Romantic Greeting Cards
One way to put some romance back into someones life is with romantic greeting cards. Life these days is just way too busy and sometimes the simple things in this technological age we live in, are often the most effective, have the biggest impact.
This is a great niche to start your own greeting card business in as it is very popular.
There are different ways to approach it too as far what types of cards to make such as animated greeting cards like this one below. This is just so beautiful.
Very nice don't you agree.
And there is also the traditional way of doing it also and you can use photos to make your cards with as well. I found this other video which takes you though some ways to make cards using photos. Get tips here.
Anyway which ever way you choose to create your romantic greeting cards one things for sure, there will always be a demand for them. Visit my greeting card business site for tips on how to start your greeting card business.
Till next time keep safe
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Gocco The Old Art of Greeting Card Printing
Gocco The Old Art of Greeting Card Printing
Now if you've been making greeting cards from home for some time now, you've probably tried various methods of printing your greeting cards using the trusty ink jet printer that loves to eat up that expensive ink and some of the online greeting card printing services.
Well I discovered a video while doing my regular scour of YouTube, and I found this really interesting one on the old art of Gocco printing. Have you ever heard of this? Well, I hadn't until now and I thought you may find it of some interest as I did. Check it out below. It runs for about 9mins but is well worth the time to watch, I was glued to it.
Isn't that amazing? Well I thought it was and it triggered some ideas especially if you want to start selling your greeting cards by starting a greeting card business from home.
Gocco was developed 25 years ago in Japan by Noboru Hayama. The Gocco printing method was developed as a fast and easy way to print from home. Gocco uses the basic principles of screen-printing and rubber-stamping, its clean, easy and fully self-contained compact printing system.
This process of printing has slowly disappeared over the years with home computer printing and online printing services, but it is slowly on the come back and inspired Jill Bliss to start a Web site called Save Gocco.
Bliss, who used a Gocco machine she bought on eBay in her handmade stationery business, Blissen, says she threw together the site “on a whim.” She handed out some press packets at the Bazaar Bizarre craft fair in Los Angeles, and soon SaveGocco.com became ground zero of Gocco-withdrawal angst. The site ultimately collected more than a thousand names of enthusiasts, in a show of strength that the signers hoped might inspire some entity to start making the product again. �
Does this get your ideas factory working? You could do something very similar to what Jill did online and build a database of fans and potential customers for your unique greeting cards.
I have started a series of tutorials that I will send out to my subscribers list focusing on showing you how to build an online business. I know it may sound a bit technical but believe me when you see what I have installed anyone can do it, even my Mom, and I will even show you how to do it fro free.
So if you're not subscribed to my free newsletter go and do it now at www.greetingcardprofits.com and I will notify you when the series is ready to go out.
Please leave me any comments about this post and let me know if there is anything specific you need some help with on starting your own online greeting card business and I will answer them in the email series.
So I hope you found this interesting. I know there are a lot of greeting card printing services available that are more time efficient but if you want to differentiate your greeting cards from the masses, the Gocco system may be a way to go when it comes to printing your greeting cards from home.
Till next time
Now if you've been making greeting cards from home for some time now, you've probably tried various methods of printing your greeting cards using the trusty ink jet printer that loves to eat up that expensive ink and some of the online greeting card printing services.
Well I discovered a video while doing my regular scour of YouTube, and I found this really interesting one on the old art of Gocco printing. Have you ever heard of this? Well, I hadn't until now and I thought you may find it of some interest as I did. Check it out below. It runs for about 9mins but is well worth the time to watch, I was glued to it.
Isn't that amazing? Well I thought it was and it triggered some ideas especially if you want to start selling your greeting cards by starting a greeting card business from home.
Gocco was developed 25 years ago in Japan by Noboru Hayama. The Gocco printing method was developed as a fast and easy way to print from home. Gocco uses the basic principles of screen-printing and rubber-stamping, its clean, easy and fully self-contained compact printing system.
This process of printing has slowly disappeared over the years with home computer printing and online printing services, but it is slowly on the come back and inspired Jill Bliss to start a Web site called Save Gocco.
Bliss, who used a Gocco machine she bought on eBay in her handmade stationery business, Blissen, says she threw together the site “on a whim.” She handed out some press packets at the Bazaar Bizarre craft fair in Los Angeles, and soon SaveGocco.com became ground zero of Gocco-withdrawal angst. The site ultimately collected more than a thousand names of enthusiasts, in a show of strength that the signers hoped might inspire some entity to start making the product again. �
Does this get your ideas factory working? You could do something very similar to what Jill did online and build a database of fans and potential customers for your unique greeting cards.
I have started a series of tutorials that I will send out to my subscribers list focusing on showing you how to build an online business. I know it may sound a bit technical but believe me when you see what I have installed anyone can do it, even my Mom, and I will even show you how to do it fro free.
So if you're not subscribed to my free newsletter go and do it now at www.greetingcardprofits.com and I will notify you when the series is ready to go out.
Please leave me any comments about this post and let me know if there is anything specific you need some help with on starting your own online greeting card business and I will answer them in the email series.
So I hope you found this interesting. I know there are a lot of greeting card printing services available that are more time efficient but if you want to differentiate your greeting cards from the masses, the Gocco system may be a way to go when it comes to printing your greeting cards from home.
Till next time
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Get Personal With Custom Greeting Cards
There is nothing quite as personal as receiving custom greeting cards as opposed to the very popular e-card. Although the e-card is easy and a fast way to distribute a greeting, the personal touch of a handmade greeting card just make you feel that more important when you get one.
You may actually make greeting cards yourself for friends and loved ones, I just finished making my engagement invitations with my beautiful bride-to-be, Lauren. We have had so many great comments on how beautiful our invitations and are really glad now that we didn't go down the e-card path or just buy generic off the shelf invitations.
I did get some tips from subscribers to Greeting Card Profits, so thanks for that if you happen to be one. We went to a local craft supply shop and pick out the stock and materials we needed and went from there. We went home and eagerly started making up samples and I got to work in photo shop and I started setting up templates and looking though my collection of fonts.
Anyway the main reason for this post was to tell you about a really cool online photo editing service you can use to do just about everything you would need to do as far as edit and add special effects to images and photos you want to use in your greeting card making.
Its called Photoworks.com and you can even create your own custom greeting cards online. Its a better solution if you don't want to spend big dollars on photo editing software like photo shop. Its definitely worth a look.
If you want to check out some of the newer articles and additions to my greeting card website and a photo of my handy work at making an invitation here at my site: www.greetingcardprofits.com :)
Till next time
I couldn't upload the photo here must be a slow connection at the moment.
You may actually make greeting cards yourself for friends and loved ones, I just finished making my engagement invitations with my beautiful bride-to-be, Lauren. We have had so many great comments on how beautiful our invitations and are really glad now that we didn't go down the e-card path or just buy generic off the shelf invitations.
I did get some tips from subscribers to Greeting Card Profits, so thanks for that if you happen to be one. We went to a local craft supply shop and pick out the stock and materials we needed and went from there. We went home and eagerly started making up samples and I got to work in photo shop and I started setting up templates and looking though my collection of fonts.
Anyway the main reason for this post was to tell you about a really cool online photo editing service you can use to do just about everything you would need to do as far as edit and add special effects to images and photos you want to use in your greeting card making.
Its called Photoworks.com and you can even create your own custom greeting cards online. Its a better solution if you don't want to spend big dollars on photo editing software like photo shop. Its definitely worth a look.
The site was formerly known as Seattle Film Works, PhotoWorks has a 30-year national heritage of helping photographers share and preserve their memories with innovative and inspiring products and services.
So if you want to get your hands on this powerful set of photo editing tools that enables you to edit, share, and print photos in any Internet browser(IE, Firefox, Safari, Mozilla, etc.) and with any computer platform (PC, Mac, Linux), then I suggest you can go check out how to make your custom greeting cards using this service. You can register for free and they give you 25 free prints when you sign-up. Nice of them.If you want to check out some of the newer articles and additions to my greeting card website and a photo of my handy work at making an invitation here at my site: www.greetingcardprofits.com :)
Till next time
I couldn't upload the photo here must be a slow connection at the moment.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Internet Greeting Cards - Free Website
Oh well I really thought I had an original greeting card business idea for Internet greeting cards but then I found this really cool site that's free to join and you can send electronic greeting cards and scrapbooks as well.
You can add photos, audio and video elements and simply send them to your friends or loved ones. Its easy to use and I thought it was a bit of fun. The idea is great and it backs up what I was saying in my last post.
Smilebox is the service than lets you do this really cool stuff. You can create a new category called "creative messaging," which draws from related categories including photo services, scrapbooking and electronic greetings.
This is a new medium for communication unparalleled in its ability to convey mood, thought and emotion. You can check it out for yourself here
Well as far as Internet greeting cards go this is a site that has hit the mark. Try it out and let me know what you think.
Till next time.
Dave
You can add photos, audio and video elements and simply send them to your friends or loved ones. Its easy to use and I thought it was a bit of fun. The idea is great and it backs up what I was saying in my last post.
Smilebox is the service than lets you do this really cool stuff. You can create a new category called "creative messaging," which draws from related categories including photo services, scrapbooking and electronic greetings.
This is a new medium for communication unparalleled in its ability to convey mood, thought and emotion. You can check it out for yourself here
Well as far as Internet greeting cards go this is a site that has hit the mark. Try it out and let me know what you think.
Till next time.
Dave
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Internet Greeting Cards
I have just been searching around looking for some greeting card business ideas and then it hit me... Internet greeting cards. Well I got the idea while doing my regular search of YouTube.
I found this video below that just started my business juices flowing. The video isn't the greatest quality but the concept is fantastic. Just add a bit of your own creative flair and you could produce something fantastic. Check it first.
Can you see the potential here? With video podcasts becoming so big now you can create video greeting cards containing photos, audio, your own graphic designs and combine it all together on your PC using a basic video editing package, I use iMove on my macbook very cool and you can create everything on a mac even a podcast.
Anyway I ramble on... but you get the idea how personal would it be to create a video greeting card like this and send it to a loved one or create a whole range of them and build a website that sells them. This is a great business idea.
Hey I don't for a moment think the real printed greeting card will ever be replaced even in this ever evolving informaton age, there is just something that much more personal about a real card.
Anyway just wanted to share that with you because I really feel Internet greeting cards have a place and the video format could be the online version that takes off.
Please I would love to get your comments on this.
Till next time.
I found this video below that just started my business juices flowing. The video isn't the greatest quality but the concept is fantastic. Just add a bit of your own creative flair and you could produce something fantastic. Check it first.
Can you see the potential here? With video podcasts becoming so big now you can create video greeting cards containing photos, audio, your own graphic designs and combine it all together on your PC using a basic video editing package, I use iMove on my macbook very cool and you can create everything on a mac even a podcast.
Anyway I ramble on... but you get the idea how personal would it be to create a video greeting card like this and send it to a loved one or create a whole range of them and build a website that sells them. This is a great business idea.
Hey I don't for a moment think the real printed greeting card will ever be replaced even in this ever evolving informaton age, there is just something that much more personal about a real card.
Anyway just wanted to share that with you because I really feel Internet greeting cards have a place and the video format could be the online version that takes off.
Please I would love to get your comments on this.
Till next time.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Making Greeting Cards Video Tip
Embossing Greeting Cards
Thought I would share this great little video by Flora Tan. Flora takes use through the process of dry embossing an oriental greeting card. Great work Flora.
If you want to see more of Flora's work you can visit her website at here.
For Card Designers Who Want To Sell Their Greeting Cards
If you have the bug for making greeting cards have you ever thought about selling your works of art? Flora is a talented card maker who has turned her passion and hobby into a business. Imagine being able to do what you love for a living. Well you can if you really want to.
Here is a tip to help you get started...
Start Up Costs
Determining what financial investment you can afford to pay in order to start a new business is usually the most stressful part of the business. But once you know exactly how much money you need for the business and how much money you can afford, you can get started with the business plan.
Remember you can just start out on a part-time basis if you like until you find your feet and your greeting card market.
Analyzing your start-up costs and expenses is simply listing all of the expenses you will have in starting the business in the first month and even the first three month. Not only does it include the cost of the location, but the cost of advertising, utilities, insurance, and inventory.
If you want more information about starting a greeting card business then you can visit my website if you like at: www.greetingcardprofits.com
Anyway that's all for today I hope you found this useful. I would love to get your comments and feedback too.
Talk soon
David
Thought I would share this great little video by Flora Tan. Flora takes use through the process of dry embossing an oriental greeting card. Great work Flora.
If you want to see more of Flora's work you can visit her website at here.
For Card Designers Who Want To Sell Their Greeting Cards
If you have the bug for making greeting cards have you ever thought about selling your works of art? Flora is a talented card maker who has turned her passion and hobby into a business. Imagine being able to do what you love for a living. Well you can if you really want to.
Here is a tip to help you get started...
Start Up Costs
Determining what financial investment you can afford to pay in order to start a new business is usually the most stressful part of the business. But once you know exactly how much money you need for the business and how much money you can afford, you can get started with the business plan.
Remember you can just start out on a part-time basis if you like until you find your feet and your greeting card market.
Analyzing your start-up costs and expenses is simply listing all of the expenses you will have in starting the business in the first month and even the first three month. Not only does it include the cost of the location, but the cost of advertising, utilities, insurance, and inventory.
If you want more information about starting a greeting card business then you can visit my website if you like at: www.greetingcardprofits.com
Anyway that's all for today I hope you found this useful. I would love to get your comments and feedback too.
Talk soon
David
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
It's so important to identify your market
Thanks to all who have been to my website and left me feedback - fantastic. I am really glad to hear so many of you are enjoying my book - keep the feedback coming. :)
I have had a few emails from my subscribers who are still struggling to find there greeting card market to sell too. Well get ready because I have a fantastic tool that will help you do just that and it will blow your mind.
Here it is : http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/
You simply type in the search terms you think your target market would be searching for and you get a total list of related terms as well and this site tells you how many times a day someone searches on those terms.
So the higher the number the more popular the term is. Don't be too quick to discount the lower numbers you could find yourself a real targetable niche to sell your greeting cards to.
If you haven't checked out my new greeting card business site you can go here www.greetingcardprofits.com I would love to get your feedback.
Talk again soon.
David
I have had a few emails from my subscribers who are still struggling to find there greeting card market to sell too. Well get ready because I have a fantastic tool that will help you do just that and it will blow your mind.
Here it is : http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/
You simply type in the search terms you think your target market would be searching for and you get a total list of related terms as well and this site tells you how many times a day someone searches on those terms.
So the higher the number the more popular the term is. Don't be too quick to discount the lower numbers you could find yourself a real targetable niche to sell your greeting cards to.
If you haven't checked out my new greeting card business site you can go here www.greetingcardprofits.com I would love to get your feedback.
Talk again soon.
David
Monday, August 13, 2007
Greeting Card Profits Website Update!
If you have visited my website before at www.GreetingCardProfits.com you will now notice a big change in it. I have totally rebuilt the site and will continue to improve its content over time.
I have made the focus of the site on building a greeting card business of your own.
I would really love to hear your comments on the site and any suggestions are welcome.
Talk soon.
David
I have made the focus of the site on building a greeting card business of your own.
I would really love to hear your comments on the site and any suggestions are welcome.
Talk soon.
David
I Just made an invite
Hi all its been a while I know but when you get engaged it's a big deal so I have been off in lalla land. I wanted to shear with you all my engagement invitation making skills or lack there of ... I have to get a lot of the credit to my beautiful bride to be Lauren.
Here's a picture of me and Lauren and my card making efforts.
Anyway that's all for now but keep any eye out because I have some really great tips and ideas for you coming very soon to this blog. It will blow your mind it's that cool.
Till then
David
Here's a picture of me and Lauren and my card making efforts.
Anyway that's all for now but keep any eye out because I have some really great tips and ideas for you coming very soon to this blog. It will blow your mind it's that cool.
Till then
David
Sunday, July 22, 2007
What greeting cards to start selling for a begginer
Ok I would recommend you focus on finding an obsessive hungry market that has money to spend. Let me give you an example of this…
Let’s say we are going to look at the Golfing market as an example. Golfers are insane about Golf, they will buy just about anything related to Golf. But here is what you need to think about when looking for a market that wants the cards you are going to design… who is going to be the person that buys your cards focused on Golf and who are they buying them for.
If you have a friend or family member who is a mad Golfer and their birthday is coming up and you walk into your local card shop to buy a birthday card for this person, what type of card do you look for? A card with cute animals and pets on it? NO he doesn’t like pets. Maybe a general humorous card? What about a card that is aimed at Golfers? What if there was a series of cards that catered for Golfers would you maybe get this person one of those cards for his birthday?
Of course you would, it’s easy and you know their going to get a kick out of it and the fact you got a card about Golf shows you made an effort. Do you see where I am going here?
With greeting cards usually the people who buy the cards are not the people who you have aimed the cards at?
There are millions of Golfers out there and they all have family and friend who may not even like golf themselves but when it comes to buying this friend or family member of theirs a greeting card, what type of card do you think they will usually buy? A Golf related card of course.
So to answer your question…
I would do some research and look for a market niche that doesn’t have any cards that are specifically deigned for it and go down that path.
I would start promoting your cards using a website first as it is the cheapest and quickest way to test and get your business up and running.
Now here is a big tip for you and don’t take this lightly…
If you are not sure about how to design your cards for example say you want to do illustrations or cartoon type cards but you can’t draw well don’t worry because I am going to give you the location of a website where you can go and have someone do it for you.
This site works a little like Ebay but instead of you listing your products to sell, you list your job request and members of the site, who are service providers, bid on your job to design your cards. You can get top quality work for very little cost and you own all copyright and ownership of the card designs because you stipulate this in your listing and to top it off the website provides you with agreements that you can use and have the provider sign that gives you ownership/copyright of the designs and cards.
When you get your series of cards designed they will supply you with the original art work ready for printing. You would stipulate this in your listing.
Now simply go to a printer and get them printed. I would get some samples printed up and give them to shops on consignment to sell and also start selling them in packs online.
The website is called Elance - http://www.elance.com
How cool is that. This is one of my secret underground tips here that I will be including in my comprehensive course I am working on at the moment that shows you exactly how to build and market a successful online business.
How this advice is of some help.
Good luck and keep in touch.
Warmly
David W. Allen
www.GreetingCardProfits.com
Discover how to sell your greeting cards from home!
Let’s say we are going to look at the Golfing market as an example. Golfers are insane about Golf, they will buy just about anything related to Golf. But here is what you need to think about when looking for a market that wants the cards you are going to design… who is going to be the person that buys your cards focused on Golf and who are they buying them for.
If you have a friend or family member who is a mad Golfer and their birthday is coming up and you walk into your local card shop to buy a birthday card for this person, what type of card do you look for? A card with cute animals and pets on it? NO he doesn’t like pets. Maybe a general humorous card? What about a card that is aimed at Golfers? What if there was a series of cards that catered for Golfers would you maybe get this person one of those cards for his birthday?
Of course you would, it’s easy and you know their going to get a kick out of it and the fact you got a card about Golf shows you made an effort. Do you see where I am going here?
With greeting cards usually the people who buy the cards are not the people who you have aimed the cards at?
There are millions of Golfers out there and they all have family and friend who may not even like golf themselves but when it comes to buying this friend or family member of theirs a greeting card, what type of card do you think they will usually buy? A Golf related card of course.
So to answer your question…
I would do some research and look for a market niche that doesn’t have any cards that are specifically deigned for it and go down that path.
I would start promoting your cards using a website first as it is the cheapest and quickest way to test and get your business up and running.
Now here is a big tip for you and don’t take this lightly…
If you are not sure about how to design your cards for example say you want to do illustrations or cartoon type cards but you can’t draw well don’t worry because I am going to give you the location of a website where you can go and have someone do it for you.
This site works a little like Ebay but instead of you listing your products to sell, you list your job request and members of the site, who are service providers, bid on your job to design your cards. You can get top quality work for very little cost and you own all copyright and ownership of the card designs because you stipulate this in your listing and to top it off the website provides you with agreements that you can use and have the provider sign that gives you ownership/copyright of the designs and cards.
When you get your series of cards designed they will supply you with the original art work ready for printing. You would stipulate this in your listing.
Now simply go to a printer and get them printed. I would get some samples printed up and give them to shops on consignment to sell and also start selling them in packs online.
The website is called Elance - http://www.elance.com
How cool is that. This is one of my secret underground tips here that I will be including in my comprehensive course I am working on at the moment that shows you exactly how to build and market a successful online business.
How this advice is of some help.
Good luck and keep in touch.
Warmly
David W. Allen
www.GreetingCardProfits.com
Discover how to sell your greeting cards from home!
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