How long has BeYohnd Mail been in business?
I originally started as BeYohnd Services in February 22, 2002 as a public relations, marketing and website design firm. I was able to take a year off at the birth of our son in 2004. During that time, I was reviewing and updating my business plan. One thing I was frustrated with was putting together mailing campaigns for clients and then not being able to take full advantage of bulk mail discounts. I did some research and talked with some of my mentors about the possibility of adding that service. Part of my business plan involved increasing the design and marketing part of my business and doing less website design. After I bought equipment and added automated bulk mail services to the business, the design services picked up substantially.
I really like how you used your name in the business and managed to come up with a catchy business name – did that require a lot of brainstorming?
I actually came up with the name of my business as a way to make it easier for people to pronounce my last name.
Have you or your business or your services won any awards or received special recognition?
I do a lot of networking and am active in many organizations, including founding our local Palmyra Area Business Association. The result is I’ve enjoyed lots of unsolicited PR in newspapers and magazines.
What kind of work did you do before you started Beyohnd Mail? Did you have any kind of entrepreneurial or self-employment experience? Was there a single "turning point" or "Aha!" moment when you decided to go ahead with the business?
I’ve known since I was 14 that I wanted to own my own business and planned on that all along. I graduated with a degree in Computer Science, not because I particularly loved computers or programming, but because I thought it would give me a solid foundation and it truly did. As with a lot of startups, I was afraid and unsure of when to strike out on my own and was looking for a sign. My “aha” moment came when I started doing some side jobs while I was still employed full-time, and realized how freeing and fulfilling it was. It was at that point that I knew that it was time to be on my own and no sign was going to magically appear.
What kind of services does BeYohnd Mail offer?
BeYohnd offers the full direct mail package, if that’s what the client needs. I can help them design a piece to postal standards, pick an appropriate target market, bid the printing, prepare the automated bulk mailing and deliver it to the post office.
A good example is the fitness center that called in mid-December and wanted something out the first of the year. I pulled together a postcard, purchased a list of 30-60 year-old female homeowners, took care of the print job, prepared the mailing and dropped it at the post office.
Some clients just want to take advantage of the postal discounts and will bring their finished mailing to me to automate. For example, the oil company or lawn care company who send out their contracts in the spring would just want me to use my indicia and automation service to save them money on the mailing.
I also do brochures and websites for clients. I built a website for a client who owned a construction company and put all his photos of the jobs he’s done on it. Then we did a postcard mailing to a particular area and highlighted the website as a source of information. We did that because he does beautiful work and people wouldn’t have been able to appreciate that from a small photo on a postcard. The whole project was economical because while I was preparing the photos for the website, I was also preparing them for print.
Many times I’ll just put together brochures or rack cards for clients, knowing that sometime in the future, they will be doing additional marketing.
Are your services limited only to those in your nearby area or could any US business avail themselves of what you offer?
Any business, including international businesses, could avail themselves of our services. In fact, if someone were interested in doing some direct mail, I can help them take full advantage of postal discounts by automating the mailing and sending it through my local sectional facility where they would benefit from the best possible rates. Direct mail is not expensive when the message is right and the marketer experiences a high return on investment.
Did you have to deal with any special local licensing requirements or planning board approvals to start your business?
Our area is very business friendly. I just had to get a permit through our local Planning & Development department.
You mentioned working on your business plan earlier. Was there a specific requirement or event that prompted you to develop your business plan? If you have a business plan, did you write it yourself or hire someone to do it for you?
Having a plan in place is very important and I knew that it was necessary when I was ready to start my business. One of the first phone calls I made was to a family friend. She put me in touch with a lot of other women who were a key part of my initial success. One of those gals does a lot of work with the Small Business Administration, so of course, upon her recommendation, and while I was still employed, I put together a business plan. I also attended several courses taught by the Small Business Administration on starting and growing a business.
What is your family situation like? Do you have children at home? In what ways do your family members support your business activities?
I have a 2 ½ year old son, Jake, a very supportive husband, Kevin, and fabulous in-laws who baby-sit whenever I ask.
