You’ve spent years honing your craft, practicing your hobbies, and developing your skills. Turn your creativity into profit by reading through this list of business ideas for creative people. It is never too late or too early to get started!
Business Ideas for Painters
If you love painting, there are many ways you can turn that passion into business.
1. Start a home painting business
Use your skills to make ordinary garage doors look like custom wooden doors. A lot of people are also opting to have their kitchen cabinets painted instead of replaced for a refresh, or having their interior doors painted colors other than white (black interior doors are very hot right now). The maximalist aesthetic is trending currently, leading homeowners and renters to opt for funky patterns, arches, and unique hand painted wallpaper to decorate their walls.
2. Start a mural painting business
Not only are parents looking for murals to be painted in their children’s bedrooms and playrooms, but murals are making a comeback in communities at large. The urban artscape is moving towards murals for advertisement and social commentary, and artists are needed.
3. Become a live wedding painter
As the Millennial and Gen Z generations age, a focus on live art at weddings is gaining momentum, with many couples opting for live wedding painters to capture special moments such as first dances, kisses, and other sweet moments.
4. Become a pet portrait artist
Another trend with younger generations is raising their pets as their first born, and increasingly only, born children. Pet portrait painting is a great way to put your painting skills to use.
5. Start a “host your own” paint night service
An all-time favorite and extremely desired activity is paint nights. If you don’t have a space to host paint nights yourself, you could offer private “host your own” paint nights where you bring the supplies and provide instruction.
Business Ideas for Dancers
Many people stop dancing after high school or even college. The fun doesn’t have to stop there!
6. Offer dance lessons
People with a background in dance can offer dance classes to kids/teens, groups, or even couples.
Business Ideas for Musicians
There is no shortage of opportunity for musicians to turn their ability into a business opportunity.
7. Offer musical lessons
Music is an artform that lends itself to a student teacher dynamic. Musicians have the opportunity to go from student to teacher by offering piano or other instrumental music lessons such as violin, guitar, drumming vocal lessons, and more. If you can play it, someone is going to want to learn it.
8. Offer virtual music lessons
If you don’t have a space to do so or want to expand your geographical reach, virtual music lessons are always an option. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, people learned that virtually anything can be done online. You could have customers pay an hourly rate for a face-to-face lesson over ZOOM, have them subscribe to a membership platform such as Patreon where they watch pre-recorded lessons to learn, or work out another method of asynchronous learning.
9. Become a gig performer
If you don’t feel like the teaching type, another option would be for musicians to work gigs such as dinners, weddings, or other live events.
Business Ideas for Photographers/Videographers
Anyone can take a picture… but not everyone can take a good picture! That is what sets professional photographers and videographers apart, they have “the eye” for it. Photography and videography are technical jobs that require experience and skill. Talented individuals can put their creativity to use and capitalize on the market created by the desire to capture everything.
10. Sell your photos as stock images
One business opportunity for photographers is selling your pictures as stock images.
11. Start a photography/videography business
Become a family/wedding/ event or pet photographer. Videographers can offer people a chance to capture their wedding or other event in an artful video. People want to be able to look back at their memories for lifetimes, making photography and videography services in high demand.
12. Start an photo/video editing service
Another opportunity would be for an editing service. Videographers could edit videos that other people take and photographers could edit photos sent to them by clients.
Business Ideas for Writers
Writing is a skill highly in demand.
13. Become a speech writer
Behind every great speaker… is a great writer. One business that can come out of a love for writing is becoming a professional speech writer.
Business Ideas for Interior Designers
Calling all HGTV addicts! Interior design is another thing that people are either really great at or awful at. If you don’t have a knack for it, you could probably pull together a home, but it won’t look like it jumped off of the pages of a magazine.
14. Start a full interior design service
Offer your clients a service where they discuss their budget, style and home goals with you, and you help them to artfully curate the space of their dreams.
15. Start an interior design consultation service
Offer clients in person or virtual design consultation services for their whole house or individual rooms.
Business Ideas for Digital Designers
In the age of technology there is huge market for digital product design. If you are creative and tech savvy, you could turn your ability into a business opportunity.
16. Start a website design business
One option for a business idea would be building websites for people who can’t or don’t want to build it themselves. This is a useful talent to have especially as companies begin to rely more on digital storefronts than physical storefronts.
17. Start a logo design business
Every company needs a logo. Become a logo designer and put your creativity to work.
18. Start a presentation development service
Companies of all sizes could benefit from having a dedicated presentation developer. If you can build an artfully designed presentation that conveys the necessary information, you can be a presentation developer.
19. Become a digital assets designer
A Digital Assets Designer can do a multitude of things such as stream overlays for titles/ credits, create digital planners, and design digital products, such as stickers or other products, to be downloaded after paying fee or sold in an online shop.
Business Ideas for Crafty Designers
Not everyone wants a digital product, some people still want to hold their purchases in their hands. This is where people who are “crafty” come in.
20. Open a print-on-demand shop
If you identify as crafty then a great business idea would be opening a print-on-demand shop. This would allow consumers to purchase a product from you such as a t-shirt, mug, art print, inspirational print for a fitness room or office, ect., that you would then create after it is already purchased. This is good business model because you technically do not need to keep stock of these items, they can be made quickly using something like a Cricut, minimizing risk. Some examples of products that might be made this way are wedding/bachelorette items, customized Starbucks cups, or themed bathroom items.
21. Open a sticker shop
Another idea for the crafty designers is sticker creation. With websites such as Redbubble, independent artists can create stickers of celebrities, funny sayings, animals, or frequently visited destinations and more.
Business Ideas for Artistic Teachers
Combine your teaching skills and abilities with your creativity in these two business ideas for artistic teachers. If you have the time, put that creativity to work!
22. Offer a bulletin board designing service
For some teachers, bulletin boards are the bane of their existence. Designing, organizing, taking down the old one, putting up the new one. Having to be changed multiple times a year, bulletin boards can be overwhelming. If you enjoy doing bulletin boards why not make a side hustle out of it? A bulletin board designing service would be a great business idea for an artistic teacher.
23. Create artistic instruction courses
Another great idea to put that creativity to work would be creating/instructing art courses. You could create online guides or classes for painting, photography, writing, drawing ect.
Business Ideas for the Organized Planner
To some, planning comes easy. Itineraries, spreadsheets, and schedules are their native language. To those who lack the time or organization, hiring a professional planner is a dream come true. If you are highly organized and enjoy researching and planning, starting a personalized planning business could be for you.
24. Become a professional date planner
Some directions you could take your business in include professional date planning. A lot goes into planning a great date: thinking of an idea, knowing the best spots, planning the menu, making the reservations. Offering a service that does this for a client could take a lot off of their chest.
25. Become a professional proposal planner
A proposal is the first step to the rest of a couple’s life. Help make that day special by offering a proposal planning service to coordinate unique proposals that are sure to make all of the couple’s friends jealous.
26. Become a weekend getaway planner
Plan a full weekend getaway complete with a travel itinerary and meal reservations for friends, couples or families.
Business Ideas for Knitters, Crocheters and Embroiders
Knitting, crocheting and embroidery are beautiful artforms that highlight human patience.
27. Sell your completed knit/crochet items on or offline
Knitting and crocheting produce unique products such as scarves, mittens, hats and sweaters that can be sold locally or online for a pretty penny as they are labor intensive.
28. Offer custom embroidery
A trend that is recently popping up on social media apps, such as TikTok, is custom embroidery. People are currently paying to have outlines of their favorite images custom embroidered onto sweaters and to have holes in their clothes patched with small embroidered flowers.
29. Start a beginner hobby kit business
Another possible business idea for knitters, crocheters and embroiders is to turn their hobbies into beginner kits. These kits would include a project suitable for a beginner, detailed directions and all of the materials needed to complete the project.
Business Ideas for Stationery Addicts
If you can’t get enough of getting creative with paper products then this is the list for you.
30. Start a custom stationery business
The art of the letter is not lost. Design custom stationery and greeting cards to allow this art form live on.
31. Start an invitation design business
Start a physical or virtual invitation design business for events such as baptisms, communions, bar/bat mitzvahs, sweet 16s, graduations, birthday parties, weddings, and any other occasions someone might throw a party for.
32. Become a bookmark designer
Any book addict knows that dog-earing a book is a crime in the reading community. Offer thoughtfully designed bookmarks as an alternative.
Business Ideas for Flower Enthusiasts
Not only are flowers beautiful, but beautiful things can be made from them! Working with flowers is a unique art form that can be turned into a unique business.
33. Start a floral arrangement business
Beautiful things can be made from flowers. Start a floral arrangement business where you offer skillfully designed bouquets, centerpieces and more.
34. Start a floral preservation business
Another idea that could come from working with flowers would be the preservation of special event flowers. Through drying and properly preserving flowers, they can be made into shadow box displays, displayed in frames, pressed into laminated bookmarks and more! People might want to preserve flowers from their weddings, proms, dates or other special events in their lives.
Business Ideas for The Handmakers
Each and every handmade good is unique and people like to feel that what they are purchasing is one of a kind. This list is for those who have a knack for working with their hands and and making incredible goods.
35. Start a candle business
Cheap, artificially fragranced paraffin wax candles are out. Candles scented with natural essential oils and beeswax candles are in!
36. Start an all natural soap business
The use of all natural, toxin free, handmade goods is trending currently. Make the most of this trend and your skills by launching an all natural soap business.
37. Start a pottery business
Pottery is a beautiful artform that is gaining appreciation all over social media. Try your hand at selling your pottery pieces.
38. Sell handmade jewelry
Handmade jewelry makes for a beautiful present. Crystals are also making a comeback, especially with the younger generations. If you already make jewelry and can incorporate crystals into your designs you could capitalize on the market for handmade crystal jewelry.
39. Open a suncatcher shop
Beautiful suncatchers are worth the price. Open your own suncatcher shop and put your creativity to work.
Business Ideas for Refurbishers
Do you find furniture on the side of the road or for free on Facebook Marketplace and see its potential hidden under dirt and outdated hardware?
40. Become a furniture flipper
Beginning a furniture flipping or refurbishing business could be a great idea for you! Let your creativity flow and give new life to old objects.
Business Ideas for Custom Creators
Customized one of a kind products make clients feel like what they have is truly special. If you are able to turn your creativity into customized pieces you have a great business opportunity.
41. Open a custom sign company
You could start a business that creates customized family plaques or signs to be displayed in houses. A popular material for these signs is old cabinet/dresser drawers.
42. Start a woodworking business
Another idea is to create custom woodworking projects with salvaged wood. Using recycled material is a major selling point for businesses in the more eco friendly consumer environment.
43. Sell custom resin furniture
You could also create custom furniture pieces with resin. Every resin piece ends up slightly different so marketing your products as “one of a kind” could bring more attention to your pieces.
44. Sell custom made shadow/memory boxes
One last business idea for the customizer is creating specially designed memory/shadow boxes for people who want to preserve, but also display, important moments from their life. Preservation options could include milestone events such as births of babies, military promotions, weddings and more.
Business Ideas for Artists in General
45. Become a content creator
Take advantage of social media. Build your presence and display your craft to millions of interested viewers. People want to see not only your final product, but the passion and process that goes into the creation of art forms. By building a following on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, you could expand the reach of your audience worldwide and open up an entirely new market for yourself to sell your creations through shops attached to your social platforms.
Creativity comes in a lot of forms, be it painting, photography, design and more. If you enjoy what you do and want to turn your passion or hobby into a business this post was a great place to start. We encourage you to continue brainstorming to find a business opportunity that works best for you. Remember, you can make your creativity work for you and turn your passion into profit! There are plenty of business ideas for creative people!