8 Pet Portrait Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A Pet Portrait Business

Are you an artist looking for a profitable business you can start from home? If yes, consider starting a pet portraits business. You can focus on pet photography, drawings, personalized dog paintings, or cat portraits and start earning extra cash doing what you love.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a pet portrait business:

1. Puptrait ($120K/year)

J.B. Shepard, the founder of Puptrait, started his business after his friend asked him to take unique and non-traditional pet portraits. He realized there was a demand for unconventional pet photography, and thus, Puptrait was born. Despite the difficulties and limitations of the pandemic, Puptrait has become a successful pet photography studio, with commissions ranging from $2.5k to $12k.

How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $750
Current team size: 0

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How I Started A $10K/Month Pet Photography Studio

J.B. Shepard, a Baltimore-based mixed media artist, discusses how he turned his passion for dog photography into a successful pet photography studio, with typical commissions coming in at anywhere between $2.5k and $5k and their highest value single order tapping out at just under $12k.

About
J.B. started Puptrait about 8 years ago
Revenue
J.B. grew the business to $10K/month
Costs
It cost J.B. $750 to start the business
Read by 7,192 founders

So... can you actually make money with a pet portrait business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

2. Custom Pet Portraits by Tiffany Dnaka ($14.4K/year)

Tiffany started her custom pet portrait business after experiencing loss and wanting to create a specific style of artwork to remember her furry friend. She launched on Etsy but eventually moved to her own website to have more control over her marketing and customer communication. Through trial and error and a strong presence on social media, Tiffany has been able to attract and retain customers, and she plans to focus on scaling her brand in the future by partnering with celebrities and influencers.

How much they make: $14.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $473
Current team size: 0

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I Run A $1.2K/Month Custom Dog Portrait Business With A Mission To Rescue Lost Dogs

Custom Pet Portraits by Tiffany Dnaka has seen massive growth since starting in 2021, with yearly revenue doubling year after year and an average of $1,200 a month in sales, and founder Tiffany's 2021 goal is to scale by teaming up with celebrities and influencers.

About
Tiffany started Custom Pet Portraits by Tiffany Dnaka almost 4 years ago
Revenue
Tiffany grew the business to $1.2K/month
Costs
It cost Tiffany $473 to start the business
Read by 1,601 founders

5. West & Willow

Modern pet portraits created from your pet's photo! Perfect as a gift or to add to your own home decor. Loved by design-conscious pet lovers with 5-star reviews from customers around the world.

Where they're located: South Australia, Australia
Website traffic: 90K/month

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So... can you actually make money with a pet portrait business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

7. Printy Pets

Get your pet printed on to custom socks, blankets and apparel. Get a t-shirt or phone case with your pet's face printed on to it. Your own custom pet art designed by professional artists. Printed with love in the USA.

Where they're located: South Australia, Australia

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8. Photolamus

Order stunning caricatures and portraits drawn from your photos by some of the best caricature artists worldwide! Perfect personalized caricature gifts for Birthday, Wedding and Anniversary.

Where they're located: Dighalia, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh

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