Fabric Painting for Profit

I have just started fabric painting ... and I want to slowly make it a business. Please provide me some advice on that.

Thank you,
Menaka

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Hi Menaka,

If you're thinking about painting all the products yourself, you're talking about a small business that will remain just that. That's exactly what I did and, in fact, one of my (many) product “lines” was Hand-Painted Dresses.

I was peddling my crafts at craft fairs back then, so it made sense for me to have many product choices for browsers. Eventually I found a dress shop willing to sell my dresses as well as my hand-sewn tote bags, ponchos and tunics. That worked okay except that the owner kept a higher than average commission of 50% of the retail price. Of course I didn't know that at the time.

When I found an art gallery which would carry my dresses at a 30% commission, I went with that venue for a while. Finally I opened my own little gift shop where the dresses sold quite well.

After about four years, I decided it was time to take my craft knowledge to the next level and help other crafters by launching The Artful Crafter website and blog.

Here's a bit more of My Story. You'll find specific business advice for craft businesses in the For Profit section of The Artful Crafter.

Best of luck!
Eileen