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