Using Technology to Stay Competitiveby U.S. Small Business Administration As a business owner, it is vital that you understand and use advanced technologies. Technology can help increase business efficiency and even expand operations. Accounting SoftwareThis is important, even if you have your own accountant or bookkeeper. Accounting software allows you to see your profits and losses at a glance. It can also help you design and maintain a budget for your business.Read more! |
4 Simple Steps for Your Music Marketing BudgetDave CoolOne of the most important things you can do to prepare for the year ahead is to create a budget for your musical activities. Having a budget will give you a much clearer look at where you want to go financially, how you'll get there, and what your progress is along the way. We've broken down the process into 4 simple steps to help you create a budget: 1. Ask QuestionsTo help determine what your financial goals for the year will be, first ask yourself some questions: - Will you be releasing new music this year? - How will you raise money to pay for the production? - How will you distribute your music to digital stores? - How will you promote your music? - Do you need new promotional photos? - Do you need a new website? Try to get as clear as you can about everything you would like to do this year, and be sure to write it all down. Writing down your goals will help give you some direction and focus. 2. Determine ExpensesOnce you know your goals, write down all of the expenses that you'll need to keep track of: Cost of Music & MerchRecording/Mixing/Mastering: Many musicians now record at home rather than go into a studio, so expenses with recording can vary greatly depending on your approach. CD Duplication / Vinyl pressing / Download Cards: Research how much it will cost to manufacture any physical versions of your album. Digital distribution: Although minimal, depending on which service you use, there is either an upfront cost or annual recurring cost to distribute your music to iTunes, Amazon, etc. Merch: How much will it cost to make t-shirts and other merch items? Read more here! |
Practical and Frequently Asked Questions About Art Shows"I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's." - William Blake On an average year, whatever that may be, I figure I spend about 30% of my time making art, 30% selling art, 30% on the various business tasks and 30% taking care of the home front. If you notice, that adds up to 120%, not counting sleeping and eating, which is the appropriate amount of time to dedicate to making a living as an artist. Seriously, I have never worked so hard or so long on anything, although the rewards of making a living as a living artist are without question worth every minute of every day and the minutes in between. Nobody said it was going to be easy! While you are starting out and still not knowing who to ask, I will just answer the most frequent questions that came pouring to my booth and my website and that logically made me fashion this last chapter as a summary of Frequently Asked Questions. They are arranged in no particular order; I simply jotted them down as people asked both in person and online although I guess I tried to address them in order of importance or at least relevance to the business. You might call them tricks of the trade, nuts and bolts, tips from the experienced or frequently asked questions. I will also try to answer them succinctly since I have already explained most points in the previous chapters. Well, I might throw in a story or two, but that's to be expected by now. So here are my loose ends, whatever didn't neatly fit into the previous chapters, I kept for this last one. Now you can't say nobody told you! Do I need a business license? Doing business outside of your own state will often if not always also require a temporary permit or a temporary vendor's license, often for the state, county and/or city. Many of us carry out of state business licenses for every state we work in and renew them yearly. Some are free, some require a nominal yearly fee. The bottom line is that you cannot do business anywhere without a license or permit and playing around with tax authorities is not my idea of fun. The promoter of the show is usually the best source of information for the required licensing and tax requirements of each show. Many promoters will require a state license number with applications, some will include the county/city license fee with the application, others do not. Ultimately it may be up to you to investigate and obtain the proper permits and pay the proper taxes, which neatly leads me to the next question.
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How to Get Your Event NoticedJulie Cochrane
Adding your event for free in the FestivalNet.com database is a great first step! You're on your way to getting noticed in a big way as we get over 750,000+ monthly visitors! Be sure your listing has a great description and your event details are accurate and complete. Here are some additional ways to increase your exposure. Co-Promote with FestivalNet Featured Events Place your event at the top of the general search results and on the FestivalNet.com Featured Events Map. Top Position Exposure to 750,000+ visitors and 20+ million page views per month! Up to 11 months of exposure for one low price (no reoccurring monthly fees). Your featured event also gains exposure on highly trafficked pages via this button ad on the left throughout our site. Learn more here. Advertising You can also buy advertising like Banner, Button, or Newsletter ads. View our very reasonable rates and learn more here. Social Media Also, enjoy the benefit of our ever-growing Facebook presence. Feel free to shout out your show's website there: http://www.facebook.com/festivalnet - keep it conversational and personal and be sure to say hey! On Twitter? We will also retweet you if you include us in your tweet! Find us there as @_festivalnet Newsletter Content Maybe someone on your festival staff is a good writer and can contribute an article for one of our monthly newsletters! Peruse our archives to see what topics we publish: https://festivalnet.com/articles/index.html Your author's byline can include links to your website! It's a great way to increase your SEO too. Read more here! |
8 Simple Ways to Cook Up New Customers On Facebook & TwitterChris FordIt's no denying that social media has become a massive tool of leverage for tech savvy entrepreneurs hungry to reach new and current customers. What started out as a tool for Ivy League college kids looking to connect, hook-up and build community has grown into a multi-billion network of fans, friends and followers translating to billions of dollars in sales for small business owners around the globe. So in today's article I want to give you some quick marketing tips for connecting with your fans and attracting more customers to your mobile food truck or concession stand using two of the most powerful social networks on the internet today. Facebook and Twitter.
4 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Facebook: 1. Set up albums to store your images within your Facebook account. You can share photos of your menu items, playful images of your family, friends, co-workers, even customers at the booth or waiting in line etc. 2. Provide links to your website and/or blog. In addition post links to any articles or reviews written about you as well as media/press coverage you receive. You can also post daily menu specials and coupons that you offer. 3. Find, "like" and invite your friends to "like' your Facebook page. By doing a simple search within Facebook you'll uncover dozens if not hundreds of special interest groups (now referred to as "pages" that you can join and network directly with other like-minded or like interested individuals. Check out these examples: 4. Consider registering a custom URL (web address) for your Facebook page, think of it like a personalized license plate. You or your web designer can set this up fairly quickly through a domain registration service like Godaddy.com. The reason why may want to consider this option? Branding capability for your business. In addition it makes easier for new visitors to find you. See an example in action and if you like what you see: "Like Us" at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stitches-n-Dishes. These are just four ways to you can use Facebook to create connection and grow your fan base. But let's not forget about Twitter. Twitter is another powerful social networking platform that admittedly can take a little while to build traction, but once you do - the results can be explosive. If you're not familer with Twitter it's basically a "micro blog" all this means is that you're only allowed to publish tight, concise tidbits of information, limited to 140 characters. Now I realize that 140 characters doesn't seem like much, but think of this way, when you're limited to how much you can share, you're forced to get to the point quickly. When you publish a 'Tweet' to your followers your primary goal should be to engage the reader about your current activities. For example: you can tweet your schedule, your location, daily specials etc. If you've recently received a favorable review or press mention you can publish it to your blog and then tweet about it by including the link to the direct location where the content is stored on your blog or website. Finally if the URL is too long consider using a shortener service like: http://tinyurl.com or http://bitly.com for example. Below is an example of a tweet that a mobile food vendor would do on a typical day:
Imagine the power of posting something like this to your followers. Now imagine how many customers would show up at your booth or truck to try this sandwich. |
How to Deal with those Dreaded Shipping CostsWe know that the wait can feel like forever after you've submitted your application to a prospective event. And not hearing back at all can feel very discouraging. But fear not! We've compiled some trade-secrets to help you get ahead of the pack, improve your response rate, and get accepted to more events! Do you hate the thought of paying for shipping? If so, join a group that includes everyone you know. Overcome these charges by thinking a bit differently and taking a new approach. 
Here's how to work around those issues. A few years back, when I was working as a sales rep for art publishers and giftware manufacturers, I assisted a young business owner in her booth at the New York Gift Show. She set up her display of handmade journals and leather goods, and placed a large sign announcing a special offer of "10% discount on all orders placed at the show." As the day progressed, response to her special was lukewarm at best. I asked her to tell me about the shipping costs involved with her products. She did some calculations, and determined that shipping came to about 8% of the average order placed. We changed our strategy and the show special to "all orders placed at the show would get free shipping." Buyers listened - and they wrote orders. Saving on the perceived cost of shipping was a greater incentive than a discount on the order itself. Those who placed orders didn't ask the dollar amount of the savings, and we were actually offering less than a 10% discount. But that didn't matter, because the idea of free shipping trumped all. Shipping costs can set up a psychological barrier for many customers, and may even kill a sale. Have you experienced this in your own business? It happens especially with large or heavy items, but can affect any purchase. Here are a few ideas to overcome that resistance, and even lower your own costs:
1. Reduce shipping (or offer it free) by increasing the price of your goods. Build value into your work and increase the price, given that you are now including shipping in your pricing formula. This strategy is used by retailers of all types to reduce or eliminate the "shipping cost" line item from their invoices, and it can work very well.
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How to NOT get Screwed while Working as a Freelance ArtistAlex Soare for emptyeasel.com I've been drawing from the time I was old enough to clutch a crayon in a pudgy hand. There was never a doubt about what I'd be when I grew up; my dreams were clear and well-defined. It's every freelancer's worst nightmare-you've done all the work for a big project, but instead of paying you, your client disappears into the night as soon as you hand it in.
Non-freelancers don't have to worry about that. Every 2 weeks your company gives you your well-earned paycheck (whether a client backs out at the last minute or not) and that's that. But working for yourself is a bit different-in a perfect world, you could always depend on someone's word and wouldn't have to deal with pesky contracts. But given the reality of the world, it's up to you to ensure that you're rewarded for your hard work. Here are 5 ways to protect yourself from those horrible (yet common) situations: 1. Have more than a single conversation Before taking on a new client, feel them out. Do they sound committed? Are they organized? Do they have a good demeanor? If possible, try to meet with them in person. While this won't completely guarantee they're good clients to work for, you can pay attention to body language and the way they carry themselves. Find a public place to introduce yourselves, like a coffee shop or restaurant. However you decide to interact with this person, listen to your instincts. If you're getting a bad vibe, don't work with them, even if they pay well. The beauty of freelancing is choosing your customers. You're not obligated to do business with anybody you don't want to. 2. Write a contract (and get it signed) Never, EVER do a single minute of work without a contract. Put the pencil down, your keyboard away, all your equipment aside until you get a piece of printed paper in your hands that outlines exactly what you'll be doing and for how much. At minimum, your contract should state what services will be performed, for how much, and when the payments will be due. You can also add clauses that talk about late fees, client confidentiality, and competing among other clients. If you're the one drafting the contract, take a look at several sample contracts (there are thousands free online) and then just pick and choose the sections you want to include in your own contract. 3. Ask for a deposit A lot of people are afraid that asking clients to pay upfront will scare them away. But the truth is, it's actually quite common to ask for 50% of your fee up-front, especially if the project is one that's specifically commissioned for an individual. Any percentage works, if 50% sounds too steep, but I wouldn't recommend going lower than 25%. You want enough money in your hand so that if your client disappears with your project, it hasn't been a total loss. 4. Invoice as soon as possible The more time you leave between asking for final payment from your client and actually getting paid, the higher your risk of never getting paid. All too often, a client will forget that payment ever needed to be made. . . even if you've only delayed by 2 or 3 weeks. In a perfect world? Send that invoice immediately after every project.
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10 Social Media Mistakes Bands Make
Ari Herstand
1) Your Call To Actions Are Too Frequent Don't enter every contest you stumble upon that could win you $100 in recording gear. Pick and choose the best contests that can advance your career the most. Nearly every band driven contest is based on votes. Some, however, CAN be extremely valuable - like getting festival slots or opportunities to perform with huge artists.
When you have a new album out or are going on tour, yes, it's completely acceptable (and encouraged) to encourage your fans to purchase. Make sure you spread out your requests for action. Because if you don't, your fans will eventually tune you out. 2) You Are TOO HumbleThere's a fine line between being humble and annoying. Being humble is promoting other acts you love. Being annoying is thanking your fans for all their love and support ALL THE TIME. Blech! 3) You Say What You Think People Want To HearFans don't want to follow bands who are safe. They want to know that they are badasses who speak their minds and stand for what they believe in. Sure, you may **** a few people off, but you will dramatically increase your loyalists who will stand by every word you say. 4) You Aren't Asking QuestionsMake sure to ask questions regularly. These can be band related "where should we tour? Where are you?" Or they can be questions that showcase your personality: "Will and I are having it out over whiskey choices. He stands by Jack and I need my Jameson. What's your whiskey of choice? -Ari" Read more here! |
Liability Insurance for Food Vendors: What to Knowthe writing team of FLIP Insurance If you own a mobile food vending truck, mobile barbeque stand, ice cream cart, small snack bar in a park, sell at a farmers market or participate in shows/festivals/ special events as a food vendor, then you are in food vending industry.
When doing research on the internet about food liability insurance or food vendor liability insurance you can find a lot of important information on forums, with questions and answers written by people like you. Let's then take a look into the most important details so that your food vending business brings you only profit and peace of mind. First of all, let's establish what food liability insurance means. There are many types of insurance you may need for your food business, but as a vendor you will need liability insurance for sure! Even if you don't feel you are a huge liability factor, it's important to be prepared for any incident. |
Makin' It & Savin' It!Anton Cheranev of Profitable Marketing 10 Ways To Sell Your Festival Products Faster 1. Give people a deadline to order. This will create an urgency so they don't put off buying. 2. Offer people a money back guarantee. The longer the guarantee the more effective it will be. 3. Offer a free on-site repair service for products you sell.
4. Publish testimonials on your ad copy. They will give your business credibility and you'll gain peoples trust. It's important to include the persons full name and location with the testimonial. 5. Give people free bonuses when they order your product or service. The free bonuses could be books, jewelry, reports, newsletters, etc. Read more! |
Why Most Musicians Fail to Break into the IndustryTom Hess
Looking to break into the music industry? Here is a surprising fact about the music business that you might not be aware of: Each year, music companies receive countless demos, videos and other items from musicians who all possess exceptional musical talent. Many of these musicians have spent years developing their musical skills to the highest level and are hoping that they will 'catch a break' when a music company likes their style and offers them a contract or a record deal. That said, the overwhelming majority of musicians will never hear back from the companies they attempt to make contact with. In fact, most of the materials sent to music companies are not even opened! They are quickly glanced over and most of the time are thrown directly into the trash without a single hesitation. Musicians are left scratching their heads, wondering why their plans for breaking into the music industry seem to go nowhere despite their musical talent. You don't want to end up like this... In contrast to the musicians who don't make it in music, there are thousands of musicians who DO succeed in the music business and build fulfilling (and highly profitable) music careers. In fact, it is 'not that hard' to make a good living in music. However, most people fail in their quest to become professional musicians and break into the music industry because they follow some 'easy to believe' conventional approaches when trying to start their careers. Here is the top 5 list of these 'common sense' tactics that will destroy your chances of building a career in the music industry: Read more here! |
Will You Take Less?
According to The Wikipedia, Haggling (or bargaining or dickering) is: "a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service dispute the price which will be paid and the exact nature of the transaction that will take place, and eventually come to an agreement. Bargaining is an alternative pricing strategy to fixed prices..it allows price discrimination, a process whereby a seller can charge a higher price to one buyer who is more eager (by being richer or more desperate)"
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Event Team Managementthe Writing Team of eventeducation.com Do the following things for effective team management: Know your teamJust knowing the names, faces and job profile of your team members is not enough. You must have good knowledge of there personality, life style, likings, disliking, family background, status, educational qualification, knowledge level, customs, religion and especially there needs and wants. By needs and wants I mean there physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, cognitive needs and self actualization needs. Every person has different needs and different priority to fulfill them. While for some getting recognition is more important than job security. For others job security is more important. Determine the needs of your team members and fulfill them in order to get optimum results from them. Physiological needsThe need to have food, water, warmth, shelter and other things necessary for survival. Your team members will not feel anything, if these needs are met but can cause them discomfort, sickness and pain if these needs are not full filled. So as an event manager it is your job to make sure that all the physiological needs of your team are met from time to time. Just imagine how a team member who hasn't eaten anything all day will perform his duty in the evening and you will get my point. Safety needsIt includes need to be safe from physical and psychological harm. It also includes job security and financial security. As an event manger you have to ensure safety of your team especially women. A person can't give his best in an unsafe environment. To protect your team from psychological harm, make sure there are no internal conflicts (like ego clashes, altercations, conflict of interest etc) among team members. If there are conflicts, then resolve them judiciously. Providing job security to your team is also very important. At no point any team member should feel that his job is under threat either by your actions or by someone else actions. Take care of your team beyond the work place. If any team member is facing a financial problem, then help him as much as you can. Read more here! |
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In a perfect world, execution of a mobile foods marketing strategy should begin six weeks to three months prior to launch, in order to have your truck rolling smoothly on the streets right out of the gate. But, in too many cases, execution often begins long after, despite the fancy long-range planning in the marketing plan. Or worse, marketing isn't really a consideration at all. In fact, a vast number of new mobile foods entrepreneurs believe that Social Media Marketing means setting up a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account - they're done, and it's free. Social Media Marketing is the free alternative to the expensive, not-so-effective, yet far-more-expensive traditional marketing, so the cost of marketing is drastically reduced. Not so. It usually happens when you're reviewing your operating expenses for the month - you realize there's more month left than budget, and the epiphany strikes. There's more to marketing a food truck or stand than meets the eye. After countless hours frantically searching for easy, cheap, or free solutions, and an empty bottle of Jack Daniels, the tightness in your chest and sinking feeling in your gut tells you that you've either drank too much, or you're going to need to do something serious about that marketing plan. The six most basic questions to ask to kick start a marketing strategy are: 1. Who do I need to reach? 2. How many of them are there? 3. Where are they? If you've done a thorough market study, your marketing plan will identify your primary customers, the size of the population, and the locations where they would be likely to stop by your truck or stand for a meal. The next three questions deal with execution. 4. How do I reach them? An effective execution of your plan should include a combination of blog advertising, Facebook ad campaigns, print advertising, writing on other blogs and influential social network pages, as well as Public Relations campaigns. |
The Web-Enabled Food Vendor
Cities across the United States are becoming hotbeds for mobile-food entrepreneurs benefiting from an online social networking culture. The mobile food-vending phenomenon is a rich environment for examining the development of technical, social and economic dimensions of contemporary urban life through the mobilization of services and social activity in both virtual and physical space. Although the number of mobile food vendors in cities has nearly doubled over the past decade, few studies have addressed this trend's impact on the current and future urban fabric.
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9 Social Media Tips to Promote Your Next EventAlon Alroy of bizzabo.com Social Media is everywhere. Every audience from tweens to grannies uses social- so make sure you're present in order to reach your conference's target audience! Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be excellent ways to promote your next conference. Use these 9 Social Media Tips to Promote your Next Event provided by our friends from Bizzabo. 1. Create a HashtagA specialized hashtag for your event can enhance social buzz, increase participation and even boost attendance. When creating your twitter hashtag try to keep it relevant, unique, short, and sweet. Sounds simple, but don't forget - not everything sounds good as a hashtag. For example, Susan Boyle's album release party used the hashtag #susanalbumparty. Whoops!
Your hashtag means nothing if you don't used it! Promote it everywhere including your event website, dedicated emails, social networks, and the event's mobile app. The hashtag is a great way for your attendees to engage with the event content, speakers, and each other. You'll be able to watch what is trending around your event in real-time and get relevant feedback in the process. 3. Time is of the EssenceGet started now! The earlier you promote the event and dedicated hashtag, the greater your chances are for success. Promote early to create momentum and reach a larger audience. Your goal is to saturate the social mediasphere with word of your event, which is best done by promoting a few months in advance to ensure a wider reach. Read more here! |
10 Website Mistakes that Kill Your Art Sales
I frequently review artist websites and take a close look at the experience they are providing for their visitors and potential customers. Here are 10 common mistakes that can cause your reader to click away, perhaps never to return: 1. Boring Home page - Although your Home page may not always be the first page that visitors see, it must be structured to make a strong visual statement to draw in the visitor. I always recommend that artists wow their website visitors with incredible photos of their work right up front that creates an irresistible draw to see more. A slider can be used as a dynamic way share a series of pieces from your collection. 2. No visual relief - Is your website full of endless text and long paragraphs? Most people surfing the internet have a relatively short attention span. Be concise and considerate of their time. Break up written content into short paragraphs, leaving lots of negative space, so the reader is not overwhelmed. Otherwise, they may find it easier to click away than to read anything - leaving you and your work behind. 3. Confusing navigation bar - A simple menu on your website is best, taking up no more than one line below the header. If you want to break up your Gallery page into categories for instance, use a drop-down list to organize your images. Clear and concise wording on your navigation bar is best - About, Gallery, Press, Shop, FAQ and so forth, so they know what they are clicking. Don't make them guess, or they may decide your site is too confusing to bother with. Then, it's goodbye. 4. Poor images - There is no excuse for using substandard images on your website. This is a real sales killer, making your site look amateurish and sloppy. Blurry photos, poor lighting and glare are unacceptable, and despite how good your skills are, your work will look terrible. Don't do this. Is your artwork incredible? Share that fact with amazing photographs and plenty of them, including detail shots and in-situ images, too. Your competition has a professional presentation. If you want to compete, you need the same. 5. Content not customer-focused - What interests people most? Themselves. So when your website is full of "I, me, my" it does not interest them nearly as much as when you address your website visitor, and talk about their needs. Invite them in. Share why your work makes an amazing impact in an office or residential environment. If you want to sell, think like your customer. What do they want to know?
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The Value of Your Work is NOT the Price of Your Work
The VALUE of your work is not determined solely by the price of your work, or by the work that sells the best. In other words, do not confuse your best selling item with your best work.  Your best selling item may be because of a modest price, appeal to a large market, great color combination, current fashion trend, or numerous other reasons irrelevant to artistic depth or quality.Price, in my mind, is NOT a demarcation of value. As an artist and maker, developing a distinctive personal voice, signature style, or repertoire of technical skills is so much more important.
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Recruiting Volunteers for Your EventThe Writing Team of YourVolunteers
One of the most common questions we receive is how to recruit volunteers for an upcoming event. A lot of big events travel, meaning that they take place in a different city each year, and it's up to a local host committee to enlist an army of dedicated volunteers to help make the event a success. But where to start? Online Recruiting
Read more here!
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6 Ways to Influence CustomersCarolyn Edlund
Do you know why your customers are buying from you? Is it your products - the style and quality of your handmade work? Look deeper and you will find that there are many other factors in making a sale that you can use in building your sales volume. It's no secret that emotions are powerful factors that move people into action and cause them to make a purchase. To increase your sales, you must understand and appeal to them emotionally. There are many other artists and craftspeople out there with wonderful offerings. Why will that customer choose you?
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You need a team to organize an event. You can't do everything by yourself. So I don't need to tell you further, how important a team is for your event. Event mismanagement is mostly about team mismanagement.
Your marketing plan gives you enough information to give an enthusiastic investor a fair amount of confidence that you won't be so buried in operating costs that your bottom line never sees the light of day, yet not enough to actually execute. It's not intended to be your "how to" manual, after all. So, what do you do?
