Franci Hirsch

Paper Mates

Local entrepreneurs offer invitations, gift tags, hand-holding and more.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

V

alerie Harb, who formerly designed printed mar-
keting materials for small businesses, offered
a job-related gift to a friend. When the woman
casually discussed budgeting for a son’s bar mitzvah
party, Harb offered to take care of the invitations.
What had been a tedious process for her friend became
an act of enjoyment for Harb. She loved designing how
the invitations would fit in with the theme of the party.
“From that point on, four years ago, I knew the kind of
work I wanted to do,” says Harb, who isn’t Jewish but has
learned about Jewish event customs and consults with a
tutor to check the Hebrew lettering she is asked to use.
In her Farmington Hills home, she designs and forms
place cards, name tags for favors, small signage and other
paper products to decorate and distinguish each party.
She is among a group of paper product specialists provid-
ing creative, customized services to party hosts.
“I’m a one-woman show, and I like interacting with
clients,” she says of her business, Valerie Harb Graphic
Design Services. “I’ve bought computer products, print-
ers, die-cut machines, photo reproduction materials and
more. Every project teaches me something new.”
Harb treats every party as a special commitment, and
she recalls a bat mitzvah held at the College for Creative
Studies among the most innovative. The teen was devot-

ed to creativity so Harb followed through with materials
for stations devoted to different aspects of that interest.
The sign-in board, for example, asked each guest to
write a haiku. The board was framed in bamboo to con-
nect to the geographical area associated with that poetry
style. The reception cards were fun bookmarks.
“I put my name on the backs of invitations so that’s one
way prospective customers find me,” Harb says. “People
who have used my services also pass along my name.”
Harb does not charge for the first meeting with each
potential client. She wants to give them ideas of what is
available according to the budgets presented.
“I was always a creative person,” Harb says. “When I
meet with clients, I want to use my creativity to meet
their specialized needs.
“I prepare designs to suit what they tell me. I email five
designs and they can mix and match according to what
they like. I don’t want them to feel overwhelmed.”
Harb, who had lots of support from her husband in
establishing her business, began making a profit in the
middle of her second year.
“My goal for all my clients is to see faces light up when
products are picked up,” Harb says. “I want the products
to be exactly what they wanted them to be so these parts
of any party planning are not stressful for customers.”

Franci Hirsch is another business owner working out of
her home to help clients plan for innovative paper prod-
ucts that personalize and enhance parties. She provides
an extra service by wrapping favors for everyone and
packaging gifts given to out-of-towners.
“I try to work with anything that can have special print-
ing, including save-the-date cards, napkins, menus, even
yarmulkes,” she says. “I don’t make them, but I help shop
different vendors.”
Hirsch, who lives and works in her West Bloomfield
home, began her business two years ago. The Paper Press
emerged after she enjoyed planning her own daughter’s
bat mitzvah.
Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Hirsch worked
in public relations and broadcasting, other fields requir-
ing fresh approaches. Creativity has always has attracted
her.
When she was working on the b’nai mitzvot of twins,
Hirsch suggested a black-and-white color scheme
because the siblings couldn’t agree on any colors.
“It all turned out very crisp and cool,” she says. “I used
clear invitations with black and silver print, and that
worked out well. For other parties, a popular theme has
become using monograms on whatever can have an
imprint.”

continued on page 22

Valerie Harb

C20

celebrate! • 2017

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