Postcards are popular among tourists when vacationing in a new locale. Businesses also use postcards as a method to promote their services and products. These two market segments present an opportunity for an entrepreneur to create a postcard product and make money with postcards. The overhead costs are low, and a little marketing creativity ensures that there is potential to grow. Learn how to make money with postcards as a new revenue stream.

Create a simple business plan. It does not need to be elaborate at the onset. However, you will want to identify your business goals and how you expect to achieve them. Be sure to outline your expected income and expenses, as well as an approximate time line for your plan.

Research your potential market. One of the biggest markets for postcards is the tourist market. Outside of this sector is the business of marketing and advertising. Businesses often employ postcards as a form of cheap direct mail. If you wish to test that market segment, talk to local businesses and marketing firms to determine whether there is a need in your area.

Obtain a source for your postcards. If you plan to sell them as tourist souvenirs or in a similar market, contact local art galleries and local photographers. These two demographics are eager to get their art seen by the public, and are often willing to give you an economical source of postcards to sell.

Contact local printers if you are planning to sell postcards as a marketing item. Outsourcing your printing needs is often more economical for a start-up business than purchasing a printer and desktop publishing software.

Set realistic prices. Observe the cost of similar merchandise. For example, tourist postcards often sell for $0.25 to $0.75. If you price your postcards higher than this, you may lose customers. Thus, it is critical to find a source of postcards that is approximately 75 percent cheaper than the price at which you wish to sell the postcards. This ensures a suitable profit margin.

Keep careful records of your finances. Small businesses often founder when they experience unexpected expenses or lose track of their profit margins. Selling postcards to make money can be a successful business opportunity, but requires careful planning and execution.