My story begins back in 2002 when I wanted to have a business-any business. I just wanted to embrace being an entrepreneur. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York in the public housing projects called Red Hook. After moving to Alexandria, Virginia in 2000 I began to think about starting a business. It would be another three years until I got the courage become an entrepreneur. In 2003, I started CoffeyParkGreetings.com in hopes of being the “next best thing since sliced bread.”
While working at a printing company and seeing the company create stationery products for businesses around the Washington, D.C. area, I thought about starting a business that sold greeting cards. Not your usual Hallmark greeting cards, but urban themed greeting cards that catered to people that lived in popular urban cities.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ Jesse Vargas
My mantra since 2003 has been “Create The Door So Opportunity Could Knock”.
I assumed that urban greeting cards would not be a hard obstacle to bring to the stationery market. I started my business in November of 2003 after doing a year of due diligence. I went to the Black Expo in Washington, D.C, The Stationery Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center and as many conventions and stationery shows as I could. After a year of research, and a visit to the Hong Kong Gift Show (yes, I went to Hong Kong for a gifts show) I had my urban greeting cards manufactured.
As an entrepreneur I honed my skills in a variety of areas. I went from designing greeting cards for my online business to digitally formatting them for the printing company. I ended up learning just a bit of HTML and revamped my website altogether. I also learned how to optimize my website to earn money through online marketing, affiliate programs, Google Adsense and other simple but effective marketing techniques.
It was the experience from 2003-2007 that led me to do web design. I currently maintain a couple of websites. One in particular is this website, CoffeyParkGreetings.com. This website is still up and running since 2003. It’s like my baby. I can’t let go! I don’t think I’ll ever give up my dream of having an Urban Hallmark Store.