How To Start A Greeting Card Business

This can be a fantastic no-investment career concept if you are witty.    
 
If you’ve got a way with words and aren’t frightened of rejection on poems that aren’t a good fit, you may get $350 for each poem you write that this greeting card firm publishes.
 
The following steps can help you start a career on  greeting card business:
 

1. select a niche
2. Plan your business
3. Make license, permit, and insurance applications
4. Locate a place to sell your cards
5. Obtain capital for small businesses
6. Order and control your supplies
7. Advertise your cards

 
1. select a niche
 
Right, greeting cards are your specialty. Not quite. If you want to differentiate yourself in an industry that is so crowded, you’ll need to be more precise than that. Finding your niche market is crucial since it will enable you to perfect your art and create a loyal following of customers all at once. Prior to expanding too much, you should become an expert in your field. Not to mention that having a specialty can help you promote to customers more effectively.
 
What kind of niche should you therefore think about? Think about the kinds of greeting cards that particularly appeal to you. Are you tired of receiving cards that are excessively sentimental? Concentrate on producing ones that are cute yet a little more grounded in reality. Or create some funny greeting cards.
 
Think about using recycled paper to create cards. Perhaps you’ll wish to highlight the creations of emerging and young artists. Concentrate on following the road you’ve chosen, no matter what. You’ll develop a strong brand identity and gain control over your production process by doing this.
 
It’s crucial to take into account factors other than your taste while selecting your specialization. Make sure there is a market for your greeting card business by conducting some market research.
 
A market analysis will provide you the answers you need and enable you to assess your competitors and identify opportunities in your sector. You should carefully examine how comparable organizations are currently run during this phase in order to determine how your company may flourish where they are failing.
 
2. Plan your business
 
Writing a business plan is a crucial first step in learning how to launch a handmade greeting card company, regardless of whether you want to operate on a small or large scale. A business plan can keep your operation on track, lay out your growth strategy, and show potential investors the worth of your brand.
 
It’s not too late to draft a business plan if your venture has already begun. In fact, it may be beneficial to periodically revisit and update your company plan. Creating a business strategy might be challenging if you don’t know where to begin. By using a business plan template, you may simplify the process for yourself and make sure you’re following the instructions exactly.
 
Select a company structure
 
What company entity is best for your business is a decision you’ll probably need to make while drafting your business plan. Choosing your company’s legal structure will keep you organized and legally protected. You might want to think about setting up a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), general partnership, or sole proprietorship as your business entity.
 
Bring in the big guns if you’re unsure of how you want to build your company or which option will be most advantageous. Although hiring a business attorney or tax expert may seem like an unnecessary investment, they can guide you in selecting the best business entity to avoid future legal or tax issues.
 
You must register your greeting card business with the relevant federal and state agencies once you’ve decided on a business organization.
 
Explain your products and services
You made the first move in defining your products and services when you decided on your specialty. Continue on this path and consider some crucial inquiries regarding the goods and services your greeting card company will offer.
 

• What kind of cards will you be selling?
• How much will you bill per card? A deck of cards for?
• Where are you going to get your supplies?
• What will the price of your supplies be?
• What budget do you have for production?

 
Now that your business plan has been completed, you can use it to create a successful greeting card company by using it as a helpful road map. A thorough business plan can also show potential lenders that you’re a responsible borrower if you decide to look for money to help begin your business.
 
3. Make license, permit, and insurance applications
 
The next stage is a bit challenging, but it is very necessary. It is crucial that you apply for the required licenses, permits, and insurance kinds before establishing any kind of business. If you don’t, you run the risk of paying fines or running into legal problems as soon as your greeting card business expands.
 
Which licensing, permits, and insurance you require will depend on your region, business kind, and organizational structure. Be ready; you might need to submit applications for state, federal, and municipal business licenses. Resources from the SBA and your local chamber of commerce can help you get started if you are unsure of what is necessary for your business.
 
For the record, you must apply for an employer identification number if you want to hire any employees (EIN). Come tax season, you’ll need your EIN to get started. Even if you don’t have any employees, acquiring an EIN has certain advantages to consider.
 
Last but not least, you should look into your possibilities for business insurance. You must carry workers compensation, unemployment, and maybe disability insurance if you own a firm with paid employees.
 
Even if you operate from home and have no staff, you might want to check into general liability or commercial property insurance to make sure you and your stock are covered. This phase will also benefit from the assistance of your business counsel.
 
4. Locate a place to sell your cards
 
You already know what you want to sell, but where are you going to put your greeting cards on the market? Although opening a shop may be your ultimate goal, there are excellent alternatives with lesser overhead for selling greeting cards. As you expand your clientele, starting an online greeting card business is a fantastic idea.
 
You can build your own e-commerce website or sell your cards on a website like Etsy, which focuses on distinctive arts and crafts items. Once you establish what your needs are for selling, you can choose from a wide variety of ecommerce systems.
 
Local boutiques are a good place to sell your greeting cards if face-to-face interactions are more your style. Alternatively, you might run your own booth at the farmers market or arts and crafts fair in your community.
 
5. Obtain capital for small businesses
 
The proverb “It takes money to produce money” is well known. But who says you have to use your own funds exclusively? You can use small business financing to pay for the costs associated with launching a greeting card business. You can use small business funding to help cover any of your greeting card demands, including equipment, supplies, workers, and legal expenses.
 
There is no one sort of company funding that works for all situations, so carefully weigh your possibilities. Also keep in mind that even while traditional bank or SBA loans may offer the finest terms and lowest rates, startup businesses will often not qualify for these. Here are a few typical funding possibilities to think about up till you have a year or two of business experience under your belt:
 

• Business credit cards: Credit cards for businesses: If your company has no credit history, a business credit card might be a more practical source of capital. You may be able to carry a load for a predetermined period of time—sometimes as long as 12 months—without incurring interest with a credit card that offers a 0% initial APR. Just make sure you have the funds available to settle your account before the introductory APR expires and a variable APR takes effect.
• Equipment financing: If you need equipment for your greeting card business, equipment financing might help you buy it. In this situation, a lender provides a loan to pay for equipment acquisitions. The loan will be secured by your equipment, which will make it simpler to be approved for.
• Startup funding: A new company would choose to take into account some of the well-liked startup financing possibilities, like SBA microloans or business grants. Crowdfunding has also been effectively used by certain business owners to launch their ventures.
• Business lines of credit: Consider a business line of credit if you need more flexibility than a typical business loan. A company line of credit gives you access to a predetermined sum of money that you can use to pay for expenses. It is a terrific emergency resource because you only pay interest on the money you actually need.

 
Once you have capital for your company, try your best to keep all personal and professional spending apart. Opening a bank account for your company is a terrific first step in that direction. The option of a company checking or savings account must be made. A checking account with minimal to no fees is your best option if you’re just starting out and don’t have a lot of additional cash on hand. Savings accounts that pay interest should be used by more established firms that have access to huge quantities of cash.
 
6. Order and control your supplies
 
Although the materials needed to make greeting cards (paper, ink, glitter, etc.) don’t appear to be expensive at first, they can mount up if you make a lot of cards. By purchasing your materials from a wholesaler, you can reduce your prices. Make an effort to determine how much inventory you should carry before you place that initial transaction. By doing this, you may avoid buying too little and benefit from any discounts that come with buying supplies in large quantities. This phase will also assist you in determining a more accurate supply budget.
 
Create an inventory system that will ensure you never run out of supplies after you’ve ordered all the necessities.
 
7. Advertise your cards
 
Without a little guidance, your customers are unlikely to find your delightful greeting cards. Produce a marketing strategy to promote your company.
 
You’ll be sure to keep on track with promotion even when other parts of your organization take priority if you adopt a more formal approach to your marketing initiatives. You can locate customers by using social media, email marketing, or placing an advertisement in your neighbourhood newspaper.
 
What kinds of greeting card advertising capture your eye as a lover of paper goods? Make a note of the elements that stick out the most and consider how you may use them into your own marketing campaigns.