How to Start an Art Business: A Beginner Guide

“No human society has ever developed without art or artists at its core.”

This explains that while art might seem like a luxury, artists are an integral part of every society. If you are an artist, this gives you an intriguing motivation for starting an art business.

But how to start an art business if you are a beginner?

Starting an art business requires a detailed business plan, setup, licenses, accounting tools, and more. In this blog, we have collected all the steps you need to take to build your small art business from scratch.

Here is how you can get started!

How To Start An Art Business?

Here’s a detailed guide on how to start an art business successfully:

1. Make a Plan

It is really important to plan every basic for your business so that you can execute the details step by step. You can do important research, like your target audience, your USPs, etc., in this plan.

2. Identify Target Customer/Market

Research market trends and competition to find your niche. You can successfully adjust your goods and marketing techniques to match the demands of your target market. To achieve this goal, you must know your ideal consumer persona.

3. Understand Your Finances

Art businesses need detailed financial planning.

This enables you to calculate your expenses and price your products properly and profitably. You will also be able to budget effectively for your business and manage efficient cash flow.

4. Get the Required Licenses and Permits

Licenses and permits are important for businesses to run smoothly. It is critical that you correctly register your business with government agencies. You cannot obtain insurance or open a bank account for your firm unless you have the proper authorization.

5. Register Your Business

Select an appropriate organizational structure for your artistic venture. Obtain an EIN and register your business name with the appropriate federal agencies. Gaining legal protection, legitimacy, and access to commercial banking services are all benefits of registering your company.

6. Get the Right Tools

You must invest in good quality art supplies so that they can be beneficial in the long term and help you get great results according to your art form. With the right tools at hand, your productivity will increase, and you can efficiently focus on getting the best results.

Beyond your art supplies to operate your business successfully and keep it profitable, you will also need other tools to manage your accounts and distributions. This is where an all-in-one software like Moon Invoice can help you manage your inventory, client tasks, supply chain, payment status, delivery, and more.

7. Set up a Payment and Ordering Structure

Accounting and bookkeeping may be the last thing on your mind as you let your creative juices flow! You will need to invoice your clients correctly and integrate payment gateways to get paid on time easily from your clients.

You will need to establish a simple payment and ordering system to streamline your business operations. You can also choose to use tools like Moon Invoice that will allow you to handle your business’s bookkeeping and invoicing while focusing on your creative endeavors. You may also use the artist invoice template to generate invoices effortlessly.

8. Develop an Online Presence/Build a Community

In today’s world, to attract the right customers and promote any business, you will need an online presence.

To market your art and services, you will need to get information about the right clients. This can be done by using a well-curated website or an online portfolio. It will make you visible on the Internet, where most of your clients are.

You can also make use of social media sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to interact with people of the same interest and showcase your work to them. Additionally, it will help you build credibility in your community. Customers can contact you directly about their purchases. This also increases your market potential, as people from all over the world can reach out to you on these platforms.

How Much Does It Cost to Start an Art Business?

We have collected information on all the required data to give you an approximate idea of the costs involved.

Let’s take a look at the items on the list one by one:

1. Art Supplies and Materials

Art supplies and materials required for your projects can be one of the significant costs to evaluate in your business. The cost of the supplies your business need must be evaluated.

2. Equipment

Depending on the medium of your artwork, you will need different equipment, tools, working space, etc. These things collectively contribute to the costs of the final results.

3. Studio Space

You will also need a space to work on your masterpieces and operate your business. Owning or renting a space for your business can be a significant cost for you to evaluate beforehand. The cost of rental spaces can also vary massively depending on your location, the area required, etc.

4. Website and Marketing

To market your business, you will required to invest in websites and other marketing materials.

You will need to estimate the cost of website design, domain registration, hosting, and other marketing materials required for your business. Weighing promotional materials such as business cards and flyers will also need to be estimated under business marketing costs.

5. Legal and Administrative Costs

To run a business, you will need a lot of funds dedicated to legal and administrative costs. These prices can differ greatly based on where you live.

6. Insurance

Having insurance is a necessary cost for your business.

The overall average usually starts at $62 and can reach upto $58,197. The average cost expected is $32,960.

The Pros and Cons of Starting Your Own Art Business

Starting and growing an art business can be challenging. But if you are dedicated to your passion, you will need to evaluate the pros and cons to get the right preparation for your business.

Pros of Starting Your Art Business

• Creative Freedom: You can express your creativity without the constraints imposed by bosses or clients. You can experiment with numerous artistic styles and techniques and produce artwork that is true to your vision and passion.
• Flexibility in Schedule: When you start your own art business, you have the flexibility to choose your own hours and schedule. This freedom is especially useful for artists who thrive in unconventional work conditions and want to work at their own speed.
• Potential for Unlimited Income: You will open up the opportunity to unlimited by starting your own business. As you can control your expenses and influence your profits directly, you can earn and make profits according to your wishes.
• Independence and Autonomy: Most artists dream of expressing their creativity and having creative liberty over their work. This can be achieved easily by starting your own art business.
• Opportunity for Personal Growth: You will learn significantly more about running a business than just your field of expertise. It will give you the opportunity to learn new skills for managing and expanding your business. You will also need to communicate with your clients, other businesses, etc, which in turn will grow your personality and communication skills.
• Build a Personal Brand: With your own business, you will have your brand name assisted, and thus, you will be able to grow your own brand name. You will represent your firm as its face as the owner.
• Satisfaction of Creating Something Meaningful: Art is an emotion, and being able to do what you love will be the most fruitful and satisfactory part of opening an art business. Nothing compares to this in terms of making you feel fulfilled.
• Connection with Customers: You will build relations with many of your clients as a business owner. Especially as an art business owner, you will understand the emotions of your client in an artistic way.

Cons of Starting Your Art Business

• Uncertain Income: Art businesses can be unpredictable, and it can take time to get predictable income. The finances can go up and down significantly.
• Competitive Market: The art business offers opportunities and recognition. As a business owner, you will face severe competition from other companies in your sector.
• Business Risks: Art is a risky business, and you can’t deny it! These risks could affect your organization and introduce unexpected obstacles, legal problems, market swings, and financial losses.
• Financial Insecurity: Starting an art business usually requires a large upfront investment and does not guarantee immediate financial returns. If this business is your primary source of income, it can be scary not to have a stable income.
• Balancing Artistic Vision with Commercial Viability: Like any other business, this also required a lot of focus on marketing, sales, promotion, etc, which are different than having artistic validity.
• Administrative Responsibilities: Planning the business will include a lot more activities than your dedication to your art. This is a downside for many creative artists. You will need to focus on activities like marketing, bookkeeping, accounting, etc.

Final Words

Establishing a business in the art world can be quite profitable. This could be a great chance for you to explore your creative side.

From creating your business plan to establishing a payment system, each step is critical to establishing a sustainable and profitable art business.
Stay true to your artistic vision to continue growing as a professional artist and entrepreneur.

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