Start a Scrapbooking Business

At $ 2.55 billion per year, scrapbooking business is the fastest growing craft in the U.S. with new opportunities coming up daily in form of designing of new products, opening of stores, writing books, organizing events, making scrapbooks for others, teaching classes, as direct sales consulting and many more. The money in this industry goes into arranging supplies, organizing workshops, classes, retreats, conventions, cruises and many more events. And the trend is not even near its peak as many areas and hobbies are still untapped thus opening an ocean of opportunities for you. Some of the common ways in which you can set up your scrapbooking business are:

1. Direct Sales Consultant: Most of the successful retailers or product designers begin their career through direct sales. You may enter this way only to get discounts, but if you are serious you can get good income this way, sometimes even in six-figures.
2. Scrapbooking Instructor: Giving classes and organizing workshops on scrapbooking at a local scrap-book store or your own home is also a good way to earn extra income but it alone may not be sufficient as a means of income.
3. Event Organizer: These days big events are being held every weekend for retreats, getaways, cruises, conventions and many more occasions. These events provide a connecting opportunity for scrap-bookers. An event management company can be quite profitable if you have the knack of organizing such events, which can generate excellent word-of-mouth publicity for these scrapbookers.
4. Product Designer/Manufacturer: If you can develop new ideas for products, you may start your own company or licence your idea to a larger manufacturer. If you have enough time and money you may start your company with a single product initially, and grow it into a multi-product enterprise earning huge profits with time.
5. Scrapbooking Expert: You may publish your ideas and suggestions in major magazines and idea books and develop a fan-club of other scrapbookers. This also gives you an opportunity to develop contacts with manufacturers, retailers and thus enter into other streams of the industry and make even more money.
6. Professional Scrapbook Artist: You may start the business of making scrapbooks for others with minimal start-up costs right from your home with flexible work hours of your choice. Many people hire professional scrapbook artists for creating scrapbooks for them as they lack the time and creativity required to do it themselves. Many artists are making lots of money this way but the profits depend on your own potential as an artist as well as your professionalism.
7. Scrapbook Retailer: This requires a large initial investment, time commitment, and a careful market research to determine any competition present or upcoming and profits usually depend on area demographics and competition. While some retail stores don't make any profit for the first year, others make large profits and open multiple stores.
8. Online retailer: While an online store may be operated from a garage in your nightdress, it still needs to be treated professionally with proper inventory stock and professional designs. With proper research and by developing a niche segment, you may make it quite a profitable business for yourself.

These are not the only ways to make money in scrapbooking business. There are many more ways like:

• Writing articles for magazines, books, and e-books
• Joining manufacturers' and web site design teams
• Becoming a manufacturers' sales representative
• Building online communities and portals for advertising of scrapbook products
• Selling your scrapbook products or layout ideas through online shops like ebay.
• Designing custom digital layouts
• Joining suitable affiliation programmes

Publicity: Whichever area you may decide to enter, you still need to have marketing skills to sell your ideas and products. If nobody knows about it, you may have the world's best business, service, product or idea with you but no buyer for it. The best way to promote your scrapbooking business is through networking and word of mouth publicity. It will not take you long to build your own community.