Photo: Pack ’n’ Ship storefront. Courtesy photo.
VermontBiz Curtis Larrabee’s entrepreneurial journey exemplifies how one opportunity can often lead to another. He grew up in West Danville, where his parents owned a general store; his mother was also a justice of the peace and his father a notary.
“My mother helped with local government matters and could marry people, and Dad was the go-to for anything that needed notarizing.“
Business ownership had always been a consideration for Larrabee, but the right opportunity didn't immediately present itself. After marrying Cristin, they both worked full-time while also pursuing notary work as a side venture. However, becoming parents fueled their desire for greater flexibility, ultimately prompting them to embark on their own business.
Photo: Owners Cristin and Curtis Larrabee. Courtesy photo.
“I knew that if I ever started a business, I’d want something with relatively low overhead,“ Curtis said.
A Pack ’n’ Ship store — paired with their notary services — seemed like a perfect fit. It also filled a local gap. St. Johnsbury lacked a one-stop shop for shipping and business services, with just a post office, a part-time UPS counter and a Fed-Ex counter on the outskirts of town.
With a clear concept in mind, the Larrabees reached out to Rick Daniell, an adviser at the Vermont Small Business Development Center, to help bring their vision to life.
“I sought out VtSBDC to give our business the best footing,“ Curtis said. “We had a good idea of what we wanted to create, and Rick helped us connect all the dots.“
Several months after opening their doors, Daniell remains an active supporter.
“Just recently, Rick took an hour out of his Saturday to help me apply our window decals,“ Curtis said. “He’s been a great resource and definitely goes above and beyond for the clients he serves.“
Larrabee is pleased with the steady growth the business has experienced over the past six months. While shipping services constitute the majority of their daily operations, it is the add-on offerings that are primarily driving revenue.
“It’s an even split between notarizations, secure document shredding and Fieldprint fingerprinting — one of our newest services, which is quickly becoming a regular request,“ he said.
Curtis is always thinking ahead, looking for way to better improve the client experience. “I’m constantly asking myself, ’What would be beneficial for our local customers?’“ he said.
So far, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Just yesterday, several customers told us how wonderful it is to have a place like this in town,“ Curtis said.
Amanda Kuhnert is a self-employed content strategist and writer in Woodstock.
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