How to Start a Scrapbook Business

Create a portfolio of your work to show prospective clients.

Scrapbooking is not just a popular hobby. If you are skilled at creating memory books and pages, you can convert your hobby into an income-generating home business. You can begin a home-based scrapbook business for about $200 with as little as two weeks of preparation time. Busy families, those looking for a special gift, and businesses in need of an approachable marketing piece are all potential clients.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Find out if your state, county and/or city requires you to obtain a business license. Check with the Secretary of State's Office for state requirements and with your city or county finance department for local requirements. Complete all paperwork and pay all fees. In most areas of the country, you can obtain all licenses and permits for $50 to $150, as long as you do not have additional paid employees.

2. Create a portfolio of your work to show prospective clients. Choose an attractive but professional album and fill it with your most beautiful memory pages. You may create multiple albums in popular sizes such as the traditional 12 inch by 12 inch and 8 inch by 8 inch memory albums and the 4 inch by 6 inch gift book. If you intend to approach business clients and you have not completed a business album before, consider approaching a local small business owner that you know and offer to create a free or low-cost scrapbook for her if she will let you make a second copy for you to use as a sample.

3. Find suppliers. Evaluate your local craft stores to see who has the best prices. Find online suppliers that offer wholesale discounts to business owners. Note all conditions including minimum order requirements and shipping costs. Decide whether you wish to become a consultant with a scrapbook supply company. You may incur additional fees to become a consultant and the company may restrict what you sell and/or require you to carry stock, but you may be able to make additional money selling supplies to other scrapbookers.

4. Create a menu of services. You can offer individual personalized pages, entire scrapbooks using the client's pictures, pre-assembled gift books to which the recipient must only add pictures, pre-assembled memory pages and more. List prices for standard services. For complex services such as creating entire albums, state "quoted by project" rather than listing a price. Make several copies of your menu on heavy stock so you can hand them out to prospective customers. You may wish to make a separate price list for business clients.

5. Order business cards. Online printers offer affordable pricing, pre-designed templates and quick turnaround. They also run frequent specials like 250 business cards for $20 or less, including shipping.

6. Market your business. Tell everyone you know about your new business. Post business cards or fliers on community bulletin boards at craft stores, coffee shops and bookstores. If your budget allows, consider purchasing a domain name and creating a website. Explore websites such as eBay and Etsy to find online outlets for your products. Call on small business owners who might need your services such as florists, caterers, fine restaurants, interior decorators and wedding planners. Use social media sites such as Facebook to let people know about your new venture.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you land your first client, do an amazing job and meet your deadline! Word-of-mouth advertising and referrals are invaluable in this business.

References

• Work At Home Moms:How to Start a Scrapbooking Business
• Frugal Mom: How to Start a Scapbooking Business

Resources

• Vistaprint
• Etsy