You can run an art business as a hobby or as a small business (or even a large business).
Business Checks
If it generates any income at all, not necessarily a profit, but receipts or commissions for sales – then you need to keep your business finance separate from you personal finances. That is one of the IRS guidelines that many hobbyists or small business owners seem to put off or totally neglect.
The easiest way to avoid the problem of co-mingled monies is to open a new checking account and use your business checks, especially the register part, to keep track of income and expenses. Simple? Yes, it is. Unless your small business really grows, that may be all you need for your bookkeeping. Be sure to keep track, in the check register, of all money you receive and expenses and keep receipts for expenses paid by cash check or credit card.
Please note that I am not an accountant or a lawyer but I do keep records this way. It has worked well for me and allows my accountant to accurately complete the “Schedule C” for small business when she completes our personal tax return each year.
The printing equipment at your local Walgreens or CVS pharmacy is top quality.
I have a quality Epson printer that has seen years of service. It is still going strong and prints high quality images at sizes up to 13″x19″ on photo quality paper. However, I occasionally want a 16″x20″ print either for a client or to display in our own home. There are both CVS and a Walgreens drugstores (mini-department stores?) in our neighborhood. They both have quality photo processing equipment (that I only wish I could afford), offer very fast service and have reasonable prices.
Discount note: Another plus with both CVS Photo and Walgreens Photo is that they run a deep discount sale at least once a month.
While it’s true I have online galleries and can get my work printed in high quality there, sometimes I just need a 16×20 print, which is larger than my printer can handle, and find it more convenient to “shop local,” so to speak. For today’s project I’ll use the local Walgreen’s Photo service. Here is what I want to have printed in a 16″x20″ size.
Nancy’s Blue & Purple Pansies
What’s cool about using the service at Walgreens Photo is that I can upload the full-size image and place the order online. I may even be able to pick up the finished print in a few hours time. The store is also less than one mile from home – can’t get much more convenient that that. Right? So, I’m about ready to place this order – and will try to return here with the results (a bit later on).
Progress… 1) Order placed online Thursday at 10:44 AM – with an estimated “ready time” of Friday at 10:44 AM (24 hours – not bad). 2) Oder ready (notified by email) at 11:45 AM Thursday (TODAY). Wow, how good is that? 3) Order picked up just before 2:00 PM – and it is perfect. I will post an image when I frame it and hang it on the wall. 4) Because I found and used a coupon code (right from the Walgreens’ website) I got it for half price. Total cost was $9.49, noting that I live in Delaware so there was no sales tax.
Picking up the 16×20 photo print from the local Walgreens – less than four hours after the order was placed online. It is a perfect, high quality photographic print.
Oh, yes, I will also (eventually) upload this image, along with other pansy images, and make them available as wall art in my online galleries at FineArtAmerica/Pixels and Pictorem – in the “Flora” collections.
