Do you already have a
product in mind? Or are you looking at a sheet of blank white paper and wondering what to fill it with? Any rule that we cite below can be broken! But here are a few things to bear in mind: Who is your customer? Who is your market? Are you planning on selling your design to a retailer as an Everyday Card or a Holiday Card? Will
it be sitting in a rack in a store? Will it be sold via Direct Mail in a catalog? Will it be sold on the web? Who do you imagine is going to buy it? Think about your own experiences in Greeting Card Shops. What is it about a card that will make you pick it up and examine it or open it to read the verse? What would make you decide
that it was the perfect card for you to buy, to express a sentiment to a friend, colleague, or loved one? The image is the thing that is going to catch your customer's eye first. But the text (or lack of text) will also govern their decision to buy. If you are selling a single card that will be presented in a rack, please remember that your potential customer's eye will first be drawn to the top of the card, which may be the only part that will be visible in the rack. You can have a stunning design, but if the focus is in the lower left hand corner, your public may never find out about it. Card racks come in standard sizes. If your card is too big, it may not fit. If it is too small, it may get lost among the competition. Consider if your card is going to sit vertically or horizontally in the rack.
We've found that it's far preferable to have a "portrait" card vs. a "landscape" card if it's going to sit in a rack. If you go with a "landscape" design, it may limit where your card can be placed in a store. There is a bigger market for Holiday Cards than there is for Everyday Cards. More people will be filling shops right before Valentine's Day
and Mother's Day. They will be mobbing the shops at Christmas. Unless you are appealing to a specific niche, it's a good idea to present cards for these holidays to a buyer when you're first starting out. Buyers are always looking for something new. As Frank Lloyd Wright said, "There's nothing in the world quite as beautiful as black and
white. Except for color." Black and white cards can be cheaper to print, but will they appeal to your market? If you plan on selling boxed cards, you must give careful consideration to your package design as well. Beautiful cards packed in an unremarkable box will likely languish on the shelf. How many cards do you have in your line? The answer to this question can fluctuate wildly. I've heard successful card companies claim that you must have 150 cards. I've read that Mary Engelbreit did her first stationery show with only "our twelve pathetic little cards. . . Everybody there had four hundred cards." We made our first sale with only two cards. As a rule, it's better
to have more cards than fewer. We recommend that you begin with at least eight cards, which is enough to make a cohesive presentation and fill a rack. Although you are designing for the public, you must keep in mind that if you want to be placed in stores, then you are selling to a buyer. The buyer is the first hurtle that you have to cross. The
buyer is going to be considering how to best present your cards in his store. Setting Prices You'll have to establish wholesale and retail prices. Check out your
competition. If you charge too much people will hesitate to buy. If you keep your prices as low as possible you may sell more, but will it wind up costing you in the long run? You have to find the balance where there may be a slight hesitation to buy but in the end most make the purchase. You must consider what your production costs will be. The price you charge when selling to stores is the wholesale price. Wholesale price is generally figured by doubling your production expenses. For example if a pack of eight cards and envelopes including packaging and labeling cost you $1.50 to produce you may figure a wholesale price of $3.00. In addition you should be aware of what similar products sell for and adjust your price accordingly. The price stores charge their customers to buy your products is the retail price.
Merchants will generally purchase products for one half of the retail price. They may expect to purchase on consignment which means they will only pay you for what sells and they'll return what does not sell. They may markup your retail price more then double, and charge more than your suggested retail price. This may affect sales and increase returns. Be aware that once the cards are in the store, the retailer might add price stickers or soft alarms, while still expecting you to take returns.
Direct Mail Sales by Catalog or Web Site
will provide you with a significantly higher profit margin because you have eliminated the retailer as middle man. But you will have more expenses to deal with. You'll require a well designed catalog and a well targeted mailing list. Your printing and postage expenses could add up quickly. Standard return on a catalog mailing is 2%. Consider how you are going to accept payment. The ability to accept credit cards will increase sales from impulse buyers, but the card companies will take a percentage and you'll have to provide a minimum number of sales to avoid paying additional fees.
Direct Sales are made at Craft Fairs, Art Shows, or Open Studios. Your earnings will vary according to the percentage that the hosting show will take on your sales. Some Craft Fairs will charge you a flat rate just for setting
up your table at their event. Others will give you the table at a minimum price, but will expect a percentage from your total sales. | 
