Editor’s Note from Wes

One of the things I love most about the 3D community is hearing from artists who’ve figured out their own way of making creativity sustainable. Today’s post is written by Emil Drkušić, who’s built a thriving 3D business by combining creativity with simple, practical systems. I’m excited to share his story and advice here.

Let’s dive in!

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Key Takeaways

• Whether 3D is a hobby, side hustle, or full career changes how much you need to think about the business side.
• Four questions guide every creator: Am I good enough? Is the market saturated? What should I model next? How do I price my work?
• A simple spreadsheet is enough to track costs, sales, and profitability.
• My own data has been the most powerful tool for deciding what to create next.
• Growth comes from consistency: create, publish, track, adjust, and repeat.

When I first started selling 3D models, I thought the hard part would be the modeling itself. Turns out, the real challenge came after hitting “publish.” Tracking sales, setting prices, and figuring out what to make next quickly became the deciding factors in whether my work paid the bills or just sat collecting digital dust.

I know a lot of artists feel the same way. The art part feels natural; the business part feels intimidating. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to. I’ve learned that with a few simple systems, you can stay organized, keep your focus on the fun stuff, and still grow your business.

Should Creativity Be a Business?

Not every artist has to treat their work like a business. For some, 3D is just a hobby, something you do for fun. Others balance it as a side hustle while working a full-time job.

For me, I chose the third path: going all in. 😅 That decision came with responsibility. If 3D is going to pay the bills, then I can’t ignore the numbers. Tracking income, understanding costs, and making smart choices about what I create became just as important as the creative work itself.

Four Questions That Shaped My Business

1. Am I good enough?

I’ve asked myself this before every new project. Almost every time, the answer turned out to be yes, but I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t tried. You don’t have to be perfect to start. You just have to start.

2. Is the market already saturated?

Definitely, but copying what’s already there doesn’t work. The creators before you already have visibility, reviews, and trust. What you do have is your own style. That’s what will set you apart. Look for gaps, or bring your unique take to familiar ideas.

3. What should I model next?

I love making things I’m passionate about, but not everything I enjoy modeling sells. I’ve learned to balance personal interest with usefulness to others. Research the marketplace, see what’s missing, and think about how your skills fit those needs.

4. How do I set the right price?

I keep it simple. My formula looks like this:

Price ≈ (time × hourly rate) × 10–20%

This keeps things objective and saves me from endless competitor research. If a model doesn’t sell, I revisit demand, pricing, or quality and adjust.

Quick Note: How to Estimate Your Hourly Rate

Your hourly rate is the backbone of this system. If you’ve never worked it out, here’s a simple formula to get started:

Hourly Rate ≈ (Monthly income goal ÷ Billable hours per month)

For example, if you want to earn $3,000/month and can realistically dedicate 80 billable hours/month (about 20 hours per week), your hourly rate would be $37.50/hour.

Of course, you can refine this by adding taxes, software costs, or other expenses. But even a rough estimate is enough to start tracking profitability. The key is not to get stuck in perfection, pick a number, use it, and adjust over time.

Smart Tools, Simple Systems

I don’t use complex tools to run my business. A spreadsheet is enough. For every model I create, I log:

• The original cost (time × hourly rate)
• The publication date
• Sales and revenue
• Profitability (how long it took to earn back the investment)

This data gives me a clear picture of whether I’m spending my time wisely. Over time, I’ve added more details like categories and performance by marketplace, but the basics were enough to get started.

⭐️ Make a copy of my Google Spreadsheet to track 3D model sales and production cost.

Learning From My Own Journey

Here’s the thing: my data is more valuable than general market stats. It shows me what I do well, in my own style, with my own audience. That’s been more useful than chasing broad trends.

Here’s how I use it:

• If a model sells well, I make variations or different styles of it.
• If I see another creator succeed with something, I ask how I could bring my own twist to it.
• I pay attention to gaps where demand is high but supply is low.
• Sometimes I ride trends, but only when I can add my own voice.
• And often, inspiration just comes from daily life.

This cycle—create, publish, track, repeat—is what’s helped me keep moving forward.

Conclusion

There isn’t one formula for running a 3D business. But there are mistakes that can slow you down: creating without a plan, ignoring your sales data, or underpricing your work.

I’ve found that by keeping things simple, tracking what matters, and staying consistent, I can keep my business growing while still enjoying the creative side of 3D.

At the end of the day, I’m the chef of my own career. And the recipe that works for me is simple: Eat. Sleep. Think strategically. Create. Publish. Track. Repeat.

Thanks for reading — Emil Drkušić

P.S. If you’re ready to take the next step, join Superhive as a creator and start turning your 3D models into a real business.

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FAQ

How do I know if I’m ready to turn my 3D work into a business?

What’s the simplest way to track my 3D sales?

Should I follow trends or stick to personal passion projects?

How often should I release new 3D models?