How To Start Your Own Card Making Business
Posted: Friday, March 27, 2009
by LeahG Artist
Cartoon & Illustration Services
A few years ago, I turned a hobby into a small work from home business and I'd like to share with you what I learned along the way and offer tips and advice on 'how to start your own card making business'.
Before you take the decision to revolve a business around what is otherwise a hobby you must decide whether this type of business is going to be time and cost effective. What this means is that you are making a good net profit (after all expenses deducted) and hourly rate so that you are not working for $1 an hour!
For example, spending 1hr making two cards at a production cost of $2 and selling them for $4 means that you've only made $2 net profit! $2 is not a great deal of money for one hours work.
Thus, to make money from making cards, you need to keep your costs low and create designs that look fabulous, yet can be made rapidly in order to make this business worth while.
Do your research on the web and via craft magazines/books (found at the library to avoid extra expense) to see the great variety of card materials and designs that you can use to create your own distinct product.
When you havefound some designs that fit your business brief and cater for the many different card markets, ie birthdays, anniversary's,weddings,moving home, sympathy etc then you are ready research card making materials.
If you are starting small to see if this is the small business for you, visit your local craft store and buy a small amount of materials and try out your designs. Trial them on friends and family and see what they think.
If you are confident that you have the designs then look into how you intend to market these cards.
Places to distribute locally to where you live include:
If you want to sell them online, you can do so via eBay. Visit eBay and search for 'handmade cards' to see how other sellers promote their products, the prices they ask and the designs that seem popular. I found that things like graduation cards and Halloween cards which are not so easily available on the high street, sold quite well.
You can offer to personalise the card with a greeting etc if you sell your cards online.
You could also get yourself a website or free blog fairly inexpensively. Blogger.com blogs allow paypal buttons to be added so you can sell right from your free blog or you could buy a website and domain for as little as $6 a month with some website packages available on the Internet.
It's fairly hard to promote a website, but you can do so more easily by joining craft forums and having your website url in your signature etc.
I approached businesses through friends of the family and made their corporate Christamas cards. This can be very lucrative. You personalise the greeeting and include the company logo etc and offer a design unique and tailored to match their business product.
When you are confident you can make great cards and have an avenue to sell them, research card making wholesalers. Importing craft making materials wholesale can save you 's on local bought items but be aware of the shipping costs and ensure that you include this when calulating how much a single card costs to make, so you can price it accordingly when you sell it.
Summary Tips:
Before you take the decision to revolve a business around what is otherwise a hobby you must decide whether this type of business is going to be time and cost effective. What this means is that you are making a good net profit (after all expenses deducted) and hourly rate so that you are not working for $1 an hour!
Thus, to make money from making cards, you need to keep your costs low and create designs that look fabulous, yet can be made rapidly in order to make this business worth while.
Do your research on the web and via craft magazines/books (found at the library to avoid extra expense) to see the great variety of card materials and designs that you can use to create your own distinct product.
When you havefound some designs that fit your business brief and cater for the many different card markets, ie birthdays, anniversary's,weddings,moving home, sympathy etc then you are ready research card making materials.
If you are starting small to see if this is the small business for you, visit your local craft store and buy a small amount of materials and try out your designs. Trial them on friends and family and see what they think.
If you are confident that you have the designs then look into how you intend to market these cards.
Places to distribute locally to where you live include:
- Playgroups and schools - offer them a small % per card sold
- Library
- Chemists
- Hair salons
- Florists
- Local newsagents
If you want to sell them online, you can do so via eBay. Visit eBay and search for 'handmade cards' to see how other sellers promote their products, the prices they ask and the designs that seem popular. I found that things like graduation cards and Halloween cards which are not so easily available on the high street, sold quite well.
You can offer to personalise the card with a greeting etc if you sell your cards online.
You could also get yourself a website or free blog fairly inexpensively. Blogger.com blogs allow paypal buttons to be added so you can sell right from your free blog or you could buy a website and domain for as little as $6 a month with some website packages available on the Internet.
It's fairly hard to promote a website, but you can do so more easily by joining craft forums and having your website url in your signature etc.
I approached businesses through friends of the family and made their corporate Christamas cards. This can be very lucrative. You personalise the greeeting and include the company logo etc and offer a design unique and tailored to match their business product.
When you are confident you can make great cards and have an avenue to sell them, research card making wholesalers. Importing craft making materials wholesale can save you 's on local bought items but be aware of the shipping costs and ensure that you include this when calulating how much a single card costs to make, so you can price it accordingly when you sell it.
Summary Tips:
- Create some designs that can be made quickly and cheaply and yet still look great!
- Research materials
- Research marketing avenues
- Create an eBay account
- Create a blog or website
- Visit local small businesses to see if they will display your cards for a small % of the profit
- Research wholesale craft suppliers
- Register your small business according to your countries law regarding small business/self employment
LeahG Artist and Designer
Leah left the retail and health management world a few years ago to become a freelance writer and artist. She now enjoys creating funky vibrant cartoons and illsutrations for websites, promotional materials and as gifts. Leah would love to illustrate her own children's books in the future. Presently she is creating cartoon and cartoon mascots for business clients.
Visit LeahG's Cartoon and Illustration Services website here for updates and latest art work.
Leah left the retail and health management world a few years ago to become a freelance writer and artist. She now enjoys creating funky vibrant cartoons and illsutrations for websites, promotional materials and as gifts. Leah would love to illustrate her own children's books in the future. Presently she is creating cartoon and cartoon mascots for business clients.
Visit LeahG's Cartoon and Illustration Services website here for updates and latest art work.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)I must say, you live up to your pen name, you are certainly creative.Thanks Linda, I also forgot to add here, that you can start your own onlien craft club via a forum or via Google groups. These also help promote the business and are fun!
My granddaughter makes amazing cards, i'll email her your article.
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