Small Business Q & A: Dollar Wise Cartridge

Editor's Note: Patch has teamed up with the West Cobb Business Association to get the word out about the small businesses of the area through . Any and all West Cobb business owners are welcome to participate. Simply email michael.stone@patch.com for more information.

Dollar Wise Cartridge, LLC

Location: Administrative offices in Kennesaw, and warehouse in Atlanta
Contact information: 678-202-5880 or save@dollarwisecartridge.com
Website: www.dollarwisecartridge.com or www.dollarwisecartridgemobile.com
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am to 6pm
Who you are: Mark Zangari
Relationship to Business: Owner
Founding year: 2010

What do you offer customers?
Dollar Wise Cartridge sells ink and toner cartridges. Dollar Wise offers all of the major manufacturers’ brands, as well as factory-built, compatible cartridges that save customers up to 50 percent on printing costs. Quality products, superior customer service and affordable prices—that’s our commitment to you.  

What makes your business unique?
Dollar Wise Cartridge stands out from our competitors because we are an independent, family-owned company. We do not have to follow the rules of a franchise or corporate office of a national chain. We are deeply rooted in the local business community where we do the majority of our business. 

As an ambassador to the Keep it in Cobb Initiative, I like to let the local public know that when you buy from a small independent company like Dollar Wise Cartridge, $68 of every $100 stays in the local economy. For a national chain, it's $43. Our pricing, in most cases, is lower than what you would pay at a big-box store.  

What was your inspiration to starting your business?
I started my business because I was in the mortgage industry and needed to make a change due to the downturn in the real estate climate.  In the mortgage industry, we did a great deal of printing, and it was very costly. 

I had tried using refilled cartridges, but the quality was poor to say the least. I then tried buying online and quickly learned that I was being sold expired cartridges that offered poor results. I thought if I could come up with a way to offer quality products at affordable prices, I would be successful—and I have.  

What are the advantages of doing business in West Cobb?
As vice president of the West Cobb Business Association, I believe West Cobb is a great hub for business. We work closely with the Marietta and South Cobb Business Associations, where I also serve on the Board of Directors, as well as the Cobb chamber of Commerce, where I am an Ambassador. 

If you are starting a new business and would like to get involved with any of these fine organizations, or learn how to schedule a ribbon cutting for your business, contact me on my cell phone, 848-448-0066.

In times of a struggling economy, what advice would you give other business men and women to keep their business viable and growing?
I actually started my business in a struggling economy, when 40,000 small businesses a month were going under. I believe if you offer a product or service that can save your customers money—like factory-built compatible ink and toner cartridges—you will be successful. 

I believe the best way to keep your business growing is to get involved in the local community, so businesses and consumers know who you are and what you do.