How To Start An Art Business In 10 Simple Steps

Since you’re looking for a tutorial on how to start an art business, I believe congratulations are in order.

You’re ready to see your art vision turning into a reality. Of course, you wouldn’t mind making much money in the process, right?

Well, there is no better time than now to monetize your artistic skills:

Nowadays, millions of people live inside their laptops rather than outside.

As a result, artists don’t have to try that hard to market their art locally:

The web is their oyster!

If everything so far speaks to you on the most personal level ever, you should keep reading this article to its very end.

Today, I’ll walk you through the process of launching, building, and developing a profitable art business online.

This post contains affiliate links – read my affiliate disclaimer.

Why Do You Need An Art Business Plan?

Unfortunately, most aspiring artists don’t realize that the key to living off their art is turning their creative work into an art business.

To clarify, the formative word here is business:

Yes, launching an art business is just like getting into any other type of online business.

Subsequently, passion for art and impressive artistic skills are not enough to transform your new venture into a source of income for years.

In other words, you’ll need a business plan before launching your own business.

Why does having an art business plan matter?

how to start an art business and make money

Following an art business plan is crucial to the success of your future business because it will allow you to outline and stick to the fundamentals of a profitable business.

Now, don’t allow all that to intimidate you:

Creating an art business plan doesn’t have to be a nightmare!

Art Business Startup Checklist

I suggest studying in detail the checklist I’m about to show you:

Doing so will help you establish a blueprint for long-term success.

Get a piece of paper and start answering the following questions:

Do I have a mission, and what does my mission as an artist look like?
What does success mean to me?
Short-term and long-term goals – What am I hoping to achieve?

Giving honest answers to these questions will begin crafting a path to walk on as an art business owner.

Once you have your answers, you can begin thinking about the essential aspects of your business.

For example, you’ll need a clear idea of everything you must do regarding market research, Social Media Marketing, effective marketing strategies, design, etc.

How To Start An Art Business – Step-By-Step Guide

It’s time for me to walk you through building a profitable art business.

Here are the steps you’ll need to take to create an art business to make a full-time income from home as an artist:

1) Choose A Niche

how to start an art business choose a niche first

By all means, do you know what type of art you want to offer to the audience?

Are you going to paint portraits, landscapes, or abstract works?

Furthermore, will you use acrylic paint? Maybe you’ll bet on watercolor?

Whatever your answers to these questions are, you need to know them from the start.

Chances are, I’m not the first to tell you that working without a niche is not a great idea.

You may wonder why picking a niche is the first step to building your own art business.

Well, here is why:

2) Identify Your Target Audience

Do I have to explain the connection between the niche and the target audience? Fine, I will:

Unless you choose an art niche to work within, you won’t be able to identify your ideal customer. Discovering your target audience is crucial for the success of your business.

After all, you can’t sell anything to anyone unless you know who that person is.

So, will you target wealthy individuals who don’t mind spending thousands of dollars on a single work of art? Or are you planning to go after people who tend to purchase art prints since they can’t afford to spend much on another type of art?

Figure this out from the start!

See Also: 10 Ways To Double Your Art Sales

3) Create Great Artwork

Assuming you already have a niche and know your target audience, you’re ready to move on to the next step of building your small art business.

As you can guess, that step is to create artwork your potential customers won’t be able to resist.

Make no mistake – offering a high-quality product (artwork in your case) is still essential for any successful art business.

Don’t underestimate your audience and pool of potential buyers.

Instead, take your time crafting a stunning piece of artwork every time you grab a canvas.

Are your art skills good enough to make a strong impression on local markets or the online art world? Consider gaining more art practice or even signing up for art classes if your artistic style and ability can use improvement.

I suggest having at least ten original artworks ready before you launch your business.

4) Price Your Artwork Accordingly

Before you begin selling your art, you must know the price tags for each new product you plan to offer on the art market. Now, how do you do that?

Your prices have to bring you profit. Otherwise, what’s the point of having an art business in the first place?

How do you make sure that your art will be profitable? The answer to this question is not that complicated:

Calculate the cost of each of your artworks. To clarify, by cost, I don’t mean the price of the canvas and the painting materials you use.

No, you have to factor in the time you spend on each art piece, the amount of work that goes into creating it, your skill level, studio space, etc.

Feel free to look at this US Department Of Labor list for the average hourly rate a professional artist can demand.

At this stage, you’ll have more than enough information to help you price your artwork accordingly to ensure a sufficient profit margin.

5) Choose A Business Structure

Heads up – this is probably the one paragraph of this tutorial on how to start an art business that deserves your undivided attention:

You’re on the verge of developing a successful business. Therefore, you have to ensure that this thriving business will be legal.

Believe it or not, even artists selling products online must have a business license. Future art businesses must register according to local laws – such a legal requirement will allow you to monetize your art form and artistic abilities by selling products.

Doing in-depth research or talking to a legal entity regarding the type of business you want (and its exact business model) will do you good.

Creative entrepreneurs should know how to build a solid foundation in the business world when starting art businesses.

Most artists choose sole proprietorship as a business structure – it’s simple to set up and will meet your needs as a one-person show. Still, each fine artist should know the meaning of terms like Limited Liability Company, commission-based model, sales tax, etc.

Also, I recommend having a separate bank account for your business – mixing personal finances with business ones is not a great idea.

6) Decide On A Marketplace

Generally, you already know most of the essential steps to teach you how to start an art business and build a thriving art career. What happens next?

Your next actionable step is to pick a marketplace and sales channel where you’ll offer your art to monetize your creative talents long-term.

These days, you can begin marketing artwork in many different directions – local art events and art fairs are far from your only choices.

However, launching a professional website or online store is a better idea for any successful artist who wants to quit their day job. After all, turning your artistic passion into a full-time career is a great thing!

That option will give you all the creative control you need. An art website will accommodate only your artwork and show your artistic vision to any potential target customer.

Right now, you can launch your own website for a low cost. BigScoots offers superb web hosting plans for a few dollars a month.

Related Read:

7) Build An Online Presence For Business

build the online presence of your art business

Above all, even the best masterpiece in the art industry would never sell if no one could find it.

Turning a newly created business into a lucrative side hustle relies heavily on the effort you’ll put into developing a business strategy and using marketing materials.

Social Media Platforms will allow you to get the word about your art out.

Creating social media accounts to promote your online shop and its art products is a great way to monetize your business idea, build strong relationships, and connect with fellow artists.

TikTok and Pinterest are excellent fits for attracting many potential fans and getting your business name out there.

These visual search engines will show your art to thousands of people who might decide to invest in it.

8) Make It Easy For Potential Buyers To Find Your Art

Showcasing your artwork on Social Media is a good idea.

Launching a virtual office where future clients can appreciate and buy your art is the most important thing when building a successful art career.

That’s why having an art website is an unavoidable step:

Regardless of your approach to how to start an art business online, everyone interested in your art has the best way to connect with you directly.

What if someone wants a painting you sold? Why shouldn’t you recreate it if that will bring you both art revenue and the appreciation of the customer?

Pro Tip:

Install Google Analytics on your art blog. That is a powerful tool that will give you invaluable insights into the performance of your art business.

9) Turn Your Fans Into Customers

Think what you will, but business is about people.

Launching a professional art website is necessary to make money. However, it’s not enough.

Establishing a connection with your most devoted visitors is the name of the business game.

Take the time to answer the emails you receive from fans of your art. Likewise, go above and beyond to give them whatever they need from you:

You never know when a person who has been following you for years will invest in your art.

Furthermore, you don’t know who that person will recommend your art to – yes, I’m talking about the domino effect here!

More Platforms Where You Can Sell Your Art:

10) Repeat The Steps All Over Again

Owning a business is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of deal.

On the contrary, it’s a never-ending process you’ll have to go through to keep that business successful.

Keep improving your creative process, and never take your eyes away from the market:

No online business will survive unless you constantly work to scale it and take it to the next level – that’s the hardest thing to achieve!

How To Start An Art Business Online – Frequently Asked Questions

How To Start A Drawing Business?

Starting a drawing business is no different than starting any other online art business.

Typically, you’ll have to build your portfolio, identify your target audience, price your work, and start marketing your drawing services.

Can A Beginner Sell Art?

Yes, newbie artists can sell their art even if they have no previous experience.

To start making money as a beginner artist, you have to create your artwork and begin promoting it on platforms where your target customers hang out.

What Kind Of Art Is In High Demand?

Nowadays, the art in high demand are paintings, drawings, prints, collages, and sculptures.

How To Start An Art Business – Final Say

If you think that starting an art business will make you rich overnight, think again.

Transforming a brand-new business into a lucrative venture requires hard work, an efficient marketing strategy, effort, and consistency.

But if you can’t imagine another lifestyle than earning a living by doing the kind of art you love, the process will be worth it in the end!

Do you have any questions on this topic?

Ask me anything, and I’ll answer as soon as I can.