There aren’t too many people in this world that don’t adore photographs and memories. Many people wish they could scrapbook, but are left without the time, resources or creativity. Sometimes they hire scrapbookers to create albums and other scrapbooking items for them because they just cannot do it themselves for the above reasons and/or more.
Here are several tips to help you create that scrapbook for someone else.
1. Hold a meeting. At this meeting, obtain the photographs they wish to include, talk about the layouts they might desire, give them some worksheets to help with journaling and discuss payment. Some scrapbookers charge per page, and some will just quote a price for the entire project. Still others will have the person purchase all of the supplies, and then charge a smaller per page cost. This is all up to you as the hired scrapbooker.
2. Journaling Worksheets. When providing journaling worksheets for the customer, it is important to request information about what they want journaled in the album. Not every customer will want you to do the journaling, so you might discuss journal box sizes and then include a journaling box on the completed layout for them to do themselves. This often works better, but if they would rather you do it, it will be imperative that you have some sort of worksheet and questions prepared to ask.
3. Go shopping together. Don’t expect yourself to stand in the aisles of your local scrapbooking store agonizing what to purchase for your client. If you ask them to come along for an initial shopping trip, you will get a better idea of what they like or what they want. It will also give them a chance to see the cost of supplies, even if none are purchased that day. More on prices in an upcoming article titled Scrapbooking for Others: Pricing Albums and Layouts.
4. Allow enough time. When quoting how long the project will take you, it is recommended that you quote about a week or so longer. You might also wish to express that you are willing to change or fix anything that isn’t working for them for a small fee or for up to a week after delivery of the finished project. Not all scrapbookers do this, but the ones that do have mentioned that their customers return time and time again, and refer others on a much more active level. Don’t expect to complete a 20 page album in a few days either. Allow several weeks to complete this project and you might even wish to have more than one album project going at a time so as not to get frustrated with one or feel it going stale.
There are many different ways to scrapbook for other people. These are only tips and suggestions to make your choices easier. If you are looking for specific information on scrapbooking for others, please see our Getting Paid to Scrapbook section or feel free to leave a comment and I will try to answer your question in a timely manner.
Nicole Humphrey writes about the creative and memory preserving side of life and families in the Scrapbooking Blog and Fun Blog, provides helpful hints to blended families and single parents on the Parents Blog, and provides informative tips and advice for students, teachers and parents on the Education Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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Different Uses for Scrapbooking Supplies