3 Questions Every Artist Should Ask before Launching their Art BusinessCarrie Lewis  
So you're thinking about striking out on your own as an artist?
Congratulations! Small business ownership can be the single best opportunity for success as an artist. Go into the process with your eyes wide open, though. . .
Read more! |
How Important is Signage?
Barb Fitzgerald of foodbooth.net
Hands down, one of my favorite times of the day is after the booth is closed when I trot off to the camper, crack open my favorite snack (chocolate), and get down to counting the money. That is, unless sales were poor. Then, I can't wait to finish the day so I can slink away to scrub the big capital "L" off my forehead in private.
There are hundreds of principles and variations of principles that influence the success of a food booth at any given event. Many are controlled by the coordinator, such as booth location, booth/attendance ratio, duplication of menus, and overall organization and promotion of the event. There are many more principles that are controlled by the vendor, such as; your menu, how well you promote your menu, booth presentation, quality of service and product, efficiency, pricing, and expanding your customer base by consistently returning to the same event. There are still other principles that are out of everyone's hands, such as the weather and local economy. It's my opinion that, in this business, the four most important factors that influence sales are: signage, booth location, menu, and operational efficiency. Of those four, three (signage, menu, and operational efficiency) are entirely within your control.
|
Dealing with Fear and UncertaintyQuinn McDonald
When you own your business, you have freedom to set your schedule and choose your clients. You also have freedom from a regular paycheck, reduced healthcare costs, and shoving the blame for bad decisions somewhere else. Not all freedoms are equal. Looking at my schedule, I see it's not as full as last month's. I immediately feel fear, financial stress, and worry. That's how I face most problems. Trouble is, those emotions don't solve problems. So I sit down to a meeting with my fear and stress. This is actually a great form of meditation. Instead of pushing all thoughts out of my head, as many ways of meditation instruct, I invite fear, uncertainty, and stress in. I sit with them, and ask them what they have to contribute. "If you don't get work soon, you will lose the house," Fear said, getting right to the bottom line.
"But you only know training and writing and journaling, and that isn't being used in this economy," said Uncertainty, "and you don't know anything about wielding a shovel for all those shovel-ready projects," Uncertainty added. "You are too old to get back to school, and that would take too long to retrain you, so you better stop eating or driving, because you are in bad trouble," Stress said. "Thanks for letting me know, " I said, "but once we've established all that, what comes next? You've told me what isn't working, but what can I do that will work?" Fear, Uncertainty and Stress were quiet. Fear spoke up first. "Well, if you don't do something, you will be in big trouble." "OK," I said, "But that's the same thing you already said. I want to hear something I can do, undertake, think about." Again, Fear, Uncertainty and Stress were quiet. They had not been quiet for a long time. Every time I sat down to meditate, they would clamor so loudly that I could not meditate. I spent all my time chasing them out of my head. By inviting them in, listening to them, and asking for specifics, they had exhausted their efforts in the shortest of time. So we sat there, in silence, until I said, "Well, I teach several courses on journaling. I could write a workbook on one of them, and that would reach a bigger audience. And my friend Helen has some really good art ideas, maybe we could put a class together that neither one of us could teach separately.
Read more!
|
Record Keeping for Crafters
James Dillehay
 Keeping up with your business records is like craftswork. Only the grade may be more important now than it was then. The grade is whether you have enough money to pay your bills and feed your family. The key activity is to record and analyze your expenses and sales on a regular basis. You should start keeping records from the day you start planning your crafts business. Begin by gathering all business related receipts and enter them into a software program or write them down in a general accounting journal purchased at an office supply store. The important point is to have a system you can follow up with regular entries. You can then extract meaningful reports from the information. Since Uncle Sam requires accurate records, you are legally responsible to do so anyway. Should you hire an accountant or C.P.A.? For most self-employed, the expense of hiring an in-house bookkeeper or accountant can only be justified when the business becomes so large that the owner can’t handle it alone anymore. Whether you hire an accountant or not, you should know basic bookkeeping skills. You don’t have to have a degree or even formal training to learn accounting. Read more! |
The Real Reason You Procrastinate.. and How to STOP!Jenna Herbut
You know that feeling when you really should do something but for some reason you just can't get started?? You know all the reasons why you need to do it, and have every good intention to start, but there is this little voice inside that tells you to keep putting it off and do something else instead. I have been feeling this a lot lately and it's been so frustrating. The job I have been putting off over and over again is writing the copy for my new website. I really love the concepts my fabulous designers Heather and Azalea have created, and am so excited to have a brand new sparkly site, but for some reason whenever I sit down to write content my brain goes on a vacation to Bora Bora! Normally I'm a very fast worker. I get an idea, I execute and boom it's done. Ok, it's very rarely that easy, but I do usually get things done quickly. But when this ugly resistance starts to wedge it's way in between me and my glorious goals and it annoys the sh*t out of me! Plus, the longer I don't do what I'm supposed to do (write copy) the more stressed out I get because I'm slowing everything down and I can only use the excuse "Make It is coming up really quickly and I'm super busy" so many times before it gets old. Something that fascinates me is motivation and human potential. I've read lots of books on this topic and use what I learn to figure out my own brain. One of the best book I've read is The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. This book changed how I think every time I'm late, procrastinate or do anything to get in my own way. Basically what the The Big Leap explains is that we all have an internal thermostat that is preset. When we do something great in our lives, or have a certain amount of success, we can surpass that predetermined level. If we get too far beyond what we are familiar with or feel worthy of, subconsciously we will sabotage our way back down to a place that feels familiar and safe. This can all happen without any awareness with bad habits like eating crappy food, not going for something that you know you want, or not writing the copy for your new website! The Big Leaps refers to this human phenomenon as an "upper limiting problem" and the only cure for it is realizing when you are doing it. When you realize you are doing something that's not serving you, give yourself a huge dose of self love. You ARE worthy of your big, bold, magnificent dreams. Doing what you love and desire can be freaking scary, but you can't let that stop you. The world needs you talent, creativity and genius. I'm freaked out about my new website because there are going to be photos of me all over it and URL is jennaherbut.com. There are a million thoughts going through my head about what people are going to think and if creating a personal website is even a good idea. But then I remember that real reason I wanted to do the site and that's to serve and inspire other people to do what they are passionate about. This allows me to get over my silly procrastination and do the work I'm meant to do. You must remember why you are doing what you are doing and that will help to turn up your inner thermostat to a higher and hotter level! Thanks for reading and please share this with anyone you know who might be procrastinating! Sparkly love, Jenna
|
8 Things You're Forgetting To Do On Show Day
Ari Herstand
I meet (and play with) too many musicians who don't want to get to the venue early enough. Some like to arrive shortly before they need to play, others slightly before doors and others feel they're being responsible by allowing the bare minimum amount of time they believe they'll need to load in, setup and sound check before start time or doors. Until you have a tour manager, you will need to designate pre and post show duties within the band. These jobs cannot be overlooked. I always schedule my load in time as early as the venue is comfortable with. Typically 2 hours before doors if there are just solo acts on the bill or 3 hours before doors if there are bands on the bill. And always 3 hours before start time for my solo show at colleges. Colleges are a different beast altogether. Most musicians don't understand everything that needs to get done before the doors open. The obvious necessities of loading your gear in and setting it up is understood. Many bands don't fret over sound checks with an "it'll be fine" attitude. Leave Enough Time For Sound Check Fret over soundcheck! It's incredibly important. Sure there will be shows with venues that are so put together that everything runs smoothly and sound check takes 10 minutes or the engineer mixes you on the fly with no major issues, but you can't plan for that. Always plan for something to go wrong: A faulty DI box, a shoddy mic cable, your tuner mysteriously stops operating, and the list is endless. Even if the equipment all works flawlessly, every room is different and responds differently to your sound. The room wasn't built for your band so you have to allow time to let the engineer feel out your sound in the room. You don't want the first three songs of your set to sound like butt, cluttered with feedback, because the engineer is attempting to mix you on the fly (giving the audience an unsettling opening feeling about you). You want time to feel it out on stage and get comfortable with the space. I've played too many shows where a sound check wasn't possible or was cut too short and I hated performing because it felt awful on stage and I couldn't settle in to my performance and therefore put on a bad show. This can be overcome by setting aside enough time for the sound check.
Read more here! |
Storytelling For ArtistsCarolyn Edlund of artsyshark.com
As a tiny kitten, Lorenzo was tossed in a garbage can at birth and left for dead. Joann Biondi rescued him and brought him to her Florida home. By the time Lorenzo was three months old, he was sitting up on command and jumping through hoops. When he heard her shout, "Hooray Lorenzo," he preened like a proud lion. Although eager to please, he was also a self-contained spirit with plenty of spunk-he loved to sink his teeth into a bare ankle as it passed him by. He had another bad habit as well, and that was stealing panties from the dirty laundry basket. One day Biondi got mad at him for this and decided to get even. She put a spandex tank top over his head and onto his body. Lorenzo was unfazed. He adjusted his shoulders, threw out his chest, and looked at her with an expression that said, "You think this bothers me? Well it doesn't. In fact, I like it." He walked around wearing that tank top for days. These days, Lorenzo is an international online sensation, dressed in clothes for every occasion with a rockstar feline attitude. Biondi's photos of him have become so popular that he has his own Facebook page, Twitter account and website.
That is Joann Biondi's story. She clearly understands the power of storytelling as part of her photography and how it creates the appeal that Lorenzo has for his many fans. In fact, each photo of Lorenzo has a quirky caption expressing his personality as a proud metrosexual male with a clothes fetish and a very hip character.
Read more!
|
Market Your Food Booth With These 5 Quick Tips
Bryant of redfounder.com.
When Im not working on one of my own companies, I help my mother run her mobile coffee cart in Redding, CA. As you know, you can hardly pick up a food magazine without hearing about the rising trend of food vendors and mobile restaurants. Along with this rising trend comes an increase in competition; so if you are wondering how to effectively market your coffee cart business then this is for you #1 Have The Best Product.  |
5 Tips for New & Emerging ArtistsCarrie Lewis for emptyeasel.com
I've been an artist for a long time but I still remember what it was like to be young and enthusiastic. The world lay at my feet. The sky was the limit! We didn't have the internet back then and I lived in a rural area. I didn't know where the nearest museum or gallery was, but that was okay, because I knew about horses and I knew about art and that was all I needed.
In the years since, I've learned that although passion is important, it's not the only thing an artist needs. . . and I learned my lessons the hard way, in the Academy of Trial and Error. So if you're where I was 40 years ago, I'd like to spare you some of those hard lessons, with 5 thoughts to help you on your artistic journey. 1. Try everything or stay focused? The rule of thumb in the art world is to try everything, just to be well-rounded. If an artist is just starting out and doesn't know what he or she wants to do it or how he or she wants to do it, this is great advice. Try different methods and mediums until you find the right combination of subject, style, method, and material. BUT. . . If you know from an early age what you want to do (as I did) and if you know how you want to do it (as I did) then that "rule of thumb" is not only a distraction, it can even impede your artistic progress. If you know exactly what you want from your artistic journey, then you're better off focusing on the things you want to paint, the tools you want to use, and the way you want to paint them. Learn everything you can about those things and practice, practice, practice. It's all right to learn about other styles and other mediums, but your passion should be your focus. Become the absolute best at what you do, until you're the expert that you've always wanted to be. 2. Art school: yes or no? Most occupations require some college-level training. No one would ever suggest a brain surgeon learn how to be a brain surgeon on their own! Even fewer would trust themselves to a self-taught brain surgeon. Artistic endeavor doesn't always fall into that category, however. You can often learn by trial, observation, and reading, and (in today's modern era) instructional videos.
Read more!
|
Stress Management and Events
The Writing Team of eventeducation.com
Stress is the part and parcel of event management. Every event professional is under constant stress throughout the execution of an event.
While moderate amount of stress is necessary in order to give optimum results, a prolonged stress that exist for weeks, months and some times years can create three types of problems in an individual: 1) Physiological problems like heart diseases, high blood pressure, migraine, diabetes, asthma, obesity, infertility etc. 2) Psychological problems like anxiety, depression, lack of concentration etc. 3) Behavioral problems like sleeplessness, overeating, under eating, absenteeism etc. As an event manager it is your job to take care of both physiological and psychological health of yourself and your team members. For this find out the signs of stress, causes for stress and then formulate, prepare and implement strategies for coping stress. Signs of Stress Common physical symptoms: headaches, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, dizziness, weight gain or loss, insomnia, frequent cold etc Common emotional symptoms: moodiness, restlessness, depression, general unhappiness, feeling of loneliness and isolation, impatience, Irritability etc. Common behavioral symptoms: over eating, under eating, sleeping too much or too little, overdoing activities, nail biting, pacing, neglecting responsibilities, isolating oneself from others, drinking too much alcohol, smoking too many cigarettes, taking drugs to relax etc. Common Cognitive Symptoms: memory loss, lack of concentration, poor judgment, negativity, fearful anticipation etc.
Read more here!
|
The Early Bird Catches The Record Deal!
Sheena Metal
 Imagine this…you’re in the local hospital’s pre-op ward waiting for the removal of your pesky rupturing appendix. You wait and wait in side splitting agony while your doctor chats it up with the nurses, gathering phone numbers from the hot ones. After what seems forever, he gets you prepped and begins the surgery. What should have been a 20-minute procedure turns into two hours. He cracks jokes and talks about his cherry red Ferrari, while you’re lying unconscious with your abdomen split open. Finally, you’re sewn up and ready for recovery but super surgeon and his crack anesthesiologist are having a heated discussion about the science of their golf games and have seeming forgotten you’re passed out underneath them with tubes stuck in every orifice. If this were your surgery experience, you’d freak out, sue the hospital and your hot-shot doc would wind up cleaning bedpans at the state convalescent hospital.
Sadly, like our skirt-chasing doc, many musicians think that the consequences of their actions are immaterial and treat their audience with the same lackadaisical disregard that the before-mentioned doctor treated his poor patient with. These selfish creative types show up to gigs late, set up at their own leisure (roughly the same pace that a 100 year-old tortoise would run the Boston marathon), play as long of a set as they please (regardless of their designated set time) and break down/clear the stage at their own whim with little or no regard to the club’s schedule. However, if you asked any of these artists, they would say that they consider music to be their career…and shouldn’t a career be treated with the same importance and professionalism whether you’re a budding rockstar or an established surgeon? It should, but often it’s not and bands then find their reputations are tarnished with labels like: slow, lazy, and irresponsible simply because they seem unable to get their show on (and off) in a timely manner. Get branded as a slovenly flake and watch the music industry folks jump ship faster than the rich ladies on the Titanic.
Read more here! |
Food Truck Tips & Tricks
Brian Sacks of www.mobilefoodprofits.com.
If there is one sure way to kill your Mobile Restaurant it's not having it properly painted or wrapped. You see many are still skeptical eating "street food." I am amazed to see owners spend money on a vehicle and equipment only to scrimp and be cheap when it comes to the truck's appearance. YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT AT A FIRST IMPRESSION.  |
Your Biggest Art Marketing Mistake
Carolyn Edlund
Has this happened to you?
You've met people who absolutely love your artwork. It might be at an exhibit or a fair, or perhaps at a social event when you share an image of your art on your smartphone. They rave about your art, showing lots of interest, and you tell them you will stay in touch. They hand you a business card, or write down their name, email and phone number. But you never got back to them. The opportunity was lost. You meant to do it, but either you weren't organized, or you didn't know what to say, or didn't have enough time. You end up with stacks of cards, and lists of people who want to see more of your work, but you haven't taken any action to follow up with all those interested people who could turn into customers.
Read more! |
Keeping Your Crowd Cool At Outdoor Events
The Writing Team of event-solutions.com
As heat waves continue to roll across the nation, planners who have upcoming outdoor events may tend to panic. How in the world are you going to keep your guests cool and comfortable if the weather turns blistering? Of course, there are always portable air conditioners and fans, but if that stretches the budget or exceeds the power supply, you have some other options. A Cool Damp Towel Nothing feels more refreshing than a cool, damp cloth when the temperature is feverish. You can offer your guests that sensation with individualized, 100 percent cotton, pre-moistened towels. Patterned after the traditional oshibori nakins offered before a meal at restaurants in Japan, they can be used on hands, faces or even feet. It's a snap to chill down the packages in a refrigerator or freezer before the event.
These napkins come in different sizes and scents including lemon, lavender and peach mango.
They are also available unscented. A nice added touch is that you can customize the packaging to include your branding or sponsor information. One source: www.wtowel.com.
Drink a Watermelon
First, scoop out a seedless watermelon and place the melon in a blender. Add 15 basil leaves and a pinch of sea salt. Add vodka if you desire-the amount is up to you. Puree, and serve over ice with a basil garnish. One watermelon makes about 30 drinks. Yum!
Read more here!
|
Coping with the End of Food Truck Fever
Chris Ford, founder of StitchesandDishes.com
It's called a lot of things in a lot of places - the food truck phenomenon, street food revolution, food truck fever, or the food truck craze. Whatever it's called in any city, it's likely not a phase. With an average annual growth rate of 8.4%, the street food industry has grown into a thriving $1.5 Billion industry in the United States in less than a decade, and is expected to swell to a staggering $2.7 Billion by 2017. Despite the impressive statistics, however nearly as many food trucks and food carts will close their serving windows for good this year as will open.
While the rest of the food service industry has seen less than impressive growth, and has actually suffered due to lower consumer spending, street food continues to build a momentum, propelling itself by leaps and bounds as new and exciting food options hit the streets at an alarming rate. Weakness in the economy and high unemployment rates have encouraged people with otherwise slim job prospects to embark on food service careers where they have more control over their lives and incomes. And, it's seemingly easy, especially at the peak of a local food truck frenzy where no company owns a dominant market share in the industry. Everyone is on a level playing field, and customers line up for blocks.
|
7 Things You Should Do Now to Begin Your Music Career
Tom Hess
Read more here! |
How to Balance Art and LifeCarolyn Edlund
 Art credit: Joyce Wynes via artsyshark.com Read more!
|
The Power of Personality
Bob Baker
Case in point: My friend Gregg Hopkins plays in a band called The Melroys. He could have sent a run-of-the-mill e-mail to promote a recent show, including the rudimentary club name, address, phone number, etc. Instead, he sent this: Git yerself down to the Broadway Oyster Bar tonight where The MELROYS will present our little Rock and Roll fandango. The food is delicious, the adult beverages are cool and refreshing, the music will be swinging, and you'll fit right in with the other beautiful people there. Showtime is 9-1. See ya there! Ya gotta admit, this short message is a fun read -- which leads one to assume that a Melroys live show will be a fun event. And that's smart marketing. (The only thing I might add is an address and phone number of the venue for those fans who might not know where it is.) So don't be afraid to show your personality. In fact, go out of your way to do something fun or different or creative any time you communicate with the public about your music. Got it? Good.
Read more here! |
11 Twitter Tips for Businesses and Promoting
Shannon Willowby
Twitter is a great social media marketing tool for businesses that can lead to more customers, an increase of profit, and long-term success. However, you may not be using it to its full potential. Check out the tips below for 10 ways you can use Twitter to your advantage.
|
How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR
Mike Volpe
Ideas for How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR
|
Guests will appreciate a nice cold drink, and it's even better spiked with a little jolt. Here's a fantastic summer drink from our friends at Feastivities Events (
When you promote yourself via e-mail or with the words you use on your web site, you have a choice. You can be straight-forward and matter-of-fact (also known as bland and boring). Or you can communicate with pizzazz.
