THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 10, 1996 TAG: 9604090146
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
ELIZABETH HARRIS and Beverly Hollingsworth got tired of making money for other people.
They decided the only way they could get jobs where they didn't have to worry about layoffs or bad management practices was to employee themselves.
So they did. They opened Harris Printing Company last September.
``We just got tired of working for other people who didn't appreciate us,'' said Elizabeth Harris, 34. ``Now, we're working toward a common goal and our technology and personalized service is what's going to get us through.''
Harris and Hollingsworth offer full service printing.
They print newsletters, business cards and fliers and they also design and lay out magazines and promotional materials for production/ entertainment companies. They even offer an obituary service to local funeral homes.
The women spend about 85 percent of their time on the road, making new calls and meeting with customers. Theirs is a mobile business of sorts because they'll gladly bring their services to the customer.
``If you need a business card, we'll send a rep right out to you,'' said Hollingsworth, 27. ``We also come back with a mock-up because nothing ever gets printed until it's approved.''
The women work out of a small bedroom/office in the Lake Edward townhouse that Hollingsworth shares with Harris and her family.
The room houses two computers, two printers and a copy machine. The only item missing is a press and that's because the women currently contract out their bigger printing jobs to other companies.
By the end of April, they hope to be in a Norfolk storefront, press and all.
They've already picked their location and know their new address. Now it's a matter of finding one or two more investors to buy the heavy equipment they need so they can cut out the middle man, they said.
The women hope to be completely self-sufficient within a matter of months. With a store, they expect to capture walk-in customers that they're now missing by working out of their home.
When they opened their business they had plans only to do desktop publishing, which is to type and print newsletters, calendars and fliers.
What they found, though, was a need for graphics, layout and design services, something they were both able to do. Because they could offer those, too, their business has grown by leaps and bounds and helped to net the women a posh contract for design work with a local entertainment company.
``We're definitely ahead of the forecast in our business plan,'' said Hollingsworth, a single mother of two who shares room in Harris' home to cut costs.
The women met nearly eight years ago. Harris is the godmother of Hollingsworth's younger sister. Before long, they were working together in civil service. Harris was the comptroller and Hollingsworth was the promotions director for a popular nightspot on the Norfolk Naval Base, which has since closed.
Hollingsworth was laid off from her job and helped to start the business while Harris still worked. It wasn't long before Harris quit her job to join Hollingsworth.
The women share not only a business and home but also a friendly competition.
``We'll get a request for a business card. We'll come up with a couple of possibilities each and then see whose design they pick,'' said Harris, who has been married for 15 years and has two children and one grandchild.
When they're not on the road serving customers, they're networking with business groups and working with others, such as interns, to show them what it's like to own and operate a business.
``Word of mouth and going out and meeting people is what has really helped us and that's what we're interested in passing on,'' said Hollingsworth. MEMO: Harris Printing Company can be reached at 497-3191. Or, on the Internet
at HARRISPR(AT)CRIS.COM.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Beverly Hollingsworth, left, and Elizabeth Harris look over a
printing job they are setting up on their computer.
KEYWORDS: MINORITY BUSINESS SMALL BUSINESS by CNB