NC native returns to his roots to open Welcomemat Services

After a recent relocation to NC, Jonathan Jones opened a branch of Welcomemat Services, a marketing strategies and technology company providing direct-mail gift checks to new residents throughout Buncombe County.

Welcomemat helps the local community on two levels. First, it helps small business owners steadily build a stream of fresh loyal customers, ultimately growing the business and helping the local economy. Second, it helps individuals and families get acclimated to their new environment by helping them build loyal relationships with high-quality local businesses.

Welcomemat sends personalized packages of gift certificates to new residents that they can use at local businesses. Targeting the new resident segment and providing them with the services and products to fill their daily needs helps drive an influx of new repeat customers to local shops and businesses. Patented technology enables new resident information to be bar-coded onto every certificate, allowing local businesses to receive free, customized tracking and information reports regarding their offers. After a customer uses a gift certificate, the business returns it to Welcomemat. The bar code is scanned and the resulting information is provided back to the business in an easy-to-read data sheet profiling the client’s new customers and providing demographics such as the customer’s name, gender and income level. Welcomemat uses data from more than 35 sources to locate newcomer addresses. 

New residents receive their Welcomemat package within 30 to 90 days of moving in, depending upon how quickly the consumer changes their address information. Offers include such things as free dry cleaning, complimentary haircuts or free car washes sent to thousands of new families in various communities each year. 

Welcomemat began franchising in 2010 after receiving nearly $2 million in capital investment from private investors. Welcomemat has nine franchised locations as well as corporate-operated offices in Atlanta, Charlotte and Greenville, S.C.