Any helpful hints?

Question

I am wishing to start up a handmade stationary company and I would be grateful for any helpful hints anyone who may have already done this or is thinking about would be greatly appreaciated

sorry i didnt explain properly I meant affordable stationary for weddings and special occaisions and cards not actual business stationary

Answer 1

Firstly spell it correctly - stationery. Stationary means unmoving.
Handmade wedding stationery is a definite possibility. A nice folded invitation can cost upwards of £150 for 50. A lot of brides are making their own now but some would pay you to do it for them. While many people know their way around a computer not everyone can design a tasteful layout and there are plenty of computer illiterates still about.

You need to make an album with samples in different colours, sizes and styles but emphasise to your customers that you can customise cards to match their colour scheme, theme, personal taste etc. Use 3D techniques such as heat embossing, foil embossing, layering, decoupage, or add small gemstones, threads, ribbon, beads, or flowers. Conventional cards can't match these touches. Use large good quality cards.

Standard suppliers give a limited choice of typestyles for the insert. You can be much more flexible. Get a good wedding guide book & some magazines and study the wording so you can give good advice. I have seldom been able to use standard wording there is always something out of the ordinary and you need to be able to help people put it lucidly and consisely.

Visit a stationer supplying wedding stationery and borrow some albums to study. Visit wedding fayres and see how wedding stationers market their wares. You will need to hire a stand at wedding fayres to meet potential customers. Tell all your family, friends and workmates that you are available - spread the word wherever possible. Best value for money is advertising in the yellow pages if you can afford it. I have found wedding features in the local press, hotel booklets etc a total waste of money. Handing out 10% discount vouchers works well. Once you have been established for a while you will need less advertising if you do a good job as the brides sisters, cousins, friends will come to you.

It is often difficult for the couple and parents to find a mutually convenient time to visit a shop to order stationery. You can offer to come to their home for an evening. This lowers your overheads as you don't need display space. If you do meet customers in your home you can claim a tax allowance and also for your workroom

Wedding stationery can include day invitations, evening invitations, reply cards, order of service, place cards, menus, thank you cards, serviettes, favour boxes.

A word of warning. You can lose a lot if anything goes wrong. Have someone sign that they are responsible for paying the account and take payment in advance or at least a hefty deposit. If the wedding is called off for any reason no one wants to pay the bills. Make it clear that any work you have done on a commission will be charged even if they decide not to proceed with an order. CHECK THE TEXT THOROUGHLY AND GET THEM TO SIGN IT IS CORRECT.
Using an insert not only looks good but it may allow you to re-use cards if there has been an error in the text or a cancellation.

Don't give up the day job until you are sure you can make a living

Answer 2

I make handmade paper and also make all my own cards and writing paper. I did used to sell it but between the cheep imports and peoples ability to use computers I eventually found that as well as being unprofitable it also wasn't worth doing as a hobby as so few people are interested in anything except the very high or very low priced ends of stationary. The question that could be more useful to ask would be 'How often would you buy ...... at £/$... a year and see what response you get from family and freinds.

Answer 3

Hi, I started making cards as a hobby and since then have started making wedding stationary, this is where the big money is now. You can make a simple yet stunning and personal card very easily but I found the most inportant thing is to have a supporting website and make your produce known to the biggest group possible. yahoo is ideal for producing a website on your own, Vistaprint have geat deals on business cards and leaflets for advertising. It requires 110% commitment for the first year but I make enough now that i was able to give up my fulltime job last year.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Sorry to say but my advise would be....don't bother...computers are so good nowadays that folk produce their own stationary. I have not used a stationer for years.

Answer 6

I agree with gorbie. My wife tried it on a small scale to see how it would go, and it left us way out of pocket. Good luck if you succeed. Doesn't matter what you do. She tried it all. Sorry...