The Paperly Story: Fall/Winter 2012-13 catalog

Paperly is preparing to release its Fall/Winter 2012-13 catalog. I am so excited! As part of that release, I have the honor and privilege of expressing my thoughts on the inside cover. I am especially proud of this catalog's theme because I believe it's time for Paperly to take its rightful place as a leader in the direct selling industry. After reading this catalog's preamble (see below), I welcome your feedback.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO, Paperly

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Direct selling, which is the idea of independent Consultants sharing their passion for products via fun, at-home parties, has been a successful business model for generations. The Rockwellian image of "The Tupperware Party" evokes a strongly positive memory for most of us. While Paperly plans to follow a similar model of the past, we plan to lead the industry towards an exciting future.

Paperly’s products – personalized stationery & gifts – perfectly combines the consultative nature of at-home parties and today’s advanced technology to produce one-of-a-kind products exactly to the customer’s specifications within days of the order. Wow! Custom products delivered within days was unheard of before Paperly began, and now we’re doing it daily.

We started Paperly to enable those who love personalized products the opportunity to start a rewarding business. We also wanted to remind people that the personal note is alive and well. We remain true to these initial objectives, but now, we plan to change the world of direct selling. We invite you to join us. We’re confident you’ll enjoy the journey.

Paperly's Leap Day Promotion

On February 29th, Paperly launched its first-ever Leap Day Promotion: For 24 hours, Paperly's Starter Kit was marked down to only $29. (The regular price is $99).  Paperly's Kit has never been priced so low and may never be again... until Leap Day 2016.

Wow! What a response we received! In those 24 hours, Paperly enrolled 25 new Consultants. I was utterly speechless!

Now that I've had a bit to digest the impact of the promotion, I thought I'd share a few of my thoughts:

1. Demand is high. It's exciting to know there are so many who want to be Paperly Consultants. And why wouldn't they?  It's fun and energizing to be part of a fast-growing, direct selling company that sells one-of-a-kind, personalized paper and gift products.

2. Sometimes time is your friend.  Was $29 ridiculously inexpensive, and therefore, hard to pass up?  Absolutely. But personally, I think the 24-hour time limit was even more potent. Knowing that the deal was fleeting caused the on-rush. That's a good lesson for all of us to remember for future promotions.

3.  The Field trumps Home Office.  I purposely decided not to promote this limited-time offer through corporate. Instead, I asked Paperly's Consultants to use their marketing prowess to communicate the promotion to their potential teammates. Their efforts far exceeded my expectations (and abilities)! Facebook, blogs, email campaigns... you name it, the Field tried it and they were wildly successful! I believe 80-90% of the new Consultants enrolled because of a personal connection with an existing Consultant. I was so excited to see this number, because these new Consultants now have a friend and mentor to help kick-start their Paperly business.

Now that the promotion is over, our job is to train, educate, mentor and lead these new Consultants towards a wildly successful Paperly business.  And of course, I've got to put on my thinking cap as to what Paperly's next great promotion will be.  Any suggestions?

- Jay Rudman, CEO, Paperly

The leading direct seller of personalized stationery and gifts

Of Course Money is Important!

As Paperly's CEO, I talk to a lot of potential Consultants and I have found the top 2 reasons they are most interested in Paperly are:

1. They are passionate about the product.  Most say, they love personalized paper and gift products and think Paperly's exclusive designs are gorgeous.
2. They want to be the first in their community to offer Paperly. Although we've been in the stationery industry for 11 years, Paperly is relatively new to direct selling. Fortunately, our growth has been strong & steady; we already have ~175 Consultants located in 34 states coast-to-coast. Clearly, many communities remain completely untapped, and potential Consultants love knowing they can be first.

Interestingly, very few ever ask about the money. Perhaps they're embarrassed to ask the CEO about money?  Or perhaps it's because money truly is a distant third in the above list? Regardless, I know money is important, and therefore, I wanted to elaborate on Paperly's Commission & Career Plan.

Selling, Recruiting or Both

Paperly's comp plan was built over 9 laborious months and leaned heavily on a third-party expert with over 20 years experience in direct sales/comp plans. Even though he was the expert, I was adamant that Paperly reward Consultants who were successful at selling or recruiting or both (the latter, not surprisingly, offers the biggest payout). So unlike many other direct selling companies, you can join Paperly and do well financially solely by selling products you love - you don't have to recruit. Philosophically, that was important to me. 

Incentive Laden

Also important to me is that Consultants earn lavishly for achieving success. True, Paperly's commission starts at 20% (which already is very competitive), but Consultants can quickly earn much more: a personal sales bonus up to 12%, downline commissions of 3-6% and team/generational bonuses of 2-8%.  It certainly can add-up quickly.

No Resting on Laurels

Paperly requires its leaders to stay active by selling at least $200 per month, which by all accounts is a ridiculously low threshold for a business leader. Why this active requirement? Because I do not want a Consultant to build a big team, retire, and then earn significant commissions from her downline while resting on the sidelines. You must sell - albeit a minimal amount - to stay current. That said, you always earn commissions on your personal sales... no worries in that regard!

No Inventory 

Unlike a number of other direct selling companies, Paperly does not require you to purchase inventory.  If you do the math, purchasing inventory can significantly dent your commissions, especially since you're locking-up money by pre-purchasing products you're uncertain will sell and at what price.  All of Paperly’s products are personalized, and therefore, there is no inventory required.

Cash Bonuses & Paperly Dollars

Lastly, Paperly offers cash bonuses of $50 - $1,000 when certain Titles are maintained for 3 consecutive months.  Paperly also offers Paperly Dollars - which can be used to purchase additional business supplies - when certain personal and team sales are achieved. Again, both cash bonuses and Paperly Dollars align with my desire to make Paperly's plan heavily incentive laden.

Whew - that's a lot of information to digest. Please, if you have additional questions about Paperly's comp plan, ask me.  I'm happy to help.

In closing, I readily admit that (1) passion for product and (2) first-mover advantage should be why you join Paperly, but money matters and I am proud to say that I think our Commission & Career Plan enables you to be wildly successful at Paperly.

Regards,

Jay Rudman, CEO, Paperly

"Direct Selling Only" this Holiday Season

Last year, American Express launched its inaugural Small Business Saturday. It took place the Saturday after Thanksgiving, traditionally a very busy shopping weekend, and its intent was to support the small businesses in our communities. I love the idea and plan to embrace it once again this year.  Please visit the Small Business Saturday website to get involved: http://smallbusinesssaturday.com.

Did you know that direct sellers constitute one of the largest groups of small business owners? Yes, it's true!  All those women and men selling personalized stationery and gifts, jewelry, purses and dozens of other products are truly the epitome of small business entrepreneurs.

Therefore, I propose we - as direct sellers - augment the "small business Saturday" concept with a "direct selling only" mentality this holiday season.  What does that mean?  Well, when possible I suggest all direct sellers complete their holiday shopping only from other direct sellers.  FYI, there are over 16 million direct sellers according to the Direct Selling Association.  (Check out the Direct Selling 411 website for other fun facts about direct selling.)

Can you imagine how beneficial it would be for all direct sellers, not to mention the economy as a whole, if we focused our purchases - especially our gift giving purchases - on other direct sellers exclusively.  Wow!

I'd love to get your thoughts on this idea.  Direct sellers - what do you think?  Is this possible?  I hope so, because I'd love for your 2011 holiday season to be your best ever.

I look forward to your feedback.

Regards,
Jay Rudman, CEO, 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

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

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

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.