I think most on here confusing turning a hobby  into a business by applying SEO to a website. Online marketing and SEO (as a part of it) is a distribution channel / marketing, but should not be the priority or the main focus. I am not sure what kind of artwork we are talking about, what your specialty is, but what I suggest is to look at some successful case studies in your area.   Do some searches to see if there are any examples of people that accomplished what you are trying to accomplish. And then see if that will work for you. Talk to people, read business starting books. Try to formulate.   Of course SEO, website building would come up (and probably come up early on). I am just saying, make that a part of your strategy . Not the start.    

That's great that you are able to turn a hobby into a business!   Working on a business that you are passionate about is always a good recipe for success.   I would highly recommend you look at forming an LLC. This provides a layer of protection and separates you from the business. You can also deduct your supplies, equipment and even the portion of your utilities and mortgage that you use as the paniting studio. Finding a good CPA can help you navigate through these issues easier.

To make your expenses a deduction you should file a ABN, be the sole owner, keep track of all your expenses, lunches that have to do with business, supplies, gas, etc........ and then file your taxes with H&R block or some other company that offers some sort of security for their services.   Catherine Owner SiteSires

Maybe a bit off topic, but a BIG website going around virally at work and through friends is Etsy.com.  I don't know exactly what kind of art you create, but this site is exploding with popularity with handmade goods and art.

Q: Should I try to sell art over the Internet? I've seen several advertisements for sites that specialize in selling antiques, collectibles and art. They put 'for sale' pictures up along with contact information for very reasonable commissions. I've also visited Internet gallery sites on the Worldwide Web that say they buy art. I can even advertise my art for free in art, antiques, and collecting newsgroups. A: The Internet is a pretty much of a free-for-all as far as selling art goes and unless you're anything less than fully on top of the market, think twice. In addition to knowing what your art is worth and how much you want to sell it for, you also must be able to show it to interested parties, mail it out on approval if necessary, and get paid in full if you sell it. This can be difficult when dealing with people who you've never met and who may live hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Unless you know who you're dealing with, the anonymous nature of Internet presents problems particularly in the areas of buying and selling art. For example, a small percentage of dealers and collectors spend their time searching the Internet for unsuspecting sellers who underprice their art. Some may also request detailed information about your art seemingly to help them decide whether or not to buy when what they really intend to do is offer it for sale elsewhere, while acting like they're the ones who actually own it. Some don't even ask for details-- they take what they need from your posting and offer it for sale like it's their own. You never know the difference. Consequently, art can get pretty badly shopped around in cyberspace. As for gallery websites that advertise as art buyers and sellers, some of the finest dealers in the world are online. Unfortunately, some of the not-so-finest are also fully operational. The nature of the Internet is such that a lavish high-end website may be that of a four-story Manhattan gallery or it can be a telephone sitting on a coffee table in someone's den. Telling the difference can be pretty difficult unless you know the art business and are familiar with the players. At this time, the safest Internet routes for buying and selling art through established galleries and major online sites like Artnet and The Fine Art Dealers Association. Artbrokerage is also a possible option. Even here, though, you have to be careful, request references, and preferably make personal contact before proceeding with any sales or consignment arrangement. If you decide to place your art up for sale independently, pick a site that only takes a commission if the art sells, has a secure transaction system, and verifies buyers before allowing transactions to be completed. They should be responsible for collecting the money and paying you rather than you having to do it yourself. Also look into eBay. Hope this helps :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italian Leather Sofa Message Edited by NicoleD on 09-09-2009 12:58 PM

The first thing you should do, is register your business and get a tax number, if you live in the USA or Canada the semantics differ, but the end result is the same. Its critically important that you are a registered business, because you can not get federal tax breaks on your business if you do not have one. Once your business is registered, you need to apply for tax credits, in canada,you have to apply for a GST number (goods and service tax) once you do this, you can write off business expenses, and as well, at the end of each tax year, you can get a large percentage of the taxes you paid back in your own pocket. If you do not have this, make a web page, and offer your art on ebay, you were not clear what type of art you make, so i would guess you are traditional non digital art, you can sell your stuff on ebay very good, and I myself make allot of money. Also, I am involved in more game art related stuff, so I sell things on Turbosquid, which is a good niche to sell and resell digital art. Also, look into making prints, as well as orginals, this way you can sell the orginals for more money, and then off of the same art piece, you can sell a digtal copy, printed on proper canvas paper with a frame for a nominal fee. The trick with selling art online, is to get the most value out of each piece as you can, that way over the months to years, your repotire is self perpetualating.

To get the tax id you need to fill out an SS4 form.  Just go to irs.gov and look in the forms section.  Fill it out and send it in. Some places don't require a business license, you will just have to check with your county to see.  You can usually find the forms to file for a fictitous name on the county clerks website or maybe the secretary of states website for your area.   You might want to also look into creating a partnership instead of a sole proprietorship.  There are a few advantages to doing it.  You can make a family member a 1% owner.  Once you start making decent money then you want to create an S corp, C corp, or an LLC.  Doing so will reduce liability and helps to keep your assets safe.

Get more volume and exposure by making a nice website that will bring lots of traffic (if you do it right) to view your wares.  

It always joyfuls me to hear of an artist doing well. The world needs more artists to warm the cockles of our souls. Designate an area of your home as your 'studio'. Keep track of all of your expenses -- rent, utilities, insurance, phone, internet, etc, etc. A portion of these expenses will be deductible on your Schedule C for federal tax purposes. Get a business license. File a 'fictitious name statement' if you use any name other than your real name. If there are serious tax issues, consider a corporation. But it is not otherwise essential for an artist. Good luck! Good luck! MaryAnnBusiness Plan MasterThe Business Plan for a Tough Economy ---This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

First of all, you might not necessarily have to incorporate in order to write off business expenses from my understanding. Talk to your CPA about that. los angeles business patent attorney LOS ANGELES PATENT TRADEMARK LAWYER Message Edited by NicoleD on 06-19-2009 11:32 AM Message Edited by sbbarca on 06-20-2009 06:47 PM Message Edited by NicoleD on 09-09-2009 12:57 PM