How to Start Your Own Business Making Greeting Cards
"When you care enough to send the very best"...Hallmark launched that advertising campaign more than a half-century ago, yet most Americans still identify with those simple words. For all the times you've opened one of their envelopes and laughed or cried, there may have been a few other times when you have thought to yourself --gee, I could have written that. If you have the notion to be the next big thing in greeting cards, fulfilling your dreams may not be so far-fetched. While e-cards certainly have encroached upon the traditional market, greeting cards and their distribution still represent a billion dollar industry and the Internet that hinders may also help. If you have what it takes, you might just be able to jump on to that billion dollar bandwagon.
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Instructions
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Learn about the industry. Before you venture out on your own, you need to understand the industry, the market, and, most importantly, the product. Working in a greeting card store is good place to start. Understanding what sells is an important component to your future success. Put in some time at a local store and take a lesson from the buying public. Also, educate yourself about paper stock, ink and reproduction methods used in greeting card design and production.
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Try freelancing. You can have your own business by working for others on a contracted basis. While most cards are mass produced by the industry leaders, up to 1/3 of greeting cards are designed and written by freelancers. Being a freelance writer or artist allows you to reap the rewards without the headaches. Submit your work to the giants like Hallmark and American Greeting and also submit to smaller companies. Blue Mountain Arts sponsors periodic greeting card contests that are open to the public. In addition, they encourage new artists to submit their work. Visit their website below and submit your greeting.
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Choose your talents. The perfect greeting card is rarely just about the sentiment. Captivating artwork and photography can sometimes say more than words. Employ whatever your strengths and create mock-up cards--lots of them. Practice makes perfect.
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Custom design your cards. Before you begin with mass production to the millions--start small. A single piece of art turned into a personal greeting card can garner more success for your fledgling company than a misguided attempt to flood an already large market.
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Produce your card in multiples. Today's computers, software and printers offer the amateur card-maker easy access to professional looking cards. Check out the below website for a comparison of greeting card software. Personalize your work with your own uploaded art, photography, calligraphy and words, then reproduce several of your best.
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Market your work. Start with local stores that sell not only greeting cards and novelty items, but food and family supplies. You may already be struck by the seemingly unusual places greetings cards pop up. Coffee shops double as art galleries; farmer's markets sell crafts--and both sell greeting cards that have a professional, but not mass-produced feel. There's a niche out there, and your work may well be able to fill it.
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Consider alternate markets like religious affiliates or specific clubs and organizations. Find other markets by looking at graphic design magazines. Start by checking out the "Artist's & Graphic Design Market" book (website below) and considering their submission guidelines as you produce your own product.
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Sell through the Internet. Have a web designer produce a website for your greeting card company with a PayPal or credit card link where you can sell e-cards or ship actual greeting cards to customers' homes.
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Tips & Warnings
Because beginning a successful greeting card business is such a difficult endeavor, it is important not to rely on a single method. Freelance while you sell your cards at crafts fairs, art shows and local merchants. One of your best methods of advertising will be word of mouth and the interest you can build on the Internet. Expand your business by selling to the chains through a catalog of your work. Your catalog should be professional and updated frequently.
While submitting freelance work to the big companies, do not be discouraged by their rejections. They receive many more offers than they can look at, let alone accept.
Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/
