"Customers are able to feel more at ease when they walk in the door, because they're not interrupting an operator doing a large job," she explains.

The small sign taped to the back wall provides an indication of how Welch's employees feel about the store.

Childish handwriting in black marker on a sheet of pink copy paper proclaims: "Gnomon Copy is the best + number ONE." Smiley faces adorn all the o's, and a large heart is drawn in the margin.

Welch emphasizes providing a good environment for her workers.

"We treat our employees with respect," she says. "We're always happy and in a good mood."

And, she says, the results are obvious.

"In a copy center, you usually have a high turnover of employees," Welch says. "Most of our staff has been with us five years or longer."

Employee satisfaction, Welch says, translates to customer satisfaction.

"Customers know that when they walk in the door, there will be somebody there who will recognize them and they know they can leave their document and they will get it back," she says.

Hence, Welch has aimed for a customer-friendly environment, right down to the purple candy jar on the counter bearing the words, "Gnomon Copy; Thank You."

For Norman Shapiro, owner of the Gnomon at 99 Mt. Auburn St., the services he provides are what differentiates his store and gives it the competitive edge.

"We have the largest amount of high-speed equipment [of the three Gnomons in the Square]," Shapiro says.

Shapiro's is also the only one of the three to offer computers for customer use.

He says customers on the west side of JFK Street go to him for convenience's sake, but adds that because they require his special equipment, commercial accounts and university departments also help bring in profits.

"We've expanded four times in the past ten years," Shapiro says.