There was some recent talk in the scrapbooking and paper crafts forum, about setting up a Custom Scrapbook Business. This is an absolutely great idea for those that truly love scrapbooking, and wish to make some money doing it. However, there are some important things to really consider first.
Experience
While you might not have had any experience creating albums for others, how much scrapbooking experience do you have? You need to be very creative to work with other people’s pictures. It is a lot more challenging than you think. You also need to be sure you are up on the latest trends, and scrapbooking supplies, so you can fulfill a special request if it should be asked.
Customers and Is There a Market For This?
Yes. There is most certainly a market for this type of business. Many people do not enjoy scrapbooking, or lack the creativity or time to indulge in our hobby. This is your opportunity to take your passion for scrapbooking and turn it into a business for others. You need to consider who your customers will be. Friends, family and neighbors are the obvious start. But beyond that, are you a member of any organizations, schools or groups?
Supplies
Time to consider the items you need that you don’t already have. Are these items you can purchase used? Are they something you can add to your business, monthly or is it an item you definitely have to have up front?
Cost
Not the price of the items you are making, but the actual start up costs. These might just be higher than you expect. You will need supplies to get started, and even if you have quite the stash, you might not have what your customer is looking for. In addition, you will need to spend some money on marketing and advertising. This is where your customer base is coming from. You also need to set up a monthly allowance or budget for needed supplies, tools and other items.
The second part of this article will be posted this afternoon. Please check back in the scrapbooking blog, for more great information on getting paid to scrapbook!
Nicole Humphrey writes articles for the Scrapbooking Blog and for the Frugal Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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