After her divorce, Brindsay Beard was ready for a new adventure. So when the longtime owners of M&M Copy Service (now Bellefonte Print Shop, Bellefonte, Pa.) decided to retire, she did something that surprised even herself. She bought the business. It wasn’t just any business. It was an old-fashioned print shop with character, charm, and a loyal customer base that had come to expect beautiful work at crowd-pleasing prices.

As a businessperson, Brindsay knew she had some work to do. As an artist, she was captivated by the potential. Her mind lit up with ideas, like turning the shop into a creative hub for local artists and photographers. The chance to learn the craft of printing from the ground up intrigued her.  

She rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

“I Get What It’s Like”

Three years later, the hands-on education she received in “all things printing” now drives her passion for helping others.

“I know what it’s like to feel lost in the printing process,” she says with a smile. “Most of my customers come in not knowing what’s possible or what to even ask for. I remember being in that same spot. That experience helps me put myself in their shoes and guide them step by step.”

The trick, of course, has been helping customers understand the true value of that guidance. Under the old owners, pricing was incredibly low, and Brindsay sometimes wondered how they managed to keep the doors open, especially with the rising costs post-COVID.

That’s why one of the first things she did was adjust prices to reflect all of the different aspects that go into preparation of a job, something many customers were unfamiliar with. “The previous owners didn’t charge for design,” Brindsay explains. “They’d create postcards or flyers, make them look beautiful, and only charge for the printing. I knew I had to start adding a small setup fee.”

A Little Bit of Pushback

Needless to say, not everyone was in love with the change. But Brindsay packed her patience. . . and her optimism. “At first, a few people were unsure,” she admits. “Some even decided to try other places. But before long, most realized that our prices were still very fair and that the service and care we put in were hard to find elsewhere.”

Brindsay remembers one regular customer who ordered lots of notecards. “She would send us the artwork, and we’d help make everything look just right—centering, aligning, and double-checking every detail. When I took over, I had to start charging a small fee for that work.”

Needless to say, the customer wasn’t crazy about the change at first, and she didn’t place any orders for a few months. But soon enough, those orders started flowing again. “She told me she didn’t realize how much behind-the-scenes work went into making things look so good,” Brindsay says. “We laughed about it, and now she’s one of my favorite repeat customers.”

Those moments taught Brindsay an important lesson. “I used to take every single job that came through the door, even when it wasn’t quite the right fit,” she says. “Now I’ve learned that when I focus on what I do best, everyone ends up happier.”

New-Found Confidence

Over time, Brindsay has found her rhythm. She’s learned to balance kindness with confidence and to take pride in the consultative, personal touch her small-town business brings. “I love that part of my job—helping people figure out what they need, offering advice, and watching their ideas come to life,” she says.

Most of her business now comes through word of mouth, as satisfied customers share their experiences with others. Bellefonte Print Shop is thriving on the strength of those relationships, printing everything from business cards and restaurant menus to art prints for local creatives.

“I show up every day to do what I love,” Brindsay says. “And I’m so grateful to the people who’ve stuck with me through all the changes.” But of course, the strength of those customer relationships shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Brindsay, herself, had a lot to do with that.