Art And Drawing Tools Business

Art And Drawing Tools Business Success Stories [2025]

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Updated: April 17th, 2025

Dive into the colorful world of creativity with an art and drawing tools business. This venture capitalizes on the growing demand for quality supplies among artists and hobbyists, offering everything from sketchpads to premium pencils and paints. Your mission is to curate a range of products that inspire creativity and cater to various skill levels—whether for professional artists or beginners.

This business can be operated online or through a physical store, providing flexibility in how you reach your customers. The challenge lies in sourcing unique products and establishing relationships with reputable suppliers. Yet, the potential rewards are noteworthy, with an enthusiastic customer base willing to invest in their passion.

Aspiring entrepreneurs intrigued by the idea of merging creativity with commerce may find this a worthy pursuit. Building a community around art supplies can foster a loyal customer base and even lead to workshops or collaborations with local artists, enriching the business landscape.

In this list, you'll find real-world art and drawing tools business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a art and drawing tools business that makes money.

1. art.com ($100M/year)

Back in 1994, the internet was still in its infancy, and Josh Chodniewicz didn't even know what it was until his friend Mike Marston called him from Virginia Tech and told him it was going to be huge. Intrigued, Josh bought a modem and the two started brainstorming potential online business ideas. After passing on books and music, they decided posters and prints were perfect for the online market where people had limited local options for art.

They observed the struggles people had finding specialty posters, like a Boston Red Sox fan living in Texas trying to find team memorabilia. This made them realize the potential of a single online source for a wide variety of posters and prints. To validate their idea, they leveraged early internet marketing strategies, like pay-per-click advertising on Yahoo! Overture and an extensive affiliate program with 750,000 websites.

Throughout this process, they encountered challenges like low repeat sales and ineffective advertising expenses but refined their approach by focusing on profitable marketing channels and banding together for logistical efficiency. This experience taught them the importance of perseverance, innovation, and leveraging the right partners to bring their vision to life.

How much money it makes: $100M/year
How much did it cost to start: $35K
How many people on the team: 1000

How 2 Founders Bootstrapped Art.com to $200M/Year Before Selling to Walmart

Discover how Art.com transformed from a bootstrapped basement startup with just $35,000 into a $315 million acquisition by Walmart, using innovative affiliate marketing with 750,000 websites, strategic eBay partnerships, and mastering early search engine tactics to capture niche audiences and drive $100 million in annual revenues.

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