Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is ScrapBiz?
ScrapBiz is a fresh approach to starting your own scrapbook business. Many people feel that they either need to do all the hard work themselves (and usually end up frustrated with the results) or, they feel like their only option is to join a multi-level direct sales company. We offer you our proven tools (the ScrapBiz Start-Up Guide and the Member Support Program) and expertise to help you start your own scrapbook business with fewer headaches and larger profits. ScrapBiz is like an incredible information portal set up to serve the scrapbook business owner. We not only help scrappers start businesses, but we can help you run yours with our new "Existing business membership". If you already have a scrapbook business but would like to take it to a new level, click HERE . We also can help you start a Photo Book business selling photo books and gifts with our partner, Rocket Life. Click HERE if you're interested in this option.

Is ScrapBiz a Direct Sales/Multilevel Marketing company?
ScrapBiz was started in 2002 as an alternative to the upline/downline scrapbook direct sales companies out there today. Our objective is to be a small business incubator and give you a positive, supportive and educational environment in which to start and grow your scrapbook business. We help you to focus on your bottom line, not your down line. We don't have levels and don't pay you commissions for your sales. The only exception to this being our PhotobookBiz option. Commission payments come through ScrapBiz. It was something we needed to do in order to make the program cost-effective to join. But, you still retain complete independence and control over your PhotobookBiz.

Do I buy my scrapbook products from you?
No, ScrapBiz is not a reseller or distributor of scrapbook products. However, our Business Start-Up Guide and our Member Support Program help you establish relationships with national distributors and manufacturers of scrapbook and stamping products and you will purchase directly from them. You operate like an independent business owner who opens their own accounts with the manufacturers and distributors of your choice.

What products will I be able to sell?
Pretty much anything you can imagine. Very few companies choose to not work with home-based businesses. Some of our vendor partners offer members special perks and discounts, though.

Can I join the ScrapBiz Member Support Program without purchasing the Business Start-Up Guide?
Yes, but you must qualify under the Established Biz program and be able to provide us with proof that you're already running a business. Otherwise, our Member Support Program is only available for those who have also purchased the Business Start-Up Guide. The MSP builds on the information provided in the Start-Up Guide. Together they provide a cost-effective way to gain a wealth of information and access to a strong support network that can support the growth of your business.

Multi-Level Companies say I will make about 25% commission on what I sell; what kind of discounts will I get using ScrapBiz wholesalers?
Depending on the specific wholesaler and product line, your wholesale cost will range from 30-50+% off MSRP but will typically be around half of the retail price. In comparison, most consultant programs only offer you a base commission rate of 20-30%. In other words, for the same level of sales you will make more money as a ScrapBiz Member.

What is your ScrapBiz Member Support Program?
The point of ScrapBiz is to help you be a completely independent scrapbook business owner. However, we offer a place for you to get fresh information and support to help you run your scrapbook business. Key elements of the program are:

• Providing ongoing ideas and resources that help you to increase your revenues and decrease your costs.
• A network that gives our Members "strength in numbers" which allows us to work with wholesalers and other companies to offer ScrapBiz members a higher rate of service such as lower opening order and reorder minimums.
• Providing business-to-business networking opportunities both on-line and at trade shows. Our members-only forums are VERY active with up to 100 messages posted each day. You can search over 100,000 posts for answers to your scrapbook business questions.
• You will also have access to over five years of archived monthly newsletters (which our members say is like getting a SECOND business manual).
• We have hundreds of resource links specifically aimed at helping you start a scrapbook business.
• You'll have the option of participating in group ads in national magazines at discounted rates

You won't find another place with the same comprehensive level of support and success and the proven track record that ScrapBiz has. We have been helping entrepreneurs start scrapbook businesses for half a dozen years and our founder has an extensive entrepreneurial background that is often lacking in the industry.

What if I want to do this with a partner? Can we share one Start-Up Guide and Support Program Membership?
Honestly, the best way to lose a friend is to start a business together. That advice has been proven again and again in. Even at ScrapBiz where we have had many partnerships join but almost none that lasted (except for ones started at ScrapBiz after they joined separately). But, if you think you can work well together, we offer a special deal. ScrapBiz is like a Business 101 class. Therefore access to our information is PER PERSON, not PER BUSINESS. We offer a special deal to partners -- purchase the Start-Up Guide and MSP membership and then email us. We will send you a link to purchase a SECOND subscription for your partner at a discounted price. That insures that our information is appropriately accessed and members are not confused by two partners using one log-in name. YOUR PARTNER MUST JOIN AT THE SAME TIME in order to get the discount price.

What about a catalog? My other company had one already made.
Catalogs are challenging to have. This industry moves very fast and your catalog will quickly become stale. Scrapbook Direct Sales companies even have trouble keeping their catalogs updated on a timely basis. Catalogs are becoming "old school" in this fast moving industry. You may not find one to be useful but if you really feel the need to have one, you can find sample catalog page ideas on the members-only website.

What type of scrapbook business can I set up?
What type of scrapbook business do you want to be?

• A home-based scrapbook store?
• A small local Scrapbook store?
• An e-tailer and start an online store?
• Do you want to teach workshops and have a catalog of products?
• Do you want to sell products at Scrapbook crops or conventions?
• Do you want to start a retreat or crop company?
• Do you want to scrap for others and create custom scrapbooks for other people or develop your own line of products?
• Do you want to digitally scrap for others or sell photo books and gifts?

You decide which business model fits YOU! We have members doing all sorts of things in the scrapbook industry. They often try many things before they find the right thing! Flexibility and independence is the KEY!

There are lots of "start your own scrapbook business" types of books out there. How does ScrapBiz compare to those?
We are not just selling you a book -- nor is our book an eBook on starting a scrapbook business. We are selling you a complete program and access to an information portal that is unmatched in the scrapbook industry. We are the LEADER in scrapbook business startup information and have one of the largest business groups in the industry. Our comprehensive Scrapbook Business Start-Up Guide is very specific and detailed - taking you from A-Z in setting up your business. None of the other books available comes with the type of support program that ScrapBiz offers you. It grows and changes with the scrapbook industry allowing you to get more out of your Start-Up Guide. The scrapbook industry changes quickly and we try to keep up with it!

Can you send me a brochure or is there a phone number I can call to ask questions?
ScrapBiz is an Internet-based company. Our website is our "brochure". If you have questions about starting a scrapbook business after reading through the site, feel free to email us. In order to keep our membership costs low, we don't offer phone support but will be happy to answer your questions via email.

Is ScrapBiz available in other countries besides just the United States?
Yes, we are also available to help you start a scrapbook business in Canada . However, we have members in other countries, too, who purchase their products from overseas vendors. Email us if you are not in Canada or the U.S. but still want to start your own business. The Start-Up Guide and Member Support Program contain a lot of "universal" information that you can still take advantage of. We may not have wholesale resources for you, but they are just a small part of the information you get at ScrapBiz.

Can I join ScrapBiz just to buy my scrapbook supplies at wholesale for myself and my friends?
No, ScrapBiz has a Member Code of Conduct that prohibits this type of false business practice. You must be in the business of retailing scrapbook products at fair market prices. If you want discounted products for personal use, we suggest you contact one of the multi-level direct sales companies. Most of them have a "Hobbyist" level that allows you to do that.

I want to start my own PhotoBookBiz. What kind of profit margin can I expect?
The commission or profit margin varies per product, but on average, you will make somewhere between 18 and 25% on your sales. It totally depends on what your customers are buying and where you set your prices.

Do I have to stock or ship products with my PhotoBookBiz?
No, all that is handled through Rocket Life. You get your own unique Rocket Life store link that you can add to your website. All orders are processed through there. They ship the products directly to the customers. They even process the credit cards for you for a 3% processing fee.

How do I get paid for selling products through my PhotoBookBiz?
The customers pay Rocket Life when they place an order. You will receive a check for your commission on the sales in the following month after the order was placed -- usually by the end of the next month.

Aren't I just promoting Rocket Life with my PhotoBookBiz?
Not really. Your store is POWERED by Rocket Life, but the branding is all yours. If a product, like a photo book, has a logo printed in it, it will be YOUR logo and business name. It's a great way to remind your customers where they can get unique photo books and gifts.

What do you suggest I do with my PhotoBookBiz?
You can set it up many different ways. If you're a store, you can demonstrate the program as a class. Set up a discount code for customers attending the class. If you want to have a home-based “party plan” business, you can use a laptop and an LCD projector to demonstrate the program in someone's home (providing they have a wireless internet connection). If you're an online business, you can put the link in your current store and offer it to customers who might want to try photo books or make photo gifts. If you're a custom scrapper, you can use the program to create books for clients. Just charge them an hourly rate to put the book together.