Timing Everything for Frame Venture
By MICHAEL GIBBS
The Northwest Herald
June 12, 2003

WOODSTOCK,IL - An anniversary present from her daughter has developed into the picture-perfect business for Sharon Alm. Alm has opened Time Frames out of her home, producing custom-made picture frames using a customer's favorite photo images.

"My daughter called in 2001 asking me to send her some photos of our wedding," Sharon Alm said. "It was our wedding anniversary and she wanted to make my husband and me a gift."

"I did not know what she was going to do, but I took the 8-by-10 photos from my old wedding album to a print shop, made copies and sent them to my daughter. "She brought us a beautiful picture frame that told the story of our wedding, with the copied photos of our wedding placed around the edge of the frame."

Alm decided one good deed deserved another. Her grandson was going to celebrate his first birthday in November 2001. Alm used the occasion to create her first Time Frame. "I celebrated the first year of his life by taking one picture of him from each month and placing them around the picture frame," she said. "From there, I went to my neighbors, asked if I could use pictures of their children and started making Time Frames for them."

Alm and her husband, Howard, who were living in Indiana at the time, later took a trip to Lake Zurich to visit family members. Their daughter-in-law suggested Alm go to the Country Sampler in Lake Zurich and ask to display her frames. Country Sampler's owners welcomed the frames, and Alm soon began receiving Time Frame orders from Illinois.

In September 2002, the Alms moved from Indiana to Woodstock. During the next few months, Alm created more than 100 Time Frames. Her displays were placed inside Country Sampler's Naperville store and inside a mall near Indianapolis.

"Word of mouth kept spreading and I kept getting more orders," Alm said. "I've had Time Frames sent to Russia and England. I just received a call from someone wanting to send a Time Frame to France. "It is interesting to see where the orders come from. People give the Time Frames as gifts; then the person who received the Time Frame gives a similar gift to someone else."

"Each frame is as unique as the person giving it and receiving it. They all tell different stories."

As the number of orders continued to increase, Alm decided she could open Time Frames as a business. She plans to remain "semi-retired" by operating the business at her own pace.

"I taught school for 25 years and also have worked in advertising layout and design at two newspapers," Alm said. "Those jobs require a person be creative. They probably played a part in my interest in opening a business like Time Frames."

To place an order with Time Frames, customers need to mail Alm a minimum of 12-18 photos for 5-by-7 inch or 8-by-10 inch frames and a minimum of 20-25 photos for an 11-by-14 inch frame. Unless customers give specific directions on the placement of photos, Alm will randomly select the photos and order in which they appear on the frame.

"My husband helps by handling all the book work, running to the post office and going out to pick up supplies. He is my 'go-fer' and my support system."