Start A Glass Etching Business - Business Ideas

Updated: September 15th, 2022
Start A Glass Etching Business

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.

Glass etching is a glass art technique of applying acidic or abrasive substances to a glass surface to roughen its texture in selected areas to create an attractive design. Also known as French embossing, glass etching is a popular method for creating customized glass art.

Are you passionate about glass art? You could start the glass etching business today. Glass etching is commonly used to create feature walls or partitions and enrich glass doors and windows.

Starting a glass etching business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell glass etching, or selling glass etching online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$14B
starting costs
$10.9K
gross margin
65%
time to build
210 days

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

Thunder Laser USA

thunderlaserusa.com

535,750

3DCRYSTAL.com

3dcrystal.com

584,400

EtchingX

etchingexpressions.com

682,774

Engraving Solutions| Home

engravingcrew.com.au

1,184,799

Sans Soucie

sanssoucie.com

1,430,745

3D Photo Crystal, 3D Laser Engraved Gifts and Crystal Pictures.

3dlaserland.com

1,587,755

CERION laser GmbH, Laser systems, 3D glass photo laser

cerionlaser.com

1,849,684

Integrity Bottles

integritybottles.com

1,940,662

Etch O Matic

etch-o-matic.com

1,964,999

Awards, Plaques, Trophies and Engravings by Newline Trophy

newlinetrophy.com

2,012,371

Online store for all your glass etching and sand blasting needs!!

etchworld.com

2,266,924

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 glass etching 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 glass etching 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 glass etching 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 glass etching business are typically around 65%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability.

Work can be inconsistent

As a glass etching 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 glass etching business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Taxes

As a glass etching 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 glass etching 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.