Kate Harper's Blog: 6/13/10

How to make a living in the Handmade Card Business

One of the smartest pieces of advice I ever got from someone in the handmade card business was "You should never be making the cards."

This doesn't mean you are forever banned from making cards. It means that if you want to make a living in the handmade card business, make it scalable. You cannot grow if you are the only one making your cards.

There are many great business plan classes out there, but most are service oriented instead of manufacturing oriented. If you plan on entering the card business professionally, and hope to work with sales reps and sell nationwide, here are some basic questions you will need ask youself. Think of this as your one page business plan:

Profit Quiz
Can you physically make and ship 5,000 cards a month by yourself_____?

How much profit will you make on those 5,000 cards (subtract all materials, commission, labor expenses) _____?

If your material expenses are too high, can you lower them with these strategies _____?

How many hours does it take you to make 5,000 cards_____ ? Is it worth the pay per hour_____?

Can you afford to hire other people to make the cards _____?

How much will you pay them to make each card _____?

After you pay them, what will your profit be per month for 5,000 cards_____?

CONCLUSION: You want to aim for at least a 20% profit per card for yourself. If you are shipping approximately 5,000-10,000 cards per month, and your profit is 20% or more per card, it is possible to make a full time income in this business.

Have any advice, opinions, views on this from your own experience?
Leave a comment below:

Handmade Card Business Articles by Kate Harper

Backcopy:What to print on the back of your cards

The Handmade Card Business: Card Codes

The Handmade Card Business: All About Envelopes

Starting a Handmade Card Business: Manufacturing

How to Make a Living in the Handmade Card Business

Making Cards: Questions to Ask

Simplify Card Making for a Profit

How to Set Up a Handmade Card Factory

Paying People to Make Your Cards

Greeting Card Advice from a Sales Rep perspective

What You Didn’t Know About Starting a Greeting Card Line is a great 3 part article by Carolyn Edlund blog that all new card businesses should read. Here are the topics covered from the perspective of a sales rep.

Click on Part 1 Part 2 or Part 3 to see explanations of topics.

PART 1: Topics

Forget about selling a line of blank cards

Greeted card lines must be in the proper proportions.

Start with “Everyday Cards”.

The 80/20 rule applies. . .

Start small and find out what sells.

Cards are usually sold wholesale in packs of six.

Part 2: Topics

How big of a line do you need?

You can have what is called a “pre-select”.

Where do you find display racks?

What size should your cards be?

What size should your cards NOT be?

Indicator Cards.

Define your market.

You are not Hallmark.

Part 3: Topics

How should you price your cards?

What about minimums?

What about returns?

Should you have sales reps selling your line?

Where do you find a sales rep?

Treat your reps well.

What about niche markets?

Should you exhibit at a trade show?

Why shouldn’t you just use CafePress or Zazzle to print your cards?

What other alternatives are there?

Read Articles 1,2 &3 What You Didn’t Know About Starting a Greeting Card Line

Card Publisher Looking for Writers

JQ Greetings is a new company looking for humor copy with that extra spark of wit and originality. What kind of card humor makes you laugh out loud? That's what they're looking for in the following everyday captions:

Birthday
General/Male/Female
Friendship (especially woman to woman)
Anniversary
Thinking of You
Just for Fun (thought for the day/ joke to share)
Get Well
Baby Congrats
Missing You
Thank You
Hi/Hello
Love
Congratulations
Hang in There/Cope

THEIR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. If Mailing: Text should be on 3” x 5” index cards, one piece of copy per card. Please number your cards so we can refer to a specific sentiment easily. We prefer typed sentiments unless you have really excellent handwriting anyone can decipher. Include your name, address, phone number and email on the back of each card.

2. If Emailing: Number each idea/verse and include name and contact info. Email to jwright406@aol.com

3. Send us only your best ideas, and no more than 12 at a time. We are not interested in receiving copy that is already out there.

4. Avoid anything too raunchy, but naughty or slightly suggestive is okay.

5. If Mailing: Send a SASE with your submission or we will not be able to return it.

6. Rhymes are okay as long as they are fresh, funny and original.

7. Response time is 1 to 4 weeks.

8. If Mailing: Please send your submissions to: JQ Greetings, P.O. Box 1498, Walker, MN 56484

Compensation is a flat fee for all greeting card publication rights.

To familiarize yourself with the line, go to www.jqgreetings.com

Need Card Designer in L.A. area

Urgent need for card designer to do a project:

They are seeking a designer to create charity based greeting cards to be purchased by mothers as gifts for children in two age groups, 7 to 12 and 13 to 18.

The cards need to be unique in that the charity element is special but cannot be seen as religious.

They are in Los Angeles and will be seeking various design themes. Prefer L.A. artist.

Contact Russ WerdinRuss Werdin (949) 474-8600 Ext 111
or rwerdin@twinstarentertainment.com

BOOKS FOR THE CARD DESIGN

These are books I own and recommend. Some may be out of print, but used copies may be available. Check link.

Start & Run a Greeting Cards Business Book covers starting a card business in the UK. Good basic info, but financial/measurement info is in different monetary units.

Greeting Card Design Book that shows examples of professional card design.

Publishing Your Art as Cards How to make and sell your own cards for an extra income.

Pushing the Envelope How to work with greeting card sales reps.

Complete Guide to Greeting Card Design and Illustration Great Book on understanding the greeting card profession and how to develop a style.

1000 Handmade Greetings: creative cards and clever correspondence This is not a simple craft book for hobbyists,instead it is a picture book of professionally handmade cards by leading companies and designers.

By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More Book that addresses how to "manufacture" handmade greeting cards.

How to Write and Sell Greeting Cards, Bumper Stickers, Tshirts and Other Fun Stuff

Sell the Fun Stuff: Writers' and Artists' Market Guidelines for Greeting Cards, Posters, Rubber Stamps, T-Shirts, Aprons, Bumper Stickers, and More!

Writing Card Sentiments

Freelance Writing for Greeting Cards Another good book on how to write for cards professionally.

You Can Write Your Own Greeting Cards Clear guidelines on how to write card sentiments professionally.

Finding the Right Words One of many basic books of this series that tells you how to add words products, cards, etc.

Licensing Your Art to Companies

Licensing Art and Design

Licensing Art 101 Good beginners guide on the art licensing business.

2011 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market List of greeting card companies, art licensees and agents.Detailed information on submission guidelines.

Gift and Product Design

Start with a Scan One of a kind book that tells you how to transform your art into a scan and what to do with it from there.

Design Your Own Repeat Patterns Simple book on learning repeats.

Twentieth-Century Pattern Design Great book for inspiration and creative approaches to designing patterns.

How to Break into Product Design Overview of product design in all industries.

Designing a Digital Portfolio Shows you how to put a digital portfolio together for the modern era.

Mary Engelbreit: The Art And The Artist Amazing story of how Mary ended up doing licensing.

Principles of Pattern Design Good info on pattern design

Imagery on Fabric Basic info on putting images onto fabric.

Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing Yearly updated guidelines for pricing for people in art careers.

5,000 Years of Textiles Far East, Americas, Africa, Scandinavia, and Egyptian. Good for studying fabric design.

Abstract Design and How to Create It Over 380 illustrations, diagrams, designs, border patterns and textile patterns.

Creative Illustration Workshop Exercises for integrating illustration with other mixed-media techniques, and scan and layer your illustrations using a computer.

Print Workshop Hand-Printing Techniques for low budgets. Interesting ways to put imagery on products. Perhaps a good technique for putting our designs on model items to show what they would look like on real products.

Digital Alchemy Printmaking techniques for fine art and how to transfer images to a variety of surfaces. It includes decals and skins.

Critical Mass Cutting-edge developments in international printmaking. Since printmaking is fundamental in most surface design concepts, this book's goal is a modern approach on a traditional printmaking.

Tradeshows and Booth Design