If you want to start your own postcard business but aren't sure where to begin, the process shouldn't be daunting. You will need to determine where you will sell your postcards and come up with a good marketing strategy to get your line of postcards in front of potential customers. You will also need to decide on a graphics program to design your postcard unless you intend to sell postcards created by another company that you purchase wholesale.
Decide on the types of postcards you want to sell. You might want to sell themed postcards, for example, of exotic locations or even whimsical or silly postcards that will make the recipient smile. You may also want to take photos that you will be placing on your postcards. Or you might want to purchase images from a stock photo site.
Create your cards (if you choose this option) by using a graphics program. If you don't own Photoshop or you find it to be too pricey an investment for your new business, consider freeware software such as GIMP. If you are already skilled in a particular program, it's obviously a good idea to make use of this program to create your postcards. Otherwise, you will need to take the time to learn the graphics program you choose to work with.
Decide how many cards you want to print. Then select a printing method to create your cards. While you might be able to print the cards yourself, you would need an expensive printer to get the job done right. You might have a professional printer in your area who can do this with his equipment at a reasonable price. An alternative is to use the printing services of a store like Staples or Kinkos. Regardless of how you print the cards, they need to be printed on a quality card stock (paper).
Create a website to sell your cards. You can create a basic site using Tripod's "Sitebuilder." You can also use a program such as Expression Web to create a more sophisticated website or you can hire a web designer.
Upload your website to a web host. There are free hosting packages that require a banner to be posted at the top of your site as a condition of it being "free," or you can purchase a package in a range of prices and options. The package you choose should include a way to accept online payments for your postcards.
Market your postcard business website by listing it with search engines such as Google and Yahoo. You might also want to advertise through a service such as Google Ad Words.
Look at traditional avenues to sell your postcards including sharing a percentage of the profit from sales with shops that give you space to place your postcards. You may have to purchase display racks to put in shops that agree to sell your postcards.
