Invitation software gets warm reply

The couple moved from California to Providence in 2001, ready to start their job searching, said Megan, who at the time was seven months pregnant with her second child. After the birth of their son, she wanted to send out birth announcements, but didn’t know of a local stationery store at which to get her supplies.

“I had been printing all of our invitations for the past 12 years, and I had a specific idea in mind,” she said. After coming up empty looking for someone to print her announcements, she had an idea. “We’re both software engineers, so I said it to Josh almost in jest that we should do it ourselves.” It turned out to be more than just a joke.

Why the name Mountaincow? The couple said a lot of people ask them that.

“We were hiking at the base of the Matterhorn in Switzerland and all of a sudden we heard bells through the fog,” Megan said. “As we came through the fog it wasn’t goats we saw but cows, mountain cows at 7,000 feet. When it came to the business, we knew that was it.”

Since Mountaincow’s inception, the Eisens have developed and marketed four software programs for designing invitations: PrintingPress and PrintingPress Platinum, a specialty PrintingPress Wedding program and a PrintingPress Pro for businesses. Megan has also designed a number of CD-ROMs with additional original fonts designed by her, graphics and borders. The company also sells color-coded stationery for a one-stop shop.

“Megan brings in the whole design aspect of it,” Josh said, “and with my MBA, it’s a good partnership.”

The software programs provide a user-friendly layout template called Stationery Wizard that allows the user to choose what type of invitation they’d like to print, the size and look of the paper and the text (folded or not), and add graphics, borders, unique fonts and even photos.

“What we aim to do is make what you do regularly (when making an invitation) very easy,” Josh said.

“Once you start using it, it makes it so much easier,” Megan said, because one project can be used over and over.

Mountaincow sells particular projects on its Web site, as well as the software and stationery, so customers can download a project and copy it directly, just replacing dates and names.

“Because I had so many years of experience of doing invitations, I knew what was important,” Megan said. “We have set everything on a project-by-project basis,” and the software allows projects to be saved and re-used. And address books and event-tracking features make designing and printing invitations easy.

“Instead of needing five computer programs to do this, you can do it yourself with one,” Josh said.

Mountaincow first introduced its PrintingPress and in response to the demand from customers for more extensive features, came out with the platinum program next. The software comes with Megan’s original fonts, which she names after family members, a collection of graphic art, and the platinum version comes with borders as well.

The software is affordable; the PrintingPress and platinum and wedding versions sell for $30 to $60, and the professional version sells for $600, still much cheaper than competitors that can cost thousands, Eisen said. The programs are compatible with Windows98 or higher and work with any other computer program. The couple is currently developing a Mac-compatible version.

Half of the company’s business comes through its Web site, www.mountaincow.com, which also includes links to other materials and places to find good supplies for a good price, recommended by the Eisens. There is an online tour of the programs for prospective buyers and also for customers looking for a tutorial.

Every month Megan publishes an online newsletter full of new fall stationery colors, projects and a tech tip. The site also includes design ideas and lists retail locations. Mountaincow has sales locations in Atlanta, Dallas, Delaware, Texas and in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic region.

In addition to constantly developing new fonts and graphics, the couple is considering branching out into the scrap-booking craze, Megan said. The software is currently available at Circuit City and Target locations in Rhode Island, but the fonts and stationery are only available to local customers online. Online orders are shipped next day to in-state customers, Josh said.

“We’ve taken a very customer-centric approach from the start,” he said. Mountaincow also has a growing base of male customers, who usually order wedding invitations. One of the major benefits of doing wedding invitations with the software is that with so many pieces involved in one invitation it gets costly quickly.

“We really save people a lot of money,” Josh said. “Invitations can run you several thousand dollars, whereas if you do it yourself, it can cost you several hundred dollars.”

Mountaincow also has a book coming out in February called “Easy Invitations,” which the couple co-authored with Patty Hoffman, their director of communications. The book will be sold in bookstores and in craft and stationery stores, and will cost $12.99 for the softcover and $16.99 for the hardcover. Both come with a CD-ROM with a collection of printable projects.

Customers can buy Mountaincow’s color-coded stationery – which Megan says is reflective of clothing trends – in bulk sets of 25 for $10 or a different kind of stationery for $10 for a set of 10 or 15. While the company’s Rhode Island presence is not yet well established, Josh said the couple plans to expand here.

“Specialty retail is our roots,” Megan said. Josh added, “We do trade shows
and have sales reps, and we’d love to work more with Rhode Island retailers.”