<sh>New Committee
<bt>Meyer and Ann Myers, owner of Olde Westport, co-chair the Herndon Dulles Chamber of Commerce newly created Home Based Business Committee. That committee meets next on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 11:45 a.m. at the Dulles Marriott.
For information about the Home Based Business Committee or Welcome Home, call 703-766-0412.
After 18 years in corporate America as a program management consultant going from one project to the next with no breaks in between, nine-year Herndon resident Stephanie Meyer felt burned out.
"I took some time off. I could afford to, I had no debt, I paid for everything in cash. My only debt was my mortgage. My mom taught me how horrible credit cards are — and she's right," said Meyer, who got back to work — working for herself, last September.
"I sent out an introduction letter via e-mail to the chamber members around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 10. I got a few responses prior to 9 a.m., but after that, people were all glued to the TV for the next several days — as was I as well," said Meyer, the co-chair of the newly created Home Based Business Committee with the Herndon Dulles Chamber of Commerce. Meyer said she enjoyed the time off, but also knew she had to get back to work. "The time off was stress-free — I could breathe again. I knew I didn't want to go back to corporate America," she said.
Meyer is now her own boss, public relations department and labor in a one-woman operation called Welcome Home. "Welcome Home is a greeting service. When new people move to Herndon I visit their home and give them a bag," — a bag filled with items from various businesses around the community, designed to garner new clientele from amongst the community's new residents.
"We have a laundry bag and a coupon in that bag. She's really going gangbusters — we're really satisfied with the amount of clients she's bringing us," said Leo Gosselin, manager of four Crest Cleaners, including the one at the Elden Street Market Place.
"She's getting right in there and explains things to the new residents. I don't think a direct mailer would get us more customers than she is getting us," said Gosselin.
Getting right in there is just what Meyer does. With the aid of a list service, New Neighbors, Meyer can determine who may be new in Herndon. She brings her bags to the new residents' home and explains what is in the bag and introduces the new resident to Herndon. The welcome bag costs the new resident nothing. Meyer makes her money by getting the materials of the clients into a given number of homes each month.
In addition to a laundry bag, the Welcome Home bag also contains a key magnet from a local bank, a fresh cookie from Great Harvest Bread Company, purchased just before Meyer makes her delivery, a comb from a local beauty salon and printed information from other clients.
"This is a very good concept," said long time Herndon resident Mary Ann Cerick, branch manager of Community Bank in Herndon. "Stephanie is wonderful — very personable and I like her representing Community Bank. She can make it work," Cerick said.
In an effort to provide each client business exclusivity, Meyer only has one business — one barber, one dry cleaner — per business type. "If it's not you, it's going to be your competitor down the street," said Meyer of the exclusivity concept. Typically the companies in Meyer's bag will be the first a new resident will become familiar with.
And the numbers seem to be on Meyer's side. Her tracking service has indicated that on average 284 households per month move to Herndon in the 20170 area, while on average, 343 households per month move to the 20171 area of Herndon.
Eventually, Meyer hopes to expand her business by moving into Reston and the surrounding areas.