Stencils are an inexpensive and easy way to transform just about any surface, from walls to clothing. They're also a great tool for teachers and parents looking for creative ways to spend time with their kids. If you can draw or are patient enough to learn how, you could easily start an online stencil business.
Select a memorable domain name for your business. Then purchase your domain and website. Look for a web host who can provide instant, 24-hour customer support and helpful tutorials on how to set up your website. Look for a web host who can offer you free Google Adword or Yahoo credits, Facebook integration, free templates, plenty of bandwidth, storage space and email addresses and marketing tools such as newsletters, coupon generators and data feeds.
Enroll in an art class that teaches stencil design. Contact your local community college or art school to find a course.
Design your stencil site. If you don't want to use a free template but you aren't familiar with Hyper-text markup language (HTML), consider hiring a web designer to help you. Ask around at your art class. You may be able to hire a student for much cheaper than you would a professional. On your site, detail the many uses for stencils. Provide pictures of walls, floors, flower pots, canisters, signs and vases that have been decorated using your stencils. Offer helpful videos. Allow customers to create their own stencils for a fee.
Select a software design program for your stencil store, if you won't draw your stencil designs by hand. If you have never worked with a program before, start with GIMP or Paint.net. Both of these programs are free. GIMP has more features than Paint.net, but Paint.net is easier to maneuver. Another option is to purchase a program like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw and Corel Paint Shop Pro. While all four can be used for a variety of applications, Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro are geared towards photo editing or painting using raster graphics, whereas Ilustrator and CorelDRAW are more for drawing.
Find your niche and begin creating your stencils. Create stencils for use in home décor, as cake toppers, or for commercial use. Design intricate stencils for use as borders or exquisite décor. Incorporate letters, numbers, animals, plants, vegetables, fruits, flowers, prints, patriotic symbols, baskets, hearts, stars, space, holiday and seasonal themes, colonial, French country or Victorian designs.
Purchase stencil brushes, stencil sheets, tubes of acrylic paint, paint kits, stationary and books to sell on your site along with your stencils, as well as custom cardboard packaging materials. Purchase a laser cutting machine that will work on the materials you intend to sell, such as glass, wood, acrylic, metal or plastic. Features to consider are the work area your cutter will accommodate, the desired thickness of your stencils and the production rate.
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