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Your #1 Resource For: Starting a Successful Scrapbooking Business Growing Your Existing Scrapbook Business Insider Information on the $3 Billion+ Scrapbook Industry |
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Inspiration struck Pageframe Designs owner Tara Tuck when she decided to give her parents a special gift—a layout featuring a portrait photo of her children. A scrapbook enthusiast since 1995, Tara wanted to provide a display for the 12” x 12” layout, but was unable to find anything that would accommodate it. “I had always heard that if you find a need, then you should fill it,” Tara says. “I spent many sleepless nights thinking about the exciting possibilities if I actually went through with my idea to design a frame for scrapbook artists.” Indeed she did go through with the idea, for which many of us are thankful! The ‘Picture It’ Pageframe is designed specifically to hold scrapbook layouts. They can be hung using a pretty hanging material such as ribbon, raffia, rope, or scrapbooking fibre. They are clear, lightweight, borderless, and shatter resistant. “The simple design makes the frames very versatile,” Tara notes. “They mount easily to any wall, window or metal surface. Layouts can be hung individually or in collage groups to make a beautiful wall display. The open side design allows for easy layouts changes. With the ‘Picture It’ Pageframe all you see is the layout!” Launching Her Business “I had been a stay home mom for eight years by operating a daycare out of my home,” Tara explains. “My youngest daughter was just about to start first grade when the idea to design a 12” x 12” frame came to me. I was wanting a change but I still wanted to be home for my kids, so I started the slow process of designing a frame and searching for a manufacturer. I live in Canada and I knew I needed the frames to be made in the US because the number of scrapbook stores in the US far outnumbers the stores in Canada. “Once the design was finalized (after many prototype and material revisions), I began looking for a manufacturer in the United States via the Internet. I had my whole family helping me and it was my brother that eventually found the company in California to make my products.” “Picture It” Pageframe – “Store owners love the opportunity to hang layout samples in a clean and professional manner right next to the product they are promoting in the layout,” she continues. “Because the layouts are easily changeable, the frames are being used to display customer layouts for contest entries, contest winners, etc. Some stores are lining their entire crop rooms with layout samples in ‘Picture It’ Pageframes. Retailers tell me that layouts are often damaged or even stolen by the customers, and the frames greatly minimize this loss.” A Great Addition For Those Who Make Scrapbooks For Others “I believe that the more we display and SHARE our scrapbook art, the more popular it will become,” Tara say. “I love to create layouts for friends and family members whether they scrapbook or not. Most people who do not scrapbook have never been introduced to the craft. When layouts are taken out of the album and displayed for all to see, we are not only creating beautiful artwork for our homes and offices, we are introducing others to the art of scrapbooking. Some ideas that I have had for gift layouts are as follows: “When you are invited to a wedding, use the invitation as the focal point and create a beautiful layout. Give the layout to the bride in a ‘Picture It’ Pageframe as a wedding or shower gift so she can hang it on their wall. If the bride does not scrapbook this is a wonderful time to introduce her to it. If I am giving the layout as a wedding gift I include a beautiful wedding album and a gift certificate for a beginners’ class from her local scrapbook store. “This same idea can be used for a baby shower. A baby announcement can be made into a keepsake layout and presented to the new mom in a ‘Picture It’ Pageframe to be hung in the baby’s room. Later, when the mom has time to scrapbook herself, she can create an album for the baby and change the layout on the wall as she creates new layouts. “Scrapbook artists love the frames because designers often exhibit at events such as local fairs, shopping malls and scrapbook expos, etc. They use the frames in their booth to display layout samples at these shows. I have one customer that specializes in horse shows and she is hired to photograph and create layouts of riders at major horse shows in her area. She presents the layout to her clients in a ‘Picture It’ Pageframe and the client can then hang it on the wall for all to see. Designers and scrapbook artists often create layouts for others of very special events (wedding, reunion, graduation, baby shower, etc). Instead of putting these very special layouts in albums right away, it is nice to hang them on the wall for a while for everyone to see.” Publicity Success! Tara sent product samples to all the scrapbooking magazines when she returned from her first trade show. “All the magazines did some sort of editorial coverage, which was a huge boost to my business,” Tara relates. “The Carol Duvall Show approached me at a trade show and asked if I would send product for them to review. I sent the frames to them and they decided to feature the ‘Picture it’ Pageframes on their show—I was thrilled! “My advice to others is to send your product to all the media sources you can find,” she continues. “There is nothing like having the product in their hands to touch, feel and play with. Chances are, if the product is something that would interest scrapbookers, the magazine will mention it.” Advertising Advice "I advertise in both the retail magazines and the trade magazines,” Tara explains. “I feel that both angles are important. By advertising in the retail magazines (CK, Memory Makers, PaperKuts, etc.), I am reaching the customers that go into the scrapbook stores and buy the products. By advertising in trade magazines (Scrapbook Premier, Scrapbook Retailer), I am reaching the store owners that are always looking for new products to sell in their stores. I feel they both work for me and are both equally important. “I am always looking for online marketing opportunities,”
she continues. “I have advertised with scrapjazz.com and am planning to do so
again before Christmas. Co-owner Andrea Stead is wonderful, and I feel the
coverage she gives is definitely worth the money. I know that many scrapbookers
visit online scrapbooking sites, but finding them is difficult.” Trade Show Tips “My only advice is to be yourself, be honest and ask questions if you don't know,” Tara says. “I find I have a lot in common with many of the retailers and fellow business owners that I have met (e.g., family, kids and scrapbooking). When I attended my first trade show there was a lot about the industry that I did not know. I found that being honest and asking others for advice got me through it. I have met many wonderful people since starting this business and the support from other manufacturers and retailers has been incredible. Tara’s Advice To Would-Be Entrepreneurs "When I was anguishing over the decision whether to ‘go for it’ and attend my first trade show, my husband reminded me of the old cliche, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ I believe to make a business a success you must be self motivated, dedicated, realistic and not afraid of failing. “When you attend your first trade show you will know whether or not your product will be a hit. Attending a major trade show is imperative when launching a scrapbook business from a manufacturer’s point of view. The retailers will let you know very quickly whether your product is something their customers will want and/or need. "As far as new products go, I would suggest launching them at a trade show so the retailers see the product before their customers see it (e.g., in a magazine). That way, you are giving the retailers the opportunity to stock the product before it hits the magazines. Once you have shown the product at a trade show to the store owners, then send out samples to every magazine/TV program possible.” Juggling Work and Family Life “I work from my home office and I typically put in about 30-35 hours per week,” Tara says. “I am getting better at juggling my family and work because I try to close my office door when the kids get home from school and not to go back in until the kids are in bed. It is a challenge to stay out of my office when I hear the fax machine going or the phone ringing, but I am getting better at setting my hours to work and my hours to play.” Family Support "I am fortunate that my family is very supportive of my business,” Tara says. “I have not worked outside of the home since I had my first child. I did not start this business to ‘get rich’; my main motivation was to find something that I could do from home so I could be home with my kids for a few more years. I feel that if you do things for the right reasons that everything will work out for the best.” The Future of the Scrapbook Industry Please visit Pageframe Designs at
www.scrapbookframe.com! Tell them Sue at Fun Facts Publishing sent you!
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