Sam Franklin hasn’t even graduated from college and yet he has launched a successful business creating elegant online invitations that nearly replicate the experience of receiving one via snail mail. What makes Greenvelope different from the competition? People can upload their custom design, making Greenvelope the most customized option out there right now. So far, Greenvelope, has sold over 250,000 invitations! Sam, an entrepreneurship major, has gained experience and knowledge that no classroom could ever impart – read on to learn how he made it all happen.
Where are you from? I’ve lived in Seattle, Washington all my life.
What is your favorite thing to do outdoors? I like to ski and camp and fish. I can’t choose just one.
When did you develop the idea for Greenvelope? I took a year off before coming to WashU and I began to conceptualize the idea then – that was late 2008. I had actually already been accepted into WashU and had been planning to go the following year but then my friend, who was taking a year off, convinced me to do the same. So I bought a plane ticket for Vietnam and went backpacking for five months. Then I came home and worked at a pressure washing company and delivered pizzas at night, all of which provided the funds for Greenvelope. I was working 14 hours days.
How did you conceive of the idea of “elegant electronic invitations?” I actually conceived of the idea when I read in an article in US Today that 1.2 million wedding e-vites were sent each year. I thought that it seemed like people would be willing to pay for an invitation that did not have ads and that emulated the experience of opening a real paper invitation. I just started drawing mock-ups of each of the pages and bringing them to developers to have them bid on it.
Who is your main client base? I started out with just wedding invitations and now I am doing a lot of corporate invitations. I focus on large, special events, such as business holiday parties, announcements for new products, open houses, weddings, religious events, and bridal showers.
How do you advertise? I advertise through Google; I am the sponsored link that is listed when you search for certain keywords. Word of mouth is also helping it grow a lot. The viral effect is also very helpful – when someone sends 100 invitations, it is simultaneously good advertising.
Has your business interfered with your schoolwork? I’m going through school pretty slowly. I took a semester off last year to launch the business and I’m taking next semester off. I’m managing six people now, the business is growing in terms of revenue, and there is a lot of stuff I want to do, which makes it hard for me to focus on my classes. But the business isn’t big enough yet for me to justify dropping out of school, so my plan right now is to finish.
Are people hesitant to have something that is traditionally in print online? Most people who actually call me or sign up for a package are already sold on the idea. We have mechanisms to ensure that invitations don’t get lost in cyber space. You can track every envelope that has been opened and everyone who hasn’t responded.
Tell me about “Mountains to Sound,” the nonprofit that receives a donation through Greenvelope purchases? They are a Washington state-based nonprofit that preserves the greenway along Route 94, the highway that runs from Seattle to Boston. I plan on adding a lot of local nonprofits to the website so that a customer can choose to donate to a particular nonprofit.
What is your long term for Greenvelope? I have a tentative three-year plan of ideas and elements I want to implement. I don’t think I am going to do this project for 40 years. I am really into this right now and I am not in any hurry to sell it or start something else. I have a lot of ideas for other business that I can pursue later.
Have you had any trouble being taken seriously because of your age? Not really. Mark Zuckerberg paved the way for younger entrepreneurs. Now companies expect young people to bring the innovative ideas. We are the age group that is developing websites and revolutionizing technology.
Any wise words to a future entrepreneur? Don’t be afraid to share your idea and reach out to people in the tech world because everyone is really accessible and wants to help.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wash U chapter.