Mom-Preneur: Kirsten Bingham of EvaPaul Design

Oh how I have been waiting to put up this Mom Preneur. evapaul is a husband wife team that creates out of this world designs for announcements. If you are a bride looking for announcements THIS is the place to get them. They are not your average announcements and that makes putting them in the mail all the more fun. They will definately not get forgotten! They are even giving you a discount! Details at the end of the post.






What is the name of your business? evapaul design

How did you come up with that name? my middle name is EVA, Nic's is PAUL. When we first started dating at age 18, we wanted to open a clothing store together- half vintage, half design. all awesome. Nic came up with the name evapaul which I loved. After doing a little growing up, we found that what we really love to do is graphic design, so instead of a clothing store- evapaul design was born.



How long have you been doing this? we designed our own wedding invites two and half years ago and shortly after, a friend suggested that we sell designs on Etsy. we set up a shop in October 2007 and have been designing wedding and other invites since then. We've now designed for over 300 weddings and are excited to see our business grow.



Please explain a little bit about your product/business and how you developed the concept behind it: We design wedding invites for what we call the "modern bride". Our invites are non-traditional and a little quirky. When we got married the last thing we wanted was for our invites to look like any other invites you might get in the mail. Our business has grown because apparently a lot of people want that too. We have about 20 designs up in our etsy shop which we can customize for your wedding with your colors, different fonts ect. (starting @ $2.75 each) Or, we can create a completely custom design JUST for you starting @ $125.



What makes your product/business so unique? I think we just try to design what we like. When we first started, I was so worried about what designs would sell or be popular that it really inhibited my creative process. But, i learned to just not care and design something that I love and that I'm proud of and I think that's what every artist has to do- you'll find an audience- you can't design for them though.



Do you have a store-front/ website/ etsy? www.evapaul.etsy.com

What is the hardest part or have been some of your struggles starting your own business? I think for me it is striking the right balance. You can't work all the time and you can't play all the time... you have to have both in your life in order to be happy (and pay the bills)



How do you balance your business and your family? I feel like I should be asking someone about how to do this! I love being at home with our one-year-old Daphne. I love that I am able to work from home. I have tried to set up hours in our shop showing that I don't answer emails in the evenings or on weekends- but sometimes that is the ONLY time I CAN answer emails! So, it's a constant struggle to find balance. Nic is in school full time so I try to get as much done as possible while Daphne is napping so that when Nic gets home we can actually have a life (and he can have a wife... dinner... ect) But, we have a joke at our house. Anything that Nic wants to buy I ask him where he is going to put it- and he always says: his closet. I try to remind him that his closet cannot fit his clothes, shoes, 2 guitar amps, a drum ECT. But still, his answer is always his closet. Well, I'm the same way. When planning my day I think: oh, I'll do that while Daphne naps. I'll clean the kitchen, do laundry, answer all client emails, check out wedding blogs for inspiration, get shipments ready for clients ECT. It's always my go to answer: nap time. But, I also tend to get a lot done after Daphne goes to bed. I'm loving her new 7:30 bedtime. I think as moms it is important for us to have a balance- there are important things but then there is the MOST important thing- being there for our kids and husband.



What are some of your short and long term goals with your business? I think we really just want to stay busy. There is an ebb and flow with wedding invitations, a lot depends on the time of year. So, we want to get more involved in other aspects of graphic design: branding and baby stationary (birth announcements, showers, parties ect) to keep us busy year round. Long term- we would love to buy a letterpress once we move out of our small apartment (and move to Denver next year) and open a brick and mortar store. I think we will always offer our current print method as well so that we can be accessible to people no matter what their budget is.



Exclusive discount!: Mention that you found us through Jaclyn and we'll give you 10% off your order. Plus, we offer large volume discounts so if you are ordering more than 150 invites, we do great discounts. The more you order, the more affordable we become!