How to Start an Ice Sculpture Business

Start an ice sculpture business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Ice Sculpture Business
2. Form your Ice Sculpture Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Ice Sculpture Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Ice Sculpture Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Ice Sculpture Business
7. Get Ice Sculpture Business Insurance
8. Define your Ice Sculpture Business Brand
9. Create your Ice Sculpture Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your ice sculpture business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out othersmall business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit ourHow to Name a Businessguide or get help brainstorming a name with ourIce Sculpture Business Name Generator

If you operate asole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit ourDBAguide to learn more.

Whenregistering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• 联邦and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening an ice sculpture business?

Ice sculpting is not an inexpensive endeavor. Here are some of the principal investments you’ll need to make.

• Ice trailer for transporting ice blocks in and finished products out. A 4’ x 8’ freezer trailer can cost $12,000-$14,000. Alternatively, a refrigerated van can be rented for a day for $150. If most of your business comes in during the cold winter months or your commissions are all very close to your studio, you might be able to avoid or minimize this cost.
• Ice-carving tools and equipment including chisels, ice tongs, chippers, chainsaws, hoists, ice-moving equipment and block-making machinery can run thousands of dollars.
• At the customer location you’ll need display trays, lighting, and meltwater drainage containers to literally put your sculpture in its best light for several hours.
• Most ice sculpting businesses today use CNC machines for computer-aided carving and mass production, and your most leading-edge competitors use robotic carvers. A CNC machine can cost $50,000 new.

The good news is that a lot of your startup necessities can be found used, online. Start by comparing prices at such sites asIcecraftersandIceSculptingTools.com. The startup costs can make starting this type of business challenging, but it is not impossible.

What are the ongoing expenses for an ice sculpture business?

You’ll have payroll expenses for support staff and possibly the day-rental costs of your refrigerated trailer or van, and of course the rental of your production facility or studio. You’ll regularly have to pay your utilities and fuel and maintenance for your delivery vehicles. And you might have to buy ice blocks if you’re not making your own and maintain large machinery and periodically replace hand tools.

Who is the target market?

Your best customers are people hosting weddings, anniversary or birthday parties and other high-end celebrations. If your company can attract the attention of end users directly, it will save on commissions.

Another category of customers are companies that provide services for such big-ticket celebrations, such as restaurateurs, event and party planners and caterers.

How does an ice sculpture business make money?

The business makes money by selling ice sculptures at a set price, which is determined by labor, size, and intricacy of the project.

How much can you charge customers?

One sculptor stated online that he typically prices his work at $500 per 300-pound block of ice used. Another stated that the company offers sculptures for as much as $1,200, but that an average was about $275 to $500. You might also provide smaller carvings and even custom ice cubes for less. But there are many variables, including the size of the carving, the intricacy of the work, distance of delivery and others.

Keep in mind that, in addition to your time and skill sculpting, you must invest significantly in sculpting tools and equipment, display equipment, delivery and installation help and possibly the lease or purchase of a small refrigerated delivery truck or van. So don’t undersell yourself.

How much profit can an ice sculpture business make?

斯科特Rella成为美国第一个开始的ice sculpting business in 1982. Before that, sculpting was just a sideline of select restaurants, hotels, caterers and culinary arts institutes. By the following year, he was clearing $1.5 million in annual profits.

That’s not to say that his experience is anywhere near typical. Back then, he had no competitors and he was based in New York City. You can maximize your profit potential by finding a location with few competitors, promoting your business with savvy and putting out memorable work.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Consider adding to your payroll an experienced ice sculptor who already has a book of business and prefers the security of working for someone else. Explore the possibility of expanding into other areas. For instance, if you only do weddings and parties, look into the profit potential of winter outdoor events near you. And if there’s enough interest in your area, consider teaching ice sculpting classes.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most commonbusiness structuretypes are thesole proprietorship,partnership,118bet金博宝 , andcorporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as anLLCorcorporationprotects you from being held personally liable if your ice sculpture business is sued.

You can金宝搏188是什么公司yourself and pay only the minimal stateLLC costsor hire one of the118金宝app for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more aboutstate sales taxand franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to aspiercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting abusiness credit cardhelps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with ourLLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate an ice sculpture business. In particular, a seller’s permit must be obtained. A seller’s permit allows states to record and collect taxes from goods (and sometimes service) sales.

Service Agreement

Ice sculpture businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a service agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership.Here is an example service agreement.

Recommended:Rocket Lawyer makes it easy tocreate a professional service agreementfor your ice sculpture business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

Labor Safety Requirements

It is important to comply with allOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)requirements. This is particularly relevant as workers will be operating dangerous machinery and tools like chainsaws.

Certificate of Occupancy

Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require aCertificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

If you plan to lease a location:

• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to your business.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening,it is recommendedto include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

If you plan to purchase or build a location:

• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully.Business Insuranceprotects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face,begin withGeneral Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need isWorkers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

Many owners of such businesses are artistically inclined, skilled sculptors or graduates of ice-sculpting classes. They should be able to work quickly (before the ice block melts) and fulfill the design intent of the client.

Many ice sculpture businesses today use CNC machines for computer-aided carving and more are getting into robotic carving. With these technologies, even individuals with less artistic ability can get into the business. However, using these technologies can become very expensive.

Whichever approach you take, you should be a good salesperson to develop business relationships with caterers, restaurateurs, wedding planners and other prospective customers and influencers.

What happens during a typical day at an ice sculpture business?

Here’s how you’re likely to spend your typical day.

• Developing and nurturing relationships with clients
• Sculpting ice commissions
• Overseeing the sculpting work of others if you have employees or freelancers
• Arranging for the delivery of the finished product
• Promoting your business through word of mouth, media stories, paid advertising, your website, signage and other means

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful ice sculpture business?

The ice sculpting business is at the confluence of creative endeavor, technology and sales ability. If you can do it all, (or can hire the skills you lack) you can succeed here. It’s also valuable to have an instinct for self-promotion. A particularly interesting assignment or unusual sculpture can be newsworthy since it might make a striking image online or in print media.

You should also have a good camera and the ability to take professional-quality photographs to send to the media and upload to the portfolio section of your website.

如果你有员工或定期freel一起工作ance sculptors, your strong interpersonal communications skills will be of value.

What is the growth potential for an ice sculpture business?

Time and sales volume are your only limitations. If you get enough business that you feel confident to bring on another sculptor, you can increase production further. Also, the more different markets you serve the more business you’ll bring in.

Since ice sculptures are novelty items at premium prices, you can assume that your business might do best during strong economic times.