scrapbooking business

Step One:

Before you even start your scrapbooking business, you need to determine if you have what it takes. Ask yourself those tough business questions:

• Are my skills and talents suited for this business?


• Do I have the finances needed to get started and sustain my business until I am making a profit?


• Is there a market for my scrapbook business idea?


• How will I acquire clients?

Of course, these are only a few questions, check out this article "Before You Start Your Scrapbook Business" for more questions to ask yourself.

Step Two:
Once you have determined you do have what it takes to start a scrapbook business, now you need to know what type of scrapbook business you want to pursue.

• Direct Sales Consultant


• Scrapbooking Instructor


• Scrapbook Event Organizer


• Scrapbook Product Designer/Manufacturer


• Scrapbooking Expert


• Professional Scrapbook Artist-S4O


• Scrapbook Retailer


• Online Retailer


• Paper Piecing and Ebay

To learn more about the various types of scrapbook businesses, check out "Scrapbooking as a Business" article.

Step Three:

The third step will take some time and research as you lay a strong foundation for your scrapbook business. 

• Create a business plan-this doesn't have to be lengthy or technical. You mainly want to know how you
  plan to get your business started and how you want to grow it.


• Legalities - You need to research your local and state requirements for running a business. Topics to research
  include: business licenses, doing business as/fictitious business, permits, zoning laws, insurance needs and taxes.

Step Four:

Your next step is to determine your target market and unique selling proposition. What make you and your business different from your competitor? How will you stand out and earn more clients?

From here on is dependent upon the type of scrapbook business you have. You may need to consider how and where to purchase supplies, how to price your products/services, creating an online presence and finding clients who buy.

You can download a free scrapbook business roadmap at ScrapbookBusinessTips.com to guide you on your scrapbook business journey.

Many new business owners start a home business and don't take the time to write out a business plan. By failing to write a plan, you greatly decrease your chances of success. The following are some reasons why every business needs to put a business plan into writing.

You have probably heard the old saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." That is very true when it comes to your business. The more planning you do in the beginning, the greater success you will see in the future.

If you decide to take your home business to the next level, a business plan can help you secure financing. A financial institution will want to see, in writing, the reasons that they should loan you money. Simply walking in and telling them why you know you'll be a success is not good enough. However, if you can hand your lender a document that states your business idea, your business goals, a list of steps you plan to take in order to reach your goals, as well as your estimated earnings, you will be seen as a professional and the lender will take you more seriously.

Your business plan will also help you determine your action plan. Your action plan consists of the steps you plan on taking in order to achieve your goals. This is another task that people usually sidestep. Instead of "just kind of knowing" or "having the ideas in your head", you should take the time to put them on paper. The reason this part of the business plan is so important is that it literally walks you from point A to point B. While your business plan, in general, serves as a map, your action plan is the "step-by-step directions."

Having a business plan to present to your spouse can also help your spouse realize your business idea is more than just a passing amusement or hobby. This can really help you, especially if your spouse is skeptical. Your spouse can see that you are serious and will become more helpful and more encouraging. Having the support of your spouse can really motivate you and help you find success.

A business plan maps out your future. If you have decided you are ready to start a business, your first step should be to write out your plans for what you want to do with the business and where you see the business going in the future.

If you and your family were going to drive to your vacation destination, you would not just get in the car and start driving without knowing where you were going. Would you? You should not start a business without a map either. If you are planning to have a simple home business, built around the Internet, you may not think you need a business plan. You may think only high level businesses need them in order to secure corporate funding but that's not true.

Every business needs a plan.

When you sit down to write your plan, you are literally mapping out the path you want to take in your business. Not only will your business plan help you define what you want to accomplish, it can help you streamline your business and create focus.

You may be under the impression that business plans are huge documents that can be difficult to write. On the contrary, you do not have to create a huge document at all. Your business plan can consist of a single page outlining your basic goals. The point is to put your thoughts and ideas down in writing.

When you take the time to think about your business, where you want your business to go, and estimate your costs as well as your profits, you are much more likely to succeed. Rather than working sporadically and blindly, you will be able to look at your business plan and know exactly what you need to be working on. This can serve as a great motivator and help you reach your business goals.

A common myth is that a business plan is rigid. That once you write it, you have to stick to it. As your business grows, you can change your plan to suit your needs. You may find certain aspects of your business growing at a faster pace than others and decide to focus more on those areas. For instance, you may have started out in your business strictly as a custom scrapbook artist creating completed albums. However, you found yourself creating more and more themed mini albums and may decide to add that stream of income to your portfolio.

Having your business plan by your side can help you evaluate your decisions and decide what is going to add value to your business and what will take away from your business. Before you start a new project, take out your business plan and see if this new project will fit in with the plans you have already made. This can save you a lot of time, energy, and money.

Need customers? Yeah, yeah, who doesn't? Let's face it customers are the life line of your business. So, let's get right to those tips:

1. Start with what you already have. Ask your current customers for referrals. Be sure to offer some sort of incentive, a "finders" fee, for better results.

2. Got an elevator speech ready? When meeting someone for the first time and asked about your business, be ready with an answer. Know what to say and speak with confidence, effeciently explaining the benefits of your business.

3. Start a newsletter. Provide quality content that informs. Start building a relationship with your customers. Then when you offer a new product or service they will trust you and be ready to buy.

4. Testimonials. Got a happy customer? Include testimonials in your marketing materials and on your website. Potential customers like to see that others are satisfied with your service.

5. Ask questions. Simply ask current clients and people you run into what their needs are. Can your product or service fulfill that need? If not, can you create it or add to your line?

6. Provide excellent service. This may seem obvious, but if your customer is happy with your service and product, they will tell others. Word of mouth is effective and free!

7. Be accessible. Can potential clients find you? Do you have a website that easily allows a visitor to know all about you and your business? Is their a contact form to reach you for further information? Does your business card have multiple ways to reach you-email and phone number?

The above tips primarily deal with customer service, building a relationship and trust. Keep your customer in mind and you'll have new ones seeking you out.

Pricing your products or services appropriately is a challenging part of any home business. You know what you have and what you can do, but do you know how much you should be charging, without putting yourself out of business? Consider these few ideas when you are picking your price points.

First find out what the competition is charging. If they are selling a similar product or service do some research, make some calls, find out what they offer and how much it costs. Now compare their prices with your own. How do they measure up?

Keep in mind that just because someone else is selling for less doesn't mean you should lower your prices. It is not always a good thing to be the cheapest out there. You might be surprised to know that you can take away a competitor's business by increasing your value and charging a higher price. One of the biggest secrets of pricing is that people assume a higher price means better quality and more value.

Here is a simple formula you can follow to help when choosing your price points. First, determine your cost per item or service. Include any materials that you use like packaging, advertising, legal fees etc. Once you are done, you should have a rough estimate of how much each product you offer costs.

Next, figure your time and labor. Do this by adding the hours it takes you to complete the task, then decide what your hourly wage will be. It's up to you how much you will pay yourself. When in doubt start with minimum wage then gradually increase your wage to raise the price of the product. If you have a problem with this just think about what you might pay an employee to do the same job for you.

Now that you have added the cost and time, you need to add in a profit margin. This is typically be about 30 to 50 percent of the price you've come up with so far. You are all done. You should have the perfect price point to charge for your product or service. If you are unsure do some testing. Try selling at a slightly higher or lower price to see which sells better. Keep in mind that most often it is easier to lower prices than to raise them depending on what business you are in.

Another suggestion is to survey potential customers. Ask them how much they would be willing to spend. Compile these price suggestions and consider averaging them. Also keep in mind your target market. How much are they willing to spend?

Be satisfied with your decision and try not to be concerned with "could I have charged more" or "should I have charged less?" Pricing your product or service is an important and personal decision.