GLANCING THE GALLANT | Naperville Mom Helps Keep Covid-Quarantined Kids Connected to Teachers
- Glancer Magazine
- May 13, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: May 14, 2020
MEET AMANDA WITTENBORN
Saving Her Family Business and Scoring a Place on Amazon’s Best-Seller List in the Process
Owner and founder of successful Naperville stationery and party supply business AmandaCreation.com, Amanda Wittenborn and her family nearly lost it all as a result of the COVID-19 quarantine measures. With parties no longer allowed under the state’s shelter in place order, Amanda was heartbreakingly forced to close her warehouse and place her staff on indefinite hiatus. Amanda, her husband David, and their three young sons, Zach (14), Josh (10), and Ben (5), faced an uncertain future. Amanda says of the quarantine measures, “As a party company we basically lost 95% of our sales and income once the lockdown started. No one needed party supplies anymore.”
Refusing to let the COVID-19 crisis beat her family and inspired by the efforts of educators now carrying out their classes online, Amanda created a personal way of keeping students connected to their teachers, with her Teacher Postcards that have become instant best-sellers. When asked how she came up with the idea during such a challenging time for her family, Amanda says, “I have many friends that are teachers and I know they are missing their classrooms and their students. I started to think about how I could use my creativity and talents to help them right now. So, I created the Teacher Postcards sets. I love that this provides something that everyone still needs right now; connection. I am still able to use my creative design and entrepreneurial spirit to do the same thing we were doing before with party supplies; spread joy!”
Amanda was surprised to discover just how much teachers loved the postcards. “My Teacher Postcards have quickly flown off the shelf, faster than any item I have ever sold. We sold hundreds of packs in the first week. They’re currently the #1 best selling postcard sold on Amazon and we’ve sent out over 600,000 individual cards at this point!”
Most importantly, Amanda and her family are spending time together in the business; “Filling orders has been keeping David and I busy, as we are counting and packaging these by hand. When the boys finish online schoolwork, they are also helping to put stickers on the envelopes. It reminds me of when I first started my business.”
The Teacher Postcards packs start at $14.99 plus shipping and due to their popularity, Amanda is now selling packs of 90 for $34.99 plus shipping. The postcards are available at www.AmandaCreation.com/
