Ten years ago, Cynda Krajewski, a former Northwest Indiana resident, left her previous employer, a well-known greeting company, when it decided to change its business model and greet new homeowners by mail instead of in person.

Krajewski knew that her business clients appreciated the value of the personal touch when welcoming new homeowners, which led to her decision to develop the company now known as Glad2BHome.

After 10 years of successful operation in the metropolitan Phoenix area, Krajewski decided to expand Glad2BHome throughout the nation and contacted her friend, Renae Vania-Tomczak, of Munster, who was ready to leave the grant-writing business.

"I was working in Chicago and really missed the people of Northwest Indiana," Vania-Tomczak said. "I was tired of being in an office all day. I really wanted to get back out into the community, and Cynda knew she couldn't do this alone."

So the two divided the country in half with Vania-Tomczak handling all the states east of the Mississippi.

Glad2BHome is a contemporary approach to welcoming new homeowners. Home greeters present new homeowners with a welcome tote bag filled with information about the community and local businesses in the form of maps, a business directory, gift certificates, samples and promotional items.

The goal is to connect with a homeowner within the first month they have moved into their new residence, making the transition easier.

"When I was first approached about this opportunity, I was reminded of the time when I moved to Munster 10 years ago," Vania-Tomczak said. "We moved into West Lakes and were the eighth house in the whole subdivision. There was no neighborly welcome for me or no one to ask for advice about a good doctor, dentist, gift shop, mechanic. So I took it upon myself as new neighbors moved in to drop off a welcome gift for our closest neighbors and answer any questions they had."

Vania-Tomczak considers home greeting to be a great part-time job for stay-at-home mothers and plans to hire in Dyer, St. John, Schererville, Merrillville, Hobart and Valparaiso. She also thinks it's a good opportunity for local businesses.

"Our service offers an affordable, targeted approach to reach new homeowners and allows for a personal introduction of the business to persons who have no set shopping or buying patterns," she said. "I also think no one is doing this in the area, so there's not much competition. I think this can be a win-win for everyone involved."