Behind the Scenes of Small Business Black Friday as a Glasgow Pet Portrait Artist

Black Friday is one of those times of year that can feel… complicated. 

If you run a small creative business, you probably understand the mix of excitement, pressure, comparison, and gratitude that comes with it.

As a Glasgow based pet portrait artist, this season always makes me pause and reflect on what it really means to run a tiny, handmade business in a world full of fast delivery and high-volume discounts.

I wanted to share a more honest look at this time of year, what Black Friday feels like from the perspective of a single artist, and why supporting small businesses truly matters, not just for us, but for the people who buy from us too.

Why Small Businesses Struggle With Black Friday Discounts

When you run a one-woman art business, you feel the impact of Black Friday very differently than large companies do.

Big businesses can slash prices because they produce on huge scales. Their costs per item are tiny, their margins are high, and dropping a price for one weekend barely makes a dent.

For artists like me, every piece takes time, care, emotional energy, and real materials. A pet portrait isn’t something I can mass-produce or rush. It’s hours of layering pastel pencil, studying fur texture, capturing tiny details in the eyes, and making sure your pet feels alive on the page. And because of that, my margins are already tight.

Dropping prices dramatically would mean undermining the value of the work, or worse, underpaying myself for the time and skill that goes into each drawing.

It’s something many artists struggle to say out loud, but it’s the truth. And you deserve to know the truth about the work you’re supporting.

Where I’m Choosing to Focus Instead: Accessibility

Even if I can’t compete with huge discount events, something that is deeply important to me is accessibility. I never want art to feel like something only certain people can enjoy.

So instead of Black Friday sales, I’ve focused on offering a variety of price points throughout the year:

Greeting cards starting at £3.50. 
Art prints that make thoughtful gifts or beautiful wall art.

And yes, bespoke custom pet portraits, which are truly a luxury item, but available through payment instalments so more people can access something meaningful.

Making art more accessible matters to me, not because I want to undervalue my work, but because I want more people to experience the joy and emotion a pet portrait can bring.

Whether it’s a Christmas gift, a memorial portrait, or simply a way to celebrate a furry friend, I want people to feel they can be part of that without pressure or exclusivity.

The Emotional Side of Shopping Small

What people often don’t see behind the scenes is just how much each order impacts someone like me. When you buy from a small business, you’re not supporting a corporation, a warehouse or an algorithm, you’re supporting a person.

You’re supporting someone who pours their heart into their work.
Someone who answers every message personally.
Someone who hand-packs every order carefully because it matters.
Someone who still gets excited (and slightly emotional) every time a new commission request comes through.

Two years ago, if you’d told me I would be working as a professional artist, I would have laughed.

I would have assumed it wasn’t possible. But I hoped it could be. And it only became real because people supported my work, believed in what I make, and valued the time and care behind every piece.

Small business support isn’t just about a sale, it’s about allowing someone’s creative life to exist at all.

Why Your Support Matters More Than You Know

When you choose to shop small during the Black Friday season, you’re choosing to uplift a real person’s work.

A £3.50 card can make a bigger difference to a business like mine than you might imagine. Every purchase is felt. Every order is appreciated. Every message of support genuinely means something.

And most importantly, I hope you buy from me, or any small artist, because you truly love the artwork. Because it makes you smile. Because it means something to you. That is what makes the creative world go round.

If You’d Like to Support My Work This Season

Here’s how you can support my Glasgow pet portrait business in a way that fits your budget and feels good:

• Shop greeting cards and art prints on my website
• Commission a pet portrait for a Christmas gift
• Share my work with someone who would love it
• Or simply follow along and stay connected

Thank you for being here, for reading this, and for supporting artists like me. It truly means more than I can put into words.