A Typical Week as a Sole Trader in a Creative Business

When people hear that I run a mobile paint and craft business, I think they probably imagine that I spend most of my week painting.

And while there is definitely a lot of painting involved, there is so much more that happens behind the scenes that you don't necessarily see on social media.

Running Craft and Canvas as a sole trader means that, most of the time, I am the business. I'm the person answering the emails, creating the artwork, doing the admin, buying the supplies, preparing the sessions, packing the car, running the event, cleaning everything afterwards and then doing it all over again.

And somehow, I also have to fit in being a mum!

So, what does a typical week actually look like?

It all starts with an enquiry

Most bookings start with a simple email or phone call.

Someone gets in touch and says they would like to book a paint or craft session, and from there we start talking about what they have in mind.

Is it a birthday party? A corporate event? A fundraiser? A hen party? A kids' activity?

We talk about the theme, the number of people, what they would like to create and what sort of experience they are hoping to have.

If they want a custom painting, this is where my creative brain kicks in.

I start sketching ideas, playing around with colours and working out how I can turn their idea into a painting that everyone can actually follow during the session.

Once we've agreed on the design, I can start preparing everything.

Then comes the admin... lots of admin!

Once the booking is confirmed, the creative part isn't the only thing that needs to happen.

There is a whole list of admin that comes along with every booking.

I need to:

• Create and send the Invoice

• Send and manage the contract

• Create the customer information sheet

• Keep track of final numbers

• Make sure I have all the venue details

• Keep track of payments and deposits

• Update my booking documents

• Follow up on outstanding emails

• Update my Excel spreadsheet

• Move potential bookings into confirmed bookings

• Keep track of upcoming events

• Make sure I know exactly what needs to be prepared for each session

  
  

The customer information sheet is particularly important. It gives me all the information I need in the lead-up to the event and on the day itself, so I know exactly where I'm going, who I'm working with, what time I need to arrive, how many people are attending and any other important details and most importantly, my checklist for the day to make sure I pack everything I need.

It might not sound very exciting, but keeping on top of this stuff is what keeps the business running smoothly.

Example of my Customer Information sheet I use.

Then I actually have to paint!

Once all the admin is under control, I need to actually create the artwork.

For a custom session, I'll paint the example canvas that everyone will be working from.

But while I'm painting, I'm also thinking about the next step.

I need to take photos as I go so I can create the step-by-step instructions that I bring to the session. So I'm not just painting a canvas, I'm thinking:

"What should I do next?" "How can I explain this part?" "What brush should they use?" "Will someone who has never painted before understand what I'm doing?"

I'm constantly thinking about how I can break the painting down into simple steps so everyone can follow along and feel successful.

And, of course, once the painting is finished, I need to photograph the completed artwork too!

A picture of a finished painting that I did for a session for the example painting.

And it's never just one session

One of the things people probably don't realise is that I'm rarely working on just one booking at a time.

While I'm preparing for this weekend's event, I might also have another booking the following week, a corporate event later in the month and a birthday party that needs a custom design. So I'm constantly looking ahead. I'm thinking about:

What do I need for this weekend? What needs to be ordered for next week? Which custom stencil needs to be made? Which painting needs to be completed? Which customer needs a follow-up? Whose final numbers do I need? It's basically a constant mental checklist running in the background!

Weekly stocktake

I also do a stocktake every week.

I need to make sure I have the right canvas sizes and enough of them for all my upcoming sessions. Then there are the paints, I need to make sure I have enough of the colours I use regularly and have extras available in case a colour runs out during a session. And then there are the brushes, I actually count my brushes every week!

Brushes disappear. Brushes get left behind. Brushes get damaged. So I need to know what I have and what needs replacing before I arrive at an event and realise I'm short.

It's not exactly the glamorous side of being a creative business owner, but it's important.

Washing, folding and preparing everything

After a session, everything has to come home with me.

Aprons need to be folded. Paint cloths need washing, drying and folding. Anything else that has become paint-covered needs cleaning. Brushes need washing properly. Mats and other equipment need checking and packing away and often need ironing (I do have a steam press which helps so much!)Then everything needs to be ready to go again for the next event.

It's a never-ending cycle of pack → use → clean → restock → pack again.

The custom stencils

For some sessions, I also create custom stencils.

If a customer wants something specific to their theme, birthday child, company or event, I'll design and prepare the stencil myself. That means another little job gets added to the list:

Design it → Check it → Cut it on my Cricut → Make sure it works on the canvas or craft item → Prepare enough of them for everyone attending → Pack them → And make sure I don't accidentally forget them on the day!

And then there's the financial admin...

Whenever I purchase something for Craft and Canvas, there is another little behind-the-scenes job attached to it. I need to keep the receipt, I scan receipts into my accounting app so I can keep track of my business expenses and have everything organised for tax time. It might only take a couple of minutes each time, but those little jobs add up, and future me will definitely be grateful that I didn't leave it all until tax time!

Then there's the social media side of things

And of course, running a business also means being your own social media manager!

I spend a lot of time creating content for Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, from posts about upcoming sessions and finished paintings to behind-the-scenes moments, new services, business milestones and everything in between.

Then there are the stories! I try to share as much as possible throughout the week so people can see what I'm actually getting up to - this is mostly sessions that I'm currently at, but I do want to work on this and get better with videos and stories so keep an eye out!

It's not just posting a photo either. There's writing captions, choosing photos, creating graphics, scheduling posts, adding hashtags and keeping up with messages and comments.

It's another part of the business that never really stops, but I actually love being able to give people a glimpse of the real Craft and Canvas and the person behind the business.

And then there are the actual sessions!

Of course, after all the planning, admin and preparation, there is the part of the business everyone gets to see — actually running the paint and craft sessions!

On event day, I load everything into the car and head to the venue, usually arriving with plenty of time to set up. I unpack the canvases, easels, paints, brushes, aprons and everything else needed, making sure everyone has everything they need before we begin.

Then it's time to get creative! I guide everyone through the session step by step, using the example painting and my printed instructions while also demonstrating techniques and giving everyone tips along the way. I love this part because every session is different. Some people are confident artists, while others arrive saying they've never painted before — and watching everyone create their own version of the design is one of my favourite parts of the job.

Once the painting is finished, there's still the pack-down! Everything needs to be collected, packed back into the car and taken home, ready to be cleaned, restocked and prepared for the next session. So even though the actual session might only last a couple of hours, it's the final piece of a much bigger process that has been happening behind the scenes all week.

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Somewhere in amongst all of that... I'm also Mum.

And then there is the other job that doesn't exactly fit neatly into my business schedule.

I'm also looking after my two-year-old during the day, there's the school run, taking the kids to their clubs, making dinner and sorting out everything the kids need.

Getting everyone where they need to be, trying to answer an email while someone is asking me for a snack. Trying to remember what I was doing before I got interrupted, and occasionally finding five minutes where I can just sit down and breathe.

Sometimes I genuinely look at everything I've managed to get done in a day and wonder how I did it.

It's a lot... but I love it.

When I list everything out like this, it sounds like an enormous amount of work for one person, and honestly? It is.

There are definitely days when I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. But somewhere along the way, I've got into a rhythm.

I've learnt how to organise myself. I've created systems that work for me. I've learnt what needs to be done first, what can wait and what absolutely cannot be forgotten. I've learnt to look ahead instead of only thinking about the next event. And I've got to the point where, even though there's a lot going on, Craft and Canvas feels like it's running smoothly.

I know where things are. I know what I need to prepare. I know when I need to order supplies. I know which emails need answering. I know which paintings need painting. I know which stencils need creating.

And I know that if I keep on top of all those little jobs, everything comes together when it's time for me to walk into an event and say:

"Right, let's get creative!" 🎨 And I get to watch people who sometimes arrive saying "I'm not artistic at all!" create something they're genuinely proud of.

That's the part that makes all the behind-the-scenes work worth it.

Because Craft and Canvas isn't just about the couple of hours people see when they attend a session.

There's a whole lot of work, organisation, creativity, washing, packing, planning, admin and occasionally chaos that happens before anyone ever picks up a paintbrush.

And I'm incredibly proud that I've built something that keeps growing, one booking, one canvas and one creative session at a time.

So, if you ever see me post "Another busy week at Craft and Canvas!", you'll now know there's probably a lot more behind that little sentence than meets the eye. 

There's always a reason to get creative — even if sometimes you have to squeeze it in between the school run, dinner and everything else life throws at you!

Thanks for being here Behind the Brush! This is where I share the journey honestly—the moments that inspire, the moments that challenge, and all the colourful little bits that make it worthwhile. Until next time, keep creating!

 – Amy