As the popular saying goes not all entrepreneurs are artist but all artists are entrepreneurs, as they have a product or idea to sell and also get into the marketplace. In order to do this, artists need (at the very least) basic business skills and a willingness to approach selling art as any entrepreneur would.
Great businesses are unique in the way they put themselves together and the way they put themselves out there in the world. Great art is always a reflection of the soul and spirit of the person who makes it.
Sometimes, in order to find your “why” you must transform that simple question into others that give you clues about your audience, and how you connect with them.
Who did you have in mind when your created your work?
What do people say when they see your portfolio?
How does your art make them feel?
Steps to seeing your business as an art.
Define your mission.
Your idea or your approach to your work is ultimately what you will be putting out in the market. By determining what it is you do, how you do it, and the content, subjects, and form/media, you will be defining your signature style. Once you have developed a style, you can then present it seamlessly to your audience. By defining your brand or style, you are unwittingly determining your audience.
Understand your audience.
Every entrepreneur studies the habits of their audience. They know what prices their audiences are willing to pay, where they are willing to buy, when, and how often. An artist should know this information too.
For example, they know that buyers will be different at local art fairs than at trade shows or galleries. By identifying your audience early, and re-evaluating often, you’ll be better able to keep up with demand, price your work, and know where to spend your precious time selling (and more importantly where to avoid).
Understand marketing.
Every entrepreneur knows the key to getting their idea or product to market is through marketing and sales. You must employ marketing strategies to do that. That means you need a website that reflects your style, which includes high-resolution pictures and descriptions of your work, as well as a means to buy the work directly from the site (or has links to contact information or the galleries that represent you).
Record Keeping.
keeping track of money going in and money going out, as well as inventory. Maintaining and cataloging your work is key to your success as an artist. You simply cannot overlook the details most times they are what makes or breaks artists. Artwork Archive helps you get started, so you can concentrate on creating and leave the inventory management to the experts.
Keep a good circle.
Entrepreneurs know that networking is more than trading business cards. Business is all about relationships. And, having a network of great people around is a key to success. Most entrepreneurs know they can’t run a business on their own. They get advice from other successful business people and they reach out when they need help or don’t know what to do.
Good Pricing.
Factoring the cost of overhead, materials, and supplies, as well as a recommended markup for retail pricing. One of the biggest mistakes artists make is not understanding the value of their work. So often artists either over inflate the value of their work or undervalue it—either way they miss the opportunity to sell their work. Entrepreneurs understand that pricing is a fine art and so should artists.