PJ's Screen Printing & Embroidery
After working in the medical field as a human resource manager for most of her career, Jen Woodward wanted a change. One day a family friend told her that the owner of PJ’s Screen Printing was thinking about selling so they could retire. A bedrock of Rahway since the 1970’s, Jen asked for an introduction to see if she could imagine herself running a hands on service business. She met with the owners and decided to start working with them to learn the day to day nuances of the business.
Under their tutelage she realized there was a pretty steep learning curve. She recognized she’d have to learn a whole new language related to the craft. She had to learn how to operate the machinery, about threads and how to adjust for different fabrics. Most importantly, she had to learn how to sew! The challenge was what she was looking for so she bought the shop in September of 2023.
Business has been good, and as the third owner Jen enjoys the benefit of inheriting an established clientele, 90% of the business is repeat corporate clients. Having this stable base allows her to explore new marketing opportunities. Excited about the future she has expanded her reach by participating at local fairs, festivals and has approached schools and summer camps.
She had been using the antiquated analogue bookkeeping system but is modernizing and incorporating online services with the help of her husband Scott, an IT tech. By slowly developing new revenue streams PJ’s is introducing online marketing products to add to the legacy printing and embroidery services. A brick and mortar presence adds stability for clients and provides certain advantages that sets them apart from online only competitors. Providing personalized service and knowing that she is invested in the community builds a trust that can’t be duplicated.