ScrapBiz was started out of frustration. As a consultant for one of the traditional Direct Sales/Multi-Level Scrapbooking companies, it seemed that I spent a lot of time dealing with backorders and making excuses to my customers about why I couldn't get the hottest, newest scrapbooking products. And it seemed that company policies were designed to benefit the Direct Sales organization, not me or my customers. Perhaps most importantly, the commission system made it nearly impossible to make more than minimum wage. I was anything but INDEPENDENT. After talking to many other current and former scrapbook consultants, I discovered that most had similar experiences at many of the existing scrapbooking companies. Since then, many of these companies have closed leaving their consultants frustrated and angry over the loss of their dream.

As my own frustrations continued, I began to ask myself, "Isn't there a way I could start my own scrapbook business?" After all, I had co-owned a successful business in the past, I had an entrepreneurial spirit, I had made up my own workshops, I had promoted my own abilities and I had done all the work. It seemed that the Direct Sales company was an additional middle man, that in most cases didn't add significant value to me or my customers, yet did dramatically reduce my flexibility, increase my workload, and limit my ability to generate a reasonable income. I asked myself "What would I need to do this truly independently, rather than under the control of another company?" Clearly, at a minimum I needed a catalog, order forms, and scrapbook product distributors that would offer me true wholesale prices. So after investing a lot of time, effort, and money (and after a few mistakes along the way), I figured out these details (and a lot of others) and struck out on my own.

The results were amazing. Not only did I enjoy the independence and flexibility of running my own scrapbook business, but customers appreciated my ability to meet their needs, and my bank account appreciated the additional income from the improved margins on product sales. As I worked further to refine my process, I found that other scrapbook consultants were very interested in what I had learned. But it was also apparent that people were not just looking for initial information on getting started as independent scrapbook business owners. Most of them were also interested in being part of a business network that could be a source of ongoing ideas and add value to their relationships with customers and distributors. These experiences resulted in the birth of ScrapBiz and our two key offerings -- the ScrapBiz Business Startup Guide (the best book available to teach you how to start a scrapbook business) and the ScrapBiz Member Support Program (MSP) . Over time, the Start-Up Guide has been refined to include info not just on being a scrapbook consultant, but also info about setting up nearly any kind of scrapbook business. It has become the quintessential "How To" guide for the scrapbook entrepreneur and the Member Support Program has become THE place to network and nurture a scrapbook business and a dream. We've helped hundreds of women realize their dreams in the last 6 years. Currently, we are looking for ways to profit from the growing popularity of digital scrapping. The result is our new PhotobookBiz option launched in 2008. We have partnered with Rocket Life to offer a ScrapBiz-like independent solution to starting your own photo book business. Our goal is the stay on the cutting edge of our industry - ahead of the curve and ahead of the crowd. You will not find another place in the scrapbook industry with as much relevant and current information as ScrapBiz offers its members.

So welcome to ScrapBiz! We are confident that if you join us, it will be the best money you ever spend on your business!

~Kim Guymon, Founder