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Return From Vacation The Right Way

posted December 13, 2018

How To Return From Vacation The Right Way
Richard Myrick for mobile-cuisine.com

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There will be many things awaiting you on your first day back:

  • A full inbox
  • A long list of to-dos
  • Staff and customers needing your attention
image courtesy of mobile-cuisine.com

If you dive right in to your work, you’re likely to wipe out all the benefits of taking time off! Instead, get back into the swing of things while maintaining some of the calm and restoration of your time away.

Block off your morning.

Make sure you don’t have any meetings scheduled or big projects due. Then before you open your inbox, pause and think about your work priorities. As you make your way through emails and voicemails, focus on returning the messages that are connected to what matters most. Defer or delegate things that aren’t top priorities. And, remember it will probably take more than one day to get caught up, so be easy on yourself!

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Marketing Help with Aromatherapy

posted December 13, 2018

Hate Marketing Your Art? Try Aromatherapy!
by Dr. Thea Fiore-Bloom of The Charmed Studio courtesy of for Artsy-Sharky

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I used to do anything to avoid marketing. It felt sleazy and didn’t really seem to pull in much business anyway. I was about to give up on it when I decided to throw a Hail Mary pass – and be totally honest, humorous and vulnerable.


People responded. I was shocked. I accidentally stumbled onto what I have termed, meaningful marketing.

Meaningful marketing reveals the soul-connected bits of you and your art through story to potential customers. It feels ethical and attracts your ideal audience. Problem is, opening up and being vulnerable is frightening, right?

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Choose Your Best Artwork to Display

posted November 15, 2018

How to Choose Your Best Artwork to Display at an Art Fair or Festival
Niki Hilsabeck for emptyeasel.com

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The easy answer might be "whatever's framed!" But if you've got a variety of pieces available, these simple guidelines should help make your selection process a snap.

1. Start with framed work in your signature style

Choosing the right art work
image via rawpixel

Select framed pieces that show off what you consider to be your signature style, whether that's a particular subject matter, theme, or painting technique. Make sure you have a variety of sizes and prices—I usually bring about 2/3 in medium sizes, with the remaining third divided into a few larger pieces and a small collection of framed miniature works.

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Clean Up Your Accounting

posted November 15, 2018

Cleanup Your Accounting With These 4 Bookkeeping Tips
Richard Myrick for mobile-cuisine.com

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Getting a better handle on your money can help you to make and keep long-term goals, smooth out the seasonal ups and downs of your cash flow and maybe improve your food truck profits. It can also help you stay out of trouble with the IRS.

Plan for major expenses

The first of our bookkeeping tips is to put events like a major POS upgrade on the calendar. Mark it a year in advance or, ideally, three to five years ahead. Be sure to take seasonal ups and downs into account.

By following this tip, you’ll avoid taking money out of your food truck business during the flush periods only to find yourself short in the slower months, when costly projects like upgrading kitchen equipment usually happen

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Find Event Sponsors

posted October 24, 2018

How to Find Companies Interested in Sponsoring Events
Stephen Kim for bizzabo.com

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Sell to those who want what you’re selling! Sounds obvious, but organizers often overlook this fact when the need for buyers becomes urgent and overbearing. These 10 tips can help you find the right sponsor partnerships:

1) Define The Fundamentals of Your Event

  • What is the overall vision of the event?
  • What overarching goals are you trying to achieve through the event?
  • What are the values of the event brand?

Even interested companies will only only buy-in if they understand your event’s goals and vision. Being able to clearly communicate these values will be crucial in helping you find companies interested in sponsorship.


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Artistic Gifts in Troubling Times

posted October 24, 2018

Using our Artistic Gifts in Troubling Times
Phawnda Moore for emptyeasel.com

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Current events seem to be on overload: politics, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and health problems, to name a few. I’m guessing we’re all feeling a little overwhelmed and maybe somewhat helpless as we read the news—day after day.

image via Phawnda Moore

After we donate money, express our opinions on Facebook and lament with friends, in private moments we still wonder if it will all be OK someday. We wonder how our family and friends across the country will rebuild, heal, and carry on. So many lives are affected, so much needs to be done. How do we go forward?

Let's remember that we can offer encouragement to each other in a unique way, with our art. Someone once said, "People only know what you tell them." This is true of relationships across the board and around the world. There are doubts and fears that art can calm. So what, specifically, can we do?

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Top 10 Insurance Mistakes

posted October 17, 2018

Top 10 Insurance Mistakes for Food Trailers and Trucks
By Joel Paprocki for insuremyfood.com

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Let's run through the most common mistakes mobile food business owners make when they purchase insurance – as well as tips on how to avoid them.

  1. Buying The Lowest Price Policy You Can Find

Choosing low-cost insurance can – ironically – end up costing you a lot of money. Many low-cost policies have a very small list of claims they cover. 

image via william krause

Since insurance companies are continually pressured to lower prices, they're also forced to reduce plan benefits. This hurts the relationship between insured and insurer, especially when claims are filed that aren't covered by the plan. Don't just jump at the lowest price – jump at the plan and agency that fits you best.

  1. Paying Extra For Additional Insurance Certificates

Commissary kitchens, landlords, event managers, and city health departments often require that you present them with additional insurance certificates. 

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Shift Your Event Into Overdrive

posted September 20, 2018

Shift Your Event Into Overdrive by becoming a Featured Event!
Julie Cochrane for FestivalNet.com

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We love that it's free for promoters to add events to our database! It's what allows us to offer the largest resource for North American events, anywhere.

image via matthew miner

To take full advantage of ALL of our 1.3 million + monthly visitors, we offer another event status that lets you reach more of our visitors and more of our members. You can't afford to not take advantage of this, because well, it's MAD-affordable!

Allow me to deliver the lowdown: On our homepage is a map of our great country. Click on your state & you will see all the FEATURED events in your area. EVERYONE has access to these events, not just our members.

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How To Make YouTube Work For You

posted September 20, 2018

YouTube – How To Make It Work For You
NationWide Source

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First, the bad news: You won't make any livable wage monetizing YouTube videos until you start raking in views in the hundreds of millions. So that's the bummer. But, the good news is that you don't have to rely solely on monetization to make YouTube work for you. There are lots of examples of bands and artists who have used streaming video to get their names out there and launch their careers onto other more lucrative platforms. Here are a few ways to yield desirable results from YouTube.


Make no mistake. Gathering subscribers is important. Create your channel, make delightful viewing material and call your viewers to action by encouraging them to subscribe. (Just don't expect to make noticeable amounts of money directly from YouTube doing this.) You have to say the words too. Here's why: In most cases, people hear about a great video. They go watch the video. They move on with their day. The end. Don't let this be your viewers. At the end of your video, thank them for watching and then say, "subscribe!" It's that simple. You could add a please for good measure. Or confetti. Just make sure to say the words!

Read more!

How to Get Comfortable Talking About Your Art at Art Fairs

posted September 19, 2018   category » Artist Resources

Being prepared before presenting your art to the public is what makes art shows mangeable and fun to attend. I've got some tips to help you prepare for exhibiting and talking about your art at a show. Grab a notepad and let's dig in!


1. Prepare for common questions

Grab a beverage and write (writing vs typing helps you retain information) brief, friendly answers in your notepad to questions that might be asked.

image via eddie howell

• How did you make this?
• Is there a story behind this painting?
• How long did it take you to paint this?
• Can I get this with a different frame?
• What's the difference between printmaking and a print I'd buy at Target?
• Do you have a website where I can look at more, or buy something online?

 
Often, folks are just being conversational and friendly, so answer the question with an economy of words, and then ask something back. Volley the chit-chat.
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Know Your Audience

posted September 19, 2018   category » Festival Food Vendors

Food Concession Menus - Know Your Market
Barb Fitzgerald of FoodBooth.net

 

In the food concession business, when it comes to menus, it can be a challenge to identify and pin down your market. Because your market is, literally, a moving target.

In one day your customers might be attendees of a farmers market in the morning, and Harley Davidson riders, enjoying a swap meet, in the afternoon. The following weekend you might have your concession at an art and wine show. Then, two days later, you find yourself setting up at a five day county fair.

image via shari sirotnak

I don't know any menu that can maximize sales at every event. Cotton candy is for kids, and fajitas are preferred by adults. Event goers admiring art while tasting wine are not likely to buy a corn dog. But, they might buy chocolate dipped strawberries or oysters. The reverse is true for people attending a motocross race.

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Powerful Social Media Tools for Event Planners

posted August 22, 2018

Powerful Social Media Tools for Event Planners
Jose Gallegos for bizzabo.com

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You're probably already tapping into a couple of social media tools before, during, and after your event, but have you dug much deeper than sending out a few Tweets or setting up a Facebook event? With the huge glut of tools available out there, it can be overwhelming trying to find the ones that won't break the bank and will actually help make your event more engaging.
 

To guide you in the right direction, we've put together a list of the most powerful social media tools that can do all sorts of awesome things for your event, like encourage interaction and increase ticket sales.

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Does Your Art Business Need a Media Kit?

posted August 20, 2018

Does Your Art Business Need a Media Kit?
Leslie Kell for ArtsySharky

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Have you ever been in a situation that you wish you had been better prepared for? When these opportunities arise, it takes more than luck to be prepared. As an artist and business owner, you are your own best representative. This means an important component of your artistic practice is marketing. Self-promotion makes many of us squirm a bit; but if your path is mapped, it's an easier one to travel.

media kit

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Presenting yourself in a way that potential relationships can be forged often means creating marketing collateral that reflects your practice as a whole and is readily available to share with publications, galleries, collectors, and other connections.

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Health Inspector Checklist

posted August 17, 2018

TOP 5 THINGS HEALTH INSPECTORS CHECK
Ben Wilson, Founder of hotdogcartstore.com

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I get calls from vendors who get worried before an inspection (even when they know exactly when it will be.)

My advice:

1. Remember, inspectors are real people – not gods or devils. Although some have egos which are directly related the to that "authority" they wield, most don't.

2. And again, inspectors are real people (just like us)! They put their pants on one leg at a time. Except for inspector Bob – he's superhuman and can do both at the same time.

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Beef Up Your Web Presence

posted July 19, 2018

5 Ways to Beef-up a Wimpy Web Presence
Marisa Morgan

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Listing your event with FestivalNet is a great first step. We receive over 1,000,000 monthly visitors and over 50 million page views. Now, that's a lot of exposure. But wait, there’s more!


Your Profile
For exposure beyond your listing, be sure to complete your FestivalNet Community profile. It's great for your website's SEO and allows our members (and visitors) to learn more about your business. You can also include your profile in our Festival Biz Directory. You'll need to opt-in to this. Go to Modify Profile to get started.

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Tips To Travel Light

posted July 18, 2018

On The Road: 5 Tips To Help Your Band Travel Light When On Tour
Emma Sturgis for musicthinktank.com

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Getting your band's name out there is not simple. One thing you might have to do is plan tours and commit to being on the road. One of the hardest things about being on the road is carrying a heavy load but you actually do not have to. The following are five tips for traveling light.

Light on Clothes

One thing you can do is stop traveling with all those outfits. All you really need is a pair of pants and a few shirts. You just have to make sure you wash your items every so often to make sure your clothes are clean by the time you are on stage again.

Localize Needs

Some people travel with shampoos or grooming devices to achieve the look they want. You do not have to since most hotels already come with shampoos and soaps. You can also buy these in local stores if needed. Those with grooming needs should simply visit a barber from time to time.

Use Movers

Part of what makes traveling as a band hard is all your equipment, which can be pretty heavy. The good news is that you do not have to lug these things around if you hire professional movers. These guys should handle your stuff carefully, and you can even insure your equipment just in case. Those with multiple stops can create a moving plan to get your stuff where it needs to be on time.

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How to Get Website Traffic

posted June 20, 2018

How to Get Traffic to Your Artist Website
Clint Watson for Artsyshark.com

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First off, while it's commonly phrased this way, I hate using the word "traffic" in conjunction with marketing art.

It's so impersonal and doesn't, as a concept, capture what you actually need. You don't need tons of "traffic" to sell art. You need the right, targeted potential buyers.

How to Get Traffic to Your Artist Website

Many artists have the idea that "setting up a new website" is pretty much all they need to do to "market their art." They think that potential customers will magically appear at their website once it's online. Or, perhaps they think that somehow their web host will be doing the bulk of their marketing for them.

That's simply not the case, and it's a recipe for disappointment.Some artists do understand that they need to entice people to their websites. But, they think that getting their site listed in Google will bring them buyers. That's not true either. It's perfectly possible to have your site indexed by Google and never have anyone search for you. Search engines don't create new demand. Search engines harvest existing demand. Guess who has to create demand for your art – you do!

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Don't Let Trendy Ingredients Rule

posted June 20, 2018

Don't Let Trendy Ingredients Rule Your Menu
Richard Myrick for Mobile-cuisine.com

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You know what I and many other food concession diners don't want to see any more? Salted Caramel. We will even toss in Sriracha for that matter. Don't get me wrong, both of these are great ingredients that I enjoy tasting in dishes. But the constant food media overhyping of these ingredients has weakened their appeal for many. Which begs the question: What is the point of saturation for trendy ingredients and when do they begin to lose their market appeal?

On the other side of the argument, when does an ingredient have enough pull to attract curious consumers to your food service window?

Food Vendor News

When To Use Trendy Ingredients

Adding the latest trendy ingredients to your menu before your competitors can give you the edge to stand out from the crowd. Not only will you win the business of trend following customers, but you'll also be able to charge higher premium prices.

So what are the items we've seen on food concession menus that we wish more would include? Which ingredients and menu items do we want more accessible across the country? And which ingredients don't we want to see as part of a differentiation statement; even if we don't mind them showing up on menus?

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Beautifully Designed Event Websites

posted June 20, 2018

9 Principles for Building a Beautiful Event Websites
Siobhan Becker for Bizzaboo.com

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You just know when you see a good event website, it’s attractive, easy to navigate and displays properly across all platforms. You may not have been born to design websites, but that doesn’t mean you can’t! Here are some basics for creating a compelling event website.

1. Know your audience
Identifying your audience may actually be the easy part - the people visiting your website are there to find out more about your event. Your job is to put yourself in their shoes. What kind of information would you be looking for if you were attending the event? How would you like it presented to you?

2. Keep your branding front and...left.


You want people to recognize your brand just by looking at your homepage. Uniformity is the key. Use your company’s colors and fonts. And, several studies show people first look at the top left of a screen and read in a horizontal "F" shape movement from there. So, your logo should go in the top left corner.

3. Keep it simple
You may be eager to show off your event, but busy images and dense text can be overwhelming. Give visitors the information they need without putting everything they need to know on the first page. Instead, create dedicated pages for the venue, vendor info & apps, schedule, sponsors, ticket prices, etc.

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12 Ways to Get More Facebook Likes

posted June 19, 2018

12 Ways To Get More Facebook Likes (and Engagement) For Your Musician Page
Ari for Ari's Take

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Everyone knows Likes can be bought and you look foolish if your engagement is well below the number of Likes you have. But more importantly, buying Likes will reduce your actual organic reach. Here are 12 quick and simple ways to drastically improve your Facebooking.

1) Upload Videos To Facebook

Facebook now has 4 billion video views A DAY. FB prioritizes a Facebook-uploaded video over a YouTube embedded video (not to mention that Facebook videos automatically play in the newsfeed). And, now that Facebook is starting to roll out video monetization at the same payment rate YouTube offers (55%), you can start making some moola on your viral videos.


2) Post Photos of YOU, Often

The reason Instagram has exploded is not because of their video feature. It's because of the high quality photo offerings. Feel free to link your Instagram to your Facebook Page. Because Facebook owns Instagram they make this sharing seamless. (Do NOT, however, link your Twitter to Facebook or vice versa.) Definitely post photos giving your fans a peek 'behind the scenes', but make sure YOU are in the photo.

3) Feature A Video

One of the most underutilized features is the FB Featured Video. Once you have videos uploaded you can select one to feature. It will then show up on your profile on the left hand side directly below About. It will be the first thing people see when visiting your Page. And most people will click this first - so feature a music video, live performance video or your EPK. Watching a high quality video is the easiest way for someone to be introduced to your music. So, make sure you have high quality videos made!

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