Should I have another job while building my art business from scratch?

Yes, when you’re building a startup art business without many sales yet, you should have another job. Don’t put all the financial pressure on your emerging art business because you’ll choke it to death. You need to invest in the business and give it a real chance to grow. The business needs consistent marketing and promotion, which requires investment and time. If you’re depending on immediate sales to survive, you’ll make desperate decisions and won’t give the business the nine months to a year it typically needs to gain traction and validation. Having another income source removes this pressure and allows the business to develop properly.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-05-23