The UPS Store on North Avenue in Oak Park recently celebrated 20 years in business with a move just six doors away. The store is now located at 7061 W. North Ave. Owner Mia Moorehead, 49, of Chicago answered a few questions for the Oak Leaves on Aug. 10.
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: We’ve been in business 20 years, as of Aug. 1. We’ve been in Oak Park the whole time; we just moved six doors east. After 20 years in business, the business profile changed. We started doing more and more print, and we needed the space for that. … We opened in the new space July 31. Aug. 1 was our 20-year anniversary, and I wanted to be in this new space on Aug. 1. The square footage is larger in this space. We had 1,200 square feet, and now we have 1,785 square feet. We share the building with the McCarthy Eye Center. … We do banners, business cards, fliers, Every Door Direct Mail. We’re like an extension of a small business. About five years ago, we started marketing to funeral homes, for obituaries and prayer cards. We found that niche.
Q: What’s the small business climate like in Oak Park?
A: The small business climate is great. We’re kind of a business within their business. A lot of people who work within their homes, we have mailbox services. We handle faxes received. In the past, we offered phone services; now, everybody has a cellphone. The business has changed so much in 20 years. Now, everything is computerized.
Q: Why did this line of work appeal to you?
A: I used to do property management. I was also a real estate broker. I had a home in Oak Park, I came through a UPS store as a customer and I asked, “Is this a franchise?” It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. All of the UPS stores are franchises. … I love people, and I love what I do.
Q: Hidden gem of Oak Park or River Forest?
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A: In the summer, the free movies and things in Scoville Park. The library is incredible. I love the diversity of Oak Park. We’re like a melting pot.