Elginite's online shop offers custom invites
Dori Cappas of Elgin was a new stay-at-home mom, raising her son Jackson, about 4 1/2 years ago when she wanted to buy baptism invitations.
She didn't find anything she liked and it was difficult to shop while toting her baby. When she shopped online, she still had to go from one Web site to another to find what she wanted.
Cappas felt one overall Web site was needed to provide convenient shopping and offer attractive invitations and other products. She also wanted to be in business for herself and create a company allowing her a flexible schedule to care for her son.
So, she founded Dori Ann's (www.dorianns.com), an online stationery boutique, with help from her husband, Terry.
Their lawyer helped to establish the business and they selected a Web designer. They also lined up several stationary vendors, who provided the invitations and other products. Besides invitations, the site offers Aimee J baby keepsake albums and scrapbooks; Classic Impressions embossed stationary, napkins and guest towels; EGG Baby astrological baby blankets; and Little Worm & Co. hand-painted personalized plates.
She custom prints the items and provides customers with an online proof. The site serves various customers, including new moms and corporations.
"We mostly get young brides and some mothers of the brides and hostesses," Cappas said.
While the Web site isn't widely advertised, it can be found on a Google search when seeking bridal shower or baptism invitations. "We just got an order from a marketing director who needed invitations for 300 people for a chocolate and champagne brunch," she said.
As business increased, she recruited her sister, Tobi Iott of Elgin, to help fill orders and ship about 100 packages a week. Cappas has been looking at ways to expand Dori Ann's. "It's been a difficult balance to stay the size that we are or decide to grow even larger," Cappas said. "But it's been taking off and making that decision for us."
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