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Based Business Idea
G
R E E T I N G C A R D D E S I G N E R:
Do
you enjoy the gift of giving and putting a smile on someone's
face? As a greeting card designer it is your business to bring a
smile to both the sender and receiver of a special thought. If you have a talent in design, or a special skill such as photography,
painting, drawing, or calligraphy you can put your artistic abilities to
work as a greeting
card designer.
What
Does a Greeting Card Designer Do?
You will design, develop and market unique and specialty cards for sale
at retail locations, on the Internet, from catalogues etc. Your
unique designs will represent your own creation.
Skills
Needed:
First
and foremost you will need artistic skills, Just as the name
"greeting card designer" is a craftsperson who enjoys the element
of adding a unique twist to the presentation of a word or gift. Of
course beauty is in the eye of the beholder but to be successful in this
market you will need to have a feeling for what the public as a whole
likes and desires. You should have your finger on the pulse of
what is popular or attractive.
As
an artist you can choose the medium in which you wish to work such as
pen, pastels, water colors, oils and the subject area including abstracts,
illustrations, photographs, still-life etc. You can also choose
which market you want to target. Decide on your style and the
style that you believe will sell. Peruse a Hallmark store and
you'll see the general categories of cards for age, emotion, special
occasion, humor etc. then decide where you fit - it's up to you.
Become familiar with your product market. Do you homework to
uncover which cards are the best sellers. What size of cards are
people buying? How does a commercial organizations purchase their
cards and what are they looking for?
Read
everything you can find on the greeting card industry. You should
be familiar with trends, where to locate quality resources,
distribution, and production. Understand the details of
basic supplies such as card stock and printing terminology. Where can you find cost
effective resources for production? If designing on the computer
use a software product that you can learn and use with ease.
Tools
of the Trade
Once
you have determined the style and requirements of your cards then you
will have a well-defined list of supplies and equipment for your
specific cards.
Of
course a typical card production system will require the artists tools -
brushes, paint, pens, drawing table, etc.), whereas a three-dimensional
custom paper production will require wash bins, special paper, dyes
etc., A computer generated card can require special software, quality
monitor and computer station. Each of these applications is so
different you will have to define your own tools for your unique set-up.
Typically
you will need quality paper samples and a solid portfolio in which to
transport your designs while you market to local merchants and specialty
locations. Your printer/paper supplier is an integral part of your
business and you need to research a reliable, well-priced and reputable
company.
Start-up
Costs:
You can start up a custom card business on a shoestring. If you
can cold-call and have a network of friends and contacts you can be in
business in a week. Nice flyer, a few cards in your portfolio and
out the door. People will like your work if it's fresh and
unique. You will quickly see if your business is going to be a
success. Don't put the cart before the horse and produce too many
cards before getting the customer feedback you need.
Be
realistic. You are creating a highly labor intensive product,
which will require you to charge a premium. If you don't charge
your time at what it's worth you may never get the return you are
searching for (unless it's a labor of love). If you are planning
to produce cards for substantial profits you may need to invest up to
$5,000 for equipment, $2,500 for printing and paper, and marketing costs
can run from $100 - $2,500.
Show
Me the Money!
People
still love getting the traditional card even with the e-card
competition. A printed e-card is just not as elegant as a custom
designed card. Custom cards add that special touch of showing that
you really care. No one wants to feel that their gift was an
afterthought. The US greeting-card business is a $6.85 billion
industry, involving over 1,500 companies, according to the Greeting Card
Association. Hallmark Cards, the nation's largest card-maker, had
revenues of $3.6 billion in 1996.
You
can expect your success to directly reflect the skill and time that you
invest into it. Avoid pitfalls by completing a well- defined
market survey to see the potential of your target market, the
amount they would pay, and which designs they like best. You must take
constructive criticism and be open to change/modify your original
plan. You will always have to tap into the needs of your
market.
Some
card designers make $25,000/year and others make much more.
Words
of inspiration: Hallmark founder Joyce C. Hall started the company
by selling picture postcards out of a shoe box.
Getting
Your Foot in the Door
Many
successful greeting card designers start the business out of a hobby
that they enjoy and were talented in. Like many hobbyists they
need to take the business to the next step for it to be successful.
One of the biggest obstacles is that "creative types"
typically do not enjoy or focus on the sale.
They are more comfortable with the design and creation process.
Well you must think of sales as creative (it certainly can be).
There are many creative ways to break into this market.
Announce
your business with a custom card of course! Hold home parties, go
door-to-door to small card and gift shops that are willing to take your
stock on consignment. Use traditional methods as well -
word-of-mouth, email friends and neighbors, cold-calling, flyers, a
press-release to your local paper. You may also be
interested in setting up a booth at a local function, fair or bazaar.
When
approaching shop owners be aware that they enjoy meeting the original
artist. Be prepared to present yourself and why they should
display your cards.
One
exciting and relatively new method to market a custom card is through an
online store. Creating a small business website can showcase your
cards and have a story about you and your background. You may want
to allow a customer to create or select from a set of pre-penned verses
and have a custom card sent to the home of the receiver. This will
entail the creation of an e-commerce store, which will need a shopping
cart, secure server for ordering, merchant account for credit card
payments, and payment gateway. Many web hosting companies provide
these services to their customers.
For
More Information
Books
Online
Resources
http://www.greetingcard.org
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