Information

[scraptag]

 My husband keeps trying to get me to open an L&L BBQ in our town.  I think it would do well, but I'm not willing to spend all that time away from my kids.  I know that we would have to run it the first year to make any money.  And I would still be stuck with making sure that dinner is ready and the laundry done and the house clean!  NOT gonna happen!  In my opinion you want to run a business that a majority of the people will buy from, or stuff that people need...ie: housing, food, cosmetics.  After that, everything else is up for grabs.  (and yes, cosmetics is just about the last thing a woman will subtract from her list if she has to save money!)  omg!  If my sil's would just stop getting their nails done, they would probably have enough money to invest in something! lol

[scrappinchic]

 Not only are the small stores here closing  but so our a lot of the major craft stores.  A.C. Moore in an otherwise booming retail area is closing this week.  Crafts are one of the first places people cut back in tough economic times.

[SBcrazee]

I personally would never open a LSS. I love scrapping too much & I've found that most people that open up a LSS either get too busy & stop scrapping or do it rarely (no time). Or business does not do well & they have to close & bear a big burden.

[Queen Mum]

I am starting to like the advice here ... the craft stores are all 30 min. away.  I am getting some thoughts from the other suggestions .... mmmmm!!!!  I am a SAHW children all grown and I really need something to do here before I go nuts!!!!!!!

Why not become a consultant for one of the established companies?  

[DN in MN]

I am starting to like the advice here ... the craft stores are all 30 min. away.  I am getting some thoughts from the other suggestions .... mmmmm!!!!  I am a SAHW children all grown and I really need something to do here before I go nuts!!!!!!!

Why not become a consultant for one of the established companies?  

That is what I did Our town has a Michaels (boring) and one LSS. I signed up w/I Remember When and love it. It's alot like Creative Memories, etc. Do your research on the different ones out there and that may be a good answer for you as well. I now get alot of new stuff and plus make a little money... FYI ~ I have not hit the market that hard yet and it's been almost a year. I do it more for myself and friends

[GRACEpunches5]

 wow! i can't believe that all these LSS are closing. in my area, Grand Rapids, Michigan, they are ALWAYS busy. Even with Hobby Lobby and Michaels just around the corner. I prefer my LSS over those stores and find myself there A LOT even though it's about a half hour away (longer if you get all red lights)

[scrapaholic]

 definitely if I had the operating capital for 1 year to do it.  It takes alot to keep up with the latest inventory and order their minimums.

[FurBaby_Mom]

 No way.  I've managed two stores in two different states and it's hard to make any money.  The Chicago location has since closed all three locations and the Wisconsin one has closed one.  In this economy people aren't buying scrapbook supplies - you have to remember that this message board is unique AND we represent people from all over the globe.  Plus, I think that ACOT closed their storefront because the website was more profitable...yes? 
 This is the worst time to think about opening any kind of business that doesn't involve food, gas, or electricity.  People just don't have the money.  And if you're in a small town, I'd think it's going to be even worse.  Check out the message boards for scrapbook store owners and you'll hear them talking about financial struggles.

[baltoscrapper]

 I would say no, don't open one. The one here has the "oldest and crustiest" stuff on the planet. The reason (according to the store owner) is that she has to buy so much (paper in packs of 25 of the same piece) and she'll get a few people buy a few sheets and than she's stuck with the rest. There isn't any money in it even before this economy went to crap, and now it's even worse.

[DisneyInsider]

 When Archivers came to town our LSS closed. It was so sad!  I would also recommend starting an online store & be open to shipping outside of the US as there are many scrapbookers out there who can't get access to the great things we can get.

[bwstamping]

 When Archivers came to town our LSS closed. It was so sad!  I would also recommend starting an online store & be open to shipping outside of the US as there are many scrapbookers out there who can't get access to the great things we can get.

Opening up any store regardless of the economy is hard--long hours, staffing issues, inventory issues, etc.  I would love to see more on line stores do shipping overseas, espeically to military overseas.  I live in Germany and Germans are just starting to discover the joy or scrapbooking so there is very little here and what is here is expensive.  I've cancelled many orders when I found out they don't ship to APO and I refuse to have it shipped to my parents house.  I won't do business with them.

If there is a place in your town to hold a good size crop, do that and poll the ladies on what they think.

 Well, I have seen in this military town we live in, 4 scrapbook stores pop up and close with in two years. It seems they cant compete with the chains half off sales. I think another problem is that many of them are not near the highway or walmart. I think if things are close to any walmart- they are going to get business. It seems like what ever pops up around a wally world- their business does well due to the high traffic.   So if the area is not nearby a regular traveled route, then impulse stop ins and shop dont happen. kind of like out of sight out of mine. Even with loyal customers- they struggle. 

I think you have to know about your towns economic growth. What are the numbers going to be 2-3 years from now.
what is the towns main source of income- can it fall apart by one factory shutting down?  etc.... You can find alot out by going to the city hall and doing some research.  You have to be cautious and not over buy for your store, but keep enough new on hand that it keeps people interested. Having items the big stores dont carry. offering great deals on classes.  Good space is important. I have seen too many tight crowded scrap stores that feel clausterphobic.  whats worse is they try to fit their  classes in little cramped spaces. 

sorry bout the spelling errors. lately my sp. is aweful....

[DolphinSoul]

 Yeah I'm with the majority of the girls on here saying to Not open a store right now. All the Lss's have closed in my area. One of them was sold to 3 different people and it still didn't make it. And we didn't have a JoAnns or Michales close by. The only one that I even really visit is one in a mall that is 30 minutes from me. But its that impulse buying. Bill goes into Sears.. I go into the scrapbook store.. and always come out with stuff I don't need. Yes I use it, but I didn't need it. So location is key. But when I go into any lss.. I get bored fast.. b/c there is only like one shelf of new items and I already have the old stuff I would have wanted and none of its marked down. All my adhesives I buy at Wal-Mart, Michaels, or JoAnns if I pass one by.

I worked in a lss for awhile and the woman had to pay me with old supplies.. b/c she couldn't come up with the money to pay me. Which I didn't care, I was just trying to help her out. It was fun at first.. but got old Really fast. People come in with what they want and a lot of them walked out with nothing.. b/c it there was no new stuff or anything that really grabbed them. Were ACOT has everything new it seems like and with all the discounts given.. everything is so easy to come by.

The biggest problem is that the lss's.. can't give great specials or deals.. b/c then they don't make any sort of money and I find all of them way to overpriced.

A Big Issue you have to relieze is depending on where the store is located.. you have to worry about rent, utilies, insurance and everything. That may seem pretty self explanatory you'd think.. but you don't relieze what that entails.. when you have to have the money at the time for all of it and you may not be making any profit. I mean what happens if there is fire, flood, water leaks, etc. You have to make sure you have enough insurance to cover everything. If someone hurts themselves at the crops, slips and falls, etc. And insurance is not cheap.. that's the hardest thing we have to come with for our home run business. And don't get me started with all the codes the cities have that you have to go buy. Really need to research on what you can and can't do... ie.. signage.. parking.. handicap accessibility... fire codes.. the list just keeps going.

The way everything is right now.. I'd say No to even starting an online store. No offense to wanting to try.. just ACOT and others are big names that are trusted. I don't buy from any small business's that don't have all the secured information ect.. so hard to trust anything now a days because of how easy it is for anyone to make a web page.

Don't lose hope into doing this.. just do your homework. This will become your life and you will probably be so sick of the products you won't want to scrap anymore and lose the inspiration that got you into it. Definitely don't become a Rep for Creative Memories either.. I'm sorry but those parties are so lame and it is just hard to get anyone to come out for them and I find the prices just Crazy! I'm guessing there has to be other great companies that you can be Rep's for first too, to get a feel for what it is like.

Just start Small.. don't jump into anything head first without knowing all the ropes to it!

[bethr]

ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I mean that in the kindest way, really.
I closed mine this past March and would be more than willing to answer any questions in a personal email. Drop me a line.
The economy is just not good right now.
I ran an online, good sized local scrapbook store and a kit club.
Once again, absolutely not, especially if you have one in your town already...let alone all the other things that the other gals mentioned.

[jaziscrapper]

 Our LSS closed last year. It took all her free time and the biggest important element of owning a store, in my opinion, is making sure you have the most current product. However, this can only happen if your product turns over, and this is an issue for most smaller sb stores. Good luck in your decision.

[ctaylor0312]

 I have a good friend that owns her own business.  (not scrapbooking) and I asked her some questions on owning my own scrapping business.  Basically what she said . . . plan on not making a profit for at least the first year.  THerefore, you must have enough money to live on with the income of the business.  Start a business plan , make sure your in the area where there's a need for it.  And being that you stated you live in a small town with already a LSS, go into the that store, without letting on that your thinking of opening your own SS, browse and when checking out, just gradually ask how business has been.  Saying your new to the area, etc.  and go from there.

[ArmyWife95]

 I would maybe do it online, but it seems that all of them do out of business pretty quick (LSS).  I think, personally I would hold off on it until the economy is better.  Even though my finances are good, I still am holding on to my money, just in case!

[Grandma Flowers]

 Sounds like it would be fun but also a lot of work.  And with the economy the way it is, people are cutting back on extras so much.

[Keling]

 DH and I were talking about this as a possibility before we moved to the UK. I already knew that physical stores were few and far between, but the online businesses are doing quite well over here. However, I have discovered that lots of other stores, mostly garden centres, are carrying papercrafting supplies (cardmaking is a MAJOR hobby over here). So, we decided against it, especially as one of the biggest companies here in the UK, Do Craft, is now important the American products like Basic Grey and Doodlebug. Instead, I'm looking to relaunch my Scrap For Hire business by targeting some of the bridal stores in our town, and am also hoping to start teaching a scrapbooking class at our local Garden Centre (they only have card classes!).

Things are definitely tough for most people these days, and I agree that cutting back in hobbies, whatever they may be, is probably the first area that people will cut back in...

[JulesinParadise]

 My husband and I went so far as to get our license, buy the racks etc. from a closing store and scout possible sites.  Then we got real...we are in our early 60s, retired with a steady income from our pensions.  We have the resources to travel and live a good life.  We knew that this would be a 24/7 business venture and we decided that we didn't want to give up our lives to an industry in flux. 

I've been active in the industry and I knew how a good store should be run and the time it would require...and we took the road less traveled, as Frost put it.  And we are happy campers!

It  is a total commitment...you can't do it 'part time'.  Too many 'part time' owners fail for that very reason.  Your life, your family, your very being have to take a back seat for a minimum of 3 years and the financial investment to make a great store is unreal. 

I applaud anyone in these times who undertakes this as you are a far better woman than I!