How to Sell Handmade Cards

Turn your handmade cards into cash.

Selling handmade cards takes time, research and determination but you can make money selling your cards. Your success will be based on the effort you put in. The Internet has multiple resources you can access to accelerate the process of selling and advertising your cards. You have the potential to turn your hobby of making handmade cards into a business while having the freedom of keeping flexible hours.

Things You'll Need

• Your handmade cards
• Business cards with your name, contact information and Web site showcasing your work
• An online and hard copy portfolio containing samples of your cards
• An email address

Instructions

1. Take a few courses on how to start a business to educate yourself on various aspects of starting and running a home-based business. A free online course can be found at Myownbusiness.org to help get you started with everything from accounting and cash flow to opening and marketing your own business.

2. Photograph your handmade cards and upload them onto a Web site to create a public online portfolio. Print out pictures and assemble a hard copy portfolio to carry with you. Both portfolios should list prices for each card.

3. Create business cards to hand out to potential clients and merchants; the cards can be purchased or homemade. Print basic information such as your business name if you have one, your name, contact information such as a phone number and email address and the URL to your site containing your online portfolio.

4. Sell handmade cards to your friends and family and give them each a few of your business cards to hand out to expand your client base network. Offer them a few samples of your best cards to physically show off your work.

5. According to Entrepreneur, the Internet is a highly effective channel to reach your potential market through personal networking sites such as MySpace, Twitter and Facebook, while using public sites such as Craigslist, eBay and Etsy. Sell your handmade cards through local community groups and e-mail your network.

6. Call local stores for permission to set up a display in their store. Ask if you can sell your cards in their store and be prepared to set up a deal with the shop owners such as giving up a percentage of your commission or selling your cards upfront for the exclusive use of the store.

7. Contact local craft shows, festivals and events to set up a booth. Some organized events charge a booth fee, but the opportunity to physically promote your handmade cards in venues teeming with potential clients may be well worth the cost. According to Entrepreneur, even if you do not get a booth, you can always do business with the exhibitors.

8. Hand out as many business cards as possible. High school and college campuses, shopping malls, store parking lots and many other public places are popular places to advertise or to simply hand out fliers and cards. Obtain permission to hand out cards before doing so, and educate yourself on local solicitation policies.

Tips & Warnings

• The more variety your cards have, the more potential your cards have to appealing to different groups of people.

• Find and network with other fellow craftspersons to make new friends and gain valuable advice.

• Be positive and realize that home-based businesses face difficulty at first, but ultimately can be successful.

• Always make sure your advertising tactics are legal. If you are unsure, research before taking action.

• Keep detailed records of financial records in case there is a transaction discrepancy and for tax purposes.

References

• Entrepreneur: 21 Ways to Bring in the Business
• Entrepreneur: Taking Your New Product to Market

Resources

• U.S. Small Business Administration: Small Business Planner
• My Own Business: Take the Course