Cousins Phil Bagdasarian and Marie Vallee have literally grown up in the packaging industry as part of a 3rd generation of packaging professionals. What they’ve seen over recent years was that the North American market was getting smaller and smaller due to rapid market growth in Asia.
As part of the millennial generation, they also saw the growth of small business, in particular e-commerce. They saw that many of these companies were struggling with high shipping rates and were forced to order packaging in large quantities that they could not afford. As they saw more and more subscription box ventures being launched, the two experienced their lightbulb moment, recognizing a gap in the market that they felt they could serve.
Being Millennials themselves, Phil and Marie knew that mobile ordering, ecommerce and subscription box business models were soaring in popularity and this was a trend that would only continue to grow.
Armed with packaging and shipping knowledge, Phil and Marie set off to launch Packwire, an online service designed to make shipping easy, accessible and affordable for even the smallest online store or subscription box company. The premise of the venture was to allow companies to purchase small quantity, custom printed boxes through its 3D DIY online platform.
Launching from their homes, they discovered that setting up shop was not without its challenges, as the partners found that sourcing suppliers was one of the most challenging parts of getting their business off the ground. Firstly, they needed to find a web designer who understood the unique demands of their business model. Secondly, they needed to source a fulfilment supplier who was a visionary and who believed in their venture. After many hours of painstaking research and many dead ends they found both and Packwire was born.
Once off the ground, another challenge they faced was marketing their services and they experimented with a variety of marketing mixes until finding the perfect recipe. While they implement a blend of digital advertising, content marketing and public relations, Packwire also places a large emphasis on branding and customer service, which has resulted in a significant amount of word-of-mouth business.
Phil and Marie are passionate about helping small businesses compete with the bigger players. They continue to hone their services to meet the needs of small start-ups. Packwire’s ease of use platform allows its clients to design and purchase a custom box in under 10 minutes and in very small quantities (starting at 10 boxes).
Packaging today is more than a brown cardboard box and delivery tool, it has become an important part of a company’s brand. To be successful today’s modern entrepreneurs has to find a way to incorporate their brand into their packaging. The duo strove to meet this need by allowing small business owners to become co-creators by letting them become part of the packaging development process, enabling them to design their box online.
Phil and Marie have built a thriving business in a short amount of time. They feel that the keys to success for them have been to operate in a transparent, authentic fashion; make it easy for customers to navigate their Website and find the information they need; and to make the process simple, convenient and of high value.
By launching their business initially from home, Phil and Marie were able to keep overhead costs down. Though they now have an office, they do still enjoy working from home several days a month where they can focus on special tasks.
About Packwire
Packwire enables companies to showcase their brand messaging front and center. Packwire’s clients have the ability to move from concept to colorful package with just a few finger taps. Packwire accommodates everyone from start-ups to big retailers and fulfills orders of as little as 10 boxes. Fully customizable, Packwire’s packaging services let businesses create their own design without all the techy prerequisites. Options include branded mailers, folding cartons, shipping boxes and gift boxes. Packwire’s DIY approach lets imaginations run wild throughout the full creative process.
