If you’re looking for an easy to start business, think buttons! I did. Pin-on buttons are found everywhere you look. Fastened to shirts, hats, car visors, and backpacks, they’re an easy way to decorate your clothes or to say something about yourself.
Badge-A-Minit sells inexpensive button making machines. They claim to sell the World’s Lowest Priced button making machine. For $49.95 you can purchase a hand press along with all the supplies needed to create your first 25 buttons. This particular hand press is made to hold in your hand and squeeze the button together. I bought one of these and found it was not easy to close the buttons firmly. I ended up with at least half of the buttons falling apart. It was much harder than I thought to keep the buttons well centered so the pressure was evenly distributed on the button. I must say that the buttons that did turn out well, looked very professional and exactly like the buttons found in gift shops. I couldn’t resist, I ordered a bigger and easier to use machine.
The cost of these machines can go as high as $1,000. but it would include a substantial amount of buttons and supplies. The most expensive button making machine is actually electronic. If you also purchase their automatic button cutter, you will have the perfect sized button to place inside this expensive machine. It will then assemble your button for you and can produce a high volume. If you plan on running a business in a shop, mall, or craft store, this could eventually become profitable. But if you’re just starting out, I’d suggest one of the smaller hand press machines.
I started out with a $300 bench press machine. The buttons were very easy to make, placing the parts in the order the directions tell you, then pushing down the handle will snap the pieces together. It took me about three months to make this money back. Not only did I earn extra money but buttons made great last minute gifts, fun prizes at birthday parties, and I even used them as gift tags.
Badge-A-Minit also offers a free catalog. You can order special parts, such as mirror backs, keychains, magnet buttons and more. In the catalog you will also find pre-designed button paper you can order. After placing a backing of your choice (pin-on, mirror, or magnet), just cut out their design and place it on top of your button, then a clear sheet on top of the design, and push the lever down. You now have an instant button. The cost of these buttons will vary according to how many you order. The more you order, the less the cost. Even at the highest price for a 2 1/4 inch button will be just 17 cents each. Selling your buttons for $1 to $2 each is easy.
I found the best way to sell buttons was by using my own design. I made one for myself and wore it to my son’s soccer game. It said in big writing, “My SON is # 8”. I used the colors of my son’s soccer team. Soon I had other Mom’s asking where I bought my button. After this, the button orders came in quickly. I started taking some with a blank space, “My SON is # ___” and took a black permanent marker with me. I was actually surprised by how many I sold. Grandparents wanted them and asked me to come back with “My Grandson is # __”.
If you’re child in on any sort of team, such as baseball, basketball or even in Girl Scouts or another group, you can think of a way to promote their group and have them asking you for buttons. This may not provide you with enough money to earn a living, but it did bring in enough to earn my expenses back and more.