How to Start A Creative Business (5 steps)

You’re creative. You have ideas and artistic skills – and the market needs them. So welcome to my guide on how to start a creative business.

From bootstrapped fashion lines to Etsy shop brands, turning passion into profit has never been more feasible.

But you don’t need a large following.

And you don’t need large bags of money to get started.

You just need your expertise, a plan and your hand on a few key levers.

So with that, let’s get to it!

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What Is A Creative Business? (faqs + benefits?)

Where does a traditional business end and a creative one begin?

Here’s my take.

A creative business is the use of artistic or creative skills and knowledge to solve a market pain point.

It’s the intersection of entrepreneurship and creativity.

And it’s fun.

So let’s look at a few FAQs before diving into how to get started.

Can I start a creative business with no money?

This depends on the scope of your business and goals, but for simplicity, I say yes.

It’s absolutely possible to start things for free.

Many modern brands and businesses start (and grow) as a free social media account. Because content creation is a stepping stone.

And low-cost options like consulting, service offerings or selling digital products through Etsy are accessible to everyone.

So don’t let expensive physical goods or pricey marketing stand in the way of your creative business.

Start where you can with what you have.

Can I start a creative business out of my home?

Absolutely.

The most valuable tool for a modern creatrepreneur is probably our phone and computer.

Remember, so many of the great things we see and hear around us were started in small bedrooms and garages.

I would however double check with a professional for stuff like licensing info (such as using an LLC vs. sole proprietorship) or tax questions. You can learn more here.

What’s the most profitable creative business?

This is an impossible question to answer.

But if money is the driving force and backdrop to a business, its motivations and mission will be clouded. And people will see that, which will negatively impact long-term growth.

While there are external factors (like market demand, trends, marketing skills, audience preferences and competition), I would say the most profitable creative business is one that’s built with brand, intention and meaning.

Still, some of the most profitable businesses include evergreen niches like:

Wealth
Health
Relationships

So if you can blend in elements of these, you may be positioning yourself nicely.

For example, financial education artwork, couple’s art therapy workshops or meditation painting classes.

What are the different types of business for a creative?

As a creative person, there are numerous business opportunities open for you.

Here are a few different types of creative businesses worth considering (your business may mix and match a few):

Consulting or coaching (i.e., taking on clients for specialized jobs)
Freelancing or contracting (taking on specific projects or short-term work)
eCommerce (selling your own goods online)
Physical business (such as opening an art gallery or a shop)
Content business (like starting an art blog or a social account like ethan.uncurated)
Selling digital products (such as art prints or ebooks)

What are some business ideas for creatives?

Graphic designer or illustrator
Photography studio
Selling art prints to local businesses or art enthusiasts
Art gallery
Selling handmade crafts
Content creator or building an influencer brand
Custom jewelry
Filmmaker or video editor
Tattoo artist
Making and selling greeting cards
VR content creation
Fashion and apparel printing
Custom furniture design and building
Art and yoga

Why Should I? (10 benefits)

Make money for doing what you love
Be your own boss
Manage your own time and schedule
There’s no cap on how much you can earn
Create a better life-work balance
Have a strong sense of pride and ownership
Learn invaluable, transferable modern skills
Boost your confidence
Tap into new opportunities and meet amazing people
Have fun

How to Start A Creative Business From Scratch (5 steps)

If you’re psyched to build your creative business – but not sure where to start – then you’re in the right place.

This is the process I followed.

1. Pour the Foundation

Before diving into the deep end, we need to put on our swimwear (metaphorically).

This first step will give you clarity and intention for what you want and why. This will be your North Star and important fuel for motivation moving forward.

For me, pouring your creative business foundation means:

Fleshing out your niche focus
Defining your goals
Creating a clear mission, vision and purpose
Getting your mindset right

What are your expectations and time horizons?
Are they realistic?

Hot Tip: If you’re not sure about your niche or goals, start with content creation. You can test ideas and find your niche naturally this way.

2. Create A Map

Once we have a clear picture of what you want and why, it’s time to start strategizing.

This next step is all about formal planning.

This will add clear direction for your creative business – so you know what you need to do and how you’re going to do it.

Let’s create a business plan.

A business plan is a document that provides specific details for its goals and how it plans on achieving them.

Some key elements of one include:

Products and services to be offered
Market and competitor analysis
Marketing strategy and plan
Financial planning and budget info

I won’t explore how to create a business plan here, but luckily there are tons of great resources online to help you make one.

Investopedia or NerdWallet are two great places to learn more.

3. Set Up Your Infrastructure

At this point, you know what you want and why you want it and you have a plan for getting it.

Epic stuff. But what’s next?

Infrastructure.

The tools and resources needed to get started will vary depending on individual goals, budget, niche and product or service scope.

But there are some universal things worth exploring.

Here’s your creative business starter kit.

A Website

If you’re starting a creative business, you’ll need a website.

While there are some exceptions (for example, selling on Etsy or Gumroad), having your own hub is something you’ll definitely want to invest in eventually.

It makes you look more professional and trustworthy and is a great way to capture emails and audience data (not to mention free traffic through SEO and search engine ranking).

There are tons of website choices out there, and each have their merits. But it really comes down to your goals and personal preferences.

Personally, I use Squarespace and I’ve had an amazing experience. So I can definitely recommend them with confidence.

You can read my recent post on my top Squarespace benefits here!

Once you decide on your website provider, just be sure to fill it with great copywriting, use your core brand keywords, make it user-friendly (less is more) and include key pages like:

Homepage
About
Contact
Privacy policy
Terms & conditions
Services, products or store
Blog

Socials

It’s hard to imagine running a modern business without social media.

So this will definitely be a key piece of the puzzle.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but including a social media strategy in your creative business is well worth the investment.

If you’re not a social media native, I’d recommend first becoming a user of just 1 or 2 platforms and learning how they work.

Become an expert through consumption and play.

Prioritize places where your ideal target audience spends the most amount of time and platforms that best match your content style, format and preferences.

Get comfortable with 1 or 2 social spaces and start creating value-adding content on them (not just selling or pitching your products).

Here are some top choices for social media as a creative business:

X
YouTube
TikTok
Instagram
LinkedIn

Brand Assets

Brand assets are the color and “umami” of your business.

They are the design and visual elements that make your business a recognizable brand.

They will be the backdrop to your content, website, social posts and online image.

Here are some core brand assets to prioritize:

Brand color palette and aesthetics
Your logo
Image, photo and video assets
Font typography

Check out Google Fonts for commercial free options

Slogans and tone of voice
Packaging design

The whole process of building your brand assets is a pretty artistic one. So as a creative, this part of your business planning will probably end up being pretty fun.

You can also use free tools like Canva for quick and simple design jobs.

Email

Building an email list should be a key priority for your creative business.

It’s an owned audience (social media followings are not) and still offers some of the highest returns.

It’s a direct connection with your most loyal customers and a great way to strengthen relationships and provide additional, exclusive value to people.

There are many email automation software options, but my favorite (right now) is Beehiv.

You can use it for free up to 2,500 subscribers.

Relevant Tools + Software

As creatives, we each have our own domain.

So whatever your niche is, there are probably specific tools and software that will make your life as a creatrepreneur easier.

So if you’ve been on the fence about buying a certain product or resource for your craft, this may be the time to go all in.

Because it is now considered a business expense.

For example, if you’re starting a music production studio, then having a quality microphone and DAW setup so you can get the best sound and performance is pretty important.

4. Build Your Brand

This next step is all about content creation, audience awareness and relationship building.

When done right, this is where you’ll start getting attention, gaining momentum and, eventually, creating loyal fans.

While the path to fanhood is long (think in years, not months), your content is an opportunity to start sharing your expertise and your unique story.

This is the growth phase and it’s something you’ll never stop doing (i.e., content creation never ends).

To get started, you first have three things to figure out:

Your content type

What are the topics and keywords for your niche?
What type of value will you be offering? (educational, inspirational, entertaining)

Your content format

Blogging
Vlogging
Social blogging
Video
Podcasts
etc.

Your content home

A personal website
LinkedIn
TikTok
YouTube
X (formerly known as Twitter)
Instagram
Pinterest

To get started, I would leverage any relevant skills or personal interests you may have.

For example, I work in content marketing, enjoy writing and research and my niche topics have a lot of SEO opportunities, so I focused my attention on starting a blog.

That made the most sense for me and I’ve only recently started expanding things.

It’s also helpful to consider your audience, niche and the type of content you’ll be offering. Each platform will have its own audience mindset and content nuances.

So I’d recommend becoming a user on your platform of choice first (if you’re unfamiliar).

Once you understand the nuances, you can create better content.

Hot Tip: Remember, social media requires engagement. To grow, focus on engaging in the comments and interacting with other creators.

5. Monetize

My personal approach to creatrepreneurship is content first (and by virtue, value), money second.

But of course, there are alternative methods and sidecar strategies to speed things along.

For example, growing an Etsy shop is an awesome creative business focus that doesn’t technically require any content.

Whatever the case, monetizing your business is exciting.

Since you likely already have a clear idea of what you’ll be selling, here are some quick tips to help move things along:

Add urgency with sales and discounts
Focus on reviews and word-of-mouth marketing
Create buyer-intent content (such as reviews and how-to posts)
Recruit affiliates to sell for you
Know your sales funnel and sell in the right places, at the right times

Top of the funnel (cold traffic)
Middle of the funnel (nurturing and relationship building)
Bottom of the funnel (sales and loyal customers)

Boost your sales averages with upsells
Match your product and price points to your customer’s problem
- Cheaper products for smaller problems
- More expensive products for bigger pain points
Remember the rule of 7+