| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business 09:35 - Jun 27 with 6002 views | BehindBlueEyes |
Hi all,
I know there's a few business people on here so thought I'd seek out a little advice.
I've always been able to draw, mostly draw a few pictures every once in a while and then forget about it for a few years. Recently I've been drawing people's pets to help raise funds for a charity close to me. People send me a picture of their pets via the charities Facebook page, I draw it, send it to them and they make a donation to the charity.
This has been going really well and everyone I've drawn a picture for has said I should be doing it for a living which I'm now starting to consider.
What would be the best way to start something like that? Opening my own Facebook page so they can contact me & share it? Designing a website?
My worry would be how to take payments (the charity takes care of that). Is there a cheap online payment system I can easily add to a website or would it be better to use an Ebay account to start with?
Any thoughts or ideas gratefully received!
Thanks for your help.
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:43 - Jun 27 with 5614 views | badadski |
start with small sales to family and friends, they get your work up in their houses which helps show case. Check local galleries to see if hey have small areas to show case. Woodbridge is good area to check although lots of competition.
eBay is fine as reaches far and wide and only takes one person to like your work for them to buy.
With art it will never really ever be a a quick win business unless you established as it can take ages to sell some art pieces and so many people out their are also doing it.
If it’s a side business which helps to keep you occupied and happy and you do manage to make a bit on the side from it then all the better and good luck. |  | | |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:44 - Jun 27 with 5608 views | DanTheMan |
Fiverr is really good for things like this. |  |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:46 - Jun 27 with 5600 views | bluefunk |
You could use PayPal for payments. If you’re serious about making a living you should work out what you would need to make each month/year, then work out what you would need to charge per picture, as there would be a limit to the number you can do each day. It’s easy for people to admire your work, much less easy to get them to pay the proper rate for your expertise. If that number looks doable, then you need to work out how to access people prepared to pay for your work, and that where social media would come in I guess. [Post edited 27 Jun 2019 9:47]
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:50 - Jun 27 with 5575 views | clive_baker |
Firstly I'm incredibly envious that you posses such a talent, I would love to be good at drawing. Loads of my family are, and some of my ancestors were fairly successful artists but I definitely didn't inherit it, I can barely draw a stick man.
As for your question, I would suggest the best thing you could do is to create a website, and it's very straight forward to incorporate a payment facility into that nowadays. DO NOT feel like you need to spend loads on a website, you can do it very easily with website builders such as Wix (others are available) and get a professional looking finish. Clearly if your business took off you might decide to pay more for something with more capabilities but in the first instance it's not necessary.
Social media is also important in order to promote your services, especially with a service so Instagrammable as yours, so definitely have an account on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. Post examples of your work. Keep some consistency across them - e.g your profile picture the same and clearly visible what your company is called to build up your brand.
Then promote the crap out of it, post on social media, tell friends and family, however you see fit. Try and be creative with it e.g. draw some famous dogs (genuinely can't think of any) and @ the famous owner in return for endorsement etc.
This is all top level but DM if you need any support. Oh and enjoy it :) |  |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:54 - Jun 27 with 5573 views | Dyland |
If I turned any of my hobbies into a business I estimate I'd be dead within six months. |  |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 10:00 - Jun 27 with 5521 views | footers |
My cousin used to do something similar. I'd say to join a site like Etsy as it's a ready to use platform and serves your target audience for gifts/handmade crafts etc.
Create social accounts to promote your drawings, tagging your friends/customers to help spread the word.
I'd also advise upselling of related services such as framing and adding fixatives to preserve the works.
My cousin quit to become a tattooist, so there's always that too ;) |  |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 10:44 - Jun 27 with 5458 views | LKW15 |
as footers says etsy is a good start for a creative business.
folksy and not on the high street might be worth a look too
https://folksy.com/selling
https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/join/signup
obviously they all take a cut/have listing fees but they get a large number of visitors looking for unique gifts etc | | | |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 11:04 - Jun 27 with 5416 views | Chondzoresk |
Don't bother with ebay. Try Instagram, try getting your work into a gallery in Aldebugh, Thompson Gallery on the main shopping street there may help you. Southwold is a good pointer too.
Online Payments via Paypal
Website builders Wix or Go Daddy. |  | | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 11:29 - Jun 27 with 5372 views | hoppy |
Some good advice on this thread already, although one thing I would beware of, is PayPal tend to take quite a large percentage fee per transaction, so you'd be best to shop around other alternatives such as WorldPay or others.
As others have said - source a good supplier that can give you additional scope to upsell - things such as coasters, cushions, tea towels, greetings cards or whatever that they could buy as well as the art itself.
Instagram is definitely a good place to create a gallery of your work, and get a wider audience by including a good selection of relevant hashtags - I tend to point people more to my instagram page (@chenerycreative) than I do my website (www.chenerycreative.com), as it gets updated more regularly with far more work examples for people to see.
Good luck and wish you all success with it, should you choose to go for it. [Post edited 27 Jun 2019 11:31]
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 11:34 - Jun 27 with 5362 views | CBBlue |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 11:04 - Jun 27 by Chondzoresk |
Don't bother with ebay. Try Instagram, try getting your work into a gallery in Aldebugh, Thompson Gallery on the main shopping street there may help you. Southwold is a good pointer too.
Online Payments via Paypal
Website builders Wix or Go Daddy. |
Agree you should avoid ebay, I have creative friends who used to sell on there but says it devalues their work as everyone wants something for pennies. I know someone who is pretty successful with their facebook page and they post in the local fb groups to advertise.
As well as galleries also approach libraries, restaurants and art centres to see if they'd display your work (our local library does this) and also any craft shops - there's one in Sudbury (whos name escapes me) that sells other people's work. Craft fairs are another option but as you're likely to be getting most of your work from people commissioning you to draw their pets that would probably be an expensive way to advertise when doing so on social media is free. | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 11:48 - Jun 27 with 5325 views | Bluish |
Some good advice from everyone here. My hobby is still just that, so it's a labour of love for me, but I sell my photography publications through https://www.bigcartel.com/ which enables you to create a functioning online shop and it's free ( admittedly with limitations). I'm deeply envious of anyone who can turn their hobby into a full-time business. Best of luck! |  | | |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 12:25 - Jun 27 with 5266 views | bluejake78 |
Can you do anything else other than pets?
Peoples cars,houses,kids,local landmarks,,ITFC hero's,boats...the list is endless...offer a few freebies...weddings. The world is your lobster...speak to wedding photographers.
The important thing is to get known and publicity...go to dog shows,cattle/livestock shows.
You haven't really thought about this...have you? |  | | |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 12:35 - Jun 27 with 5250 views | footers |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 12:25 - Jun 27 by bluejake78 |
Can you do anything else other than pets?
Peoples cars,houses,kids,local landmarks,,ITFC hero's,boats...the list is endless...offer a few freebies...weddings. The world is your lobster...speak to wedding photographers.
The important thing is to get known and publicity...go to dog shows,cattle/livestock shows.
You haven't really thought about this...have you? |
"go to dog shows,cattle/livestock shows."
Yates'? | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 15:19 - Jun 27 with 5127 views | BehindBlueEyes |
Cheers for the ideas and advice guys.
I've not heard of Etsy but will definitely look into that and never having Instagram, it hadn't occurred to me how well that would work with this project. It looks like opening an Etsy shop, Facebook page and Instagram account might be the way to go to start, a website can always be added later if it takes off.
I've been doing the drawings for the charity for over two months now and have completed quite a few. When I started I didn't set a price, just asked for a donation to be made to the charity and it seems most have been paying £30-£50 for a picture. I don't know if that's down to my drawing prowess or donating to the charity, probably the latter. I'll have a look on Etsy and see what people offering a similar service charge.
I still have 10 or so to do yet and get asked if I do commissions at least a couple of times every week. You know what people are like with their pets!
In answer to a couple of questions, no I don't just do pets, just inundated with orders for the charity so that's what I'm concentrating on at the moment. I've done buildings including my local pub and a cathedral in Holland. Never tried a portrait but that will happen shortly as a friend has asked me to draw a wedding photo and another wants a picture of their kids with her now departed grandparents. Plenty of things to try my hand at although I do quite like doing pets as they are quite quick and easy to do.
I have a website on another subject so can sort one out fairly easily, just didn't know how to go about payments as I don't do that on mine. I remember asking GoDaddy about adding an online shop and it was quite pricey and that was 2 or 3 years ago. I ended up setting up some t-shirt designs and opening a shop with a t-shirt printing company. No overheads with having to order stock, etc, they do everything for you. Anyone seen my Russell Osman "We can win this" t-shirt?
Had a couple of bad experiences with PayPal so won't use them unless through a third party.
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to offer your advice and ideas, always love this about TWTD!
Clive Baker, Footers I might well be in touch once I've had a chance to do some investigations and if I am going to go ahead with it if that's ok? | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 15:24 - Jun 27 with 5122 views | footers |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 15:19 - Jun 27 by BehindBlueEyes |
Cheers for the ideas and advice guys.
I've not heard of Etsy but will definitely look into that and never having Instagram, it hadn't occurred to me how well that would work with this project. It looks like opening an Etsy shop, Facebook page and Instagram account might be the way to go to start, a website can always be added later if it takes off.
I've been doing the drawings for the charity for over two months now and have completed quite a few. When I started I didn't set a price, just asked for a donation to be made to the charity and it seems most have been paying £30-£50 for a picture. I don't know if that's down to my drawing prowess or donating to the charity, probably the latter. I'll have a look on Etsy and see what people offering a similar service charge.
I still have 10 or so to do yet and get asked if I do commissions at least a couple of times every week. You know what people are like with their pets!
In answer to a couple of questions, no I don't just do pets, just inundated with orders for the charity so that's what I'm concentrating on at the moment. I've done buildings including my local pub and a cathedral in Holland. Never tried a portrait but that will happen shortly as a friend has asked me to draw a wedding photo and another wants a picture of their kids with her now departed grandparents. Plenty of things to try my hand at although I do quite like doing pets as they are quite quick and easy to do.
I have a website on another subject so can sort one out fairly easily, just didn't know how to go about payments as I don't do that on mine. I remember asking GoDaddy about adding an online shop and it was quite pricey and that was 2 or 3 years ago. I ended up setting up some t-shirt designs and opening a shop with a t-shirt printing company. No overheads with having to order stock, etc, they do everything for you. Anyone seen my Russell Osman "We can win this" t-shirt?
Had a couple of bad experiences with PayPal so won't use them unless through a third party.
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to offer your advice and ideas, always love this about TWTD!
Clive Baker, Footers I might well be in touch once I've had a chance to do some investigations and if I am going to go ahead with it if that's ok? |
Fine by me but, be warned, my services are reassuringly expensive.  | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 16:57 - Jun 27 with 5049 views | hoppy |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 15:24 - Jun 27 by footers |
Fine by me but, be warned, my services are reassuringly expensive. |
And somewhat self degrading/embarrassing, I've heard. | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 17:09 - Jun 27 with 5024 views | chicoazul |
Etsy, Pinterest, Insta, Facebook. Get an accountant, pay your taxes. I'd be inclined to go for Paypal for payments, or cash. |  |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 17:10 - Jun 27 with 5022 views | chicoazul |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:54 - Jun 27 by Dyland |
If I turned any of my hobbies into a business I estimate I'd be dead within six months. |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 17:33 - Jun 27 with 4983 views | DanTheMan |
Forgot to mention, Squarespace is cheap and you can make some really nice sites with their designer, and they support eCommerce. | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 18:01 - Jun 27 with 4953 views | footers |
Here's an idea, gang. Perhaps we should crowdfund some commissions for a crimbo TWTD raffle?
MM, Paul Hurst, Keane, all the crew :) | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 19:44 - Jun 27 with 4882 views | itfcjoe |
My wife makes bunting as a little hobby to build some cash whilst on maternity leave at the moment and that is basically all through social media, mostly Facebook. eBay has been more hassle than it’s worth and she just does it when not busy in reality - gives it a bigger push when not much on etc
Her friend makes and sells baby clothes, and much more successfully - pushing things like Brand Ambassadors on Instagram - I.e find people with lots of followers, arrange to send them stuff for free and in return they do a couple of posts tagging you saying how great it is.
Another guy she knows does this with art, a really talented painter who focuses a lot on MMA and boxing etc - it’s just push push push in social media, trying to get work out there to someone with loads of followers and then in return get them to sign prints of picture of them etc. He got one on the Joe Rogan podcast which is pretty big and presumably bought a decent amount of work in.
Basically give work away to people who can influence others |  |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 07:37 - Jun 28 with 4717 views | BehindBlueEyes |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 17:33 - Jun 27 by DanTheMan |
Forgot to mention, Squarespace is cheap and you can make some really nice sites with their designer, and they support eCommerce. |
Cheers for that Dan, just had a look and that could work and very resonable pricing.
Think I'll go the Etsy/Facebook route to start and if the demand is there move on to Squarespace. [Post edited 28 Jun 2019 7:42]
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 07:40 - Jun 28 with 4709 views | BehindBlueEyes |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 19:44 - Jun 27 by itfcjoe |
My wife makes bunting as a little hobby to build some cash whilst on maternity leave at the moment and that is basically all through social media, mostly Facebook. eBay has been more hassle than it’s worth and she just does it when not busy in reality - gives it a bigger push when not much on etc
Her friend makes and sells baby clothes, and much more successfully - pushing things like Brand Ambassadors on Instagram - I.e find people with lots of followers, arrange to send them stuff for free and in return they do a couple of posts tagging you saying how great it is.
Another guy she knows does this with art, a really talented painter who focuses a lot on MMA and boxing etc - it’s just push push push in social media, trying to get work out there to someone with loads of followers and then in return get them to sign prints of picture of them etc. He got one on the Joe Rogan podcast which is pretty big and presumably bought a decent amount of work in.
Basically give work away to people who can influence others |
Thanks for the advice Joe. One of the next drawings I have to do is for a reasonably famous person with thousands of Twitter followers (one of Dr Who's assistants in the 80s) so hoping she'll share the picture once she receives it! | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:00 - Aug 12 with 4157 views | BehindBlueEyes |
Morming all,
I'm still going through the process of possibly starting a business from my drawing (thanks again for all the advice btw!)
I've recently started trying portraits and I've done an ITFC related one which some of you might have seen on Twitter yesterday. I've now got a list of the next 5 ITFC legends I'm going to try my hand at which will hopefully improve my portrait skills!.Watch out for a few more drawings in the next month.
*My first attempt at attaching a picture so hoping it works! | |
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| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:07 - Aug 12 with 4120 views | chicoazul |
| Advice needed turning a hobby into a business on 09:00 - Aug 12 by BehindBlueEyes |
Morming all,
I'm still going through the process of possibly starting a business from my drawing (thanks again for all the advice btw!)
I've recently started trying portraits and I've done an ITFC related one which some of you might have seen on Twitter yesterday. I've now got a list of the next 5 ITFC legends I'm going to try my hand at which will hopefully improve my portrait skills!.Watch out for a few more drawings in the next month.
*My first attempt at attaching a picture so hoping it works! |
Good luck! | |
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