Did you know that there are two major parts to your art business?
There’s the business of developing, creating and displaying your art and there’s the business of your art business.

Most artists emphasize one or the other parts as their natural and primary business focus. If the image of a ’starving artist’ continues to impact society, and I think it will, then artists really need to continually address the issue of taking care of the business of their art. Last year I was searching for liability insurance for my beading business. My business is growing, which means that my sales are always ready to improve. Some insurance companies weren’t interested in working with my business sales. But, I did finally find one company, which gave me very good coverage for my first insured year. The impetus for purchasing business insurance last year, was to protect my business, in the event that I began participating in larger outdoor fair venues. The risk of inventory and funds loss as well as possible customer accidents rises considerably working in large, external venues. If I wanted to participate in that arena, then I needed to prepare my business and myself for new risks and adventures. While talking with someone about whether I should or shouldn’t purchase business insurance, I received some very good advice. I was reminded that I’m the owner of all parts of my business, meaning that I am also responsible for taking care of every part of my business. I can’t just take responsibility for creating inventory, and ignore my cash flow goals. Nor can I focus just on marketing and pay no attention to planning my event displays. It was obvious that I did need to pay attention to purchasing insurance for my business, even if I wasn’t going to attend larger events right away.. Losses and accidents can happen anywhere. If I didn’t have the coverage, I would be fully liable and responsible for whatever events took place on or around my display area.

I want to address a few of the areas that can require your business attention. I’m sure that you will think of others as you read through this entry.

1) I’ve mentioned the process of percolation that an idea goes through before it is ready to be developed. As part of growing your business, your attention will be drawn to different parts of your business, from time to time. For example, if your business is new and growing, you will probably spend the balance of your time, on developing a customer database, creating and promoting your first products or services and establishing a name for yourself. The process of percolation can be applied in each of these areas. From the development through to the display of your creative work, there may be some seasons of downtime.During these seasons, your ideas are birthing and starting to develop a workable form, your promotional plans and plans for establishing a name for yourself are also growing. The timing and results of each of these processes will impact your all parts of your business planning, depending upon where your focus is. Learning how to mesh your business’ activities with a good sense of timing will help promote positive growth in all aspects of your business.
For more information please review the following article:
The Importance of Percolation

2) Telling yourself the truth about your business will positively impact all parts of your business. Am I saying that you lie to yourself? No, not at all. Most business owners that I’ve met are people of great integrity, drive and enthusiasm for their product, their creative communities and their customers. What I’m saying is that it’s sometimes easier to ignore the information that you are receiving from one part of your business, if it doesn’t meet your expectations, rather than paying some focused attention to it. For example, I’ve known up until last year, that I needed to raise my jewelry prices. I kept an eye out for prices that other vendors charged. I noticed the improving quality of my jewelry and I listened to the comments of my customers and vendor-friends. Finally at a new venue last December, several customers in quick succession, made the same comments about my jewelry. At that point, I could finally hear their suggestions.. I really needed to raise my prices to reflect the quality of my work and to be competitive. I’d been thinking about doing this for most of last year, but it was too intimidating a step for me to take last year. So, I started off this year using my new prices. After participating in two events, I’ve heard no complaints from my customers. I also feel better about my prices, though a bit nervous, but I think that this was a good and necessary move for me to make. It was very important that I looked at the information given to me, my pricing, my product and the opinions of interested customers and more experienced vendors and friends. When I was able to do that, to tell myself the truth about this business area, I was ready to raise my prices and increase my cash flow.
For more information please review the following article:
Telling Yourself The Truth

3) Distractions can drain your away your business energy and time. They can disguise themselves in well-meaning phone conversations with friends. Answering non-business emails during prime creative hours or relying on old, but useless habits, such as procrastination, and disorganization of materials, ideas, plans or records (e.g. tax time jitters). Fulfilling incidental plans, during prime business time, no matter the original purpose was, can take a toll on your business productivity.In addition, some of these habits, can and do take quite a bit of time to change. A prime example is procrastination. Procrastination takes business time that would be better spent in making business plans, solving daily problems and preparing for new displays of your creative work. For more information please read the following article:
Eight Major Distractions

4) I’ve admitted before that procrastination is one of my ongoing bad habits. I bring it up because as I grow my business I continue to learn how procrastination interferes with my business, how motivated I am to let go of it and replace it with newer habits of consistent work, planning and productivity. Some examples, include, waiting until the last week before an event, to build up my inventory, rather than making concrete productivity plans and completing them well before that last minute arrives. Calling vendors to discuss changing ways to pay a bill, two months ahead of schedule, so that everyone is clear about the logistics of the change. Rather then making a frantic call, during the last week before the bill is due, and running into some billing policies that will delay the posting of the payment, making extra paperwork for everyone involved. For more information
please review the following article: Procrastination Solutions

For your weekly reading please review the following articles:

Monday: Procrastination Quiz
Tuesday: Timesavers
Wednesday: Create Your Own Affirmations
Thursday: Q and A About Gratitude
Friday: Taking Care of Yourself

Enjoy your weekend!!!

Tags: Articles - Creativity Coaching //