April 23, 2009
Adaptability has helped businesswoman thrive
Move to desert opened doors
Gina Tenorio
gina.tenorio@palmdesertsun.com
For Bryna Blum, president of WCBS/E.H. Bickett & Co., re-invention has been key to her success.
The current economic environment, has prompted her to find a way to evolve again. Blum and IT manager Marty Gronewald have upgraded their existing web site, wcbs4printing.com, and three months ago, launched wcbs4color.com, online versions of her commercial print distributing business.
She talks about her business and experiences.
What makes you stronger?
In 2001, Blum had been enjoying success. She had a thriving print distributorship business in Culver City. But that changed on Sept. 11.
“Up until just that time, we printed exclusively for the travel industry,” she said. “Right after the attacks, everything stopped. Business tanked 70 percent. We lost a lot of clients. Ten thousand travel agencies went out of business. They either closed their doors or merged with other businesses.”
“Now we're a full-service commercial printing company.”
Who am I today?
Almost immediately, Blum knew what the attacks meant for her business. It was time to evolve. Coincidentally, at the same time, an opportunity for her and her mother — who lived with her — to move to the Coachella Valley opened up.
“Later that week (after the attacks) my accountant called me: ‘You've got to come out and see this house coming on the market in Palm Desert.' It was perfect. It was serendipity to find this house. It had a mother-in-law suite. The master bedroom is enormous.”
Shot out of a cannon
She decided to take the house and move the business. Weeks after the attacks, Blum told her staff of the changes.
“I announced to my staff, I am moving to the desert. If you want to come, come. If you don't, don't.'
“I packed a 3-story townhouse house, my mom's condo and a 4,000-square-foot warehouse and moved to the desert.
“We did it in seven weeks. I felt like I was shot out of a cannon.”
Determined to survive
Blum has made a lot of connections in the desert earning contracts to supply materials to a medical office and travel agents. She and Gronewald work out of her home office. These days, her business faces a new challenge, the recession. They have used it to improve the business throught investment and innovation, Gronewald said.
“Our new website, wcbs4color.com, provides tremendous savings and efficiencies for our customers,” Gronewald said. “It offers a whole new suite of services we were not able to provide before. We can now offer lower prices than other printers can.”
Added Blum, “Despite the economy it is vital that businesses do not compromise the image they project to the buying public. Customers want to feel that the company they are doing business with is stable. A businesses image should never be compromised.”
Additional Facts:
Company: WCBS/E.H. Bicket & Co.
President: Bryna Blum
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Call for an appointment
Web sites: wcbs4color.com and wcbs4printing.com
Local Phone: 772-8889
Original Desert Sun Article
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