By Samantha Cart
Photo by Heather Chipps Photography.
In the Fall 2017 issue of West Virginia Executive (WVE), we highlighted six successful Mountain State entrepreneurs who are affecting change and living out their dreams in their home state. Entrepreneurs have tremendous potential for growing West Virginia’s economy and creating quality jobs, which is why the staff at WVE wanted to continue the celebration of our state’s most valuable assets.
Sisters Lindsay Rotella and Megan Hannah are the co-owners of Rock Paper Sisters, LLC, a personalized invitation and stationary company in Putnam County. Learn more about them in this entrepreneur spotlight.
Tell us about Rock Paper Sisters. What inspired you to start your own business?
Rock Paper Sisters was founded in 2012 with the intention of bringing quality, custom invitations and stationery to the public. We originally started with Megan’s wedding invitations in 2008, and then we created Lindsay’s wedding stationery in 2012. From there, we had a lot of family and friends asking us to create their stationery. We realized there was a real desire for the type of custom stationery we were creating. We certainly realize that people have a lot of options when it comes to stationery, both from big box stores and other local stationers. However, we find that our stationery has a different design and feel that many people weren’t finding elsewhere. We have always loved paper, stationery and design, and starting our own business just felt like the logical next step.
What types of products do you sell?
Photo by Heather Chipps Photography.
We specialize in custom stationery. While many of our clients approach us for wedding invitations and stationery, we can do it all—parties, showers, announcements and holiday cards are just a few of the stationery items we offer.
How many employees do you have?
We have a part-time assistant that helps with a few things, but for now we are the only two employees. Lindsay runs the business full time, and Megan works part-time alongside another full-time job.
What are the benefits of operating your company in the state of West Virginia? Why did you choose to start your company here?
We started our company in West Virginia because this is our home. We’re still a very small company, so we can’t fully speak on tax breaks or specific business benefits, but it brings us personal fulfillment to start a business in our home state and watch it grow. Additionally, as we opened our studio in Hurricane, we love being a part of helping the town continue to grow their Main Street presence. It’s been a blessing for us to watch Main Street grow and now be a part of the scene. We absolutely love being a part of the small business scene in West Virginia.
What are some of the obstacles you’ve faced as a West Virginia start-up? What resources were available to help you get off the ground?
We have been blessed to run a completely debt-free business. We have not had to take any business loans or seek any startup funding. We really went after our business with a slow and steady pace, allowing us to grow in our own time and avoid any financial pitfalls. We haven’t faced any obstacles with starting our business in West Virginia. We’re a part of the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, and they have served as an incredible resource with small business coaching and marketing and connected us with valuable stakeholders in our community. One of the best parts about starting a business in this state is that everyone wants to see you succeed.
What could the state do better in terms of supporting entrepreneurs?
We have not encountered any obstacles from the state in terms of growing or expanding our business. We feel we’ve received the proper support we’ve needed in growing our business in West Virginia.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Our favorite part of our job is connecting with people from all over the country. We work with a lot of local brides and clients, but a lot of our work comes from out of state as well. It’s always great to know that people from across the country are bringing their business to West Virginia. Additionally, we love the creativity this job provides. It’s so wonderful that our clients trust us to make their visions a reality on a daily basis.
Photo by Heather Chipps Photography.
What are your goals for Rock Paper Sisters going forward?
Going forward, we hope to continue to grow our business and expand into new avenues. By moving into our studio space this fall, we’ve been able to add workshops like wreath making and farmhouse sign painting, and we will continue to do more Pinterest-style activities in our space. We’re also looking at new product offerings and exploring what that will look like in 2018 and beyond. Ultimately, we’d love to continue to grow in such a way that we feel personally fulfilled by the work we do every day, while also keeping things simple enough that we can enjoy time with our young families.
What advice would you give to others interested in being entrepreneurs in West Virginia?
Go for it! The process to create an LLC with the Secretary of State’s office is very easy and intuitive, and there are so many great resources available through the local chambers of commerce, the Small Business Administration, local development authorities and more. We also lead the Charleston chapter of the Rising Tide Society, and through that venture we’ve met so many other small business owners that are growing in their specific trades. Learning from each other in that group has been a huge resource, and we would highly encourage small business owners in West Virginia to find their local Rising Tide Society chapter.
To learn more about successful entrepreneurs in West Virginia, check out “Advice from the Experts” in West Virginia Executive’s Fall 2017 issue.
