Today we’d like to introduce you to Marilyn Paret.
Hi Marilyn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2015, I noticed a yard greeting sign in a yard and thought how clever, fun and unique! I ordered one for my daughter’s 16th Birthday and it was a big hit with the family. Of course, I ordered one for each family member as their birthday rolled around to keep things fair. Then when extended family came to visit if it happen to be their birthday, I would order a birthday yard sign too. My kids would come home from college bringing roommates who were away from home to celebrate their birthdays. And of course I would order one for them as well.
At this point, a friend said you should look into it as you seem to enjoy the concept and it looks like a simple business to operate. You just need to know how to spell! I contacted Blue Grass Greetings company who started the craze and purchased the The Woodlands Yard Greetings area in December 2018. In the beginning, I enlisted my son who was majoring in Marketing and Business at SHSU to be my side kick partner; A Mom and Son Duo. Just as TWYG was growing, Covid disrupted our lives. We thought The Woodlands Yard Greetings would be affected like other businesses but we realized we were a no contact business so cleared to continue. That year was a busy blur as families were looking for an alternative way to celebrate their loved ones. I’ll never forget our first Drive By Birthday. My son and I set up a Birthday Yard Greeting and the kid’s friends drove by waving and honking. It was a fun experience and one to be remembered. That is when I knew I loved this business and enjoyed helping families celebrate special occasions even in difficult times that will be the one to be remembered.
It’s not all been easy or lucky, as TWYG experienced the trials of owning a business in a new age of social media, algorithms, internet and websites but TWYG is committed to serving our clients with the very best products and service as we would want our own families to experience. Each Yard greeting is custom designed just for the recipient so when they see it, it reflects their personality and interests. It’s truly one of a kind experience.
TWYG now serves The Woodlands, Shenandoah, Conroe ISD, Oak Ridge North, Spring and Klein areas. We just don’t celebrate Birthdays. TWYG has had the opportunity to celebrate Weddings, Bridal Showers, Retirements, Holidays, Schools Events, Graduation and most importantly Welcoming Home babies and loved ones from hospitals. It’s been 8 years of spreading joy and happiness in the most unexpected way. I would not have traded any of the moments or trials! TWYG is looking forward to helping celebrate their clients special events that will be talked about for years to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the beginning, it seemed like it was smooth sailing ahead as they say but as time went along I learned not everyone operates their business with the golden rule ” Treat Others how you would want to be Treated,” I have had to learn how to
-advertise and market through social media challenges with algorithms
-understand your SEO
-keep your website and other social media platforms up to date for best communication.
-pay attention to competitors
-make forms user friendly
-clear communication
-inspect what you expect
Lastly, but most importantly learning how to
-protect your website and domain:
Other obstacles learned were tricks of the trade or designing/creating your own tricks:
-making delivery and set ups easier and faster for crew.
-storing and organizing inventory to save time, prevent stress as well as for longevity of inventory
– making sure your letters on the yard stakes are level and straight to withstand a windy night
– working around difficult yards with an incline, unforeseen tree roots or pipes or dry hard soil
– building free standing bases when the yard is not an option
Although excellent customer service and the quality of product offered are important, I have learned it is crucial to understand your market, study your competitors and their advertisements and always double check everything on social media to protect what you have invested in as its ever changing world!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The Woodlands Yard Greetings helps Families and Friends celebrate moments that matter like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, retirement, weddings, bridal or baby showers, achievements or holidays just to name a few in a very unique way that is larger than life by setting up your message in the yard at the recipient’s home. Basically, instead of sending a paper card in the mail that might not arrive on time, your note is spelled out in their yard to surprise them when they walk out their front door! For the recipient, it makes a loud and bold statement that they matter as well as it’s just pure fun being surprised and then the realization somebody remembered their them on their special day is a wonderful feeling. The best part is the yard greeting sign shares the celebration with others by allowing everyone in the neighborhood to join in on the fun. For guests being greeted with a yard greeting sign, it sets the stage its going to a great time.
One of the things that sets TWYG apart from other competitors is our of alphabet letters are custom designed and printed in a classic font that is easy to read and are more than 24 ” tall. They are protected with UVA/UBA coatings to keep the colors from fading and weather proof from rain and heat. Another thing that changes the dynamics is our large inventory selection. TWYG offers 16 colors to choose from such as Crisp White, Silver Gray, Bright Pink, Lavender, Majestic Purple, Sky Blue, Royal Blue, Mint Green, Lime Green, Hunter Green, Sunny Yellow, Salmon Peach, Orange Crush, True Red and Maroon and Classic Black. TWYG also carries 14 designed/patterned alphabet letters too that promote a color theme. The best part is TWYG can spell anything the client wants to say, the only limitation is the size of the yard but TWYG is experienced making the smallest yard look fun and festive.
Next, TWYG completes the message so it doesn’t look generic, by embracing the message with colorful personalized graphics, balloons, and stars which describe the event being celebrated or the person’s interests or hobbies so anyone seeing the Yard Greeting knows exactly what the special occasion is all about. It’s like telling a story through graphic images. However, the most important thing is when the recipient sees the yard greeting sign, it’s a reflection of themselves and becomes a keepsake moment to be remembered and laughed about for years to come.
TWYG experience is not only the quality of the inventory and selection offered but the service provided to our clients. TWYG customer service is proven with our repeat clients who love our services and commitment to go the extra mile even when it doesn’t seem possible. TWYG Staff and crew treat each Yard Greeting Sign Order as if it was for their very own family member. TWYG design team makes sure each yard greeting is as unique as the individual being celebrated and TWYG Crew delivers and double checks each detail so the recipient feels loved and special. Recently, TWYG had an order from a frantic client needing Welcome Home Greeting as she just learned her niece was being released earlier than expected after months of being in the hospital from a horrific accident. They wanted to have a Welcome Home Greeting waiting for her when her parents pulled in the driveway . It was a very tight schedule but TWYG Crew rearranged their schedules to design, pull and prep inventory, deliver and set up in a small window of time to make sure it happened. It was important to her so it was important to us. Not only did TWYG make it happen but the client was ecstatic stating words could not express her gratefulness as the sign represented she made it HOME after many surgeries and therapy. It truly made the niece’s day and that means everything to The Woodlands yard Greeting.
To share a glimpse of TWYG heart beat is how our clients react to seeing TWYG One of Kind Yard Greetings. One time as I was driving a way from setting up a birthday greeting, I looked in my rear view mirror and watched as the whole family came outside and stood in the middle of their street looking at the birthday greeting. They were embracing each other, hands were over their mouths as they couldn’t believe what they were seeing and the children were jumping up and down with excitement! What a blessing, to know you and your team help create that moment!
Another time, TWYG had the opportunity to honor and celebrate a WWII veteran turning 102! His daughter told me about his role in the war and what plane he flew on the missions. TWYG was able to print an A20 Bomber plane to personalize his time in the service. We also created a custom phrase for his Birthday, “A Salute To 102!”. She said not only did he love the birthday greeting sign but was so mesmerized with A20 bomber he asked to if he could keep it! How could you say no to a WWII Veteran! Turning those moments into memories for a lifetime are irreplaceable.
Those are the proud moments that remind you why you keep pushing to stride for the perfect yard greeting sign!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
As they say sometimes, some people seem to have all the luck or others say their luck has run out. When it appeared that The Woodlands Yard Greetings luck had run out as a new business trying to get on its feet when Covid was brought to our attention creating fear through our towns and neighborhoods. However, our luck changed overnight when TWYG was considered a non contact service which allowed us to continue making deliveries. Stating TWYG delivered, set up and picked up without being around others opened a huge opportunity and filled a need for families who were in confinement a way to celebrate family members in a ver special way. It allowed us to bring some joy to others during very difficult time. The Woodlands Yard Greetings was at the right place, at the right time, which brought in orders overnight. Social media and Local news caused an overnight sensation by reporting about the new celebratory business of Drive By Birthday with a Yard greeting sign. It brought customers to TWYG that probably would not have ever used or needed our services before. For me, not sure I would call it luck as it felt more like blessings from above during a difficult time.
Pricing:
- Birthday $99-$-115 Deliver Evening Before Event date and Pick Up Day After Event Date
- Anniversary $125 Deliver Evening Before Event Date and Pick Up Day After Event Date
- Graduation $125 – $150 Deliver Evening Before Event Date and Pick Up Day After Event Date
- Welcome Home $115- $125 Deliver Evening Before Event Date and Pick Up Day After Event Date
- Custom $125- $150 Deliver Evening Before Event Date and Pick Up Day After Event Date
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewoodlandsyardgreetings.com
- Instagram: @thewoodlandsyardgreetings
- Facebook: @thewoodlandyardgreetings
