If you have ever seen a political campaign whether for president of the nation or just the local high school, chances are you have seen the perfect money-making venture. Same goes for state fairs, fund raisers at your local church, etc. So, what is this incredible business?

Buttons. They can be as simple as one plain word, a whole slogan or even photos. Buttons are great promotional items for everything from a small business, to fund raisers to political campaigns. And you can start this business up for as little as $60.

To begin with, you need a button press. There are plenty of models available, so do some comparative shopping. Decide first what size of buttons you want to sell. 1 1/4″ is probably the most popular. www.store.yahoo.com/badgeaminit offers not only products and starter kits, but also some great ideas on how to use your new machine. www.usabuttons.com has a great section called The Button Idea Vault which is worth checking out.

Now you need artwork. This can be provided by your clients in the form of computer printouts or photos. If you are computer-savvy, you may want to offer graphic art services as well and print out your own graphics to use on the buttons.

Since you have a button press, why not use it for promotion? Print up your logo and slogan with contact info and wear your ad. Give them out to friends and potential clients as well. But you will also want to run an ad in the local paper.

Each button is individually made, so you can easily do small runs, for birthday parties or family reunions, for example. But offer special prices for large orders, such as 100, 500, etc. This will bring in larger clients like bars and national societies. You may also want to come up with your own catchy phrases and sell your buttons pre made instead of custom in stores. Take samples and offer boxes of 25, 50 and up of assorted buttons. These work well in gift shops and gag stores.

As you get used to this business, you will get faster and can also branch out into different sizes of buttons. Add ribbons for a unique effect and get your family involved. Kids can help assemble the buttons and can even design fun artwork for kid fund raisers. It is a great family business!

Resources:

www.store.yahoo.com/badgeaminit

www.usabuttons.com/

www.americanbuttonmachines.com/index_google.html?gclid=CI-Q_MzzkJQCFQo2GgodmjD7tA