how to run a business as an artist Insanely in 2023
Introduction
If you're an artist, you know how hard it can be to make a living. The traditional business model requires that you spend money before you get paid. But as an artist, your most valuable asset is your time and energy—not capital or inventory. So why not invest in yourself? This article will explore how artists have successfully built businesses that allow them to create art while generating income and building their brands.
Set a goal for your business.
The biggest mistake that artists make is not setting goals for their businesses. It's common to have a vague idea of what you want to achieve and how much money you need to do it. Still, without clear targets, it's hard to know if your business is growing or declining—or if you'll ever be successful.
When setting your goals for your business, keep the following things in mind:
Don't compare yourself to other people's goals.
Everyone has different reasons for running their own companies and diverse skill sets. Yours may be completely different from those of other artists!
Be ambitious!
But also realistic; if your goal is too lofty, it will make everything seem more daunting every time something goes wrong (and believe me—something will go wrong).
Setting small incremental steps toward each larger goal can make achieving them less intimidating and more manageable over time.
If nothing else works out this year (and things do happen!), then at least I've got another goal on my list because I still want to get back into shape before next summer starts too soon!
Create systems that work for you.
Setting goals is the first step to making progress in your business. But if you need to figure out where to go, how can you set out on the right path?
To set a goal, ask yourself: What do I want? Please write down your answer and commit it to the paper. Then, break that goal into smaller chunks—what steps will get me there? Take small steps every day until those smaller goals reach your large ones.
Don't worry about other people's goals or whether they are more successful than yours; focus on being ambitious but realistic with your ambitions.
For example,
if one of my fitness goals was running a marathon in 3 months and another person had aspired for six months (or never), I would feel like my failure was inevitable because their goal seemed so much more achievable than mine!
Instead, focus solely on achieving yours—this way, no matter what happens along the way or what kind of success someone else has compared with yours, it won't matter because everything will work out perfectly for everyone involved!
Know your costs.
Know your costs.
Get a business license.
Get an accountant and a tax attorney.
Get organized and create a schedule.
You need to create a schedule and stick to it. This will help you keep track of your work and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. Include all your responsibilities (your job, your family life, etc.) in this schedule so that you don't forget anything important.
Remember: Change it if something comes up and you can't stick to your plan on that day or week! It's better for everyone involved when things are timely because they didn't get done on time.
Track your hours.
Track your hours.
Use a time-tracking app to track your time and identify patterns in how you spend it to create more efficient schedules, avoid procrastination and maximize productivity.
Track the amount of time spent on different activities, such as designing artwork or writing emails; scheduling meetings; marketing yourself or networking; accounting/billing/bookkeeping/payroll administration tasks; client communications (email, phone calls); research; etc...
This will help you determine where you're spending too much time on specific things and where there could be room for improvement in terms of efficiency.
Be realistic with your time.
Being realistic about how much time it will take to complete a project.
Don't overbook yourself. Only work on art if you're tired, hungry, or stressed out.
Say no to projects that aren't worth your time and energy (or money).
Find the right support system.
As an artist, it is essential to find the right support system. Your support system can help you with your business and personal life.
Finding a support system that will help you achieve your goals and ensure they are met on time is essential.
If you're looking for a sound support system, look for people who understand what you are going through as an artist in the business
world. In addition, you want people who have had similar experiences or have at least been able to advise on how to move forward when things get tricky!
Support systems should also be made up of people who have experience working as an artist within different industries or jobs so that they know what it takes for someone like yourself (the person being supported) because then they would be able to let them know where their strengths lie while letting them know where there might be weaknesses which could lead into taking advantage over other competitors out there trying their best as well!
Plan ahead.
Planning is essential for running a business and is also crucial in your personal life. Moreover, it's an important skill that you can learn with practice. No matter how experienced you are, effective planning helps you make the best use of time and resources to achieve more with less effort.
Planning lets you see where things might go wrong before they go wrong, making things go better when they happen — even if it's just because someone else has already taken care of the problem for you!
Planning also increases efficiency: once something has been planned out, there's less chance of wasted time or effort trying to figure out what needs doing next (or worse yet: not getting anything done at all). If someone else is involved in the planning process — like a team member — then planning together can result in better communication between individuals and groups!
Join a community of like-minded creators.
Join a community of like-minded creators.
Finding a supportive and trustworthy community is essential to your long-term success as an artist. You'll have the opportunity to share knowledge, resources, and experiences with other artists who are interested in your goals. Being part of this network provides valuable insight into what's working (or not) for others so that you can make informed decisions about how you want your business to grow over time.
In addition to helping each other learn from shared experiences, being part of a community allows artists to share resources such as equipment or materials to reduce costs associated with starting up their business.
Protect yourself against failure by planning for success and scaling slowly...
One of the best ways to protect yourself against failure is by planning for success and scaling slowly. An excellent way to do this is by upfront identifying your goals and needs. For example, suppose your goal is to become a recognized artist with a stable income from your art.
In that case, you should consider what it will take to get there (e.g., getting more shows or building an audience). Then start taking steps toward achieving those goals (e.g., signing up for more exhibitions or making connections with other artists).
Similarly, if you need money fast but don't have time for big projects or slow sales cycles (e.g., if you're starting), try making smaller pieces that can sell quickly—like postcards or prints—or find ways to deliver value without having to spend much time on each element (e.g., designing logos).
You can run an artist's business successfully.
If you're reading this, you have a passion for creating art. Consider turning your craft into a business and making money from it. This is possible with the right tools, knowledge, and support system!
You can do it! There are many successful artists out there who have made their living from their work. They made it happen through hard work and dedication—but also by surrounding themselves with people who believed in them along the way.
Artists can be incredibly successful if they put in the time to create high-quality content at an affordable price. Their success is directly tied to how well they communicate why people should buy their work:
what value does it provide?
How will it help others?
Why should anyone care about your art?
Conclusion
Running an artist's business is difficult, but it can be done. There are many things to consider when starting—from setting goals for your business and creating systems that work for you to knowing your costs and getting organized.
You'll also want to ensure you have the correct support system and plan so that you can handle all this information! But if it feels too much or you need help knowing where to start, there are plenty of communities for creatives who want advice from those who have been before them. If anything else fails: protect yourself against failure by planning for success (and scaling slowly).
