I really, truly believe there is room in the market for every single person who has the ambition to run a thriving stationery business, but getting started (and standing out) aren’t easy feats.
In a sea of beautiful paper, it can feel like the market is too saturated to get enough clients or that only a particular aesthetic is going to be successful. It’s tempting to want to drop out of the race right away or assume that you should emulate the “successful” businesses in order to find success yourself. But I can tell you first hand after working with dozens of stationers, there is no single best aesthetic, there is no one ideal client, but there is just one way to be successful.
The only way to be successful in this market (or any business, for that matter) is to fully, completely, and unabashedly embrace the things that make you unique.
I recently heard someone say (I wish I could remember who it was; if you know please tell me!) that you shouldn’t define your niche, but rather, you are your niche.
So what does that mean in practical terms?
Don’t: Say your niche in the stationery world are women between the ages of 25-32 who like a fine art aesthetic, color pallet of blush and cream, are having a church wedding, and have a budget of 2k for their stationery
Do: Bring your love of the south of France, sunflowers, handmade paper, navy blue and blush, and garden roses into your work, your brand, and your imagery.
or maybe for you it sounds more like bringing your love for South American culture, bold color pallets, and celebratory language into your brand
or maybe it’s your love of the sea, your passion for the environment, and your background as a classical musician
The right people will be attracted to your business because of who you are in relation to what they value.
What’s so beautiful about this approach is that when you are able to embrace what you love and bring it into your business, all things will become easier and more natural; everything from knowing what to design and what colors to offer, to what images to post on social media and how to talk about your work.
Will everyone like it? No. But that’s kind of the whole point. The wrong people won’t like it, but the right people? Oh girl, they will fall madly in love with you and your business.
Et voila, you’ve carved a beautiful niche for yourself with plenty of room to grow.
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