PHILADELPHIA - Gift wrapping is an art; how you do it reveals a lot about you and the person receiving the gift. Are you considering starting a gift-wrapping business? If you have the talent for creatively wrapping things, you can simply turn your talent into a successful home-based side hustle.
Perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin. Another possibility is that you have already started setting up but are concerned if you have thought of everything. If so, then this article provides an in-depth guide to starting a successful gift-wrapping business.
1. Sketch a Business Strategy Plan
Before starting any form of business, create a business plan. First, set your prices right. That’s the first thing your customer will be attracted to - a lucrative price point. As the gift wrapping business can totally be home-based, you can also extend your business by partnering with retail locations.
You can also set up your own gift wrapping station in a mall or busy shopping district, but it may cost you a lot of money. Decide on how much you want to spend on the startup of your business.
Marketing your Services
So it's highly recommended to start right from your home and gain your customer base by initially marketing your service on social media platforms. These may include:
- A business page account on Facebook.
- Posting appealing gift-wrapping reels and carousel photo posts on Instagram.
- Posting DIY wrapping pins on Pinterest.
- A Youtube channel where you can teach DIY wrapping skills for audience reach.
- Email marketing people you find could play a role in expanding your business on a marketing level.
Consider a Proper Niche
Always specify your service. Determine your target audience first. If you are starting from your home and wrapping big items is not your thing, then make it clear. If you are targeting a specific audience base, then mark your territory by proper advertising through business cards and flyers.
Standout From the Rest
How can you derive customers from existing competitors? What’s that one thing that differentiates you from others? These are the concerns you need to work on. Aside from the convenience factor, think a step ahead, which will give you an extra boost to your business.
- Using recyclable and eco-friendly elements like paper, soy or vegetable-based inks, and water-based customizable tapes can be an effective way to gain customer attention.
- Product delivery at a minimum to no cost can be another option to consider if your target audience is within a specific geographical radius.
2. Educate Yourself with the Trends
It's important to be aware of the most popular holiday trends in gift wrapping before you open your doors to the public and determine whether you can adopt them. Some of the recent trends include the use of custom packing tape like star tape, frugal tapes, polymer tags, and more.
As you will be dealing with lots of customers, you need to get into their minds and wrap gifts according to their liking. The best way to learn the new wrapping trends is perhaps by taking hands-on classes. In this way, you will get expert assistance and immediate feedback.
Another popular way is through free online videos. You can find a ton of instructional videos on YouTube and numerous other websites that will help you polish your gift-wrapping skills.
Develop Your Fine Motor Skills
It’s the ability to use the little muscles that control the wrist, hand, fingers, and thumb precisely. Refine your fine motor skills by practicing wrapping gifts, as it requires hand-eye coordination, pincer grasping, bilateral coordination, and other activities.
3. Coming up with a Name and Tagline
Choosing the right business name can be challenging at times. It’s also highly recommended to register your business as per local or state law. There shouldn't be too many regulations for this kind of business, but you may still need to register.
You can get creative with your gift-wrapping business name depending on the niche you are following. Your company's brand represents both what it stands for and how the consumer sees it.
For a long time, people used to wrap gifts because they wanted to keep a gift's identity secret until the perfect moment. Choose a tagline that really clicks with the people who are looking to wrap their gifts.
4. Create Your Network
Business is all about creating your network and expanding your client base There are no prerequisites for this business, making it the ideal side business for stay-at-home moms, college students, and anybody else with an interest.
If you are starting your wrapping business right from the beginning, then the best place to start and grow your network is your neighborhood.
Talk to your family members, friends, and people in your neighborhood and explain your business idea to them and the services you are providing. Once they are convinced enough, they will undoubtedly give you a chance and help you promote your business on a larger scale.
5. Organizing your Resources and Expenses
You cannot hesitate when it comes to marketing your home-based gift wrapping business and making sure that as many people as possible are aware of it. You need an adequate supply of materials for wrapping gifts.
To keep costs down and ensure a steady supply of everything you require, look for wholesalers for items like boxes, paper, tape, and gift tags. You can also purchase your necessary supplies from the online marketplace at a good price in bulk quantities. Some of the popular marketplaces for buying gift wrapping papers are:
- Rifle Paper Co.
- Urban Outfitters
- Paper Source
- Amazon
- Walmart
- Etsy
Track your income and expenses using simple accounting processes. Make sure you are earning profits against the resources you are utilizing in your business.
Final Words
Your business cannot succeed if you do not have a steady flow of happy customers; starting a gift-wrapping business can be very profitable, especially during the holidays.
The gift-wrapping business is an ideal source of extra income that can maintain its small scale. We hope our step-by-step guidelines and measures for starting your own gift-wrapping business will assist you in improving and incorporating the right business strategies in the long run.
