That’s a great question. I know others have the same challenges!

There are two basic ways to increase any kind of business: you can reduce the cost of what you produce, or you can attract more people. Now before you think I’m being too simplistic, let’s look at this a bit more, OK?

Some people are always going to complain about price. Some do it because they really can’t afford it and some do it because they want it cheaper. The first group we can’t do anything about at all. Unfortunately some people cannot afford hand-crafted scrapbooks.

The second group you might be able to help.

I fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into each scrapbook. Each, by it’s very nature, is an individual treasure.

But is it possible to produce some of those treasures less expensively? Less expensive materials, for example. Are there techniques you can develop that take less time? I know cost-cutting isn’t often a consideration with scrapbooking but this is scrapbooking business. Different rules have to apply if you want to succeed.

Sometimes you have to do nearly what you want rather than really what you want.

What you want to try to do is develop a couple of different styles that look individual but are based on similar components with just a few variations. What you then have is a dual offering. At the moment people can just say no, I can’t afford it. What you need is to be able to offer them the full bespoke service, and if they can’t stretch to that, have the less expensive option available.

It’s an old sales technique. You’re offering a choice. “Would you like this style, or this one”. It’s not so easy for them to say no. They also have the opportunity to make a saving, and people like that.

Getting more customers is a question of spreading your net wider. Making people have to pay up front is a barrier. Would it would be worth the cost of a coffee and a few biscuits to give yourself the opportunity to get new customers? If so, invite people on that basis.

Is it worth attending local craft fairs with your work? Could you do a deal with a local florist – they have lots of people having events that are worthy of a scrapbook?

Then there’s the internet of course. A properly run blog can spread the word of what you do far and wide. This one is an example. I don’t know where your question has come from but we could be opposite sides of the world – yet you found me!

If you want to find out more about blogging, I recommend Bob Beacham’s course. For more information about scrapbooking business on an ongoing basis I suggest you sign up for my newsletter. You’ll get a free copy of the Scrapbooking Report and I’ll keep you up to date with all kinds of news and info.

Does that help?
Bob

Got a question!! I love to scrapbook and would like to work from home. I have turned my garage into a huge scrapbook room and have way to much stuff. I would love to do scrapbooks for others but the problem that I always seem to run into is that Nobody wants to pay the price for me to do their books. They dont know what all goes into making the pages and I always hear I would love a book done but they cant afford it I had even offered scrapbook crops (went bought 10 tables and chairs) and charged a fee of 20.00 and still cant get anyone because of money issues. Can you please advise me on what to do. Thank you