Last year I wanted to start a small online shop where I could sell my original art as well as prints. I also wanted to sell my art on stickers, greeting cards, and tote bags. I felt scared because I did not want to experience issues with accounting and taxes since I am not a numbers person.
I know every artist is told to sell their work on Etsy and that's a valid point because it receives so many customers. What I found is that I had pay to upload the products. After 3 months if it was not sold I had to pay again to have it up. Etsy receives an obscene percentage of what you sell. They encourage shop keepers to offer free shipping and after everything is said and done, you are left with very little money after all of the fees. It did not feel realistic for me.
I did some research and found that the website, Ko-Fi lets you upload 100 products for free, no expiration date. If you upload more than 100 items, you have to pay for a gold plan. When you sell an item Ko-Fi takes 5%. They offer Stripe and PayPal options. Not free either, but hey, less fees. I feel that this option is a great way to start out if you are on a tight budget.
I will have an online shop on this website, NYC Art Meetup. I will populate it with free digital eBooks about art resources, and budget spreadsheet templates for your art biz, and so on...
In the meantime, here are some resources to get you started in your art business:
1. Score.org - They offer small business workshops, many are free. They have in-person and online classes that focus on starting your own business, marketing, social media, bookkeeping, etc... They also offer the opportunity to request a mentor who is successful in their business and want to pay it forward.
2. Brooklyn Library offers Business & Career Services. They offer financial coaching, business plan competitions, and much more. On their website they describe this as:
...for entrepreneurs, freelancers, job seekers and anyone seeking a secure financial future. Our services are designed to help you expand your horizons with workshops and programs , research emerging trends and market opportunities , learn marketable skills and digital tools, discover your career path or master your finances . Knowledgeable staff are available to answer your questions and assist you with research.
Libraries in other parts of NYC also offer business resources too:
3. New York City Department of Small Business Services offer resources too.
This is just a little bit of what I know and I am creating an online eBook of all the resources you need to start a Sole Proprietorship or an LLC. I deeply dislike number and forms, but hopefully this information will arm you with knowledge to progress in your business and protect yourself from mistakes others have made. It's a crime that art schools don't make business and marketing classes mandatory for art students.
Make Art! Thanks for reading! Amber
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