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About a month ago I declared to the Universe (and Facebook!) that I wanted to do more public speaking. I absolutely love spreading the message that it's possible to do what you love and make the money you desire. I believe in this message with all my heart. Within a couple weeks of making this declaration I was asked to speak 3 different times at the Craft Council of BC's Craft Invested Conference. I was thrilled and honoured to share my wisdom with my peers.

When I do any public speaking I make sure to focus on the audience and try my best to give as much of myself as I can to them. I'm also very aware of how they interact with each other. One thing I observed from the CCBC conference was how beautiful it was to see the craft community unite. During breaks I saw people meeting each other and sharing their experiences. So often when we are running our businesses, we're isolated from our peers. We do our work from our homes and studios and it's not often that we come together to share our stories.

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A food truck is like restaurant on wheels. It has several distinct advantages over a traditional eat-in restaurant. A food truck can go to where the customers are. It has pretty low overhead, compared to a restaurant, and requires far less staff. However a food truck is still a business that requires a lot of work and attention- especially in the first couple of years. Food truck owners put in long days and have similar problems as restaurant owners, such as slow seasons, bad weather, and sluggish economy. Read on to find out how you can start your own food truck business.

Here's How:

1. Find out if a Food Truck Business is Legal in Your Neighborhood. This may sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many places don’t allow food trucks or put a cap on the number of food truck permits allowed at any given time. Case in point – both Los Angeles and New York City are two of the busiest areas for food truck businesses and both have caps on the number of permits allowed.

1. Find out Where You Can do Business. Assuming your city or town allows food truck businesses, next you need to find out where you can do business. Depending on local ordinances you may not be able to park in the busy downtown area. Before you set up shop in a busy tourist area or business park, make sure its legit.

1. Choose a business name. Okay, you now have a solid plan for where you are going to sell your food. Now you can do fun part- decide on a fantastic food truck name. Much like choosing a restaurant name, the name of your food truck business should reflect your food, theme, or concept. Check out these tips for choosing the perfect restaurant (on wheels) name.

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• Buying art based on a digital image has become the norm, and buyers are confident doing so.
• 71% of art collectors have bought art online sight unseen.
• Buyers of all ages are making art purchases online.
• Art buyers want to purchase art with little or no contact with the intermediary (the gallery).
• Artists selling directly to their fan base is a major trend.

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Tom Hess

"Hey Tom, I wanted/needed to e-mail you because I have some frustrating questions in terms of music and the mainstream music business and I just wanted to get some insight from you. Here it goes! Well for years now, besides practicing until my fingers bleed, all I could think about is how do I establish myself as a respectable guitarist and a musician. The thing that bothers me is that someday I would love to release my own neoclassical album, but these days I realize that in the United States high tech guitarists are not as admired as much here unless the music genre magically changes or if it was the 1980's again. But it bothers me that it all comes down to a question of what sells instead of what you like personally and what you're capable of doing in terms of composition and technicality. That ticks me off! I want to make sure that I keep my own musical integrity and show my full musical abilities that have taken me years to perfect, instead of holding back playing re-arranged power chords just to please the audience. For most people, if the music is not played on the radio, they don't want to hear it. I have my very own expectations in what I could do to make a killer song, but because if it's not like Blink 182 material or something like Disturbed it won't be respected. But I just wanted your point of view what you think about what to do in these case scenarios. I mean I am stuck between personal passion and simply what sells and this really sucks."

Your points are excellent and many musicians that want to make music at a very high level (or want to make music in style that is not popular) ask these sorts of questions.

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Recently, I came across a message from one of my readers named Tom who posted a simple but profound comment, "But when the entrepreneur is bleeding money and the artist can no longer buy art supplies it's a sad day indeed." I sat with this comment for a few days, until a response finally began to bubble up.

First of all it's well known that when he couldn't afford brushes, the emotionally tormented Vincent Van Gogh made his own, with sticks and horsehair. Proving that if you're a true "committed" artist or entrepreneur, NOTHING can stop the creative urge within from getting out. Actually, you have no choice. Like a raging, rushing river, the torrential flow of great ideas and pure creativity MUST find its way through the rocky resistance of fear and doubt in order to ultimately arrive at the ocean of expression. Give up, and that river dams up somewhere deep within the dark, inner world of the artist causing frustration, resentment, envy, anger, and too often, resignation.

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As the festival and event industry experiences continued growth, productions are being increasingly attended by a diverse range of attendees spanning many demographic characteristics. Whether a production is ticketed or non-ticketed, collecting and understanding attendee demographic data provides significant value to organizers in many ways.

Examples of demographic information include age, traveling party size, presence of family traveling parties, ethnicity, education level, home ownership, employment status, household income, and place of residence. Data is best collected by surveying attendees to gather response information. In order to provide a non-intrusive and positive experience for attendee survey respondents, well-designed questions must be asked at appropriate opportunities either during or after the production. The proper survey research approach is critical to the collection of accurate and reliable data.

Assembled demographic data provides insight into the best approaches for event marketing efforts. By segmenting your attendees through different demographic characteristics, target audience trends can be identified. The result is the ability to make informed decisions that most effectively allocate marketing budgets to reach specific media outlets and target audience(s). Additionally, repeated research over time can offer insight into emerging audiences, helping to identify opportunities for new marketing strategies and increased exposure. It is important to note that the demographics of your community do not necessarily reflect the demographics of your production. This is especially significant for regional and national productions attracting large segments of non-resident attendees.

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Sheena Metal

For a musician, your songs are your art.  They are the physical embodiment of your creative gifts.  Every bit of anger, happiness, angst, joy, pain, elation, knowledge or humor goes into the story known as your song.  You write and re-write it, scouring over each note and word…perfecting it for recording and live performance.

But when you play it for others, you’re not getting the reaction you expected. Your friends, fans and family seem less than enthusiastic as they dully respond, “Yeah.  That was…um…good.” How could this be?  You poured your soul into this piece.  This was your “Stairway To Heaven”!  This was your “Smells Like Team Spirit”!  It’s a lyrically amazing ode about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes!  It flows, it breathes, and it’s seven and a half minutes of pure musical perfection!

Whoa.  Stop right there, Mozart.  You wrote a seven and a half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes and you’re wondering why you’re thirteen year-old cousin fell asleep in the middle of the fourth verse?  You wrote a seven and a half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes and you’re confused as to why your drummer’s girlfriend began calling her friends on her cell phone before the song had reached its bridge?

It may be hard to believe when you’re penning an opus such as this, but the normal human brain is wired a little differently than an accomplished musician’s, like yourself.  And although music is art, it’s also popular culture and the goal should be for others to enjoy your creative efforts as much as you do.   

So, how can you make sure that your writing experience is as positive as your audience’s listening experience?  What can you, as musicians do, to eliminate aspects of your songs that may alienate, confuse or just plain bore your fans?

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The decision to hire professional entertainers and musicians vs. non-paid talent can be a tough one.  Budgets can be tight and entertainment is usually the category that falls short. BUT, hiring and working with professionals can have major benefits for you and your event!   Sure, hiring a person willing to play for free or for tips sounds like a good thing, but it could cost you in the long run as far as the flow of your event and the general satisfaction of the crowds.  Don't be afraid to make quality entertainment a priority at your next event!

Due to shortfalls in the economy, festival and event goers are expecting a more complete experience when they decide to spend their free time and money at your event.  Keep them happy and spending longer with quality entertainment.  Hiring a professional band or act means quality sound, lasting memories, and a higher overall impression of your event for your patrons.  They will be more likely to return next year! Happy patrons will also make for happier vendors who will be eager to apply to your event for years to come.

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The biggest factor affecting your sales is a combination of location of your food stand, the popularity of your product, how your food stand looks and how much competition there is at the event.  This issue we are going to focus on securing a good location.

You will hear constantly, the phrase, "Location, Location, location!  When you are starting out in the food vending business, booking decent shows with good locations can be challenging.

To make sure you are getting the best location, you should discuss in depth with the promoter the traffic flow and other attractions in the area of the location being offered to you. Remember location is everything.  It’s a good idea to ask questions such as; Is there a map available of the show grounds?  What was last years attendance? If you are starting new in this business you will discover some locations are great, some are poor and most fall in between.

Some shows tend to "sell real estate" to anyone and everyone as way of making money for the promoter.  Some shows only allow a new vendor in if someone leaves.  Usually they will offer that vacated spot to someone who has been with them for a while and then after the shuffling you may be offered the least attractive spot at the show. That could be on the main traffic fare.  If your location is behind or to the side of a building off the main traffic flow, or stuck in no man's land, you will NOT make much money.  No one will find you.  Other questions to ask about your location include cost (AKA Privilege Fee)?, distance to amenties such as water and electric hook ups.  How many people are selling my primary menu items?

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Bob Baker

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.

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!

Gregg Hopkins
TheMelroys.com

P.S. Any person peeved by perpetual pestering such as this posting will be promptly purged from this list upon proper petition.

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.

Use Hypnotic Descriptions
Here's another example from a longtime musical pal, Michael Schaerer. In this recent e-mail, he does a great job of painting word pictures of the venues he plays and describing what it means to him:

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The holiday season is a special time for many people. A time that brings families together, and a time of celebration. When creating your winter crafts, keep in mind the types of decorations and activities that are popular with this time of year. Here are a few helpful ides for your holiday creations:

OrnamentsMany families enjoy putting up a holiday tree, and look forward to decorating it together. Try offering unique ornaments that will help commemorate this holiday season for years to come. Since ornaments are something that can be passed down through a family, use coloring techniques for your particular medium that will help it keep from fading. That way future generations can enjoy that decoration just as much as the first.

PajamasWhat's cozier than curling up by a nice warm fire in your PJs in the winter time? If you excel in clothing or just want to give it a try, consider making soft, durable pajama sets or nightshirts. Winter-related designs such as snow, snowmen, candy cane, reindeer, polar bears, and so on can adorn your design in a very festive way.

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Qualitative (descriptive) data can come from many different sources and is beneficial in many ways. Comments & feedback from attendees, vendors and volunteers, examining foot traffic patterns through the festival grounds, and assessments of festival signage & layout are all great examples of qualitative data. Often, this data is overlooked in lieu of traditional quantitative measures, such as economic spending, marketing effectiveness, and event satisfaction data. Although traditional quantitative measures are extremely useful to festival organizers, qualitative measures prove just as beneficial to their productions. But why bother with collecting qualitative data?

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1. Your attendees are diverse and (mostly) intelligent. Listen to them!

Overall, your event attendees are people who come from diverse backgrounds and work skilled jobs in a wide variety of fields. While they may not be experts at planning & executing events, their area of professional expertise can offer relevant viewpoints that can be applied to your decision-making processes. Additionally, your patrons most likely attend other events throughout the year, so they are able to provide unique insight into other successful production ideas they have experienced elsewhere. Capturing comments pertaining to their individual experiences & mindsets can prove to be quite meaningful.

2. Many festival & event attendees differ greatly from the organizational staff.

Known as groupthink in psychology, members of an organizational & planning committee have a tendency to agree with each other and create harmony within the group. They also have a tendency to think alike and may not consider a broader range of viewpoints or options. Typically, event attendees have little bias or in some cases different biases. They come to the festival with a different set of expectations and are able to comment in ways that perhaps you were not considering.

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Consumers will be logging on ecommerce sites searching for holiday gifts and deals very soon. The traditional kickoff for holiday buying is Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving. Last year, Black Friday sales through the following Monday, 'Cyber Monday', accounted for 18% of total online holiday sales. U.S. online sales topped $1 billion on Cyber Monday alone. Perfect your marketing and delivery plans as the year's most lucrative shopping season draws near. Here we have created a few tips to be get the most from this season:

• Consider Free Shipping - Users are more inclined to buy, especially around the holiday season, if shipping is free. Many people are expecting to pay a few dollars more for shipping, but they will show their thanks for free shipping by taking advantage of the promotion and buying a few extra items.

• Send Holiday Themed Email - Try sending newsletters with holiday-oriented content. Timely, holiday-oriented content is generally well-received by the general public. This is a way for you to showcase features products and give customers additional visual gift ideas. Inform them the promotions are available for a limited time and don't forget to mention the gift cards!

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If you think all you have to do is gather a few exhibits, buy some entertainment, advertise what is going to happen... and the folks will bang down your door!

WRONG! It's not that easy!

First off, today's leisure-time market has more options with entertainment than "Carter has liver pills." There are virtually dozens of events every weekend in Anytown, USA, tugging at your customer's jacket. You have to fight sports on TV, Sunday shopping hours, the kids' soccer games, and discount movies.

You need to razzle-dazzle them and promise 'em the silver cup or else you're just another ho-hum event. The only foreseeable problem is: If you don't deliver the glitz and the silver cup, you might as well pack up and become "another thing of the past."

Have you been reading the trades lately? I'm sure you'll agree, events are changing. More commercialism. Festivals are now after the 30+ demographics, and motion picture producers are going for the 14- to 26-year-old.

Do you remember when we had the video boom? Record sales went bonkers. All those 45's our children used to buy were put on the back burner; the new priority was to be a video jockey. Now here we are with records, cassettes, and almost CD's a thing of the past. You can't even buy a record player anymore. Music is now downloaded straight to our iPods.

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Ari Herstand

I've played over 500 shows in 40 states and have booked nearly every show myself (I'm still DIY). I started, though, in my (former) hometown of Minneapolis. Before ever leaving the state (of Minnesota for those struggling with geography) I had chalked up about 30 local shows.

From the moment I made the decision that a performing songwriting career was to be my life (mid-freshman-year of college after giving my dad a near heart attack) I began playing out as much as possible. I made a local goal: sell out the Varsity Theater.

The Varsity Theater is a 700 person capacity venue in Minneapolis just off the University of Minnesota campus. Nearly every band that has toured through Minneapolis has played it at some point. I lived a block from it when I decided to make music my life. I'd walk by it every day from the sub shop I worked at and salivated as I passed the 40 foot tall marquee with a hot touring act's name in lights.

In one year, I not only played the Varsity Theater, but filled it. And two years later I sold it out.

Before even thinking of touring you need to figure out how to conquer your local market. It sounds a little aggressive to say conquer, I suppose. Hipsters would say "simultaneously satiate the collective consciousness of the city." But I say conquer (because it's a true battle � and hipsters are assholes)

You have to figure out early on what your niche is going to be. Everyone has one. I started with the University of Minnesota (of 40,000 students). Hardly a small niche, but a niche nonetheless. I was part of that community so I understood the hot coffee shops, Greek houses, dorms, the grassy mall, the union, had friends at the newspaper and on the ultimate frisbee team and so forth. I took a blanket approach and plastered the campus with posters for every show � just to get my name out there and begin the conversation. I also started playing every possible venue on campus (in coffee shops, dorm lounges, bars, open mics, music venues, sorority lounges�yup, frat houses�bro, and�elevators (that's another story). Eventually everyone started to take notice.

One person seeing a poster or a Facebook ad or a YouTube video won't get them out to your show. They have to be hit from multiple angles and from multiple people.

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