t covered in boxes!
• Launch!

Of course, this series of events completely skips over the marketing, promotion and training that needs to occur in parallel.  As you can tell, a catalog launch is a Herculean effort.  But boy, is it worth it when the positive feedback starts pouring in from Consultants, Customers and Hostesses.  Of course, by then, we can’t bask in our success, because we are already behind in started on our next catalog!

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Paperly's Co-Founder, Cindy Rudman, Shares her Vision

Cindy Rudman, President and Co-Founder of Paperly (www.Paperly.com), has been in the stationery industry for 10+ years. She created the following video to share her vision behind Paperly, including:

1. The reasons for creating Paperly

2. Paperly’s core principles

3. The importance of balancing life and career

4. The belief that the handwritten note is alive and well

Enjoy the video, and as always, please contact me if you have any questions.

Regards,
Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Paperly’s Own Triathlon

Last weekend, I completed my 5^th triathlon.  (No, not an Iron Man… I’m not that crazy!)  For the uninitiated, a triathlon combines 3 separate disciplines – swimming, biking and running – into one event.  I love participating in triathlons, because I love the challenge of trying to excel at three things at once.

What do triathlons have to do with Paperly? Perhaps more than you can imagine.

When speaking to Consultants, I often ask, “How do you judge the success of a party?”  Most every Consultant immediately replies, “By how much I sell!”

To me, that answer is analogous to focusing exclusively on the swim portion of a triathlon and completely ignoring biking and running.  A triathlete can never be successful if she only focuses on one discipline.

Instead, like a triathlete, a successful Consultant needs to view a successful party as the combination of 3 disciplines: selling, booking and recruiting.  At Paperly, we suggest our Consultants aim for $600 in sales, 2 bookings (i.e. future parties) and 1 recruit (i.e. future team members).

Without sales, the Consultant earns no commissions.  Without bookings, the Consultant has no future.  And without recruits, the Consultant’s earnings are limited to her own efforts, rather than the collective effort of her team.

Only when a Consultant completes Paperly’s version of a triathlon can she truly say, “I had a successful party!” Go Paperly triathletes, go! I’m rooting for you.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

A Note to Husbands

Not all of Paperly’s Consultants are wives, but many are.  And near the top of the list of things I inevitably hear from potential female Consultants is, "Let me discuss this with my husband."

As a husband myself, I completely agree.  After all, I too would want to discuss Paperly before my wife became a Consultant.  (Hypothetically, of course, since my wife, Cindy, is a co-owner of Paperly already!)  The wife-husband conversation makes perfect sense.

However, I NEVER hear from the husband directly.  I only get his thoughts through the wife.  And so, I thought I’d write this blog entry as a note to all the husbands out there.

(Potential Consultants: Feel free to print this out and hand it to your husband prior to your conversation with him.)

~~~~~~

Dear Husband of Potential Paperly Consultant,

My name is Jay Rudman and I’m the CEO and Co-Owner of Paperly.  Because I know you have questions prior to your wife joining our remarkable team of Consultants, I thought I’d try to answer some of your most common questions up-front.

1. Happy to answer all of your questions!  The very first thing I want you to know is, “please don’t be shy.”  This is a *big* decision, a family decision, and I’m happy to answer all of your questions.  Simply call or email me (773.661.1357 or jay@paperly.com) and I’ll reply directly and honestly.  It’s important for you to know that Paperly is a family-based business, and therefore, we try to be as open and honest as possible. So please call/email and ask.  We’re happy to answer.

2. No, Paperly is not going to steal your money.  I can say this, because I’m a husband too… husbands can be a bit cynical.  We husbands believe that all *big business* is out to steal money from *regular folks*.  Maybe other businesses (although I’m a bit more optimistic than most), but certainly NOT Paperly.  We’re in business to ensure our Consultants are successful.  When they’re successful, Paperly will be successful too.  Honestly, our Consultants, Hostesses and Customers come first.  So bluntly, no – we’re not going to steal your money!

3. Yes, Paperly does offer a real earning opportunity.  It would be ridiculous for us to say, "join Paperly and earn $1 gazillion in 1 week."  Anyone can see through that sham.  But Paperly does offer a real earning opportunity.  Commissions can be significant on both personal and team sales.  Candidly, Paperly is too young to have $100,000+ Consultants yet, but I see no reason why that couldn’t happen someday soon.  And wouldn’t it be nice to say your wife was the first?

4. What happens if it doesn’t work out?  Paperly has worked very hard to be a member of the Direct Selling Association (dsa.org) which requires a very stringent buyback policy. Please read Paperly’s at www.Paperly.com/policy-statement.asp.  In short, Paperly will repurchase re-sellable contents of your wife’s Starter Kit within the first 12 months at 90% of the price paid by her.  Of course, this completely glosses over the fact that the Starter Kit is such a minimal investment to start with, especially the potentially unlimited upside.  Nevertheless, Paperly's buyback policy does remove some uncertainty.

Of course, there are many, many more questions that you may have, and again, I’m happy to answer them one-on-one (773.661.1357 or jay@paperly.com).  But before concluding this letter, please appreciate the passion, the enthusiasm and the desire your wife has towards wanting to be successful with Paperly.  I humbly request that you let her try; she’ll likely erase all your doubts within days.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

All the Pieces are in Place

Time for full disclosure…  Although we know stationery (we’ve been in the industry for 10+ years), we’re still learning a lot about direct selling.

In 2007, we launched Paperly by crisscrossing the United States, conducting a half dozen test parties.  In 2008, we invited 6 Consultants – yes, only 6 – to join Paperly.  We purposely kept the community small to ensure we could deliver quality products in a timely manner at a reasonable cost before we announced Paperly to the world.   In 2009, we invested significantly to enable Paperly to grow unhindered.  For example, we spent months customizing a world-class Web solution to enable Consultants to place orders online, manage their back office virtually and post online shopping events.  See www.MyPaperly.com/paperly for a demo.

Now, it’s 2010 and we are not slowing down a bit:

• We’ve introduced a new Starter Kit option, priced at only $99, to allow new Consultants the opportunity to quick-start their business with minimal investment. (http://www.paperly.com/kit.asp)
• We’ve introduced a new Commission & Career Plan so we can return every last penny possible back to the Consultants.  For example, the maximum commission on personal sales volume has increased from 25% to 38%!
• We’re fervently working on 2 new catalogs (Everyday Collections 2010-11 and Holiday 2010), plus a Future Leaders program - both to be released soon!

I share all of this, because honestly, all the pieces are now in place for Paperly’s Consultants to be wildly successful.

I just did a quick analysis and discovered that in 2009, 62% of Paperly’s sales occurred from September thru December!  That means, if you're already a Consultant, it’s time to fill your calendar through the end of 2010.  However, if you're not yet a Paperly Consultant, there may be no better time to join than now.

I’m proud of the progress Paperly has made.  Now that all the pieces are in place, the future is truly limitless.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

My Paperly Story (by PegiC, Consultant)

I have always loved personalized items. Just about anything personalized had always been a hit with me. Giving or receiving a gift that has been made specifically for you is very special and unique. I still remember, long ago, receiving a box of stickers with the letter P surrounded by pastel flowers. I rarely used the stickers but clearly remember considering them one of my most prized possessions. There are a variety of other personalized items that I have acquired over the years. I still have some and others that have been lost along the way, but they have all had great meaning to me.

In addition to my love of personalized items, I have a real soft spot for stationery. I’m not just saying this for the purposes of this blog – I really love stationery. Even when I was younger and only wrote thank you notes as a result of nagging from my parents, I loved visiting card or gift stores that carried unique note cards, paper, invitations and the like. For me picking out my wedding invitations, and other stationery that was used for the big day, was the very best party of the planning process. The ladies in the invitation store knew me well. My husband would run the other way when I brought up the invitation subject, not understanding why I was spending so much time deliberating on the perfect one. That being said I finally picked a very simple, traditional invite that I still love today. I have it framed next to my daughter’s framed birth announcements. I am very proud of these simple pieces of paper that have become decorative pieces that represent great events in my life.

Given the fact that I really enjoying picking out, giving and receiving personalized gifts and stationery, becoming a Paperly Consultant seemed like it would be a perfect fit. My husband actually found out about Paperly online. We were both interested in having me pick-up some part time work. With our kids getting a bit older, I had the time to put aside a few hours a day to work. The commitment, on both a financial and time level, did not seem overwhelming. Of course I had a bunch of questions: What was the quality of the product? Who would I get to have parties and/or make purchases? Would people like Paperly’s products? Now that I have been a Consultant for about 7 months all of these concerns have been erased. There were no hidden costs or obligations. People love the products. It’s great to have a party and see the excitement in the guest when they realize what Paperly has to offer.

Being a Paperly Consultant has been a wonderful experience that I feel very lucky to have stumbled upon. I am so excited, along with many of my clients, to see what is in store for the new catalog and the holidays. I feel confident that with continued effort and focus on my end the opportunities as a Paperly Consultant are endless.

PegiC, Paperly Consultant (http://mypaperly.com/pegiconnors)

Why We Do What We Do

One of the first questions I ask folks interested in becoming a Paperly Consultant is - logically, “Why are you interested in becoming a Consultant?” Their responses vary from “I’m looking to earn some additional income” to “I need something that better balances work and family”. Interestingly, Consultants never volley my question back to me. Nonetheless, I think it’s important to share with you why I run Paperly.

First, I love stationery. I hope that passion is evident in everything I do. When you love your product, you’re never “selling”. Instead, others are simply swept-up by your passion.

Second, I love helping others. In the past, I’ve owned and operated other businesses, but they were all transactional. Paperly is unique. It’s not about the transaction, it’s about helping others. Paperly’s new Consultants are typically never-before entrepreneurs, who are opening a new business often for their first time, so they can build a better life for themselves, and often their family. Rightly, they’re scared and lack confidence. I love helping new Consultants reach their potential. Inevitably, they blossom as they discover that they truly can be successful!

Lastly, and probably most importantly, I’ll share with you a few words my 9-year old daughter recently wrote (please ignore any errors in grammar or punctuation):

"I admire my dad because: He opened his own business Paperly. Not many of my friends parents have opened their own business. My dad is wonderful in many ways and running and owning Paperly is just one of many."

The lessons my children are learning by watching their dad start and grow a business are immeasurable. Each day, my daughter and son (who is 6 years old) ask about Paperly. They love to provide their opinions on Paperly’s products. They love to visit the office. They love asking about our new Consultants. They simply love being part of the Paperly process.

So why do I run Paperly? Because I want to teach my children, by example, the pleasure of working hard with the hopes of succeeding. That truly is the best reason to do what I do.

Regards,
Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Environmentally Friendly Products

It goes without saying, the environment matters to Paperly.  We try, whenever possible, to use environmentally friendly materials in our products.  Unfortunately, being a paper company, it’s harder than you might think.  True, “green” paper products exist.  But shifting Paperly’s entire product line to those materials is impractical in the short-term for numerous reasons: price, quality, product selection, etc.

Nevertheless, Paperly does currently offer some great, environmentally friendly products:

• Most all of our Color Collection products (#10240-10247) – both paper and envelope – is composed of at least 30% post-consumer waste.

• Our Eco Tablets (#10281), which consists of 7 notepads of 100 sheets each (700 sheets total), is composed of 100% post-consumer waste.  Additionally, this product uses a recycled, cardboard holder instead of the more traditional acrylic holder.  Even the name, “Eco Tablet”, is “green”!

• Paperly’s catalogs are printed on paper approved by the Forest Stewardship Council, a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests.  In addition, our catalog paper is composed of at least 10% post-consumer waste.

We know Paperly still has a long way to go to meet our strong desire to use 100% environmentally friendly products, but we feel we’re making good progress.  I can assure you Paperly is committed to making beautifully designed, environmentally friendly stationery.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

The Most Common Gripe

Unlike any other industry I’ve ever been a part of, the direct selling industry is extremely open.  For example, in most industries, if you walked up to Competitor XYZ and asked, “How do you reward your consultants?” the question would be met with stunned silence.  Oppositely, in direct selling, the competitors share.  That same company would say, “Our rewards include A, B and C.  How about your company?”  And I would gladly share Paperly’s program (within reason, of course).

Over time, I have concluded that such openness is caused by, what I’ll affectionately call, “The My Sister-in-Law Can Find Out Syndrome”.  I’ve named it after my sister-in-law, because she’s the one that can call Competitor XYZ and say, “Hello, I’m interested in becoming a consultant for your company.  Can you tell me how you reward your consultants?”  Voila!  It’s that easy!  And because it’s so easy, direct selling companies do not try to hide much.

So where am I headed with all of this?  Well, I’ve spent a decent amount of time talking to other direct sellers – not just folks at headquarters, but consultants in the field.  The consultants, in particular, are amazing!  They are truly passionate about the products they sell, and they have so many incredible ideas as to how to grow their respective businesses.

Yet, the one gripe I’ve heard most consistently – regardless if the consultant is selling jewelry, cosmetics or kitchen products – is:

“I wish I had gotten involved from the beginning!”

All these consultants appreciate the growth, the income and the prestige tied to being one of the first.  They’re often frustrated by the oversaturation in their community.  In short, they wish they had started before all their neighbors were consultants too.

And that’s the point of this entry!  Paperly is climbing the hill towards what I hope to be amazing success.  Therefore, if you truly are passionate about Paperly’s products, then I implore you to join Paperly sooner than later.  I’d hate to meet you 10 years from now and hear you say, “I wish I had joined

Paperly when I first heard about it!”

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

How I Plan to Grow my Paperly Business

If you were to ask me earlier this year about how I would grow my future business, I would have looked at you sideways!  I had no idea I would be selling Paperly products.  I stumbled onto Paperly because someone approached me about selling a different product line but I was not passionate about the product assortment.  It got me thinking, “What am I passionate about?”  One of the things I am very passionate about is staying in touch with people in a meaningful way.  I love to send birthday cards, thank you notes, anniversary cards, and handwritten notes of any kind.  On that same note, I also keep a personal blog, Facebook page, and chat via AOL Instant Messenger/Gmail Chat/Facebook constantly.  I feel like I do a pretty good job of staying in touch with the people in my life while putting my personal touch on everything.  I stumbled onto Paperly’s website during all of this soul searching and had a "light bulb moment"!  I already use 90% of the items Paperly sells and could easily find a use for the other 10%.  Getting set-up as a Paperly Consultant was very easy and quick.  Paperly’s staff was extremely helpful along the way.  So the next thing I knew I was a Paperly Consultant!

One of the things I spent some time thinking about was how to promote my new business venture.  I have a huge network of family and friends many states away and a medium sized network where I currently live and then a few smaller groups of people in other states.  How was I going to promote my business to my entire network, spread out across the U.S.?  The best way for me to do that is to really promote and push my Paperly online business.  I knew right away that I would be using the personal online website that Paperly offers.  Along with hosting parties, the website offers an alternative to the response, “I don’t have time to throw a party.”  You can now set-up Online Paperly Parties where the Hostess earns credit towards Paperly merchandise for every item sold at her Online Party.  How great is that!?

But I wanted to take that one step further and try to reach beyond my network.  I wanted to reach the masses and communicate my passion for staying connected.  I started a blog, www.SavvySentiment.com.  This blog will give tips, ideas, and product suggestions to help people stay connected and stand out.  Savvy Sentiment features a “Paperly Pick” item to correspond with the most recent blog post and has a “Shop Now” link to direct people to my Paperly website. I also set up a Facebook and Twitter pages for Savvy Sentiment to reach even further beyond my network.  In today’s world of social networking, the sky’s the limit when it comes to promotion of online sales.  I am excited to see where my blog and my Paperly business takes me!

AlanaK, Paperly Consultant (http://mypaperly.com/alana)

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Alana's current "Paperly Pick"

Lessons Learned from "The Council of Dads"

I’ve been very fortunate to have spent the last little bit traveling.  I love travel, because of the sites, the food and the “down-time”.  One of my favorite down-time activities, which I don’t get to do often enough at home, is read.  I just finished “The Council of Dads” by Bruce Feiler.  It’s a warm, touching and tearful book about a father who discovers he has cancer, and so he asks six close friends to be a “council of dads” to his daughters should he lose his battle with cancer.  I highly recommend you read it.

Below is one of my favorite excepts from the book, especially given my role as chief Paperly evangelist.

From page 119 of “The Council of Dads”: Recently, I was speaking to a friend who had lost her father before her first birthday.  The one thing she most missed from her father, she told me, was letters directly from him… My friend shares with me that every year she takes time to write a letter directly to each of her children telling them how much she loves them.

Bruce’s words hit home for me.  On my child’s next birthday, I’m going to write him a letter, on my personal stationery, in my own handwriting, to tell him how much I you love him.  I’m confident he’ll cherish it a lot longer than all the other toys and games he may receive on that day.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Paperly Promotions: The Good & The Bad

Save 25%!

Double your Hostess Rewards!

Starter Kits reduced to $149!

All of the above are examples of promotions Paperly either has offered in the past or could offer in the future.

Typically, Paperly offers such promotions once per month.  Some target customers who are interested in purchasing Paperly products: e.g. “save 25%” or “buy 2, get 1 free”.  Others target Hostesses who wish to maximize the free or discounted products they can earn: e.g. “double your Hostess Rewards” or “book a party at your current party and earn a $20 credit”.  And lastly, some target Consultants who either run, or wish to run a Paperly business: e.g. “Starter Kits reduced to $149” or “double the Paperly dollars you earn”.

Given that brief summary, most would say “Paperly promotions are good!”  But there are downsides to promotions.  First, promotions “train” customers, Hostesses and Consultants to “wait for a better deal”.  Like a bad drug, promotions are habit forming.  Plus, folks constantly expect better and better deals.  For example, a customer might say, “last year you gave 25% off, what are you going to do for me this year?”  To combat this behavior, Paperly purposely attempts to announce its promotions as late as reasonably possible, often just 7-14 days prior to the beginning of that promotion.  This purposeful tardiness lessens the likelihood of customers, Hostesses and Consultants delaying their actions while awaiting the next best thing.

A second negative is that Paperly’s promotions typically target only one constituent – either customers, Hostesses or Consultants – and the 2 remaining groups feel “left out”.  To be fair, Paperly tries to evenly rotate the promotions it offers.  However, certain promotions simply work better at certain times of the year.  For example, hosting a Paperly party in May can sometimes be challenging because the seasons are changing, schools are ending and sports leagues are in full gear.  Therefore, it may make sense for Paperly to offer a Hostess promotion in May.

All-in-all, Paperly will continue to offer monthly promotions, assuming it remains prudent, because we believe promotions are greatly appreciated by customers, Hostesses and Consultants.  Yet, Paperly also acknowledges that perhaps tomorrow, or some time far into the future, we may need to dampen the reliance on promotions.  Until then, I urge to take advantage of the promotions we offer… you never know when, or if it’ll come again.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Not your typical stationery finds… MUCH more

I have been fortunate to host two Paperly parties within the past few years, and it’s so nice to see how the company keeps their stationery and gifts current. They offer so much more than just "stationery"! Everyone who attended the parties was able to find that perfect thing for them  or that perfect gift for someone else. The personalized gift tags and stickers were a huge hit, and the wine tags are adorable. Paperly also offers many items for kids, as well: plates, placemats, and ‘thank you‘ notes for all of those party gifts the kids receive. The personalized self-ink stamps were probably the most popular items. They’re great for everyday use. All told, my friends LOVE everything they ordered – once they could finally decide among Paperly’s unique items. I know that we’ll all continue to check out the latest at Paperly – it’s hard not to!

CarrieP, 2x Paperly Hostess

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A couple of the items Carrie's ordered using her Hostess Rewards:

Paperly & My Six-Year Old Niece

I recently had the joy of helping my soon-to-be six-year old niece design her birthday invitations. Since the party theme was Pinkalicious (like the book, for those who don’t know) the invitations had to be … pink, of course! Deciding on the borders and ink color were easy, since she already knew she wanted pink. However, choosing the perfect icon wasn’t as simple, since Paperly has so many cute “girly” options that would complement her party theme. Even for a six-year old, she is a very thorough researcher, so she carefully browsed the catalog for any designs that were pink and recorded their item numbers. Then she looked at each one online several times to narrow down the choices to her favorite three. She still couldn’t decide and wanted a little more time to think about it.

Two days later, as we celebrated her last day of Kindergarten, she announced she had chosen #10725 (Garden from the Personally Yours collection) for her invitations. I doubted she had remembered the correct item number and consulted the Paperly Web site via my BlackBerry to search for the item. Sure enough, she had the numbers exactly correct. Well, of course, she had. Aside from her incredible memory (which I should know by now not to question), she had even more reason to remember these numbers for they represented a very special day (for which she had been planning a very long time) for a very special girl.

Below, I’ve included an online proof.  I can’t wait for the invitations to arrive!

LauraS, Paperly Consultant (http://mypaperly.com/LauraShelley)

Money matters, but it’s not the only thing

To date, the #1 reason Consultants have joined Paperly is because they love our products.  The #2 reason is that they’re looking for a fun, stay-at-home business that isn’t overly saturated in their area.  Not until you get to #3 does the word “income” or “money” start to appear.

As Paperly’s co-owner, I’m VERY pleased to know that folks are joining Paperly for the right reasons!  After all, if my Consultants are not passionate about our products, then their “selling” of Paperly’s stationery is essentially a farce, and ultimately, that Consultant will fail.

That said, even though money is #3 on the list, it does matter.  As Paperly’s CEO, I need to ensure Consultants see the rewards of their efforts… and fast.  Thus, Paperly has begun the complex task of reviewing its compensation plan.  To me, Paperly’s comp plan needs to achieve the following 3 objectives:

1. Enable the “Seller” to succeed

Not every Paperly Consultant wants to recruit or manage a team.  Many simply enjoy selling Paperly’s products.  As such, I need to help these Consultants earn a very competitive commission on their personal sales, plus reward them with significant bonuses when they exceed reasonable targets.

2. Let the “Leaders” thrive

Some Consultants want to share their passion for Paperly with others.  They relish sponsoring others.  They love the challenge of building, managing and leading a team.  As such, I want these Consultants to earn a commission on the success of their direct recruits, their recruits’ recruits, and so on.  To me, a team leader spends a significant portion of her time cultivating her team, and therefore, needs to be rewarded when her team succeeds.

3. Provide plenty of “Known Surprises”

What’s a “known surprise”?  Imagine joining Paperly, reviewing the comp plan, and seeing that one day, you may earn a $100 bonus when X or Y occurs.  Sure, you know that bonus exists, but you forget about it, because you’re too busy falling in love with your Starter Kit and booking parties.  Then, a month or two pass, and you see in your commission check an extra $100 because you achieved X or Y.  Wow!  What a wonderful surprise, even though you knew it existed.  To me, a Consultant needs a constant shot of such surprises – often known but forgotten – that makes her smile and say, “yahoo!”

All 3 of these objectives will underlie Paperly’s future comp plan.  We’re confident it’ll enable Paperly to continue its torrid growth.  Personally, I can’t wait to start writing bigger and bigger commission checks to my Consultants.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Memorial Day

Tomorrow kicks-off the Memorial Day weekend.  True, the holiday invokes idyllic images of barbeques, picnics, beaches and swimming pools.  To many, Memorial Day is merely the official start of summer.

However, to many others, Memorial Day is much more.  Dating back to the Civil War, and officially enacted as federal law in 1967, Memorial Day commemorates U.S. men and women who have died while in military service.

No words can say “thank you” enough to our servicemen and servicewomen.  And yet, words are what Paperly is all about.  So I ask you to think about the millions of letters that have gone back-and-forth from the frontline to the home front, from the days of the Civil War to today’s conflicts.  Often, these letters are the only thing that connects those in the military to their families.  Clearly, phones and computers have eroded the sole reliance on letters.  And yet, for those who never make it home – sadly – it is the soldier’s handwritten note that becomes the family’s most cherished treasure.

This Memorial Day weekend, take a few minutes and write a note to a serviceman or servicewoman.  Perhaps it’s a family member, a neighbor, an acquaintance or a complete stranger.  Perhaps write it on Paperly’s Personally Yours collection (including the special American flag icon shown below).  Doesn’t really matter… just write and create an everlasting memory – for the recipient as well as for yourself.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

Beautiful Stationery: Find Reasons to Use and Enjoy It Often

So many people I meet say that they LOVE stationery, but then, in the same breath, mention that they never write as many notes as they should.  Why is this?  Many reasons may make sitting and writing a thoughtful note a low priority.  Maybe you don’t know what words to use, you’re worried about the etiquette, you didn’t grow up writing or receiving letters/notes, etc.  Whatever the reason, I can think of two that come to mind for me:, first, emailing is more efficient than “snail mail”, and second, I will probably run into the person and be able to just thank them in person.  So here’s what I do, I fight the urge to email a quick thank you to someone because I know if I take literally 5 minutes out of my day the impact will be exponentially more meaningful when it is received in my friend’s mailbox.  This shows that I was thinking about the person even when I wasn’t with her - and who doesn’t love that!  Don’t we all dream of being the kind of friend who crosses others’ minds and gives them happy thoughts?!  It’s such a beautiful gift to give to someone.  And if you run into that person first, go ahead and thank them, all–the-while knowing that your special note is in the mail and will brighten her day and bring a smile to her face when she receives it!

The other thing that I hear from potential customers is, “I don’t really write notes.  I don’t do anything or go anywhere that is nice enough for me to write a ‘formal’ note.”  Huh???  Who said that just because you are writing a note on a piece of beautiful paper that the note must be in relation to something serious or life-changing?  If you love stationery and beautiful paper, use it whenever you can!  Let me give an example.  A few weekends ago we got together with another couple and all of our children.  It was a Friday night and we ordered pizza for the kids and enjoyed some adult beverages and good conversation.  We had so much fun!  Later in the weekend I sat down to write my friend a little note of thanks for inviting us over and told her how much fun we had.  It was actually better than getting a babysitter because we got to spend the evening with our kids but still have tons of fun because they were out of our hair the whole night playing!  Rarely do we have evenings as a family where all of us are truly enjoying ourselves, and when we do have them, they are special.  Had my friend not opened her home to us that night, we wouldn’t have been blessed with that evening.  Fortunately, we did have the experience and it was a great opportunity to write a fun thank you note.

P.S. Days later she called me and told me that she got my note and how nice it made her feel!  If I were a bettin’ woman, I’d say our next invitation to pizza night isn’t too far off!

CrystalL, Paperly Consultant (http://mypaperly.com/Crystal)

Ins and Outs of Stationery

Without question, Paperly is committed to delivering a quality product.  However, because Paperly’s brand is relatively unknown (even though we’ve been in the stationery business for 10+ years), I feel it’s important to spend a few minutes highlighting the “ins and outs” of Paperly’s stationery.

Paper Weight

·         To be honest, paper weight is more about “how it feels” than “cover weight, pounds, text weight or points”.  Suffice it to say, Paperly’s exclusively-designed stationery is the “right” weight: our flat notes are 80# and our folded notes are 60#.  (Folded notes need to be less weighty so the page can fold easily.)   Of course, memo sheets and notepads are thinner, since memo sheets are sold by the hundreds and notepad sheets by the dozens.

Printing

·         Paperly’s exclusive designs are printed using flat ink – i.e. think laser or digital printing.  Some of our outsourced products are printed with raised ink (called thermography) or are embossed.  Paperly carefully balances the cost/benefit of each print style to determine if it’s something that fits our product line.  For example, letterpress is beautiful, but expensive, and so we’ve decided it doesn’t fit our “social stationery” demographic.

Stationery Type

·         Paperly offers folded notes, flat notes (large and small), memo sheets, notepads, enclosure cards... well, you get the idea; there’s lot to choose from.  So how do you pick the “right” stationery?  Some say folded notes are for formal occasions.  Others say folded notes are best for kids because they provide extra room to write.  To be honest, we believe you pick the style you like best.  There’s no “right”, it’s simply what you love.

Personalization

·         Paperly is a BIG believer in personalization.  There’s something special about a product with your name on it.  A note with a generic “thank you” printed on it just isn’t the same as one with your name on it, especially when they’re priced similarly.  It doesn’t matter if you put your first name, your first & last name, your family’s name, your initials or your monogram – whatever works for you is perfectly fine with us, as long as it’s personalized.

As you can sense, I (and hence, Paperly) am passionate about stationery and proud of the products we offer.  In fact, I’m happy to mail loose samples to anyone interested in feeling the quality of our products firsthand.  Simply email your mailing address to info@paperly.com and we mail you a packet ASAP.  I’m confident you’ll LOVE what you receive.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly

P.S. Since I’ve spent so much time discussing stationery, I wanted to at least mention the following.  One of the most common mistakes I see is misspelling the word “stationery”.  Stationery (with an “e”) is what Paperly offers.  Stationary (with an “a”) means not moving.

"What’s in a Name?" - by BrendaG, Paperly Consultant

Do you remember when you were a kid and you would see a rack of the mini-personalized license plates for your bike?  I do!  I would always get so excited when I would see those raised colored letters spelling out BRENDA on the display rack. Finally, on a family vacation to Colorado, I bought one.  How I loved putting it on my banana seat bike when we arrived back in Iowa.  Over time, I also remember getting a key ring, a placemat, a bracelet, and a necklace with my name on them.  These gifts are all memorable because of the personalization.

Don’t even get me started about how much more I love monogrammed pieces!  That really gets me going!  I was even among those preppy kids in junior high school in the 80’s who wore my navy blue and kelly green monogrammed sweater proudly.  When my husband and I were married, I ordered invitations, thank you notes, and paper napkins all with our monogram.  I just loved how elegant the monogram made them look.

Surely, I am not alone.  Who doesn’t notice and appreciate their name in print?  That’s why Paperly is perfect for me.  I am just crazy about the beautiful designs and the personalization of stationery, placemats, platters, etc.  Now, not only can I indulge in getting things with my name on it but I love helping others to make their selections. 

Just today an order arrived at my door which included flat notes with a woman’s name embossed on the cards.  They look beautiful and professional.  This customer was initially just purchasing a set of cute gift stickers for her daughters (who have Chinese names, so impossible to find on the mini-license plates).  She then casually mentioned that she had planned on buying plain note cards to use professionally.  You know the kind that simply says “Thank you” on the front.  I began to show her how much of an impact her printed name in a beautiful black font could look on a simple ivory card. She was sold.  The difference was not the ivory card, it was the personalization of the card.

In my opinion, the key to success at Paperly is to get excited about selling someone on their name!  Remind them how much they appreciate having stationery with his/her name on it.  Tell them how much people love receiving personalized stationery.  Paperly is not just stationery, it’s the value of a person’s name.

BrendaG, Paperly Consultant

Paperly’s First Blog Post

A first blog post is harder than it looks (or reads).  Presumably, it should provide the reader a sense of the blog’s future content and tone.  That said, I’ll give it my best shot and hope you forgive any rookie mistakes:

·         This blog will compile opinions of Paperly’s owners, employees, Consultants, Hostess and customers.  Although slight editing might occur, the opinions posted on this blog represent the true beliefs of their authors.

·         This blog will stay fresh.  We are committed to posting new content approximately once per week.

·         This blog will not replicate content from Paperly’s website or Facebook/Twitter postings.  Paperly’s website explores the Paperly opportunity (either joining, hosting or buying), while Paperly’s Facebook/Twitter postings are brief, timely observations.  This blog will instead provide a deeper perspective on topics important to Paperly’s constituents.

I am very excited about the opportunities Paperly’s blog provides.  I hope it exceeds both your and my expectations.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO * Co-Owner, Paperly