LiveWorld Transcripts

Women.com presents

Dorothy Atkins
Entrepreneur

August 23, 2000

Entrepreneur Dorothy Atkins answers questions about how she began, and keeps up, her small business of creating unique greeting cards.

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Women.com: Hello and welcome to our chat with Dorothy Atkins, an entrepreneur whose greeting cards have been featured in Victoria Magazine. Dorothy is ready for your questions about entrepreneurship, creativity, and business. Welcome, Dorothy!

Dorothy Atkins: Thank you very much! I must say this is like living a dream and I'm walking through it every day. I welcome your comments and your questions.

ArtsyMarty: How did you decide to go into the greeting card business?

Dorothy Atkins: I started from a simple fact that I enjoy writing simple notes to friends. I like the personal touch. And the front of it sets the tone. So writing greetings cards was a natural fit. I like to personalize it with my own message.

Aubrey: I've seen a lot of cards that have charms, buttons, ribbons, and other things attached. Have you even done any cards like that?

Dorothy Atkins: I do a personal handmade card aside from my vintage card. And I use old coins, rocks, and handmade paper, and they are all one-of-a-kind. It's called my Quiet Reflections. It started from the fact that I'm a runner and I love to do things that reflect the environment.

Jarrah: Hw do you put a price on inventory created with your own time and effort?

Dorothy Atkins: I use a benchmark of what I would pay for a card. And I shop in stores that would have a pretty high markup on most of their items. So, for me to buy a card that's a specialty card, I would pay the price for it. And people that love cards that are different, or they enjoy buying a card that is special or unique, or something that is unusual. I like to buy cards that are frameable artwork, so I set my price according to what I see on the market. There is something special about people that buy cards. Some people will just rush in and buy a card, but there is a market of people that will buy cards that are totally personal to them.something that speaks to them right away. So, when I make a card, I make something that I would hang on my wall. And I've made cards for friends as gifts and they've liked them so much that they've ended up framing them themselves and using them as artwork in their homes.

Expecting2: I'm interested in starting a birth announcement business. Do you have any advice?

Dorothy Atkins: First of all, I'd take a look and see what's out there. I'd take a look at my product and see what's different. I would ask myself, "Why would this be appealing to others?" I'd use my friends as a sounding board. If it's something that you think about and you want to do more often than not and it's an idea that just won't leave you alone, then that's the time to get serious about doing it. It takes that kind of drive to stay with something. If you feel strongly about your ideas, then it's something you should pursue. Friends are great for sounding boards. I call it my barn-raising session. It's nice to be around friends that share the same energy and dreams and they give you the wings to get out there.

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