Miranda Pederson/Daily NewsMike and Barbara Calvin own The UPS Store No. 2058 at 1945 Scottsville Road in Bowling Green.

Each week, the Daily News profiles a locally owned business.

Name of business: The UPS Store No. 2058

Location: 1945 Scottsville Road, Bowling Green, behind Rafferty’s in the Thoroughbred Square Shopping Center

Contact: 842-7299; fax: 842-7299; e-mail: Store2058@theupsstore.com, or www.theupsstorelocal.com/2058

Type of business: Packaging and shipping

When did it open? 1993

Owners: Mike and Barbara Calvin

Number of employees: Five

Specialties: Printing services, freight, private mailboxes, postal services, notary services, passport photos

How did the business get started? The store was initially opened as Mail Boxes Etc. back in 1993. It was intended to cater to locally owned businesses that were too small to staff full-time mail and shipping departments. Once the Mail Boxes Etc. parent company was purchased by UPS, the stores were renamed “The UPS Stores” and became more individual and small-business oriented. No longer are there shipping surcharges that were associated with independent shipping business or outlets. We now ship at the same cost as the UPS terminals.

What is your background? Barbara has worked as a shipping manager for a local retailer so this business is a natural fit for us. It’s an industry we know.

What are your biggest challenges as a business? Keeping costs down is the biggest challenge. To stay competitive in any business in today’s economy, controlling cost is the most important.

What’s your business philosophy? Be consistent in what we do and treat our customers the same way we would like to be treated.

What issues are affecting your industry? Rising costs is the biggest part, especially fuel prices. As fuel prices rise, the cost of shipping raises with it.

What are the factors that make your business successful? Customer service is the biggest factor. Today’s businesses are graded the most on customer service so we strive to do whatever it takes to meet our customer’s needs.

How do you handle competition? Make sure our customer service is the best in the city. Printed on each one of our receipts is a website for a customer satisfaction survey. We encourage every customer to fill this out and let us know how we are doing. We currently have a 98 percent satisfaction rating.

What is your advice to someone thinking about opening a business? Do your homework, be passionate about it, and be prepared to work a lot of hours but enjoy it.