Artists Learning the Art of Business

By Allison Berman
November 18, 2008

I am a funny mix- a creative spirit raised in house filled with buttoned up corporate types. They taught me to be able to succeed in the corporate world, but since I am ultimately happier with knitting needles or a sewing machine than a spreadsheet, I was thrilled to discover that despite my parents concerns, I can actually make money as an artist.

I started my business knowing I would wear many hats as a work at home mom. I didn't however realize I would wear even more hats as a small business owner. There is Allison the Office Manager who stocks the raw materials. Allison the Marketing Specialist who handles everything related to "the corporate image" - from the website to the business cards to the ribbons used to wrap a gift. And then there are the last 2 Allisons: Allison the artist -my favorite, and Allison VP of Sales - my least favorite. Each hat is dependant on the one before. You need the website and business cards to support the sales efforts. Once the sales come in - the raw materials need to be here, and then the pieces obviously need to be painted. As you can imagine the majority of my time isn't spent painting it is spent running the business. And so it goes for many creative types trying to go out on their own. Not having any practical knowledge running a small business (or any business for that matter), I hate to think of how much time and money I waste trying to figure out some of the basics and I am sure I am not alone.

My plate is already overflowing so formal business classes is just not an option. That said, listening to my husband talk about what he is learning in his MBA program, I was inspired to think "outside the box" to find a way to improve my business acumen.

A fabulous resource is http://www.ocartscouncil.org/; http://www.ocartscouncil.org. Fellow artists: You can get information on health insurance, promote your craft, or even find a workshops addressing copyright law. (Readers: there is a plethora of talent in Orange County - and this is also a great place to discover it.)

Count Me In, a not-for-profit promoting women's economic independence, started Make Mine a Million $ Business (www.makemineamillion.org/site/ ;http://www.makemineamillion.org/site/; ). Its mission is to inspire one million women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses to a million dollars in revenue by 2010. How? They provide financing (obviously very helpful) but the core of their assistance basically boils down to education- coaching, mentoring, newsletters, and recommended reading lists.

Another great place to look is www.inc.com; offering concrete information on how to start and grow a business. One of my favorite things about this site is it helps me answer some of the questions I didn't know I needed to ask.

It is scary to give up the security of a weekly paycheck to start a business, especially when you are lacking business acumen, but remember like anything else, this is another skill you can develop. And I can tell you, there is nothing better than getting paid for doing something that you love. What do you love to do?

Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, handpaints custom home accessories for interior designers and private customers. She works out of her home studio in Warwick, NY. See her collection at www.withlovealib.com. She can be reached at ali@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Tuesdays.