Although other private companies have tried the welcome-to-Columbia business with limited success, Stacey Thompson decided her international experience would be the extra ingredient that makes the new company thrive.
In January, Thompson started Columbia Welcome, a home-based business that brings a hearty handshake and a basket full of goodies to Columbia’s newcomers.
Thompson delivers gifts, coupons, maps, gift certificates, printed material and community information to anyone who has lived in Columbia for less than a year and who is not an undergraduate student. She charges businesses $2.50 a visit for the service.
Thompson is no stranger to the welcoming business, having coordinated a program to help English-speakers adjust to Paris and having enjoyed the Welcome Furoshiki program for newcomers in Tokyo. Before launching Columbia Welcome, she asked advice from a friend who had run a similar business.
“The biggest downfall with these types of businesses is that the people who get involved in them tend to really like visiting the newcomers, but they are not so comfortable working with other businesses,” she said. “I obviously don’t have that problem,” she added with a laugh.
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