Start A Custom Illustrating Business - Business Ideas
Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.
Many businesses use stock illustrations or images in their commercials. While stock illustrations provide a cheaper option, the visuals aren’t part of the product, so the brand message is diluted.
In a business world where more than 70% of social media and B2B marketers use visuals in their promotions, creating custom illustrations is highly on demand.
Ideally, custom illustration is an essential visual strategy helping businesses use clever, compelling visual content to effectively communicate with the target audience.
With major social media platforms dependent on visuals to create impressions, starting a custom illustrating business can be an opportunity to build a profitable business. Custom illustrations are a visual representation of any text and are considered art for beautifying elements.
To kickstart your custom illustration business, pursue a fine arts certification, where you will learn computer graphics, drawing, and painting skills. Then, identify your style, create a portfolio, then focus on building a client base.
Starting a custom illustrating business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.
If you're interested in how to sell custom illustrating, or selling custom illustrating online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.
Key Stats
Startup Costs
| Min Startup Costs | Max Startup Costs | |
|---|---|---|
|
Office Space Expenses |
$0 |
$7,000 |
|
Equipment & Supply Expenses |
$66 |
$700 |
|
Inventory Expenses |
$50 |
$9,750 |
|
Software Expenses |
$12 |
$575 |
|
Advertising & Marketing Costs |
$0 |
$3,000 |
|
Website Costs |
$13 |
$215 |
|
Specific Industry Expenses |
$0 |
$500 |
|
Total Startup Costs |
$141 |
$21,740 |
Successful Businesses
| Business | URL | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Free Logo Maker |
designfreelogoonline.com |
26,641 |
|
|
Humaaans |
humaaans.com |
83,299 |
|
|
Black Illustrations |
blackillustrations.com |
210,722 |
|
|
dR Design Resources |
dr-designresources.blogspot.com |
580,793 |
|
|
Plastic Resource |
plasticresource.com |
708,832 |
|
|
LogoBee |
logobee.com |
715,762 |
|
|
Custom Maps |
cccarto.com |
739,914 |
|
|
LOGO Design Australia |
logoinn.com.au |
1,024,427 |
|
|
Vox illustration |
voxillustration.com |
1,258,323 |
|
|
OnePicOneBook |
onepiconebook.com |
1,334,700 |
|
|
Custom Logo, Branding & Website Design Services |
theautumnrabbit.com |
1,416,004 |
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Description |
|---|---|
|
Flexibility |
You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own. |
|
Ability to start your business from home |
It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning! |
|
Rewarding work |
Starting a custom illustrating business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about. |
|
Scalable |
With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers. |
|
Meaningful business connections |
You never know who you will meet as a custom illustrating business. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity! |
|
Quick build time |
The average time it takes to build your product is quick - typically around 7 months. This will allow you to bring your product to market faster. |
| Cons | Description |
|---|---|
|
Crowded Space |
Competition is high when it comes to your custom illustrating business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies. |
|
Low margins |
The gross margins for your custom illustrating business are typically around 65%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability. |
|
Work can be inconsistent |
As a custom illustrating business, the amount of work assigned to you and schedule tends to be more inconsistent, which may make your income less stable. It's important to set boundaries and budget accordingly based on the amount of work you plan to have. |
|
Lack of benefits |
With a custom illustrating business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming. |
|
Taxes |
As a custom illustrating business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it. |
|
No safety net |
Typically, as a custom illustrating business, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times. |
Hey! 👋 I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.
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