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Show thutsday, Januai 31, 2bbti Page 4 6 ft M f I M fe s AHb's Mho And That's happening vv n u 3 vv n u m in u vv n a i a n m r r n in i in o A click away from greeting cards with CardCafe Melissa Maynti I j I f ' ' 1 tards, though the fourth Melissa Mayn't NORTH COUNTY STAFF Choosing the right Valentine's Valen-tine's Day card can be a challenge chal-lenge and shuffling through endless racks of red and pink cards is not the most romantic vay to prepare for the holiday. Fortunately, CardCafe offers an easier, faster way to create the perfect greeting cards with just a few clicks of the mouse. This Orem-based online business, founded by Teague Bengtzen and David Miller, features more than 1,200 premium pre-mium card designs customers can select from, and by adding a personalized message and signature, a thoughtful card can be completed in minutes. The company offers three types of greeting cards: the premium selection with the most customization features, photo cards for users to attach at-tach their own images and E Cards that use a simple four step process to create a personalized person-alized card. "You can literally do that card in 30 seconds," Bengtzen said. The premium and photo cards offer greater personalization personaliza-tion options, and users can add as many photos as they can fit Pancakes and ii The Lehi Area Chamber would like to invite others to discuss the issues with their state representatives. Join chamber members for "Pancakes "Pan-cakes and Politics" Saturday at the American Fork Hospital from 9-10 a.m. Take this oppor Now, even 'the smallest "businesses can afford t6 produce and run their own com-'tnerda'ls, com-'tnerda'ls, with an online video cornmeeia'l at utans'howafidsell.corn. Tust grab a video camera, and 'tnake a short video that s'hows customers w-hat you Ve got to offer. AVhether it's a virtual tour of your pet s'hop, 'testimonials 'from your 'piano stu Video If you go CardCafe telephone: (801) 434-10 hix: (801) 424-HM Address: 11)0 North Industrial Indus-trial Park Drive, Orem Website: wwvv.CardCafe. com on the card instead of being limited lim-ited to only one or t wo images. Font colors and shapes can also be changed, and persona! messages mes-sages can be substituted for standard greetings. "You can change anything you want," Bengtzen said. One of the company's unique options is adding electronic signatures. sig-natures. Users sign a piece of paper and scan it as an image to upload to the Web site, and the high quality digital printing print-ing can replicate the signature on any number of cards with amazing accuracy. "You're hard pressed to see they weren't actually written with pen," Bengtzen said. To help users manage their greeting card lists, CardCafe offers several online tools including in-cluding an address book that can import contact information tunity to learn about transportation, transpor-tation, health care, education. The hospital is located at 170 N. 1100 Fast in American Fork and the event is free. Lfehibbmpany invests in reyion businesses Sorenson Capital of l ehi raised $ 100 million in private equity funding and its founder plan on investing those funds in 20 small- and mid-sized companies compa-nies within the Intermountain region over the next decade. Wish your business could afford a commercial? Now it can. """" j V " i 'Ge't yoifr business 'moVrncj With online video advertisinc). dents, Or people etrjoying the arnbiafice a"t your 'restaurant, 'online "Video can nelp yoiir 'btisiness stand out 'like no other advertising'medinm.,ft'seasyfIt's!fltn.Xfid you can 'post your video commercifll 'fdr less than you'd imagine. So whrit are you wairing!for?'Get online, and get your Wi-'ness'moving. Advertising Yoti 'can Ard7 'Powered 'by: .'heraldextra 1 r n ' i ' teague feengtien flejtf and hove company lines to print greeting from other programs, l ists can be managed in subgroups, and one quick click can arrange cards to multiple recipients. Bengtzeh said this is an especially espe-cially valuable feature during the holiday season, when many people send out dozens of cards. His own Christmas card Sorenson Capita! leaders announced an-nounced they believ e its target group of companies are under-served under-served by venture capitalists. Sorenson plans to invest in companies that generate between $30 million and $300 million in revenue; and have good management teams, marketing mar-keting strategy and significant product growth potential, said Eraser Bullock, founder and managing director of Sorenson. Soren-son. Three of those companies are expect ed to be in Viah County. In 2004, the 30-worker company com-pany raised $250 million fri its first private equity fund and .torn .cdtti MEtlSSA MAYNT2 North CountV .Miller, owners o) Cord Cofe. stood by one of the presses the cante. list has about 500 recipients, but by using the address book feature and digital signatures, he was able to prepare all the cards, including photos, in less than 10 minutes. Another popular feature is the online scheduler. Customers Custom-ers can use this too! to prepare invested part of that in Om-niture. Om-niture. Prove Craft and Mity Fnterprises. "We are looking at three other Utah County companies out of 10 companies we're currently considering for investment. They must have w ell-established revenues and profitability, been in business for several years, possess a great management team that we can partner with and support sup-port in terms of giving them the financial resources and sales and marketing expertise they need to take things to the next level," Bullock said. He declined to identifv the Utah PT i iKi! I fi tns 1 If Ml , i . I i? 1 . - ' ""' " '" ' . -Ot ; : N VS ' , Ay kriiroh (id ng 'SaveMUh fli rcdt.VIWr fJiJk 'tihh !t-!is 'dfi'Hrtc shA'ifigs !iccofi't 'th.l't iilwhy. tphys'fiWr 'hihes't yk'lds. V cirninfc ifi'to '('he 'hiin'k. S'o df riVJng ,'u'rosv u.tt. 'ft's sa'fc, seciirc Sfid sffrfrllc'to st't'tlp. 'Fflr'mrtre'Jn'fdi'mSirii'ifi.'gb'trt 'biih'kiJfdiredt.ffi. A'fiAlfttltyrttfr'lictftVdtfrWdtiic'is. - ft i .l ! a card long lefore they want it to be sent, ensuring they don't miss another birthday, anniversary anniver-sary or other special event. "1 call it the get-the-hnsband-out of the doghouse' feature." Bengtzen said. Cm an average day. CardCafe Card-Cafe prepares 500 greeting County cmpanies. citing ongoing on-going talks. Cbstco named Business bf the Year Tire American Fork Cliam-ber Cliam-ber of Commerce has named Costco as its Business bf the Year for 2(X17. The honor w-as given at the annua! chamber awards banquet .lan. 24. Although Al-though the business is within the Lehi city boundaries, it is a member of the American Fork Chamber of Commerce and thus eligible for the award. SINCE 1913 quarter of the yeaf is always much busier. During the last quarter of 2007, Bengtzert said the company mailed 1.5 million greeting cards. To handle that amount of printing, the company has eight digital presses that have superior printing quality and speed. One press can print up to 1.400 cards per hour. The presses at e divided between the Orem facility and another printing company in Maryland that handles addresses btt the east boast. To make a card complete, . CardCafe also offers a range bf gift cards and novelty items to include with the card, such as chocolates, gift baskets and gourmet popcorn. While Bengtzen admits that CardCafe is a bit before its time and many consumers aren't yet looking to the Internet In-ternet for direct mail greeting cards, he enjoys hearing the stories of customers sharing greetings quickly and easily. eas-ily. Making a difference in people's lives by helping thehi keep in touch is his favorite part of the business. 'Once people use it. they love it," he said. Isn't a quick click worth it? Chamber honors Avon store the American Fork 'Chamber 'Cham-ber of Commerce has selected the Avon store as its New Business Busi-ness bf the Year. The honor w as awarded at the chambeT avards banquet Jan. 24. life store sells products previously only available from Ax on sales representatives. The Avon store is located at 471 E. 200 South. American Fork, and is owned by Susanjane Schooft-maker. Schooft-maker. It hiav be reached at 756-585. 5? 3 'Af V |