The greeting cards market is a $7.5 billion annual industry. Making and selling handmade greeting cards provides the opportunity to simply earn a few extra dollars or to build a significant income. Most small card businesses fall halfway between these two extremes.
When starting to sell it can be easy to look at where it’s cheapest to set up your shop. Pay as you go style sites like Etsy and Folksy are great for testing the waters and getting some early feedback on your handmade cards. Do careful market research as if your cards have a particular niche market, selling on general sites like this may be a waste of your time.
To calculate the markup of your crafts you will have to divide the profit by the cost of products.
If you have a talent for crafting handmade goods, you can earn a living by selling your creations. Craftspeople frequently start small businesses selling handmade products locally at craft fairs, farmers’ markets, craft malls, and specialty shops.
The rise of online platforms for selling handmade products has made it easier than ever to reach a wider audience. Whether you’re selling on Etsy, teaching classes on Skillshare, or creating a website for your business, there are plenty of ways to turn your passion for paper into a profitable venture.
Selling handmade items wholesale is an attractive option for most – after all, you can sell a bulk order of the same product(s) to the same customer, and only have to pack and ship it once. But it’s important to note that wholesale isn’t right for every handmade business.
If you are starting a business for the first time, there’s a wealth of support and information available including online groups. If you plan to sell on Etsy, you will find many tutorials available to get you started. You’ll also find a wide selection of books published on the subject of running a successful handmade business.
- Create your online store: Sell physical or digital greeting cards by using Shopify’s business name generator and logo maker, then selecting an online store theme.
- Set up your product pages: Create product pages and collections for various holidays and occasions that customers want to buy greeting cards for.
Think outside of the box as to WHERE you can sell your cards. Identify the needs of WHO will be buying them. Set yourself APART from the competition.
If you want to make a living in the handmade card business, here are important manufacturing questions you should ask yourself: Can you teach someone else to make the card like you do? Are your designs so complicated that the person making them cannot repeat the exact way you paint circles or fold delicate Japanese paper?
Etsy is blessed with features that make it an amazing site for selling handmade items. Making a store on Etsy gives you simple and powerful tools to increase your sales and make customers happy and satisfied with their purchases.
Considering how much to charge for handmade cards, what is a good profit margin? As a rule of thumb, if you make 20 to 25 percent profit on each card, then you are doing well! For handmade cards, the range can fall anywhere in between $5 to $50 – it all depends on the materials you’re using, what your client wants, how complex it is, and how much time you’re taking.
While building up your business it’s a good idea to try your cards out on online marketplaces. Other online marketplaces such as eBay, Etsy, or Amazon where lots of handmade cards are sold and you can set up a shop front very easily. You will pay a listing fee and commission, so you need to work this into your costs.
Some popular sites where you can sell your handmade cards are Dawanda, and more. If you are financially sound and can invest huge amounts, your own card retail website is a good idea to go for. Wherever you choose to sell, make sure to showcase high-quality photos of your designs. Offer variety in styles and themes. And provide good customer service.