Plenty of Paint & Plenty of Water - Grahame Booth Watercolour

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Grahame Booth, Owner of Grahame Booth Watercolour, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I paint and teach watercolour. My customers are art collectors and people who wish to learn how to paint.

Tell us about yourself

I started almost accidentally. I had been painting for a few years when my tutor decided to retire. He offered me the opportunity to take over his classes. As someone who has been self-employed for close to 40 years, I did what I usually do - said yes and then worked out how to do it. What motivates me each day is simple. I strive to be a better painter and a better teacher.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is being able to make a living at something I love doing. Each day I am doing something that I would probably be doing anyway.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

I imagine most people start a small business on their own, and this is one of the hardest things. How do you know if you're doing the right things and going the right way? Being invited to write articles and books on watercolour give me the validation that is often not easy to find when working on your own.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Know your business. If you base your business on something you know well, you are much more likely to succeed. Almost all of my businesses started from a hobby.
2. Start small, ideally without borrowing. This allows you to be in complete control. It doesn't guarantee success, but it is easier to recover if you fail small rather than fail big.
3. It is very unlikely that customers will come flocking. You need to build your customer base. I started with a couple of person-to-person art classes a week. This gave me local success, but I needed the power of the internet to expand that. YouTube worked for me, not as a major income generator, but just to spread the word. It goes without saying that social media is vital for businesses today.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.grahamebooth.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrahameBoothWatercolour
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grahameboothwatercolour/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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