Justifying the Cost

Soul's Notes (TL;DR): My family started this business because we wanted to do more for charity than what our meager salaries could afford. This is our way. I whole-heartedly believe that you will not find cards like ours anywhere else and here's why.

Starting this small business was a huge leap of faith because I realize greeting cards have been around for ages and there's a giant, saturated market out there. Let's be real, I understand that Dollarama and Wal-Mart have cheaper cards available and there's usually a store a stone's throw away. BUT, I whole-heartedly believe that you will not find cards like ours anywhere else and here's why:

• I am blessed to have a mother who is such a gifted and talented artist. My mom paints purely for passion and joy, not for profit. In fact, she's been painting for over forty years without ever thinking, "I'm doing this to make money." As such, she puts her heart and soul into every piece and Soulful Greetings is lucky that we are the exclusive providers of her artwork. I promise I didn't coerce her into letting me use her work, haha. However, she will absolutely be paid for allowing me to design with her art because, and I cannot stress this enough, artists deserve to be compensated fairly for their labour of love. I'm lucky to have inherited any sort of creative gene from my mom, but there is no way in heck I could ever reach her level of mastery because she has put decades of effort and inspiration into what she does. This goes for all artists (visual, performance, etc.) and I encourage anyone reading to recognize the hours of hard work it takes to create. Plus, art defines our culture and society; humanity progresses because of artists who have dedicated themselves to their craft. As such, yes, my mom's artwork is licensed so that she can get paid and feel valued, and that is built into the price of each card.
  
  
• Our cards are designed, printed, and packaged right here in Canada. Our suppliers pay fair wages to their workers and abide by Canadian labour laws -- I think that's worth supporting.
  
  
• Being eco-friendly is not always easy, but it's the right thing to do. I sometimes wish I didn't care so much about the environment because our profit margins would be better. When my family sat down to map out our business model, I was adamant about only using recycled, compostable, or biodegradable materials. However, not only did I want to be sustainable, I also demanded we have the best quality product possible. For example, we are so lucky to have found a supplier who prints our cards on 100% forest-free cardstock (made of sugarcane residue fibre!) while still maintaining stunning, vibrant colour reproduction. It took me ages to find the right printing press that upholds the same values as Soulful Greetings. However, until sustainability becomes mainstream and not just a corporate responsibility buzzword, it just plain costs more to care. I can see why other greeting card companies don't even bother unless it's tied to a marketing campaign, but at Soulful Greetings, this is not the case. We are legitimately obsessed with bringing written messages of love and friendship to the world while healing the planet.
  
  
• We want every card to do good in the world. By contributing to reforestation with every card sold, you as a customer are instantly making positive change. This is a win-win scenario for all of us (including Mother Earth).
  
  
• We are a startup, our volumes are lower, and we are always learning how to improve. With your support, we can grow and continue to bring you the best value possible.

Thank you to all our customers for believing in us and opening up your hearts and wallets for our cards. I know there are cheaper options out there, but this is how business can change the world. There doesn't have to be a war between capitalism and environmentalism; there is a way for profit to benefit the planet. My family started this business because we wanted to do more for charity than what our meager salaries could afford. This is our way. Thank you for joining us.

(Photo by Matthew Smith on Unsplash)