The Business Of Being An Artist: A Beginners Guide

The artist's dream is to be able to make a good living from their creations. I mean, who among us doesn’t want to get paid for doing what we love?

But being an artist is not just about creating art – it's also about running a business, and like any business, there are a few things you need to know in order to be successful.

You might be wondering - what steps do I need to take when setting up a business as a professional artist? There are so many things to think about and consider, things such as finding the right galleries and sales avenues, planning your online marketing strategies, and working out your pricing structure. 

It can all seem a bit overwhelming at first, but don't worry - I’m here to help. 

In this blog post, I will run through some of the basic things you need to think about when starting out your career as an artist. 

Outlined below are 5 basic steps that you will need to take to set yourself up as a professional artist: 

Step 1 - Create A Business Plan

As a professional artist, the first step you need to take when setting up your own business is to create a business plan. This is a document that outlines your business goals, strategies, target market, and financial projections. Without a business plan, it won't be easy to make your business as a professional artist successful.

I have a FREE Art Biz Goal Setting Guide that you can use as a resource for outlining your business goals. Alternatively, you can find basic business plan templates by searching on Google for “free simple business plan templates”. 

If you find this planning stage overwhelming I also offer creative coaching sessions where I support and guide you through the process of putting a plan in place for your Art Biz. It might just be the kick-start that you need!

Step 2 - Register Your Business

The second step you need to take when starting as a professional artist is to register your business. There are different requirements for different countries around the world. 

In Australia, you are required to obtain an ABN, a unique 11-digit number that identifies your business to the government. You can find more information on obtaining an ABN here: ABN INFO

If you are outside of Australia, you can contact your local government to find out what appropriate paperwork you will need to complete to register your business in your home country or state. By registering your business, you will be able to obtain the necessary licenses and permits needed to operate legally as a professional artist.

Step 3 - Obtain Funding

While not a required step for everyone, it's important to know that there are usually quite a few government or council funding options available to you at any given time. These can come in several forms, such as loans, grants, or investments. Without adequate funding, it could be more challenging to get your business off the ground.

Emerging artists will usually self-fund their venture, either via a part-time job, investing a sum of money that they have saved up, or via some kind of loan. 

If you are looking to avoid adding unwanted financial stress into your life, I highly suggest you look into and take advantage of the funding options outlined above.

Step 4 - Create A Marketing Plan

The fourth step you need to take when setting up your own business as a professional artist is to create a marketing plan. This document will outline your marketing strategies and how you plan on promoting your business.

A lot of artists shy away from creating a plan for the sales and promotion of their art. It can sometimes feel very vulnerable to share your art with the world, but if you don't, how can you expect to make money as an artist? If you feel that marketing and sales aren't your strength, it would be wise to consider getting advice or training from an expert in this field or pursue gallery representation, as art sales and marketing will be their responsibility.

Step 5 - Build A Website

The fifth step you need to take when setting up your own business as a professional artist is to build a website. This will be a place to showcase your online portfolio and will allow potential customers to view your work. In today's digital world, having a professional website is a must for any business – and that includes artists.

You can hire a web designer to create a fully custom site for you or you can buy a subscription for website building platforms such as Squarespace and Shopify. There are also free options for creating a simple website such as Square which provide basic functions in exchange for displaying its branding at the bottom of each page. 

I personally use Squarespace as my platform of choice as they have nice themes to choose from and the page design is intuitive and easy to edit with basic tech skills.

Wrapping Up 

After completing all 5 steps you are well on your way to becoming a successful emerging artist!

Keep going, be consistent, create more work, and be open to learning new skills and developing as a business person. 

Don't be afraid to ask for help when you find that your knowledge and skills are not up to scratch. It can be really helpful to speak to artists that are a few years ahead of you to gain insight into how they operate their businesses. 

Most artists are kind and willing to help out emerging artists if you offer to buy them a coffee in return. Building networks and contacts within the industry will be helpful whenever you come up against hurdles in your art business, so my advice is to get out and get networking!!

xx Laura