Start a Career in Pet Portraits
Pets are big business. For some owners, nothing is too good for their beloved pets.
For an artist, creating pet portraits can be a lucrative niche business. Whether the medium is oil, acrylic or computer art, pet portraits are popular among pet owners. Once you've acquired the necessary artistic skills, you need clients. Marketing your business is the key to getting your name known and attracting customers.
Instructions
Marketing
1. Name your business. You need a name to put on your business cards and marketing materials. You can create a clever name or use your own name. Once you've decided on a name, go to a hosting service such as GoDaddy.com and purchase a domain name with the name of your business to build your website.
2. Print business cards with a sample of your art on the front. Be sure all your contact information is on your business card: telephone number, e-mail and website address. Distribute your business cards at dog parks, kennels and pet stores. Post them on bulletin boards at doggy day cares, coffee shops, or wherever you see an opportunity to tell people about your business. Always ask permission before you post any flyers in a business establishment.
3. Build a website that displays your portfolio. Websites are easy to build yourself with companies like www.homestead.com. It's a step-by-step process that can get you up and running in a weekend for minimal cost. On your website, show samples of different styles of portraits, and list your prices and policies.
4. Advertise in the local arts paper, craigslist and pet magazines.
Policies & Prices
5. Have your prices set before you start marketing. Some artists set their prices according to the size of the canvas and others according to the difficulty of the painting.
6. Decide on the deposit amount to collect before you begin any work.
7. Most pet portraits are painted with photographs since it's pretty difficult to make an animal sit for any length of time. Establish whether you will you take the photos or if the pet owner will provide some. Set your rates for photography beforehand and list them on your website.
8. Take an animal training course to learn the basics on approach animals in a friendly, non-threatening manner. Many animals get excited when there is a new human around. It may be easier for the animal to have the owner photograph it.
9. Discuss beforehand the angles that work best for portrait work. Just because the owner has a favorite picture doesn't mean it will translate to a good portrait. Agree upon what is needed before the photographs are taken. Also, agree upon a certain angle and pose before you begin work.
Related posts
Of the more than 10 million pets that go missing from their homes every year, only 1 million will find their way home again, according to the National Humane Society and the National Council of Pe...
Starting and running an animal shelter requires skills, dedication and motivation.If your local community does not have an animal shelter or program dedicated to fostering animals that may have be...
Start a dog walking and pet sitting service and become your own boss.A dog walking and pet sitting service is one of the most affordable enterprises you can start. You need little in the way of eq...
Prepare your home to accomodate fully grown dogs, not just puppies.As a responsible breeder, your main priority will be to breed healthy, well-adjusted examples of a dog breed that you are both pa...
With innumerable animals homeless and euthanized yearly, it is easy to see the need for animal rescue businesses. New rescue businesses are started all the time, but those still open after a year...
