Monks are often believed to have profound knowledge brought about by years of solitude and religious asceticism. Less widely acknowledged is their understanding of online marketing, which has been illustrated in a New York Times article published earlier this week.
The Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank is home to an order of Roman Catholic monks, who are expected to support themselves with a life of work and prayer, according to the Rule of St Benedict.
In a feature entitled 2 Entrepreneurs Help a Monastery Thrive, the multi-million pound business operations of this distinct band of Wisconsin-based monks are highlighted.
The monastery's leader is 42-year-old Rev Bernard McCoy, who came up with the idea for LaserMonks.com in a moment of divine inspiration in 2002. The website supplies new and recycled cartridges to businesses at a fraction of the retail cost, providing funding for the day-to-day running of the religious fraternity.
However, the start-up only really become profitable when the monks invited the help of two entrepreneurs - self-confessed yuppie Sarah Caniglia and Cindy Griffith. These two women, attracted by the "contemplative, balanced and simple" business environment, have expanded the company's operations substantially since coming on board. In 2003 alone, the website multiplied its sales by 700 per cent and the company is projecting a doubling or tripling of last year's figures, which totalled $4.5 million in revenue. From this income, operational costs account for around 80 per cent - with the monastery using ten per cent and the remaining percentage given to charity.
Ms Caniglia explained the attraction of the product to the newspaper: "It's environmentally safe [and] the print is great. It's a no-brainer."
However, the website does not only sell printing cartridges. The two entrepreneurs have used LaserMonks.com as a platform to flog a variety of other products, including dog treats named Benevolent Biscuits, coffee, gifts of faith and Gregorian chanting CDs.
This article generated so much traffic to the LaserMonks' site that the organization was forced to open its phone lines from 7am on Wednesday and Thursday this week. And the national coverage has not halted there. Following its publication, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has also covered the story, offering the cartridge providers more advertising.
Father McCoy offered a valuable insight for small start-ups wishing to replicate LaserMonks success. He said: "We are professional prayers."
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