work from home

Young Entrepreneur Profits from Paper Placemat Advertisements

Next time you’re at a fast food restaurant, be careful where you set your cheeseburger down. You might be covering up a valuable coupon or advertisement for a product or service you need. 

Just ask Phillip Tapia, president of Tray Display Advertising, Inc. (www.TrayDisplayAdvertising.com). His company sells advertising space on paper placemats and pizza box toppers that he distributes to select Colorado fast food restaurants, like Wendy’s and Little Caesar’s Pizza.

Phillip started his Colorado Springs-based company three years ago. He credits his father, Mike, for providing him with the novel business idea. “My father created a company in the early ‘90s where he sold advertising space on liquor and video store plastic bags. He told me he thought of selling advertising space on fast food tray liners, but he never launched the idea,” shares Phillip. “I thought it’s never too late to try, plus people go to fast food restaurants more then ever and restaurants still use placemats today.”

One might say Phillip was groomed to be in the advertising business. “I grew up in the industry. My father was a radio account executive for 27 years, and he took me to many station events and promotions,” he recalls. “For the past 22 years of my life, it was like being in advertising school everyday!”

Phillip puts his years of training to work when he negotiates advertising contracts with local and national advertisers, like Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Crayola, and Fantastic Sams. In general, he fills up one entire side of a placemat or pizza box topper with ads and features a coloring contest on the back. Advertisers benefit by gaining a captive audience of hundreds of thousands of fast food diners; restaurants benefit because they don’t have to pay for the placemats.

Although Phillip’s business has grown rapidly over the years, it is still family-operated — comprised of himself, his mom and dad, and his fiancée, Cassie — and it is still based from home. “It has worked out great to be home-based, because I like the idea that you can work when you want, any time of the day,” he says. “My company has no overhead, no overtime, no problems — if it needs to get done, we can take care of it.” HBM

Previously published in the April 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com