Working When You Don't Want To

Today is one of those days that I just don't feel like working. I think it is because I am tired, work is work, and it is a rainy day. I just feel like curling up with a good book and something cozy.

And that would be all well and good if I didn't want to make a living in the art business. But since I do, I can't let my moods affect my work schedule or my progress. I may change the order of how I do things, and which work I choose to do on a certain day depending on my mood, but each day I want to be able to progress forward in the direction that I have planned out.

Because, you know what? This may be the very day that my perfect target customer will walk in the door. Or I may get the phone call that I have been waiting for. And I don't want to miss it.

It is the consistency of moving forward a little bit every day that makes people successful. It is working when they don't feel like it, and forcing themselves to greet people in a friendly manner even if they want to be alone that day. These are the behaviors of someone successful.

But if you don't want to succeed, just go ahead and read that book. I have one to suggest for you. How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell

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What is Your Strategy for Holiday Shopping?

Daffodils available through Lake Erie Artists Gallery

It is only a few months away from the holiday shopping season, and I believe that this year, people will start shopping earlier than they usually do. Last year, the economic crisis was felt by people not spending as much as they normally did. The news about the economy really hit home in the fall leaving people no time to strategize their holiday spending.

This year, I think people will stretch out their spending by starting earlier so that they do not have to spend as much at one time.

What does that mean for you as an artist? Well, just like any other seller of products, the holiday shopping of the winter is the time of year that we artists sell the most. Since gift giving will not be stopped by the economy, that means that we need to be prepared to start increasing our inventory now, for shoppers who are beginning to look for gifts. If a person wants to spend less per pay, they can buy one gift at a time starting in the late summer to buy everything that they need. You may want to consider offering a layaway program if you have a static location that people can pay you incremental payments. Or offer an online layaway program. Hold the item until the last payment.

Don't wait until October or November to increase your inventory. This is the time to do it now. You may be surprised who is shopping for Christmas already.

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Business Cards are Essential

Do you have a business card? Well, you should. Business cards are a very low-cost investment into your own business that you can hand out to people without feeling like you are spending an arm or a leg.

Each card you hand out is a conduit from you to the person you give it to and to all of their friends and acquaintances. So first of all, get business cards. I highly recommend ordering them from a printer instead of printing them yourself. You can always tell if a card has been printed by the person themselves because of the edges of the card. So unless you have no other choice, get your cards printed.

Here are three reputable companies that you can order from online:

1. VistaPrint. VistaPrint is always offering discounts and freebies, and probably are the cheapest business card company.

2. Jakprints. Jakprints is an excellent company who happens to be based here in Cleveland. Their work is superb, and they have excellent customer service.

3. Moo Cards. Moo Cards is a company that specializes in fun, lively business cards, stickers, and mini-cards. You can get a different image on each card if you want.

Okay, now you have business cards. What do you do with them?

1. Do not hand them out to everyone that comes along. Ask them if they would like a business card, then give it to them.

2. If someone asks for one, give it to them.

3. If someone asks for your contact information, just give them a business card.

4. If someone orders from you, make sure to give them a business card.

5. If you have a hairdresser, give them a couple business cards.

6. Give them to your friends and relatives if they may talk about your business to their friends.

You never know when a connection from a card will be of benefit to you. For instance, I often recommend artists or vendors to other people even if I do not use them. Sometimes years after the initial contact.

Think of every card you give out as a winged messenger letting people know you exist. I just bought 5000 cards for about $150. If I make one or two sales, I will pay for the cards, but I now have 5000 potential customers that I can hand the cards to. If each card averages only a $1 sale, I still have profited $4850 from this purchase.

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Forgot to Sign Up for an Art Show?

Nesting tables by A Piece of Cleveland from recycled wood

Did you just find out that you are able to participate in an art show that you didn't think you would be able to? Forgot to sign up for an art show but still want to attend?

Even though shows may fill up when they send out the initial forms, they will always have people cancel, even on the day of the show, so if you still want to participate, call the show organizers to find out if they still have room. They want a full show more than they want to stick to their deadlines, so they will be happy to fill another space if they have room.

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Location, Location, Location

Lake Erie Artists Gallery--Shaker Square

We have all heard the old adage, "location, location, location," but like many expressions, the basic concept is a good one. When we are choosing places to sell our work, we need to choose a location that has the demographic that can afford what we are selling AND can appreciate what we are selling.

If you do not have both conditions in place, then you are out of luck. Here is an example: Ideally, I would like my average sale to be about $100. That means to meet my goal, I do not have to work as hard as if my average sale was $20. That doesn't mean that I do not want a $20 sale. It just means that I would like most of my sales to be over $100. If my goal was to do $500 per day in revenue, it would be much easier to reach that goal if the average sale was $100.

In order to have that average sale, I need to be in a location where the average customer can easily afford to pay $100 for an item AND they want to pay $100 for an item. This is crucial for my business to succeed.

This is true when you are at an art show as well. If you want to do $1000 per day, with an average sale being $100, then you need to be in an area where people will spend that much money. This is research that you can do when you apply for shows, before you plunk down the $400 it costs to be in that particular show.

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