Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa DiVasta.
Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 1995, recently married and living on the South Shore of Massachusetts, I decided to use my MBA in accounting to start a bookkeeping company so that I could work from home while raising our children. I’ve always loved small business and decided to specialize in small business bookkeeping. I grew the company to have between 20-25 clients at any given time. Plymouth Cards was one of my clients.
As my oldest left for college and my other two were right behind him, I realized I did not want to do other company’s bookkeeping; I wanted to own and run my own small business and make a difference. Plymouth Cards was one of my clients and she had mentioned through the years that she would like to sell the company someday.
In October 2014, I told her when she was ready to sell to let me know as I would be interested in purchasing the company. I thought it was the perfect option since I loved the company’s mission of being eco-friendly and with products that are made in the US. The very next day she called to tell me she was ready to sell. My husband and I met with her, discussed the terms and in December 2014, we became the new owners of Plymouth Cards.
A few years ago, we moved everything to Florida; it was time to escape Plymouth/Boston/Northeast winters. Since then, I have proudly expanded not only the company but also the eco-friendly practices of Plymouth Cards.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have a few challenges/struggles. Marketing all the different ways to use the cards has been a challenge or should I say project. It seems like every week a customer, or I, come up with a new way to use them, which is actually a good problem to have.
I’ve also have had some issues finding actual Made in the USA vendors. I’ve run into some companies who make that claim, but then when you vet their products, the products are really Assembled in the USA.
Another struggle has been paper mills in the US are either closing or reducing the number of recycled cardstock colors they offer. I love offering a wide variety of colors and patterns (over 90 at this time) so I am now in the process of coming up with some creative options that will resolve this issue.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Plymouth Cards has a simple and worthwhile mission to deliver high-quality eco-friendly made in the USA products to our customers. In addition, we spent considerable time and effort on presentation. We want our customers to feel as though every Plymouth Cards purchase is a gift for them, so each product is shipped as gifts to our customers or ready for our customers to give to their friends and family.
I am constantly in search of products that represent my ideals. I enjoy working with other small businesses to provide my customers with high-quality products for them and their families. One of my favorite product additions are my ornaments. They have become very popular and range from solid pewter to recycled wine bottle bottoms.
As a small business owner, I do it all. I run the day-to-day operations and am even the “talent” for all of my social media presence. I have built a loyal and growing group of followers that enjoy my social media posts and antics.
High quality and customer service. I strive for the best quality cards and ornaments. When we were back in Massachusetts, I was told by my card manufacturer that I was picky and that made me really happy. I want to only sell products that I am proud of. And in line with this, I treat my customers the way I want to be treated. Many over the years have become friends that I enjoy chatting with several times a year when they place their orders.
I want my brand to represent eco-friendly, made-in-the-USA principles. We live in a highly disposable consumer culture that supports products made from regions with minimal environmental concern and/or questionable labor practices. These issues have driven me to make a difference by supporting small businesses like my own.
Plymouth Cards started with a mission of offering eco-friendly, made-in-the-USA insert note cards that hold 4×6 images. Initially, photographers were they main user, however now the company has expanded to so many other categories and users. I have realtors use them to send thank you cards to their new home buyers, sewers make mini quilts with scrap fabric and selling the cards, embroiders making custom pieces to make unique greeting cards, artists use to matte their small paintings and so many more.
In 2020 I expanded the company to offer a wide variety of ornaments and suncatchers that can be used year-round. I am really proud of the pewter positivity line which includes a positivity tree as well as positive words.
I am passionate about making Plymouth Cards a waste-free company. All my cards are made from recycled paper. The card wraps are made from recycled chipboard, and I have gift tags printed on the inside for customers to reuse. I’ve partnered with my local newspaper to get their unread overruns to use as my packaging instead of using plastics. I have my card manufacturer save all the paper excess and use it to make gift tags, swatch books, and product information cards.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
It brings me so much joy to connect with and make my customers happy. There is nothing better than getting a special card, email or phone call from a happy customer that was really happy with my products, packaging/presentation, customer service, and my zero-waste mission. This is the best compliment I could receive and truly makes me happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.plymouthcards.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plymouthcards/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlymouthCards
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plymouth-cards
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlymouthCards
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@plymouthcards3525/videos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@plymouthcards.com
Image Credits
Lisa DiVasta
