After reading Susan Gunelius’s book on branding one’s business the Playboy Way, I’ve been contemplating on how to combine my various interests under one brand that will be logical, promotable and profitable.  Then I also need to come up with a catchy name for my business.
These interests include:

Researching & writing about family heritage
Teaching others to do this through workshops
Teaching through online classes
Writing books based on my various ancestors
Compiling family heritge recipes for family and others
Creating memory books for others
Teaching others to create memory books
Developing scrapbooking kits and classes for assisted living and nursing homes
Compiling a blog and book about my …read more

Generally we think of making scrapbooks to hold family memories and photos.  We even teach classes to help others develop various types of scrapbooks.
However, you can utilize scrapbooking techniques for business portfolios.  Also, you can assemble these “portfolios”  online, or scan into your computer, for viewing online (at your blog or web site) by potential customers.  I’ve used these techniques for two of my home businesses.
I transformed a photograph album type of scrapbook into a portfolio when I had a quiltmaking/patchwork business.  In it I placed photos and descriptions of items I had for sale or could make on order.  I also …read more

Various holidays and special events play a role in the scrapbooking/family story business I’m evolving.  I can visualizing teaching workshops and furnishing supplies for preserving grandparenting and grandparent memories.
What stories do you have to tell about your grandparents?  Also, if you’re a grandparent, there are memories you want to preserve there, too.
Various ways I’d suggest to my students:

Photo albums with detailed captions
Scrapbooks with stories and photos, also memorabilia
Shadow boxes that tell a story or preserve a memory
Mixed media collages that can be framed
Postcards you can send to family members
Keeping a journal about events as they happen
Writing down the memories you …read more

In my previous post, I pondered on how to tie my enthusiasm for my one-room school heritage into my blog and my writing/speaking home business.  I listed various ways I could do this. 
Then it occurred to me…make a scrapbook, illustrated journal or CD about my heritage.  Then teach others how to do this with their school memories and provide scrapbooking kits.  These scrapbooks don’t have to be about a one-room school education.  These could include any school memories.
This also could expand upon my idea of providing kits for teaching scrapbooking in nursing homes.  In other words, Themed Scrapbooking.  The brainstorming could …read more

I mentioned in a post at Blisstree, Scrapbooking with Alzheimer’s Patients, that I had taught a workshop at nursing homes.  A reader inquired whether I sold kits so individuals or nursing homes could do it on their own.
Yes, I do put together the kits, but I hadn’t actively promoted this business because I’ve been wondering what direction to take.  However, this inquiry got me thinking…“Here’s a need.  I must fill it.”
So now I’m doing more than dabbling.  I’m putting together a business plan.  It seems practical at this point in my life, because it’s a fairly simple kit to compile, along …read more