How to Start an Antique Restoration Business

An antique restoration will restore old items either for personal use or to put on display. From masterpieces to sentimental items, a restoration business will perform the repairs and maintenance to help keep objects in good shape for many more years to come.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

 Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start an antique restoration business by following these 10 steps:

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

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

Exploring your options? Check out other small 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:

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 our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Antique Restoration Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal 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 antique restoration business?

Most antique restorers can get started from the comfort of their own home or garage, so they won’t necessarily have to account for renting out a space. However, they may need to pay for ventilation equipment to keep themselves safe while on the job. Owners should ideally set up a professional website to advertise their services to potential customers. Antique restorers should budget for restoration tools, business permits and licensing fees, and commercial property insurance to cover accidental damage to the items.

What are the ongoing expenses for an antique restoration business?

The ongoing costs include business insurance, the cost of restoration tools, and employee salaries (if applicable). Antique restorers may handle items valued well into the millions, and they need the right protections in place to keep each item safe. In addition to secured vaults, you should have excellent property coverage in case you make a mistake or unavoidable damage occurs along the way.

Who is the target market?

The target market can be anyone who wants to restore an old object. However, restorers may choose to market their services directly to certain clients only. For example, they may only work with museums or select upscale clients.

How does an antique restoration business make money?

Antique restorers will charge per item depending on the work required to restore it. They may hire out their services by the hour, but they’re more likely to give people a quote per item based on its age and the severity of the repairs it requires.

How much can you charge customers?

Restorers can charge their clients based on their expertise, the extent of the project, and the demand for their services. If hiring per hour, it’s not unusual to see up to $100 per hour for quality restoration services.

How much profit can an antique restoration business make?

Antique restoration businesses can be extremely profitable, especially if the restorer uses their own space in which to work. If working at $75 an hour at an 80% profit margin, you would make $480 for a full workday.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Restorers may want to split their business between consignment clients and selling their own restored techniques. This can help stave off potential dry spells in case the demand begins to decline for either service.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your antique restoration business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your antique restoration business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

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!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and 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 as piercing 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.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

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 our LLC 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.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects 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 with General 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 is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market an antique restoration business

Antique restoration businesses can be best promoted by establishing relationships. This is true even if you’re planning to help the average homeowner with a few antiques in their attic. For example, owners may want to begin visiting antique shops, cultural institutions, and museums. The more these professionals get to know you, the more likely they are to either hire you directly or recommend you to their customers. If owners are targeting everyday people, they can also consider paid internet advertising, social media campaigns, or flyers posted in local consignment stores.

How to keep customers coming back

Display professional photos of antiques you’ve restored as a testament to your skills. You can also provide live demos on antiques that you’ve purchased and plan to sell. The best way to retain customers is to restore the antiques as much as possible for as long as possible. Deadlines should be met, and delivery and pick-up should be coordinated with the utmost care.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

The ideal owner is someone who truly cherishes the items left behind by former generations. They should have an interest in how things were made in the past (given the technology available), so they can work with a variety of fabrics, materials, and manufacturing techniques.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at an antique restoration business?

Antique restorers will need to refurbish a variety of items for different clients. They’ll also need to market to potential new clients, perform general accounting tasks, and arrange for pick-up and delivery of all items.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful antique restoration business?

Owners should have advanced training in restoration and experience working on a variety of items. If an owner chooses to specialize, they should have some flexibility within their area of expertise. For example, if restoring old paintings, the owner should feel comfortable working with different types of paint (e.g., oil, watercolors, etc.).

What is the growth potential for an antique restoration business?

Antique restoration is a specialized business, meaning there likely aren’t very many competitors in your area. In addition, there may be more customers available than it seems. Most people have at least a few precious objects they inherited that could use some work. Whether it’s an old silver tea set or a handmade quilt, restoration experts will likely have plenty of work to keep them busy. As long as the owner has the skills to work on the items, there’s plenty of growth potential in this industry.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting an antique restoration business?

Antique restorers have a wide range of clients from which to choose. In terms of income, the most lucrative jobs will likely come from prestigious museums or cultural institutions. The most talented restorers may be asked to work on priceless artifacts and well-known works of art. However, just because a restorer isn’t removing another layer of grime from the Mona Lisa, doesn’t mean that they can’t be successful in their field.

When first getting started, owners should identify their primary purpose for restoration. For example, they may want to help everyday people restore the items that their grandparents or great-grandparents left behind. Or maybe they want to help upscale consignment stores sell their items for a better price. Depending on your neighborhood, you may want to specialize in furniture, toys, or jewelry restoration. Check to see who your direct competitors are catering to before developing your own strategy.

Owners can also consider buying and restoring their own antiques to sell, either on a site like eBay or in their own retail space. If you choose this path, you’ll need to research which antiques are in demand and the areas in which they’re popular. Antiques are a cyclical business, and it’s difficult to predict what the latest trend will be. If a restorer isn’t planning on specializing, they should familiarize themselves with as many restoration techniques as possible to give themselves the edge they need to thrive. Finally, your communication with customers needs to be excellent. They should have clear expectations for what they can expect based on the inherent value of the item and its original condition.

How and when to build a team

Most antique restorers will operate alone until their workload becomes uncontrollable. Considering hiring an administrative professional for scheduling, payments, and delivery. Or hire a restoration assistant to prep or clean the workspace.

Useful Links

Real World Examples