Paperly's Field Trip to Personalization Mall

This past week, I had the good fortune of being invited to visit Personalization Mall (www.personalizationmall.com) in Burr Ridge, IL. I've always held PMall in the highest esteem. Their line of personalized products is enviably large, their online preview technology is best-in-class and their belief that "nothing says 'you're special' like a personalized gift" mimics Paperly's.

I learned so much from my visit; I wish I could share everything.  However, I would never wish to betray their confidences. So instead of delving into specifics, I wanted to share a few general, but important, observations:

1. Personalization is HUGE. PMall personalizes everything from picture frames to doormats... and everything in-between. They have proved that it's big business putting names on things.  Paperly's personalization model is built similarly, but using a completely different distribution model.  Theirs is online; Paperly's is via at-home parties.

2. Personalization is SCALABLE.  Just a few years ago, it would have been impossible to successfully conduct "mass personalization".  Today's technology has made it incredibly do-able.  PMall has proven you can do millions of personalized orders.  Paperly aims to do the same.

3. Personalization is SPECIAL.  Paperly is built on the belief that the handwritten note - and for that matter, a personalized gift - will be forever treasured. Turns out, PMall is built on the same principle.  In today's electronic world, both companies appreciate the power of making connections via personalized products.

I'm honored to share the same competitive space as Personalization Mall (even though we compete using vastly different distribution models). I thank them for the office visit.  It meant a lot to me.  I aspire to be as successful as PMall.  Given Paperly's unfaltering path towards personalization, I'm confident we'll be their equal sooner than later.

- Jay Rudman, CEO, Paperly
The leading direct seller of personalized stationery & gifts

The First Party Plan Business

Quick... name the first party plan business? If you said "Tupperware", think again!

Actually, the very first company to systematize the idea of showcasing products at a Hostess's home to a group of guests (at that time it was typically housewives) was... Fuller Brush Company.

It began during the Great Depression, when a salesman named Norman Squires realized the inefficiency of door-to-door sales, and thus in 1935, he developed his hostess home party plan. Squires continued to perfect the at-home party until 1950, when Earl Tupper, inventor of Tupperware, made Squires general sales manager of Tupper Corporation's Hostess Division. And as they say, the rest is history.

Learn more by watching this video put together by the Direct Selling Association (www.DSA.org) as part of its "Centennial Moments" series.

Perhaps one day history will report favorably on Paperly's incredible success?

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)