CUSTOM TRADING CARDS BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary

Company Description

Cardline Atelier (name origin: "Cardline" for trading-card lineage; "Atelier" for craft studio) is based in Austin, Texas and operates in the memorabilia and promotional products sector. We run a premium digital-to-physical platform that converts custom digital designs into collectible-grade trading cards. Our core products are limited-run, high-finish trading cards and promo card kits tailored to corporate events, brand activations, and private celebrations. We are asset-light: design, e-commerce, and quality control are in-house; production and fulfillment use a vetted network of specialized domestic printing partners. Full commercial launch is scheduled for January 1, 2026. One line: premium custom trading cards for events and brands.

We differentiate on manufacturing grade, design tooling, and turnkey service: expert card-grade materials, variable-data personalization, and a concierge ordering flow for non-technical buyers. Target customers are US-based marketing teams, event planners, fan clubs, and high-net-worth individuals ordering 50–5,000 unit runs. Short-term goals: validate demand with 100 pilot orders, achieve 55% gross margin, and reach $250k revenue in first 6 months post-launch. Long-term goals: scale to $5M ARR by year three, expand domestic production partners, and add a subscription product for ongoing promo cycles. One line: clear economics and scalable, partner-driven fulfillment.

Problem

Individuals and businesses lack an accessible, high-quality way to create tangible personalized memorabilia that outperforms standard business cards. Existing options routinely fail to deliver premium weight and finish, enforce large minimum orders, require specialized design skills, and produce items recipients discard, which reduces marketing impact and memorable keepsakes.

There is no easy path today for small runs of collectible-grade cards that recipients keep. Based in Austin, Texas, our asset-light platform uses a network of specialized domestic printers to bridge digital design and high-end manufacturing, filling this gap ahead of a full commercial launch in January 2026.

Solution

We close a market gap by offering a streamlined web platform for designing and ordering premium custom-printed trading cards. Users upload images, add text and stats, apply professional templates, preview on mobile and desktop, and place orders fulfilled through U.S.-based printing partners. The service targets the lack of accessible, high-quality options by guaranteeing trading-card-quality production that meets cardstock thickness and finish standards.

One clear line: a simple web app that delivers professional, collectible trading cards via U.S. print fulfillment.

Mission Statement

We turn digital moments and brand identities into high-quality, tangible keepsakes that make a lasting impression. We empower creativity by providing professional-grade design and printing tools that are accessible to users of all skill levels while maintaining the highest standards in the trading card industry. Our goal is to become the premier platform for custom collectibles in the United States, serving both small-scale projects and commercial creators with reliability and craftsmanship.

Key Success Factors

Critical enablers that must hold to meet our growth and EBITDA targets.

• Proprietary design tool: Remain user-friendly while delivering professional-grade results.
• U.S. printing partner network: Maintain high-quality, reliable suppliers to uphold premium product promise.
• Unit growth: Scale from 15,600 units in Year 1 to 85,600 units in Year 5 to hit EBITDA targets.
• Performance marketing efficiency: Keep spend at ~6.0% of revenue to preserve CAC and payback assumptions.
• Breakeven timing: Reach breakeven in February 2028 for long-term financial sustainability.

Financial Summary

Strong growth: EBITDA moves from -$159,000 (2026) to $1,014,000 (2030), breakeven in Feb-28 and payback in 49 months.

Initial capital expenditures total $135,000; minimum cash cushion forecast is $781,000 (Dec-28); payback 49 months with IRR 0.02 and ROE 1.23.

Overall outlook: revenue scale and improving EBITDA support a stable cash position by late 2028.

Funding Requirements

We seek capital to cover initial platform build, launch costs, and working capital to run through the projected breakeven in February 2028.

Financial snapshot: EBITDA from -$159,000 (2026) to $1,014,000 (2030), IRR 0.02, ROE 1.23, breakeven in 26 months, total payback 49 months, minimum cash reserves $781,000 by late 2028.