Sometimes it is good to have a formula to help remember what you need to do especially when you are starting something unfamiliar. Over the years a simple formula evolved to help measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts
If you cut corners on tools, you’ll end up more often than not, increasing your production time, decreasing your margin, and ultimately your profits. A common outcome is not paying yourself and that doesn’t help anybody.
Yes, I have a lovely group of followers and buyers who have found my work via Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, my Blog and my website. Most of them keep up with my work either through Facebook or my Blog, and some have subscribed to my shop (Art4Sale) newsletter.
Before you do anything further this year take a few minutes or more and think about why you are doing what you are doing and what you want your business to be.
Did you accidently “fall” into your art business after a job loss? If so be honest with yourself by asking whether this is what you want to be doing or if it is just something to “fill the gaps” until you find a “real” job.
My marketing journey has not been as well planned as I would have hoped or advocate. However, I did write down some SMART goals of what I wished to achieve, and wrote a loose business plan, which I need to update. Having done some business courses, the skills and tools I learnt from those have stood me in good stead, particularly when it comes to planning, marketing and measuring performance.
One of the favored ways for most artists is to lick their index finger, and stick it in the wind…back in the day it was the way most of us did it , in fact we did it because we didn’t know any better.
Sure, some of us kept data bases of every conceivable shred of information from sales, inventory to who bought what. Well…that did nothing more than let us continue to live out the fantasy of “doing something”.
One of the essential traits of professionals in any field and one of the critical factors that determine the life time and growth of any field of endeavor is the willingness of the masters to be stewards of the fields continuity. Art is no less important than other left brained skill sets, in fact I would argue that its’ role in cultural survival and growth is critical.
Learning from past actions is important for us all…it is how we grow and in the case of creatives, sharpen our creativity. As I mentioned yesterday the more we keep judgment out and let learning in the more creative we become and more willing we are to let go of fear.
Recent research has found that many have problems with goals both setting and achieving. A key part in this issue is the relative inflexibility with which we view goals, they are seen as something set in solid footings for a future we have no control over. Another key issue with goals is the implied judgment associated with achieving or not achieving goals…we tend to define our success in relation to our goals.
This site is the labor of love of a seasoned self taught 63 year old geekzer who cut his teeth on punch cards, fortran and main frame computers all the while designing, drawing and photographing . [read more…}
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