Waukon area business has its "designs" on customer service

Designs Inc. opened for business near Waukon in December, 2008, offering design and printing services, and most recently received a First Dollar visit from the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. Owner Kristi Fletcher attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, MN, where she earned a four-year bachelor of fine arts degree.
Fletcher says her educational experience was what led her to open her own business. “My art teacher, Nancy Sojka at North Winneshiek Community School, inspired me to have a career in art,” she said. “When I graduated, she gave me pamphlets for different art colleges. When in college, I freelanced my senior year in graphic design - my first experience with cold calls and finding exactly what the customer wants. This is when I knew I wanted to start my own business someday.”
Fletcher grew up in the Burr Oak/Bluffton area. She has two children and four grandchildren. She and her husband and business co-owner, Dale, have two dogs, a cat, a python and a cockatiel. They own their own home five miles east of Waukon, where Fletcher keeps her office.
Among the many services Designs Inc. offers are business cards, brochures and flyers, notepads and many other business products. Embroidered or screenprinted apparel, car door magnets and banners are also part of the Designs Inc. portfolio.
According to Fletcher, customer focus is what makes Designs Inc. unique. She hopes to offer customers what they need at a better price than what they currently pay and will come to them when and where it works for them, providing personal attention to local businesses.
Fletcher says she has enjoyed meeting new people through her business, but sometimes finds the “door-to-door” aspect of sales challenging. “I am not a ‘pushy salesman’,” she said. “I dislike those types of people, so I don’t want someone who doesn’t know me to confuse me with one.”
In the future, Fletcher hopes to meet more people and become well known in the Waukon area. “I might have a better price on products you are already using or would like to get and just haven’t found a good price for a quality product,” she said. “Give me a call or e-mail me.”
Designs Inc. is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 563-535-7620 or 563-794-0094 or by e-mail at kristi@designs-inc.com. For more information visit www.designs-inc.com.