We were lucky to catch up with Ariel Young recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ariel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

Customer appreciation is so important because as a business owner I want my customers to know that I value them and appreciate their willingness to support Copper and Brass Paper Goods. I take pride is hand packing every single order. I tend to include freebies such as cute bookmarks, stickers and sticky notes. This extra little touch helps our customers feel valued and truly appreciated.

Ariel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Young.

Ariel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Copper and Brass Paper Goods started in 2017 with the idea to create something fun but also to introduce a family tradition. My mother has always been a master gift wrapper and enjoyed creating beautiful packages. I share this love of gifting and believe, “Presentation is everything.” This is where the idea for designing and manufacturing my own wrapping paper featuring Black Santa originated.

Not only do I believe in sharing pretty little details through the art of gift wrapping but I also believe in the power of positive representation. Children who see themselves portrayed and represented in different forms of media and print tend to have high self-esteem and they are more confident. As a mother, it is extremely important for me to foster positive representation for my own child and other children as well.

Copper and Brass Paper Goods officially launched in October 2018. In its beginnings, Copper and Brass Paper Goods offered Black Santa wrapping paper, gift bags, and trimmings; however, as my vision expanded, so did the line of products. Now the line of products includes even more Afrocentric greeting cards, notebooks, office supplies and other fun items that promote positive representation in the African American community.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Customer experience is everything so I want my customers to be happy with the product, packaging, delivery and all the little extras along the way. Happy customers are loyal customers.

At Copper and Brass Paper Goods we routinely ask customers for product and customer service reviews. This allows customers to express their opinions and share their experiences. Customers are not shy about sharing their good and bad experiences. I try to look all feedback as an opportunity to grow and learn. I welcome feedback even if its not the kind that makes you feel good. This feedback allows me to gain insight into the customer experience and develop a plan of action to address our weaknesses.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Life keeps on life-ing whether we are in a good or bad place in our own lives and the same is true of business. To build resiliency, as a small business owner, I find myself minimizing the down turns all while focusing on any opportunities that may arise. If I focus on the negatives then negativity will continue to mount in the business; however, I can focus on the opportunities and even finding opportunities in the midst of a bad situation then naturally positive financial and operational experiences will arise. Optimism is key.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.copperandbrass.net
• Instagram: CopperAndBrassPaperGoods
• Facebook: Coppe and Brass Paper Goods

Image Credits
Exodus Photography