Visual art as a business comes in several forms. For instance, you may be a commercial artist creating marketing and advertising materials. Or you might work at creating art to be used in homes and businesses. Maybe you specialize in fine art, selling your work in galleries or museums. And finally, you might be working on two or more of these simultaneously. From fashion designer to photographer, sculptor to watercolorist, your job is to make the world more beautiful, more interesting, and more exciting.
Visual artists have a great advantage over other entrepreneurs in that they have the ability to have a great home business. First of all, you can work from home, so you don't have to worry about running your business from a brick-and-mortar store. You have a lot of flexibility with your time. You can sell online on your own website and on social media sites, as well as in-person events. And the most important part, you're able to make money doing what you love.
For mothers who want to be able to continue to create art while earning an income, then the visual arts is an excellent way to combine the two.
Start With a Business Plan
If you're not familiar with a business plan, it's time now to learn. Your business plan will be your best friend, your guide, and a valued business partner. A business plan is like a map or a blueprint for your business. It will show you where you need to go, how you plan to get there, and what you need to bring along with you.
You'll first want to figure out who your target market is, what will make what you have unique, and what your target customers can't get from your competitors. Then you'll go into more detail, like how you'll find funding, what kind of marketing will work for your business, how much you can charge for your product or services, and then finally, the nuts and bolts, like business structure and organization.
You'll be able to find business plan templates online, and many of them are free. They will help you by walking you through the process. They can also help your business plan look professional, which is important when it's time to look for investment money.
If You Have Young Children at Home
Running a business when you're also caring for one or more children is certainly a juggling act. It can be hard to focus or feel creative when little ones are running around demanding your attention. There are some things you can do that can help, though.
Establish a routine. This will not only help you to know when it's time to work and when it's time for childcare duties, but it's also helpful for your children because kids are more comfortable with routine.
Create some boundaries with the kids, too. Let them know that when you're working, you cannot be disturbed. Don't worry about having a spotlessly clean home, though you'll want to stay on top of clutter since that can be stressful. Having the perfect home can come later when your children are grown and off to school. Prioritize what's important right now.
Marketing Your Art
Hopefully, you already have an outstanding portfolio of work to highlight your skills and talents. If not, you'll want to start there, having enough variety of your best work to appeal to the largest audience possible.
Create a website that's both easy to navigate and visually appealing. If you're not computer savvy, then this may be something that you'll want to hire a pro to create for you. But many sites are very user-friendly, and if you're patient, you may be able to create the site yourself. Research the different ways to increase the odds of your site coming up in search results, or SEO, since that's a pretty important factor.
Make your site appealing with colorful graphs or infographics. You can try this to create your own infographics. It's free, you can do it in minutes, and you can reach out to your viewer in a creative way. It's easy since you're using a pre-made template that you can personalize by adding your own text, colors, background, and design elements.
Stay Connected
Follow other creatives and join an online community like LO'AMMI. They serve as a voice for all creators - designers, artists, writers - everyone. At LO'AMMI, everyone has a say, and everyone has a stage.
Join local art organizations, attend events, and reach out to other creatives. You can also offer classes or workshops to get your name and brand out there.
Thanks to the rise in online shopping, social media, and digital marketplaces, having a successful visual arts business now is a great opportunity for anyone, but especially for moms who want to start their own at-home business.