How to Start a Calligraphy Business

Part 1 - How to start a Calligraphy business - Background

Many people primarily rely on calligraphy businesses to create unforgettable wedding invitations or other special event stationery that they want to have a personal touch. However, others want to be able to write in calligraphy themselves, and they will look to your business to teach them.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start a Calligraphy business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening a calligraphy business?

The exact costs of opening your business depends greatly on how many services you plan to offer and whether you need a separate space to do conduct your business operations. For instance, many calligraphy businesses start by focusing on producing rather than teaching calligraphy. Since producing works of calligraphy can be done from home, your business can start for under $5,000, a price which includes a generous amount of starting supplies, licensing, and modest advertising via traditional channels. If you have the space and you are willing, you can also conduct calligraphy lessons in your own home or even make “house calls” to interested clients. If you wish to lease a studio space to conduct lessons with larger groups, then it will likely add a minimum of $30,000 to your opening costs and greatly increase your overhead; as a result, it is very important that you are certain that you will teach enough lessons to cover the cost of rent and other expenses.

What are the ongoing expenses for a calligraphy business?

The lack of ongoing expenses for a calligraphy business can make starting this type of business a very attractive idea. As mentioned earlier, many calligraphers work from home, which means there is no real overhead for a lease, utilities, and so on. And after the initial investment for supplies, the cost of new supplies should be effectively built into what you charge your clients. Therefore, your only out-of-pocket ongoing expenses should be however much you want to spend each month on traditional advertisements (which will typically be $500 or less, as much of your focus will rightfully be spent on advertising via social media).

Who is the target market?

Ultimately, your most preferred clients will be couples getting married. These customers will be in need of attractive and elegant designs to place on invitations and other wedding stationery, and they will be willing to pay you very well in order to make their wedding stationery perfect.

How does a calligraphy business make money?

There are multiple ways in which a calligraphy business can make money. You may charge a fixed price for particular services, such as designing wedding invitations. You may also charge fixed prices for selling pre-made items that customers can use as decorations for events at home or at work. When it comes to calligraphy lessons, you must decide whether you want to charge customers by the lesson or by the hour.

How much can you charge customers?

How much you charge will vary due to both your local market and what services you are providing. Some calligraphers, for instance, will charge between two to five dollars simply to address an envelope. For things like wedding invitations, some calligraphers charge a fixed fee for the designing and printing (such as charging between $1000 to $2000 for 100 sets of invitations, with prices going up as the complexity of printing and the amount of colors goes up). You may charge a smaller fee (such as $200 to $350) to design the invitation and have the client handle printing it themselves.

How much profit can a calligraphy business make?

The exact amount of profit your business can make will vary. Sources such as the Art Career Project estimate that the average calligrapher makes about $50,000 a year, though the aforementioned lack of overhead makes that sum more significant than it would be for other businesses. However, there are so many services you can offer (in terms of writing, teaching, or simply selling pre-made products online) that it is entirely possible for your own profit to be far greater than this.

How can you make your business more profitable?

As your business proves its quality and worth, don’t be afraid to raise your prices. Similarly, you can become more profitable by branching out regarding the services you offer. For example, being willing to print and deliver the invitations you design, rather than simply creating a design, can help you triple the profit from one of your staple services. Finally, while diversity is good, establishing a specialty for yourself that is underserved in your community can help you generate more profit as you become one of the primary names associated with your business.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at a calligraphy business?

Much of your daily activities will be focused on writing in calligraphy. This includes writing for clients, teaching clients how to write, and simply practicing your craft. Other daily activities may include procuring supplies, communicating with clients, and attending some of the events that you have designed materials for.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful calligraphy business?

Having a variety of calligraphy skills already mastered (such as hand-lettering and digital fonts) will help you immediately reach a wider audience. Being a very active member of image-driven social media platforms like Instagram can help you reach out to potential customers as soon as you start your business. Finally, membership in an existing calligraphy community can help you build your skills while also determining a niche market for your area that you can specialize in.

What is the growth potential for a calligraphy business?

The growth potential for a calligraphy business is pretty steady. As mentioned earlier, much of your business is tied to special events such as weddings, and the number of weddings per year has been on the rise since 2009. Since your business will be focused on supplying materials for weddings and similar events, the potential for your business to grow will also be in the rise.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a calligraphy business?

Never forget the power of demonstrating your calligraphy skills in public parks, colleges campuses, and other areas where you can show off your talents and recruit potential customers. Be sure to feature your finished work and testimonials from satisfied customers on your social media sites, as this will help you make a great impression on interested potential customers.

How and when to build a team

In most calligraphy businesses, the owner is the only employee. This can help to reduce overhead, establish a brand, and give the impression of a personal relationship with customers. Therefore, if you build a team at all, you should keep it small and choose people who share a similar style and creative vision as you. That way, you can build efficiency by working on the same projects while still complementing each other’s work.

Part 2 - Is a Calligraphy business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Calligraphy business in 90 days