WElcomemat makes you feel at home

Published by The Broad Ripple Gazette

By Bridgett Carson

Date: September 1, 2011

Matthew and Julie McCord discovered Broad Ripple Village when they would “meet in the middle” for lunch.  Julie came down to The Village from her office in Fishers, and Matthew came up from his 38th Street office. Now the McCords are helping others discover Broad Ripple with their new business, Welcomemat Services.  The McCords are new members of the BRVA, and they are busy getting acquainted with local business owners.  The company helps bring area businesses together with new residents who’ve just moved into the area, offering gift certificates for free products or services through direct mail marketing.  “Think of someone who’s just moved here.  They don't have any relationship with the local businesses,” Matthew explained.

Welcomemat provides a subscription service for local businesses on a six or twelve-month basis.  Each business subscriber gives a gift certificate – an entrée for a restaurant, a free haircut for a salon, or a free car wash – which the new arrivals can use.  Each month Welcomemat sends the gift certificates to residents moving into the area, averaging about 220 newcomers a month, homeowners and renters alike.  The certificates are bar-coded for each recipient.

As certificates are redeemed, Welcomemat provides a monthly follow-up report to the subscribing businesses to let them know who’s using their certificates.  Welcomemat also sends a “thank you” postcard on behalf of the business as a follow-up for each redeemed certificate.  “We’re trying to help our clients build loyalty with customers because you’ve reached out to them,” said Matthew.

Welcomemat has market research to provide clients with ideas for gift certificates, which will be most appreciated by newcomers, and which are redeemed most often, getting new people in the door.  Julie and Matthew work with their clients to determine what the most effective gift certificate might be for that particular business.

“We have a heart for helping people,” said Julie, remembering how unfamiliar she was when she arrived here from her hometown of Chicago.  “It’s hard to get a sense of what’s out there.”

For more information, contact Matthew or Julie at 565.2645 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Visit  www.cnbc.com/id/44062437 or  www.welcomematservices.com for more details.