forrja: More important than accounting and organization details

More important than accounting and organization details 

introduction

The word “buffered” is also being tossed about to describe the paper’s ability to neutralize acids that could spread from one photo to another on a single sheet of paper. If you enter the word “scrapbooking” in a search engine you will find over 39,000 Web sites. 

These sites include notices of conventions, expos, trade shows, classes in scrapbooking offered all over the world, Internet merchandise stores, consultants, importers, home-based businesses offering their services, and patented new inventions. 

This plethora of information and shopping convenience signifies the popularity of this new craze.Type in the store locator offered on many scrapbooking Web sites and a ribbon of store locations will unfurl like the periwinkle-blue streamer adorning the latest album. 

With twenty million scrapbookers and 4,000 independent scrapbooking stores in the United States alone, the marketplace for this incredible hobby is flourishing. According to Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Magazine (www. creatingkeepsakes.com),Western states showed the most households involved in the hobby (between 23 and 26 percent of households), followed closely by 

1- New England states (20 percent of households).

 According to this same magazine, there are three core segments of scrapbookers: 1) the casual (novice), 2) the hobbyist (intermediate), and 3) the dedicated. Dedicated scrapbookers spend more than $50 a month on supplies, own $1,584 in merchandise, and spend more than ten hours a week scrapbooking. 

Almost one half of hobbyists purchase or subscribe to craft/hobby related magazines and newsletters. Almost an equal number watch craft/hobby related television shows. The Home and Garden Television network (HGTV) has gained enormous popularity over the past few years. 

2- I have found the only drawback 

To these television programs is getting up from the chair and returning to daily activities, as the shows are presented back to back with unlimited decorating ideas. My family is seriously considering canceling my subscription to cable television. The market and the dollars spent in the scrapbooking industry have yet to peak. 

3- More stores appear each year in the 

Yellow Pages, and home-based businesses thrive. These businesses allow many women Scrapbooking for Profit 8 Chapter 01.qxd 4/22/05 7:03 PM Page 8 a chance to use their latent creative talents and provide an income in one fell swoop. 

The advantages are heady and seduce new hopefuls each year. SCRAPBOOKING CAREERS It should be obvious by now that the scrapbooking industry has its doors wide open to those wishing to pursue a career in this field.

The enthusiasm for scrapbooking is not unlike the popularity generated for faux painting a couple of years ago, when it hit the wallpaper industry over the head. The success of my book How to Start a Faux Painting or Mural Business attests to the numbers of creative men and women still flowing into this relatively new market. 

4- The emphasis on home and family has boded well

For both the decorative painting market and now, scrapbooking. The following careers are currently available in the scrapbooking arena:

 1. The Home-Based Business

 2. The Retail Store 

3. The Internet Store

 4. Teacher (both home and retail) 

5. Scrapbook Consultant

 6. Scrapbook Commissioned Albums

 7. Designer (new products)

 8. Event Planner 

9. Freelance Writer 

10. Importer 

11. Freelance Artist Each

 of these careers will be dealt with individually in the book with quotes and advice from professionals already making their mark in their chosen THE LUCRATIVE WORLD OF SCRAPBOOKING 9 Chapter 01.qxd 4/22/05 7:03 PM Page 9 area.

 In the following chapter,The Skills of an Entrepreneur, we will go over the skills and knowledge needed to begin your own business.The specific skills relative to the chosen scrapbook career will be covered in the specific chapter on that career. 

5- SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS 

We have covered many statistics already for this creative industry. However, I have few more to tantalize you with: 

 The breakdown of how people use their craft/hobby projects is: gifts (71%); home decorating (69%); personal use (62%); holiday decorating (59%); items to sell (16%). 

 At present,the typical crafter/hobbyist spends an average of 7.5 hours per week engaged in his/her craft/hobby. 

 The major sources from which craft/hobby participants get their ideas are magazines, books, and catalogs. Family and friends are also a good source. 

 The scrapbooking industry is growing at a 25 percent rate. 

 Magazine circulation increase is roughly 33 percent in the scrapbooking market, both domestically and internationally. 

 People interested in careers in the scrapbooking industry are working either part-time or full-time, or starting new companies.

6- More and more products are being 

Manufactured overseas, so the market for importers in this industry is growing, according to Michele Gerbrandt of Memory Makers magazine. The need for freelance artists for magazines, catalogs, and print work for television programming is also on the rise. 

As the need for improved products—a “better mousetrap” of sorts— increases, the job opportunities in this rich market climb right along with Scrapbooking for Profit 10 Chapter 01.qxd 4/22/05 7:03 PM Page 10 

THE LUCRATIVE WORLD OF SCRAPBOOKING 11 it. Let’s face it:When it comes to creativity, there is no ceiling unless you can put a cap on the human brain’s capacity for imagination. The scrapbooking industry has unrolled the red carpet, welcoming all those with the ingenuity and passion to spring that new trap on a waiting and eager market. Now, let’s see if having the right “cheese” is enough to begin a lucrative business. 

7- The most successful business entrepreneurs are those who do what they enjoy. 

Period. End of sentence. Enthusiasm for your business is more important than the details of accounting, organization, etc.Why? Because you can always hire professionals to do the accounting, legal, and other work for your business and the cost won’t be that great. 

What you cannot buy is enthusiasm, drive, and know-how. Only you have these attributes for your business! The more you believe in your product or service and the benefits your customers derive from it, the more likely you are to succeed and prosper in your business. 

Only you can come up with an idea unique to your imagination, talent, and drive. Wait! Stop! Before you order your shingle and put a nail above your door, there is the flip side. According to the Small Business Association (SBA), more than 50 percent of all new businesses in the United States fail. 

8- The main reason for these discouraging numbers 

Is that many entrepreneurs get an idea for a business, very often based on a hobby they enjoy, and jump right in.The word “failed” may sound very frightening; remember, the SBA is only keeping track of whether a business remained open and viable. 

In many cases, it may be that when people attempted to turn their hobby into a profession,they discovered that they did not enjoy the business aspects,and closed by choice—it doesn’t necessarily mean that they became financially destitute, or even that no one wanted to buy their services. 

9- For example, it might be that they

Found the hours were longer and more arduous than the job they quit to become their own boss. Perhaps they realized their work habits or personalities were not conducive to setting up shop. Be honest about your goals and reasons for going into business for yourself. It’s not for everyone.

Conclusion

You aren’t playing with paper and scissors any longer.You have decided to go into business and create an income—serious stuff. Before coloring your logo and rushing off to the nearest graphic designer, you will need to ask yourself if you have what it takes.