Small side hustles!

Since you're interested in making money with greeting cards, let me tell you more about some of the platforms I've explored and what I've learned along the way. My initial article touched on Thortful, but let's dive deeper into my evaluation of it as a selling platform. My Honest Take on Thortful for Greeting Card Sellers When I first heard about Thortful, I was intrigued by the idea of a UK-based platform that handles printing and shipping. As an artist, that's a huge plus! You upload your designs, set your price (they have a base price, and you add your royalty on top), and they do the rest. This makes it incredibly passive once your designs are up. I appreciate that it opens up an international market without me needing to worry about overseas shipping. Pros from my experience: Passive Income: Truly set-and-forget once designs are uploaded. No Inventory/Shipping: Thortful handles the entire fulfillment process. Market Reach: Access to a UK market that might be harder to tap into otherwise. Design Focus: You can purely focus on the creative aspect of MAKING AND SELLING GREETING CARDS! Cons to consider: Lower Payout Per Card: The £0.50 per card can feel low, especially if you're used to higher margins from direct sales. It definitely falls into the "beer money" category, as I mentioned, but it adds up! Competition: It's a popular platform, so standing out requires unique designs and good tagging. Limited Control: You don't interact directly with customers or control the printing quality beyond your original file. My advice for Thortful? Treat it as a fantastic source of truly passive income. Don't expect to get rich overnight, but it's a brilliant way to monetise designs you already have or create new ones for SO MANY OCCASIONS. Make sure your designs are high-resolution and appealing to a broad audience. Uploading diverse themes often helps boost sales. Beyond Faire: Exploring Other Greeting Card Storefront Solutions While Faire is excellent for wholesale, especially if you want to create a website on Faire as a wholesaler, it might not be the only or best fit for every artist. I've looked into several other options for setting up your own greeting card storefront, and here’s a quick rundown of what I've found: Etsy: This is probably the most popular platform for handmade goods. It's easy to set up, has a massive existing customer base, and allows you to control your pricing, branding, and shipping. However, you'll need to manage inventory, print, and ship yourself, or integrate with a print-on-demand service. Shopify: If you're serious about building your brand and having full control, a Shopify store is a robust option. It requires more initial setup and marketing effort, but the customisation options are endless. You can easily integrate print-on-demand apps here too. Personal Website (e.g., WordPress with WooCommerce): Similar to Shopify but often more flexible and potentially cheaper in the long run if you're tech-savvy. You own all the data and have complete creative control. Local Markets & Fairs: Don't underestimate the power of in-person sales! Setting up a booth at local craft fairs, art markets, or even pop-up shops can be incredibly rewarding. You get direct customer feedback and can build a local following. Remember, you can reach out to stores directly for potential consignment opportunities as well. Print-on-Demand (POD) Services (e.g., Printful, Gelato): Beyond Thortful, many POD services integrate with Etsy, Shopify, or your own website. You upload designs, and they print and ship when an order comes in. This minimizes your upfront costs and eliminates inventory management. Choosing the right storefront solution really depends on your goals. Do you want maximum passive income, full creative control, or direct customer interaction? For me, a mix works best – Thortful for true passive income, Faire for wholesale, and potentially a platform like Etsy for direct-to-consumer sales.