by Kate HarperAdvantage #2 You can change designs quickly.
I know that every card I put on the market is a risk.
Sometimes I feel so confident that a card is going to do well but later on I find out it was a flop. On some occasions the opposite happens. Over the years I have come to narrow down the options of what I think will work, but ultimately, I never know.
At times I have had reps tell me to change the color or materials of the card, because they think it will sell better. It is easy to do this quickly and get the card back into the market, which is an advantage over larger companies who commercially printcards. Their changes are going to incur more time, more risk and more expense.
Having to change your original idea one or more times is a normal part of any business, but especially in the card business which is a fashion industry. The most often asked question by store buyers is "What's new?"
The card industry constantly demands new ideas and designs. It's not like selling tools, where once a hammer sells, the store just reorders the same hammer to restock the shelf. You can expect greeting card store shelves to change every three months, with new items, new designs and new card makers, (and possibly, to your advantage, one of them might be you).
It's hard to go back to the drawing board and redo the design, but as a hand-crafted card maker, you really do have an advantage. You can try many ideas, readjust them quickly and then get back in the market quickly.
See Other Advantages of a Handmade Card Business:
Handmade Card Business Part 1: Financial Investment
Handmade Card Business Part 2: You Change Designs Quickly
Handmade Card Business Part 3: Take Advantage of Trends
Handmade Card Business Part 4: More Designs & High Quality
Handmade Card Business Part 5: Higher Retail Price
Handmade Card Business Part 6: Homebased
Handmade Card Business Part 7: Easier for Beginners
Handmade Card Business Part 8: Card & Gift in one
1 comment:
Great post. I have plugged your terrific blog on my card related post today. I think my days as a card designer really sharpened my design skills and the ability to produce a gazillion ideas fast. That ability has served me well in everything I do. It also gave me thick skin, because as you say not every card is a hit.
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