How to Start a Greeting Card Business Dedicated to the Love of Dogs

How to Start a Greeting Card Business Dedicated to the Love of Dogs

Have you ever gone to the store and spent too much time agonizing over the card selection? Nothing fits what you want to say. You either leave the store without a card or settle for one you figure is good enough. Everyone loves dogs! Just seeing pictures of dogs produces a smile for most of us. Combine that smile with the mental health benefits of receiving a nice message from a loved one. If you want to combine your love of dogs with starting a business now may be the time to start a greeting card business.

Did you know that receiving a handwritten card from someone you love is proven to alleviate feelings of isolation and depression?  This is according to the Thought Catalog. It is beneficial to not only the receiver but also the giver.

Read below for a guide on how to start a greeting card business with your dog in mind to lift the spirits of others.

1. Research and branding phase:

Brainstorm the name of your business. Check if your name is available as a domain and on various social media platforms. This allows marketing on social media and the ability to expand to your own website in the future. The logo can be a photo of your dog if they are the star of your business. There are so many tools that can help you on your journey. Canva and Adobe Express have tools to help you create a logo and both have free options.

2. Design:

What types of cards will you be selling?

Some options are:

• Photos of your dog

• Drawings of your dog or other dogs

• Paintings of dogs

• Graphic art

• Cute or funny sayings

  
  

If you are taking snapshots of your pup, remember their limitations. Harrison was my beloved dog who passed away and would ham it up for photos. I made many greeting cards with his picture. We also have Piper who politely declines a nice photo. She prefers to live here rent-free and that’s fine! If you are great at artwork, you can draw or paint dogs. Do you have a way with words but struggle with the art? Hiring freelance artists is always an option through sites such as Fiverr or Upwork. Check trademarks through the United States Patent and Trademark Office before including any sayings to ensure they are available to use. Do some research to see what is popular but not oversaturated. If selling on Etsy, Erank is a good tool to use. This tool will tell you how many people are searching for specific keywords and the competition. And Erank offers a free version which is great at the beginning of your journey.

The average Etsy store has at least 50 greeting cards but you have to start somewhere.  Sometimes I say just start instead of getting so bogged down in the ideas and rules that you end up stuck. Idea paralysis and perfection are real things. If you want to start with 10 cards- start with 10 cards. There are no real rules.

When starting a greeting card business include the typical birthday, Christmas, Mother’s Day, graduation, wedding, baby and bridal shower, and Valentine’s Day. But don’t forget about:

• Pet bereavement

• Getting a new dog

• Mental health

• Encouragement

• New job

• Anniversary

• New baby

• Manifesting

• Galentine’s Day

• LGBTQ+

• Cards in Spanish

• Blank cards

• Minimalist cards

• An assortment of cards so buyers are prepared for every event.

  

  Get well soon!

3. Tools and production:  

First, decide if you will print the cards yourself vs having an outside company print them for you. If producing yourself you will need the following supplies:

• Printer with high-resolution printing capabilities and can print cardstock.  Some are specific for printing greeting cards.

• Cardstock. Do some research to find the best deals and quality.

• Envelopes. Some cardstock comes with envelopes but not all.

• Packing material to ship. A rigid or bubble wrap envelope. Some also use a protective sleeve around the card.

• Camera to take photos. This can be the camera on your phone or something more professional.

• Software such as Canva, Adobe, GIMP, or Inkspace to create and edit your designs. 

  
  

The second option is having the cards printed through a print-on-demand business. Besides printing, they will mail the card directly to the consumer.

The last option is to use a bulk printing press to have the cards printed. This requires you to maintain the inventory and mail it directly to the buyer.  

4. Where to sell:

How will you be distributing your cards? If you are going with print-on-demand there are several places to sell:

• Etsy

• Zazzle

• Redbubble

• Amazon Merch

• Society 6

• Walmart

• You may also create a website and sell print-on-demand through that. Some options that allow print-on-demand integration are Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace.

Have a handsome holiday!

If you will be selling the cards while maintaining inventory you have several options:

• Etsy

• Amazon

• A website you create. Just to name a few you may select Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, or Bluehost.

• Farmer's markets and craft fairs

• Check with local gift stores. I have also seen greeting cards in liquor stores and at the car wash. Ask small businesses -you never know!

  
  

A less lucrative but maybe easier path is to submit your cards and ideas to such companies as:

• Uncommon Goods

• Blue Mountain Arts

• Oatmeal Studios

• Calypso Cards

5. Marketing:

Show behind-the-scenes process. If you take pics of your dog include that process. Post daily on Instagram. When posting daily include examples of the cards you offer and customer testimonials. Mail cards to those in need and encourage others to do the same. Send to kids in the hospital and veterans who have reached milestone birthdays. The joy of receiving mail as kids and adults is real.  So much is in digital today. Stress the benefits of a card in the mail. Start or join a Facebook group. There is a Facebook group dedicated to sending cards to others as a random act of kindness.  

6. Extras:

Think of small items you can add. If you are mailing out the cards consider including a related extra for a small fee.  Some options include:

• Stickers

• Bookmark

• Mini pen

• Pin

• Magnet

It will be easy to expand into artwork prints by using your cards. Another option that goes hand in hand with cards is party décor. Eventually, you can teach others your process with a class or a workshop. Consider writing an eBook about your process. Include the moments you enjoyed but don’t forget the obstacles and how you overcame them.

If you have been dreaming of starting your line of greeting cards now is the time! This is a business you can start small with as a side hustle on the weekend. Or maybe you are ready to dive in head first and go for it!