My 5 Tips for Starting a Calligraphy Business like Megan Markle
I read recently that Megan Markle, as in Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex Megan Markle, had a little calligraphy side hustle going.
Photo credit Town & Country Magazine
Before HRH got her big break working on the show Suits, she worked for a paper company and offered calligraphy for celebrity weddings and even taught a workshop! How cool is that?! She prides her self on being very disciplined as she learned and practiced the art of calligraphy!
Learn Modern Calligraphy and start your own side hustle
Calligraphy is still as popular as ever, even with the influx of calligraphers and letters offering this beautiful service!
Let’s face it, more and more people rely heavily on technology, but handwriting is a form of expression that’s not going anywhere and a lot of people aren’t developing their skills in anymore.
If you have been studying the art of calligraphy and lettering, practicing to develop your own style, and have a passion to explore the idea of starting a calligraphy business of your own, I’m here to share with you my top tips for starting a calligraphy business just like HRH!
Learn to use brush lettering to offer unique style and services to your new calligraphy business.
First thing I recommend is to think about what you want to sell!! What will be the basis of your calligraphy business as you start out on this new venture? When you’ve decided what you will offer, start building a portfolio that shows your style of calligraphy to promote those services and/or products. If you’re like me and love planning, sit down with a pen and paper and decide what the next 3 months look like. Then build out what the next 3 months after that look like, etc. etc. I’m a big believer of planning 90 days at a time. I even wrote a blog post about it here and made a fun printable for you to use!
Next, you need somewhere to direct people to so they can look at awesome photos of your beautiful work! Then you need somewhere they can go, to be able to hire you and pay you! A website is the best thing to direct your potential customers and followers to. You have complete control over your website, any other platform means you’re at the mercy of their algorithms. I have used everything from Wordpress sites to this one here which is a Squarespace site. There are a lot of options for you to explore, but I recommend deciding what you want your website to do for you before you invest the time and money. If you can’t afford to set aside time and money to invest into your website, put it on your 3-6 month plan, and start using Instagram as your visual portfolio, and Etsy to sell your services or products on. That way you can start building a following and earn money as you save for your website!
Promote the heck out of your work and build relationships!! Referrals for your business is something that you are going to rely on, especially when you first start out. You’ll find that your first clients and hires will be from people who know you already. From people who want to support your new business. From people who are most likely your friends, or friends of friends. Nurture those first few jobs, over deliver and you will see more referrals come your way! This is also an opportunity to learn how to work from other people’s ideas and also what your strengths and weaknesses are so you can hone in on your skills and what you want to offer in your business. For instance, I personally don’t like to work on a deadline and spend my time standing in line at a post office. So I closed my print shop a few years ago when I decided I wanted more flexibility and control over my schedule. You can only make those decisions once you’ve experienced them! Join Facebook groups and learn, share, network and grow! Here’s a link to my new Facebook group of other fellow creatives!
Grow! Work at your skill and your business! Keep practicing calligraphy. Keep taking classes, read blogs, learn from as many people as you can! Learn from other calligraphers who style you admire and who’s businesses you want to emulate. Share your practice, your finished designs and keep growing! Also learn about business, working from home, marketing and even photography! Skills that any creative entrepreneur should develop and grow. To this day, I take multiple classes a year to help develop my artistic skills as well as business skills. There are no excuses for not learning. There are ebooks, in-person classes, online classes and even coaching. Find ones that speak to you, that inspire you and that offer solutions to challenges or opportunities for you to grow.
Network off-line! Yup! I’m encouraging you to step away from your computer and phone and meet people in-person. Book a table at a craft show, speak to people, get feedback on what they are looking for and feedback on your calligraphy work! Doing this allows you to get insight into your market and research what people want! Step out of your comfort zone and find people to connect with and even partner with. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn and how it will help your calligraphy business grow!
There you have it! Start your side hustle like HRH The Dutchess of Sussex and enjoy this beautiful business of calligraphy and celebrate the art of hand lettering.
As always, have a question about starting or growing your calligraphy business?! I’m all ears. In fact, I’m happy to spend 15 minutes on the phone with you chatting about your questions!
Send me a direct email nicki@lifeidesign.com and let’s chat!
Nicki x