In these impersonal modern times, the personal touch and efforts to make an actual connection can be refreshing, which is what Heather Bartle tapped into when she founded a small print shop in Dover in 2023.
“First and foremost, I’m an artist,” she says, explaining her path to entrepreneurship. Several years ago, she was drawing sketches of buildings and landmarks in the Dover area and selling prints of her artwork. That involved spending time at her local big-box office supply store, where her knowledge of making art-quality prints got her a job as manager of the print center.
At the print center, she was trained to balance customer satisfaction with efficiency. “We were only allowed so much time with the customer. We had to move things along at a certain pace,” which ultimately pushed her to open her own shop Bartle says. “I wanted a place to interact with customers the way I wanted to,” she says. She opened The Printing Press in May 2023 in a space barely bigger than a hole in a wall.
“The first year was a little quiet,” she says. Her regulars followed her from the big box store, but that wasn’t going to be enough. She joined a local chamber of commerce and pounced at every grassroots marketing opportunity. “If you had two seconds you were going to hear about my business,” she says.
Her tenacity and marketing paid off. “It’s completely taken off,” Bartle says. It’s the atmosphere, decidedly anti-corporate, which she says is the reason for her success. A tapestry hangs on the wall, declaring, “You Matter Very Much.”
“When you walk in, you know an artist created it,” she says. “You know when you walk in, I’m who owns it.” Bartle, who also offers notary services, says she wants to get to know her customers so they feel they can trust her. Often, that process starts with Bartle pouring her customer a cup of coffee and sitting next to them on her couch—something no one in a corporate uniform would have time to do.
The Printing Press has plenty of growth opportunities. Bartle has eyes on screen printing and vinyl printing, as well as offering a mobile notary service. She is also looking to hire some help. First, though, it’s time to fly from her first nest as her current store fits within 700 square feet. “I have outgrown my space,” Bartle says. “A bigger space is going to be amazing.”
