Are you willing to start greeting card business but don’t know how to? This guide is specially written for you.
From birthday parties and family gatherings, weddings and meetings, invitation cards abound in the mailboxes throughout the year.
They come in all shapes and sizes and range from the typical blank invitation to fill up to the luxurious paper adorned with enough decorations to last a lifetime.
If you are creative, have business skills and are looking for a new project, read on to learn more about how to start your own business of printing invitation cards.
Think about the type of invitations you want to make. Do you want them for every occasion or do you prefer to do them specifically for weddings or baby showers? Once you know your niche, think about your target market. Who will buy your invitations and why?
How to Start greeting card business
Investigate the invitation card industry.
Pay close attention to trends, challenges, and successes. Take a look at your local market. Keep in mind the demographics of the area you plan to work. If you are going to start a site online, check out other sites for printing invitations. Visit local stores that offer invitations to see your samples and see how they run their businesses.
Create a budget and think about financing.
Consider how much money you can spend on your business, if you qualify for a small loan and if your family and friends are willing to invest in it. The initial expenses can be the US $ 500 or more, depending on how you decide to operate your business.
Decide if you are going to install your business of printing invitations at home, on a website or if you are going to invest in the lease of a store. Create the name of your company and start writing a business plan. Make business cards, brochures and a website for your business.
The initial web page does not have to be extensive, you can simply list your services and publish the contact information. In this way, you direct your potential clients to request personalized appointments and ask questions.
Begin by organizing the samples of your previous work of invitation cards.
Use tough, clean folders to create a book for each category of invitations you plan to offer. Start thinking about how you want to set the price of your services. After creating your book, you can put together a menu of services and prices to distribute to potential customers.
Purchase Supplies
Purchase supplies such as an inkjet printer, a paper cutter, scissors, parchment paper, ribbons, ornaments, a hole punch, a ruler, a paper folder and die cut. Ask for small samples of different types of paper and organize them into folders according to print, color or weight.
Start Advertising your new Business
Start actively promoting your business. If you have a showcase, plan an open day and promote it through the local community and its surroundings.
Find some local newspapers and buy advertising ads. Research websites and blogs that focus on event planning and check if you can buy ad space. With the permission of the owner of a store, you can also place your business cards and samples of the invitations in the places that your target customers can visit.
Tips
- If you have friends or partners in the wedding or event planning business, you may want to talk with them about their experiences with the invitations.
- Encourage customers to try your services by offering incentives such as coupons and gifts.
- Use social networks like Twitter and Facebook to promote your online business.
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