Murals for Kids bedrooms and nurseries, how to get started?

Question

I have always been artistic and have wanted to get into the business of painting rooms for children, murals in daycares and window painting. Can someone tell me how to get started? I can create a web page and make flyers, but how do you charge and what is the going rate? Any tips would be appriciated.

Answer 1

You definitley need a portfolio. Set up your web page, show some work. If you don't have much to show, go to friends and neighbors, family and offer to do some freebies and work for cost of material. Invest in a good camera.

Get a business card going, make a notecard with your business card, something that has all your info and examples of your work.

Take your portfolio and card to local businesses, home builders, contractors, paint stores will sometimes hand them out.

I'm in OK, and also a muralist and art teacher.

Make sure you add in gas/mileage..And never give your ideas out for free. When working with a potential client, set up a consultation and charge a nominal fee, to cover gas and your talent and time. If they hire you, you take of the fee when you give final charge.

I've had people take my ideas I worked on and then give it to a family member to do the work.

Word of mouth will take you far!!

Answer 2

Ask in local day care centers, schools, hospitals, baby, book and toy stores etc. if you can paint a free mural on one of their wall or window in exchange for leaving business cards and flyers.

I would charge for each job individual. Give a free consultation and than add up your supplies, gas, time and size for each one.

Don't be too cheap...find a good middle ground.

Good Luck ;-)

Answer 3

People will want to see your previous work and when you start out you don't really have much to show, so you can't charge the same rate as someone with more experience. Offer to do a job for just the cost of supplies to get you started as the work you do will rely a lot on word of mouth so you need to build up a client base and portfolio.

Over time you will see how much your materials cost and how many hours a project will take and be able to create an estimate for your clients based on that. Find out what other companies charge in your area to get a starting point.

Hope that helps :)