Setting up a business teaching art classes to kids is truly a dream. You get to do what you love, craft a schedule that fits with your lifestyle and earn money for your efforts.

What’s not to love!

Yet committing to a business, whether online or in-person can be thwarted by our fears of not having fancy legal documents, insurance certificates, and accounting systems.

The truth is, you don’t need any of these things to start a business.

You just need to start doing 3 things that will set your future business up for success.

Here are the 3 most important things to do when you first start a business.

1. START TEACHING

It might seem obvious but the biggest thing that can hold you back from achieving your dream is actually the ONE thing your business is based on: teaching.

To avoid this trap, just start teaching.

Gather kids around a table in your garage, start recording your lessons or art tips for parents on YouTube, take pictures of what you are doing, create a blog and see if you can attract your ideal family.

Start educating, teaching and doing the work that will eventually become your calling card in your business.

No matter how big or small your business is, teaching is the key to growth. Even if you only have one student—TEACH that class. Build connections, offer an amazing experience, and ask parents for feedback or testimonials. 

2. BUILD YOUR EMAIL LIST

An email list is a collection of email addresses that your business gathers from people who have shown interest in your services. In your case, families of children who might be interested in art class. 

The emails that you collect are different from adding a contact to your personal Gmail. You collect emails using an opt-in system with an email service provider like Mailchimp or Kit.

When you are just starting out, a common strategy to fill your classes is to rely on friends and family for referrals. This is awesome but at some point, these referrals fade away.

Building an email list is a way to consistently generate new leads from families who want to learn more about you and your business so that they might register for your classes.

And it’s never too early to start collecting emails to grow that list. 

You can collect emails a few ways:

• Add a pop-up form on your website to give a PDF that might be valuable to your ideal family in exchange for their email.
• Add names to your email service provider at a community event 
• Collect emails for everyone who does a free class with you or comes as a guest 
• Through your Instabio link on your Instagram account
  

However you choose to start your email list, the most important thing to do is start communicating on a monthly or weekly basis with those on your list.

Sounds scary, right?

If sounding pushy or sales-y is a concern, it should be. In fact, I would encourage you to think about your email as a way to offer a valuable service to the families you wish to connect with and help. Hare great advice, something that will help them and offer value.

Then for every 3-6 emails, you can offer a class schedule and a sign up link.

Remember, your classes help families and children.

3. FIND A PLATFORM TO SHARE YOUR CONTENT

A platform is really just a space on the internet where you consistently show up and share your content.

It could be a website, blog, YouTube, Instagram, Tik-Tok, Facebook/Meta. 

It’s your choice depending on where your target audience hangs out and what makes the most sense to you.

When I started Deep Space Sparkle back in 2008, my platform was my blog. Around 2010, I started sharing content on Facebook.

Those two helped me grow my business because people knew where to find me. 

I eventually added YouTube, Instagram and a podcast. 

I wouldn’t recommend trying to do more than 2. It’s just too hard to be everywhere all at once. Really! Just find ONE platform where you really enjoy hanging out and making content for.

When you love the platform and the process it takes to create content for that platform, it makes it so much easier to be consistent. And I might add, that when it’s easier for you, you’ll be happier creating content, and that positive energy will attract your ideal customer.

So find one that you love (or think you will love) and start creating content that will help your ideal customers find you and get to know you.

If you are new to running your art class business, these three things will catapult your business by helping you develop the muscle to focus your time and energy on what matters and what will move your business forward.

But here’s the truth → I still practice these 3 things every week in my business.

Congratulations! 

You now have 3 things to focus on right now. No more scratching your head wondering what to do next. 

You got this!

And should you want a roadmap to continue your business journey, you can download one right HERE.

(See what I did there? You’re giving me your email in exchange for your email. And I’m growing my list for my business membership Primerry PRO. Excited to meet you friend!)