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It all Started in 1997...
I had just finished teaching my third class on scrapbooking at Michaels
Arts and Crafts in Jackson, Mississippi, when one of my students asked if
I would consider doing her book for her. It seems she loved
the concept, but was not interested in spending the time it would
take. I admit, at first, I was taken aback. My love for memory
booking had been immediate and I tried desperately to inspire the same
passion in my students. I told her I would think about it. Frankly, I put
it out of my mind. I doubted that she was serious. Guess what! She was
indeed, serious. About a week later she called me. She had gathered and
organized the snapshot photos from her daughter's recent wedding and
wanted to have them put into an album. She wanted to come by the store to
pick out the album and give me her photos! I was shocked! Becoming a
"Commissioned Scrapper" is very different from scrapping for
personal enjoyment. It has unique risks and rewards. Here are some things
I have done and learned along the way. |
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The Biggest Fear...
It seems obvious that the biggest risk is to the photos. Taking possession
of a client's photos and memorabilia is a little frightening at times.
Many
times, the photos can not be replaced. Even if they can be replaced, it
will
be at my expense, if they are damaged in my care. To avoid problems, I
take the following precautions: |
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1 -- I ask the client to bring the photos and the negatives to our initial
consultation. Having the negatives on-hand makes getting necessary
reprints
or enlargements more convenient and avoids alarming the client if I make a
minor mistake. As a service to my client upon completion of the project, I
place the negative in negative pages for storage. (Always be sure the
client
knows not to store the negatives with the albums!) These negative
protector
pages are inexpensive and an invaluable organizational tool. |
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2 -- I always make sure the client is aware of what is going to happen to
the photos. I show the client all my personal albums and a couple of
special
event albums that I have done. I make sure they understand that I only use
archival-quality materials, even down to the adhesive. Most of my clients
are only vaguely aware that there are unsafe products on the market. It is
also important that the client understands that I may crop some of the
photos. If there are any photos that should not be cropped, I make a note
of these on the list. |
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3 -- I stress to my clients that the mounting of photos and memorabilia is
meant to be permanent. Attempting to remove mounted photos will most
likely damage the photos and the page. If there are any that the client
does not want to be permanently mounted, I make a note on the list.
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| 4 -- One of my biggest fears, in
the beginning, was that I would complete an album and the client would
hate the style. To combat this, I tell the client what I "see"
for the album and get feedback before I begin. I have the client browse
through my personal albums, telling me what she likes and
dislikes. I make a written description on the Agreement. Then, I do
not
start work on the album for at least three days, just in case the client
changes her mind. |
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| A sample of the
description: "Wedding album--Burgundy 81/2 by 11 album, main
colors: burgundy, hunter and ivory used throughout, very formal
straight lines, mats, no stickers, journaling in gold on burgundy
paper, use gold mounting corners on pictures indicated on list. |
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| 5 -- I have created a Client
Agreement that clearly outlines my service for
the client. I do not accept any photos without this agreement signed in my
hand. If there seem to be doubts on either side, I encourage the client to
take the agreement home, think it over, and call me back if there are
questions. If for some reason, I get the sense that I will not be able to
make this client happy, then I tell her that I want her to take this home,
look over it, and get back to me. For more information about
ordering a copy of my client agreement, contact scrapjacks@hotmail.com
. You may edit
and adapt the Client Agreement to fit your own needs. However, you
do need to be aware that this agreement has not been reviewed by a legal
professional.
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| 6 -- Another of the big fears is
the overwhelming responsibility for someone else's memories. This is
covered in the Agreement. I read this clause with the client every time. I
have her initial beside it for emphasis
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Finding Clients
My first client approached me. That is usually the way it happens.
However,
eventually, if you want to do this steadily, you will need to "dig
up" some
clients. To generate client interest, I have done the following:
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| 1 -- Give mini albums as gifts to
brides and new moms with a small,
hand-printed card attached in the back. It is a very elegant card that
simply states: |
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This Album
created just for you by
Sarah Devendorf
Memories For You Creations
555-000-xxxx |
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These gifts have become a sort of tradition in my church and work. I leave
a couple of open pages in the back, just in case the recipient wants to
add
something.
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| 2 -- I teach classes in
scrapbooking at my local craft store. Like that
first client, sometimes I get new clients directly from the class. More
often, though, a student will refer her friends to me. |
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3 -- Attend expos, craft fairs, town days, bridal shows...anything to meet
potential clients. It is important to go into these situations ready to
talk
about your service. Also, be the first to realize that the majority of
people you talk to are not going to call you back. However, they just
might
hang on to your business card or give it to a friend. When the time comes,
if you made a solid impression, then they will call. I did have one
rare
client who called me eighteen months after I gave her my card at a show.
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| 4 -- Make color copies of your best
work. Include pertinent info across the
bottom and use this as a flyer. Post in grocery stores, libraries, kids
clothing resale stores...anywhere there is a bulletin board. To avoid
going
broke, I make it a habit to post 15 flyers a month. If I get one client
from
one flyer, my cost is recovered. Posting color pictures really makes the
flyer stand out!!
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| 5 -- Donate your services to a
worthy cause. I assembled a gift basket for a
new mom and donated it to my local hospital's birthing education class.
The
director used it as a door prize and allowed me to put my flyers in the
classroom. (Items in the gift basket were a nice frame, a Creating Keepsakes magazine, a pregnancy journal, a nice writing pen, a mini-album
with the first couple of pages decorated and waiting for photos, massage
cream, something chocolate and of course, my hand printed card was
attached. Another time, I assembled a full-size album and a dozen pre-made
pages (all except the photos) and donated it to a local silent charity
auction. The album was sold to a lady who gave it as a gift to a neighbor.
The neighbor called and hired me to finish the album for her.
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Of course, all these ideas require some investment of time and resources.
When I am working on these projects, I tell myself, "Getting my next
client
all depends on this project." This helps me to create a quality
product and
really put my soul into it.
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| 6-Tell your friends (even the one
who are addicted to scrapbooking) about
your venture. Let them know that you are available to create albums
for
them.
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Getting Paid for Doing What I Love?!?!
Everybody's first question is "how much is it going to cost me?"
Sometimes,
I respond with "How much will it cost you not to preserve these
memories
correctly and safely?" Pictures in the shoebox getting lost, damaged,
and
worst of all, not being shared and enjoyed, and worse, they are being
irreparably damaged.
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| There are several options for
arriving at how much to charge for an album: |
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| 1 -- An hourly rate plus supplies
used -- Several people who I know that
also scrap for hire have arrived at an hourly fee for their services and
then charge the client for the supplies used. Typically, rates vary by
designer from $10 to $30 per hour. I am not comfortable with this method
because of the difficulty in keeping up with the bits and pieces of the
hours I work. (As a stay-at-home mom, I get interrupted regularly.) Also,
this system requires meticulous record keeping--every supply used as well
as how much it cost me. I think this takes up too much time. However, I
know scrappers who make it work for them.
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| 2 -- Flat Fee-per-book plus
supplies used -- I have heard of designers who
charge $150 per book plus supplies. Again, I have record-keeping
objections. Also, book styles vary and a flat fee seems a little
simplistic. |
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3-- Fee Per Page --You could determine a fee per page based on the average
time and supplies spent creating pages. You can arrive at a representative
fee by calculating the time and supplies spent on the last 12 pages you
created, then divide by 12 for the average. This works in most cases, but
is a little difficult when you are first getting started. I prefer this
system and have refined it quite a bit. I use a sliding scale based on the
amount of work that is going to be involved in the album. Here are two
examples:
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One of my first clients is a lawyer who wanted to organize and mount a lot
of newspaper articles about his trials. He chose a black 12x12 book, with
white pages. I had to have the articles copied onto white acid-free paper,
cut them out and mat them in black. All the lines were straight, no
frills,
and the whole project took about 35 pages. For this book I charged $2.50
per page (front and back) plus $50 for the actual album. Incorporated into
the page price was enough to cover my time to drive to the copy center,
make the copies, supplies and assembly of the page. These pages were very
simple and not time consuming. I hardly had to think about this at all.
His total cost was $137.50. He pointed out to me that this was a good deal
since it would have taken him "several" hours and his time is
billed at $150 per hour. My actual supplies cost amounted to about $45. I
spent about three hours on the project.
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A second example: Another client wanted me to make an album of
memorabilia and photos for her daughter who had just graduated from High
School. She had a lot of ideas of her own that she wanted incorporated
into the album. She wanted a lot of mounting using the same three school
colors and multiple paragraphs of journaling on the pages. I knew this was
going to be an intense project. I charged $6.00 per page and she needed
about 40 pages. She chose an a big memory binder that was $20. Total bill
was $260 and the project took me about 12 hours. Supplies cost about $80
(including the binder).
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When deciding how much to charge, there are some other variables to
consider. I have found that the client's perception is everything. If the
client senses that I am hesitant about the price, she will wonder if she
is
being taken advantage of. I have learned to set my price, believe in it
and
expect my clients to believe that I am worth every penny. Some clients
expect to pay a significant price for this art. Others don't view it as an
art, so they are looking for a steal. ("It's just some paper,
right") I have
learned to make it clear in the beginning what the project is going to
cost.
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Don't be afraid to make a profit--you are running a business.
Do not let
the client "bully" you (yes, some will try) into thinking that
your art
should be "cheap" because you don't have any "special
training". I price
each project individually. If I am doing multiple projects for
a client, I
may consider giving her a special price, or a complimentary gift.
Since the
beginning, I have charged from $2.50 to $15 per page. I have heard
of other commissioned scrappers who charge up to $100 per page. It
will be up to you to set your rate. I offer this one piece of
advice: It is better to
overprice than to under price. You will find it easy to give a
"special" or
cut a price that you find is too high. However, a price hike will
always
raise the concern of the client.
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| Consider the economic prosperity of
your
area (or the lack of it). Consider your client's situation.
Consider the
likelihood of this client placing another order. Consider the time
you will
have to complete this project. You might want to charge more for a
rush
job. Consider if the client's photos are organized. If you
will be
organizing the photos, you will likely want to charge for this extra
service. It will like take you a couple of projects to get used to
pricing
accurately.
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The Big Meeting
Before any deals are made, I schedule a face-to-face Initial Consultation.
There is no fee for this. That way there is no obligation on either side.
At
this appointment, I use the following check list:
--Show the client my personal books and demonstration books.
--Look at the photos to be used. Make notes about them on the Photo List.
--Describe what I envision for the album based on the photos and the
personality of the client. Get feedback from client and make notes.
--Discuss all the points on the Client Agreement, focusing on my
liabilities
and payment of fees.
--Explore the details of the photos, making notes or recording the
conversation for use in journaling.
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About Journaling
I believe that journaling is one of the most important elements of a good
scrapbook. I have been blessed with a remarkable handwriting, so many of
my clients want me to complete the journaling as well. To do this, I have
to
know all the details of the photos. To avoid mistakes, I will typically
record our conversation about the specifics as well as make notes on the
Photo List. As a precaution, after the pages are complete, I usually type
a
preview on the computer and have the client proof it for correctness.
After
the client review, and necessary changes are made I will do the journaling
on the actual page. I always have the client sign off on the preview, and
I
keep it indefinitely. Because of the extra time that journaling
requires, I
charge an additional $75 for journaling.
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Some clients prefer to do their own journaling. In this case, I always
make
sure to provide two archival-quality writing pens with the final book.
Again, it is a gesture that says I am going the extra mile. I always
encourage the client to do it quickly, not to put it off.
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Making it Official
After completing a few projects, and realizing that this was something I
wanted to do as a profession, I set up Memories For You as a small
home-based enterprise. I obtained a resale license with state tax identification
number. A resale license can be obtained from the state tax
commission. Check with the State Attorney General's Office for any other official
registrations you may need. You should also contact the City Clerk's
Office
where you live to register your business. Laws and regulations
vary by
city and state. It is up to you to take all the steps to get your
business
registered correctly. You should set up a separate checking account
for
your business. If you are not familiar with basic business and tax
accounting, consult with an accountant or take a class at a community
college to prepare yourself.
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Supplies
After setting up your business, you will want to purchase supplies from
wholesale sources. This will cut your costs significantly. I
suggest that
you go through the pages of your favorite scrapbooking magazine and
request catalogs and sales information from advertisers. Many will
list web
addresses from which you can request free information. Be aware that
a
resale license does not open every door. Some companies will not
sell
directly to a home- based business. Some go so far as to
require a photo of
your storefront before they will sell to a new account. While I
respect
their wishes, I make it a point to politely let them know that they are
loosing out.
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Sources of Information
There are several on-line resources available for people considering
becoming a commissioned scrapper.
Check out an online email community of commissioned scrappers from all
over the United States at http://www.egroups.com/group/scrapping4others
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A Personal Note
I first shared this article in January 1998. Since then, I have been
continually amazed at the amount of interest people have in this topic.
I
love receiving emails from scrappers who are curious about the feasibility
of commissioned scrapbooking. Feel free to email me directly with
questions or comments about commissioned scrapbooking and/or this article. |
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