by Natasha Wescoat

I hear this all too often from artists and others who want to start a business. They want to know how the successful artists/crafters do it. Why? Why else?

They want to be able to execute the same process in hopes of having the same success.

We all think that if we can put our art on the same sites, if we sell our work for the same amount in the same way, or that if we paint the same thing we will succeed.

There is no easy way to sell art, especially online. It is by far one of the most difficult things to begin and succeed in, but . . .

- if you are willing to go through the arduous process of building a business, then you have a possibility at succeeding.

- if you are willing to have your heart crushed, stretched, and drained in the emotional ups and downs that come with business and especially with working directly with clients, then you could succeed.

- if you are willing to put in the time to research, develop new skills, and learn all that you can about the other tasks involved in running a successful business (or if you’re willing to invest in a team who can), then you may be able to have whatever you want.

What works for others is not necessarily going to work for you. In fact, as we have said so many times before – your collectors will NOT be the same as another artist’s collectors. You each (hopefully) have a unique style that will attract a different audience of people. Learn what that is. Create and implement your business goals around your audience.

Ways to find your audience:

- experimentation

- research

- polls/surveys

- The experimentation stage is a huge investment on your part, because you are going to place your art in venues you are not sure are going to profit. Don’t expect to profit. Put aside time where you can spend doing this stage, because you can gain valuable information about your potential customers and where they are. This may be the most difficult to implement financially (as you may experience loss of money and time) but also the most effective.

- Research online and off. Attend art shows, read art blogs, participate in forums, message boards, and groups for artists and creative businesses. Observe and participate in the conversations. You can learn from others who are already in business what the ins and outs are, where they’ve found might work for those in your art’s genre category, and so on.

- Polls and surveys may be useful during the beginning and middle of your growing business. If you need to learn more about your customers and what they want, asking them questions may help you understand more who your audience/collectors are and where they come from.

Defining audience is one of the number one TO-DO’s on every business’s list. From there, plans will be more defined, properly focused and therefore more readily executed.

photo (c)2009 Ndesh