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Starting a Successful Creative Scrapbooking Business, Part II

It’s ironic; what makes a creative scrapbooking business unique attractive to entrepreneurs seeking a work-at-home venture is also what makes it so incredibly challenging. After all, there are no definitive “rules” when it comes to pricing your scrapbook creations or determining where and how to advertise your services.

However, there are general business planning techniques you can use as a starting point to give your creative scrapbooking company the best chance of long-term success.

Setting Your Creative Scrapbooking Price Rates

Whether you specialize in wedding scrapbooks, memory scrapbooks, award/honor scrapbooks, or other creative scrapbooking creations, you’ll need to develop a price guideline. Otherwise, it will be difficult to negotiate with clientele.

Determining your creative scrapbooking business price guideline may seem daunting at first blush, but it’s actually not that complicated when broken down into “bite sized” pieces.

Hourly Rates or Standard Price per Scrapbook?

First, you’ll need to determine whether you want to set prices per project or per hour.

One huge advantage to charging per creative scrapbooking project is that consumers are accustomed to paying for products this way. After all, people don’t purchase a pair of shoes based on how long it took a cobbler to make them; they simply look at the price tag or retail value and decide if they feel it’s a worthwhile investment.

That being said, setting a price per creative scrapbooking project may not always be beneficial for you. If you discover you’re spending inordinate amounts of time on each scrapbook you create, your originally quoted price might not match your efforts. (Remember the old adage: Time is Money.)

Essentially, you can expect to experiment with your creative scrapbooking cost methods at first. Perhaps with some clients, you could offer a “per project” rate, but with others, you might try an hourly approach. There’s no “right or wrong” process–you simply want to find the best one for your creative scrapbooking business.

Remember to Consider “Hidden Costs”

Before “going public” with your scrapbook price structure, make sure you’ve accounted for the many costs (both direct and indirect) associated with owning a creative scrapbooking business. Be certain to include the amount you expect to spend on basic creative scrapbooking supplies such as specialty paper, a scrapbook, adhesives, stickers, markers, and fabrics.

Add into your creative scrapbooking price figures telephone calls, mileage (if you’ll travel for consultations), babysitting costs, and any overhead.

At this point, your initial price estimates may seem too high or low. Consequently, you can modify them accordingly, although you should never underestimate what people will pay for a one-of-a-kind scrapbook.

Selling Your Creative Scrapbooking Services

You’ve determined your basic scrapbook price. Creative scrapbooking supplies are on hand and on order. You’re organized, primed, and ready to go. But wait! You still need to attract that first key customer.

Advertising and marketing are stumbling blocks for many creative scrapbooking business start-ups; consequently, plenty of scrapbook enthusiasts shy away from becoming entrepreneurs because they assume they’ll never be able to publicize their talents. However, if you approach the selling of your creative scrapbooking services pragmatically, you’ll have an excellent chance of attracting clientele.

Initially, you may want to try a technique that has worked for many other creative scrapbooking aficionados – scrapbook “parties”. These get-togethers are akin to the “tupperware” gatherings made famous in the 70s. Put simply, a friend offers to host a scrapbook party at his or her residence for several persons interested in the world of creative scrapbooking.

Your role at the scrapbook party will be to introduce them to creative scrapbooking and to talk about what you can do for them. Obviously, it will be crucial to bring along business cards (why not design handmade “mini scrapbook cards” for the occasion?) as well as sample scrapbooks you’ve created. Coupons for discount scrapbook services make nice add-ons and will encourage scrapbook party guests to hire you. From this party, you can expect to get a few “nibbles” and perhaps one or two customers.

Naturally, it’s essential to do a fabulous job on your first scrapbook assignment. You must give it “your all”; that way, your client will have a reason to brag about and show off your customized (and exceptional) creative scrapbooking services to friends, family, and coworkers. You can also use your satisfied customer (if he or she agrees) as a “spokesperson” for your creative scrapbooking business in future advertising campaigns.

Next … Beyond Marketing 101

In the final article of our three-part creative scrapbooking business piece, we’ll examine particularly creative scrapbooking business marketing ideas and provide hints on running your creative scrapbooking company wisely, ethically, and efficiently.

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A Scrapbooking Page Idea can from any situation

time and tide wait for inspiration, no one is a proverb that applies to us all ready. Despite our efforts, it is not possible to keep to the good times and so over time we see our children grow shoes in childhood, youth, youth, adulthood and finally old age. The only way would have gone with us to try and record of the good old days. One of the best ways to preserve memories is through photographs. Somehow, despite the video recording system in the world today the charm of old photographs still manage to keep their place in our hearts. An interesting way to keep the photos, rather than simply adding them in an album is the idea of scrapbooking implement. Scrapbooking as an activity, multiple options and design ideas and a scrapbooking page idea can provide a wealth of inspiration.
A large selection of scrapbooking ideas from workshops or “cultures” can be accessed, scrapbooking craft shops, businesses, and of course online. An idea of scrapbooking page scrapbooking albums available, layouts, quotes, stickers and other products. Scrapbooking kits and scrapbooking embellishments are also filled with various scrapbooking page ideas for implementation. A scrapbooking page idea website can search a wide variety of Scrapbooking Layouts, Scrapbooking tips and information for the experienced hobbyists and scrapbooking scrapbooking to explore the novices.
The recent and increasingly popular hobby across the nation, scrapbooking has considered craft shops by an unexpected surprise, with its incredible demand. To this phenomenal demand, a scrapbooking page idea can be discovered in books, magazines, online and other sources for the scrapbooking hobby needs. A Scrapbooking page idea can be accessed multiple picture scrapbook layouts and ideas in full detail view. The scrapbooking pages provide a sample of scrapbook layouts, scrapbook page layouts and a scrapbooking page or two thoughts. The beginner can learn scrapbooking enthusiasts want, how to scrapbook. Thus, a scrapbooking page ideas, his creativity will be added to scrapbooking.
Other scrapbooking hobbyists may even want to discuss with you scrapbooking layouts, advise the best places to purchase supplies and talk about scrapbooking cardstock. The Scrapbooking page idea can result from these discussions and a first step on an exciting journey of scrapbooking. An example of a scrapbooking page idea is layered lettering. This can certainly add interest to your scrapbook page titles. The scrapbooking page idea with this innovative technology offers the letters with the theme of the scrapbook page to coordinate. Scrapbook your title can instantly become an integral part of the entire layout and your page scrapbooking idea made famous by following a few simple steps. So, maybe its time to share a few friends and some brainstorming ideas for a perfect scrapbooking page. Once the basic idea is in the process, the rest of the steps is easy to follow. If you are sure of your skills and creativity could it open up a whole new world for you.

Scrapbook Albums and How to Construct One

Honeymoon scrapbook albums can be fun to make, even if you have never tried one before. Tropical scrapbook albums also are exciting. When one combines the best of tropical scrapbook albums and honeymoon scrapbook albums, the results can be amazing. But how do you make scrapbook albums?

Let’s look at the steps.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 1

Scrapbook albums come in a range of materials, sizes, and styles. The first step in constructing scrapbook albums is choosing the album itself.

1. Materials: Leather scrapbook albums are likely to be the most expensive. Honeymoon scrapbook albums are precious, however, and you may want to choose durable leather for yours. Cloth-covered scrapbook albums are also a good choice. Some have a window opening on the front cover for a special photo. The cloth used is usually book cloth, so it is strong. Cheap scrapbook albums are also available. These are usually made of heavy cover stock, plain or covered with paper.

2. Sizes: Standard scrapbook albums have a useable page size of 12×12 inches. The scrapbook album itself may measure 13×14 inches or more, but part of that is the book’s spine. Some scrapbook albums are larger – as large as 18×20 inches. Smaller scrapbook albums are as small as 4×6 inches. As a novice, you may want to select from the standard scrapbook albums, since scrapbook supplies are made to that standard.

3. Styles: As the popularity of scrapbooking has increased, the variety of styles in scrapbook albums has mushroomed. Plain cover scrapbook albums come in many colors. Some scrapbook albums have a military-themed cover, featuring the military branch and a gold plated service medallion. Others have a Disney theme, with Mickey Mouse and friends adorning the cover. Tropical scrapbook albums, which you might choose for a honeymoon in Bora Bora, would be attractive in scrapbook albums with a bright red or blue Hibiscus-patterned cloth cover. You might even find unique Bora Bora scrapbook albums.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 2

Once you have selected a scrapbook album, you need to sort the photos and memorabilia you will use. Pay attention to the theme of each piece as well as the colors.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 3

Honeymoon scrapbook albums already have an overall theme – the honeymoon. Your next step will be to decide sub-themes for each 2-page spread. For example, you might have a theme of arrival at Bora Bora, with approach photos of the island from the air. This theme could also include photos taken upon landing. First impressions are important memories. Lay out your photos, deciding a theme for each page or 2-page spread. Then move to the next step.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 4

Background papers are a good way to tie pages together. Scrapbooking paper in standard 12×12 inch size comes in a multitude of colors and patterns. Plain paper is also available. Be sure you purchase paper that is acid free to protect your photos and memorabilia. Choose paper to complement the photos on each page.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 5

With your scrapbook album paper in place, arrange photos. Resist crowding your pages with photos. You will need space for notes and other elements. You might want to add a bit of torn paper beneath photos to set them off from the background. On come pages, you may want to put a paper frame around the photos. Such scrapbooking supplies are available at scrapbooking stores and websites.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 6

After you arrange and affix the photos, it’s time to add journaling. “Journaling” is nothing more than notes or captions that help explain the photos. You may have a memory of what was said when a certain photo was taken – or a comment about what happened immediately before or after. Journaling can be done on small pieces of paper that are added to scrapbook albums much as photos are added.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 7

The final touch in constructing scrapbook albums is to add embellishments, charms, stickers, and other small pieces that add interest. Honeymoon scrapbook albums might include small hearts or kisses. Bora Bora scrapbook albums, or other tropical scrapbook albums, might include small sandals or seashells.

The Easier Route!

If construction of scrapbook albums “from scratch” sounds too complicated, or too time-consuming, you may want to purchase a scrapbooking honeymoon kit!

By: Anna Hart