Millions of postcards from the one holiday

Back in 1992 while on holiday, Pat Mackle found attractive free postcards sitting in an European cafe.

Inspired, the otherwise successful film editor became an entrepreneur, took a few sample cards back home to Sydney and startied Avant Card, now Australia’s biggest free postcard advertising company, with more than 1200 distribution spots in cafes, galleries, cinemas, clubs, pubs and libraries scattered all over the country.

How Pat Mackle got Avant Card to where it is

• She launched Avant Card from home with a grant from the Federal Government’s New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS).
• As part of the NEIS scheme, took part in an intensive, five week small business course.

Pat told Work Ventures’ Trailblazing report the process wasn’t easy:

“There were 700 applications for 30 places on the course,and after that 20 of us were funded with a grant. We had mentors as part of the course, so I had a credible business plan to take to the bank when I needed a loan. You could meet your mentor as often as you liked, and also you could go back to Sydney Business Enterprise Centre with any problems or hurdles you struck in the first year. It was amazing. It’s the reason my business is running still.”

• She had 10 postcard display stands and the enthusiasm to hit the streets and sell a ‘foreign’ concept to potential clients. Now there’s more than 1200 display stands with a fortnightly print run of over one million postcards!

Avant Card are into People Planet Profit! by…

• Exercising a power to ban offensive cards and ban all images of smoking from their cards.
• Working closely with not for profits and charities, sponsoring them on their first print run.
• Sponsoring community and arts events like Mental Health Week, Sydney Festival, Open Air Cinema and Flickerfest.

Also look out for our own Pigs Will Fly postcards in a postcard display stand when you go to the movies this weekend!