2nd
Annual
International Scrapbooking Industry Day
March 4, 2007
March
4, 2007 is International Scrapbooking Industry Day
Fun Facts Publishing Sponsors Day to Spotlight the $3 Billion+ Scrapbooking
Industry
For
Immediate Release
Contact: Sue DiFranco, 212-604-4562
New York, NY,
February 1, 2007 - The scrapbooking industry has exploded in growth to more
than $3 billion a year in the U.S. alone. The fourth annual International Scrapbooking Industry Day, on March 4, 2007, will commemorate both the growing
and powerful industry, as well as the entrepreneurs who are helping to fuel
its growth. The day is sponsored by Fun Facts Publishing.
Scrapbooking is the art of safely and creatively showcasing photos and memorabilia
in albums using archival, acid-free albums and products. Its official origins
began in 1981 in Utah, when AJ and Marielen Christensen launched the first
scrapbook supplies store. In the late '90s and early '00s, the industry grew
exponentially across the world. There are now an estimated 4,000 retail scrapbook
stores in the U.S., along with nearly 2,000 manufacturers, tens of thousands
of direct sales consultants, and hundreds of web sites.
The growth of the industry has been fueled mostly by entrepreneurs, many of them women, who took their passion for scrapbooking and built a business around it. This industry, perhaps more than any other, truly reflects the entrepreneurial age of the '90s and '00s.
"I've been helping scrapbook enthusiasts start businesses in all aspects of the industry since 1998," says Sue DiFranco, founder of Fun Facts Publishing. "It's been amazing watching its growth. When I started this company, the industry was estimated at $350 million. Now, it's well over $3 billion, and that number is estimated to grow between 40 and 80 percent annually over the next five years."
The lay-off boom of recent times has also helped sectors of the industry grow. As more employees get laid off, many decide to start their own business. If their personal interests involve scrapbooking, a great portion of them look to create their own career path in the industry. This phenomenon is what prompted The Wall Street Journal to call scrapbooking the "fastest-growing cottage industry in the world."
"It's not just about opening a scrapbook store," DiFranco says. "Today, there are multiple ways scrapbook enthusiasts are creating a career in this industry, besides becoming a traditional retailer. They are becoming product designers/manufacturers, direct sales consultants, instructors, event organizers, professional designers, authors, web designers, and online community facilitators.
"Creating others' scrapbooks for them is a growing service business, sure to expand and become as well-recognized as professional organizers."
Fun Facts Publishing is dedicated to helping scrapbook entrepreneurs succeed, as well as helping the industry grow. The company offers 10 books on building and marketing a scrapbook business, a monthly trade publication, national seminars, personal consulting, and free ongoing support on their web site, www.FunFactsPublishing.com.
Sue DiFranco is available for interviews. Please contact info@funfactspublishing.com or 212-604-4562.
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