Creative Business 101 – Marketing Schmarketing Stuff

by Linda | May 13, 2011 | my creative journal

I realize the title is not exactly professional business-sounding. But I think it does illustrate the fact that marketing is such a fuzzy wuzzy topic for many creatives. I mean, we sort of know what it means and people think of advertising perhaps. But seriously it gets blurry as you start to talk about branding and such. These past few weeks have been slow on my creative business front and honestly I have just been lazy and fearful. After getting my media kit ready, I outlined some weekly marketing tasks for myself and even started a list of people to contact and things to do. But I soon found myself afraid to take those steps and feeling like there were all these obstacles in my way.

Even though the weeks have passed, I haven’t approached any blogs or submitted my work anywhere. I am still so afraid of rejection, of being ignored…imagining that reviewers would see my stuff and just laugh out loud. The thought makes me shudder and I already feel so small and meek. It’s amazing how one could feel so proud and energized one moment, then down in the dumps and so vulnerable the next moment. I am a crazy pendulum of emotions aren’t I? I allowed myself time to think and calm my nerves.

Marketing is simply about promoting myself. People have to know of me to do business and perhaps buy my products. There are many different ways to accomplish “getting out there,” of course. What about this branding talk? I like how BAM puts it… it’s simply your reputation. So everything you do contributes to your reputation as a creative business. Just make sure you are living up to who you want to be in everything you do, create and offer. Okay, that all makes sense to me and my lists of tasks help to get my name out and designs out there into the world. Obviously, I need to try them out to see what works the best. What attracts the most people to my blog or converts people to support me through my shops, etc. Okay, so I obviously am okay with the concepts and tasks…it’s just the fear stopping me in my tracks, so I’ll never figure out what works.

I am finding it really hard to overcome the fear of failure and rejection. Even though I can tell myself that I am no worse off if nothing becomes of my efforts. I guess, it would just be a blow to my ego. It’s always personal when someone dismisses your work. Let’s be honest here…especially with creative work, you can’t just say business is business. It’s amazingly difficult to me to not feel anything. I suppose you always feel something, it’s just learning how to deal with the fact that not everyone will like you – no matter what. Just as how not everyone is your friend in life. Oh, woe is the reality of things…the sting of rejection will never cease to exist. But it thankfully the pain passes over time. I suppose I just need to stock up on Snickers bars for comfort food!

Besides staring out into the countryside and pondering a lot this week, I did start a Greeting Card Universe Shop, but the review times take so long, I lost my momentum. I should not have let it stop me in my tracks…I know. However, I do like that the community is active there and I’m able to see my work on greeting cards…something I just adore – practically collect them! I plan to purchase my own card designs, so in a way it’s like a printer service so that my correspondence also promotes my own work. That’s one way to spread the word…just live and breathe your own work. Don’t think it’s presumptuous to use your own stuff and talk about it – something I am slowly learning to do. It’s about having pride for your work, not aggressively shoving it into the faces of others. 😛

I also revived my digital stamp shop, finally figuring out how to use Zen cart. Another thing I need to figure out is how to make all my work cross-over properly. I love papercrafting, but often the audience is completely different for those who like scrapbooking and cardmaking. That’s why I have a completely different blog BacktoPaper for those interests and in a way it’s like living two lives 🙂 I certainly need to focus, but I don’t want to lose all those other things I seriously enjoy doing. I simply can’t focus in the sense of reducing down my number of passions. I can’t fight my nature, but I also realize I can’t do it all. I am always in the quest for balance and sometimes I think it is a wobbly adventure – you just move a bit here and there to stay balanced. So I really need to get my butt into gear and act upon my marketing tasks…not just researching and making plans. After getting the foundations of your business complete, you must go forward creating and marketing – always! Although I still feel the butterflies when thinking about submitting my work…I think I have found the courage in myself, my support groups and ultimately my thirst for success – to take the leap – no matter what. I hope to report back next week with much more progress. Ciao ciao!

Creative Business 101 – Time Management for the Creative

by Linda | Apr 25, 2011 | my creative journal

My last post was on building a media kit and I’m happy to report I’ve made much progress! Having written a whole lot about myself, talk about pumping your ego LOL 🙂 I’ve decided to give my writing a few days to marinate. It’s always good to read over what you’ve written a few days later for a fresh perspective. In terms of photos, turns out that a family gathering doesn’t set the scene for taking photos…so I’ll be planning a photo shoot for tomorrow instead. Just me, myself and I! In the meantime, as I continue to plan out my marketing and promotion tasks, I started to think about time management for the creative. How certain tasks can be forced upon us with discipline, but others cannot, like creativity and inspiration…how does that work with scheduling? Can it really be scheduled?

Time management seems to be the most talked about and most lamented about topic. Sometimes I puzzle over the fact that I was able to manage peoples’ time as a job, but unable to do it for myself so well. I often feel overloaded and overwhelmed with my own schedule and it really makes me angry, giving me this unsettling feeling. I wondered why it would be easier to manage a team schedule. As the manager of a team, I was able to deflect lower priority tasks and push things around to ensure that crucial threads of work continued. I also restructured a lot of projects and broke them down into many phases, in order to meet certain deadlines. So something was complete, but more would be added at a later date. I suppose in part it was a political position too, negotiating to make a request fit with time that we had available. Hmm, I guess for my personal projects, I can’t see so clearly in black and white. All my creative work is important to me and I tend to just go with the energy and momentum of the moment. I don’t want to lose the drive when there’s a spark of inspiration. It’s always difficult to sort out priorities when you are in the trenches. I think I understand that now. Of course, doesn’t help when every client says they need this or that ASAP as well. Or perhaps the famous…“we needed this done yesterday…”

Realizing that I simply have a more taxing schedule this year, I attempted to figure out this time management thing for myself. I guess it’s also part of growing up and living here in Italy that has altered my time management. Being in a household with other folks means you have less alone time and more family responsibilities. Chores and all kinds of happenings that interject into the day. I’m sure all the moms out there can relate. Whether you have kids of not, having to run a household or care for people puts the same stresses on your schedule. I need to balance things out for myself, because I don’t want to get grumpy and frustrated when dinnertime comes along and I happen to be in the midst of creating something wonderful. I hate being interrupted.

It seems so straightforward – just schedule your time with the projects you must complete…block it all off. There are plenty of fancy programs to help you do this on your computer or directly online. Or you can go old school and just whip out that old fashioned weekly planner. I’m sure we’ve all tried this before. Unfortunately, real life simply does not happen as planned, ever! Reality happens and your perfectly planned blocks of time will only be a fantasy schedule for an imaginary person. If you are able to follow by a strict schedule, you have no issues with time management…so I bow to you…seriously, that is a miracle to me…but for the rest of us…

I am starting to think of time management like dieting. Seriously. There are a million programs and special diet schemes out there and often we learn that one plan works for some, but not others. The reason being that our bodies are different and we all have unique aspects in our health history and genetic make-up, thereby changing the game. Time management is similar in that we all have different personalities, work schedules, responsibilities and limits. Some require an aspect of strict scheduling, while others work best with certain flexibilities. Some people can run on 4 hours of sleep and others like me need way more! I realized that I need to learn more about myself and my creative habits, to figure out the method that fits me just right.

PRIORITIES and DEADLINES

I believe that one can never overemphasize the importance of setting priorities. I have responsibilities with deadlines that I simply must meet. Working to sustain your livelihood or household is definitely a top priority. Whatever your circumstances, there are times you simply have to buckle down and get it done. I put my paying jobs into first priority and sometimes that really is motivation enough. Other times you just have to work through it nevertheless – although thinking about what prize you will reward yourself with afterwards helps as well. That said, money can’t be the only motivator in the end. You have to consider the amount of time and effort something will take and what it’s worth to you, before diving in. Is it helping you towards your ultimate goals…making it a priority?

If there’s a call for a challenge…even if you are super excited about it…do you really have the time to fit that in? Is it really the thing to do that will help you grow and learn? If I really want to get something done, I do need a deadline. Otherwise, I will not complete it. However, I’ve learned to dismiss things when it’s just not the right time. Rather than bookmarking every single thing, creating a big mess on the unconscious mind, too. I think it’s clutter…to blindly think you might get to that, if you just add it to the list. I have learned to realized that new opportunities will arise. So there’s no need to dwell.

Which brings into question a special aspect regarding time management for creatives. There’s something about creative work that requires that excitement and mojo of the moment, right? When you get into that trance. If you aren’t feeling it…you could be trying to work the whole day, but end up accomplishing nothing. So although prioritizing is so darn important, I think for creatives we also have to weigh what we can work on with all our heart at that moment as well. You can’t sit down and write a novel or paint or sculpt if you just don’t feel passionate about it. It applies for all creative work, because you are creating something – not just going through the motions of xyz.

I know that many people believe that you have to drudge through those times, even when inspiration doesn’t come… so you will be ready when the inspiration decides to hit. I understand that position of thinking…but I don’t think it works for me personally. If I’m tired or out of it…I might be able to loosen up by playing and creating – but it doesn’t end up as any work. It’s just that, playing. So for me…I give myself the option to just move on to some other priority or just say, hey, I’m going to play! Not pretend that flailing for 8 hours is considered working. It just doesn’t jive with me.

FLEXIBILITY

One of the reasons why I freelance and design from home is because I want the flexibility to swap my schedule around as necessary. So it’s supremely important for me to remember that and take advantage of flexibility when I need it. If I start planning things hour by hour… what have I done, but simply brought the 9 to 5 home?  Yes, I’ve got to get work done, but I give myself the flexibility to fluidly move between projects and swap out sections of time depending on what’s going on with my life.

I also think the flexibility is needed to accommodate for when inspiration does strike. If you suddenly get rolling in a project, it’s so frustrating to have to stop, because xyz is scheduled. I like being able to follow an unexplored path to see what happens. A bit mad scientist like. So strict scheduling again, does not work for me. I almost think that it stifles creativity…at least for me. If I think about inspiration I’ve received, it’s more often when I’m doing other things. Studio time is just working through those ideas…

So I’ve come up with a fluid system of time management. Since I still have the day job, that is the top priority – always. After all, we do have to learn to assume responsibilities and do things whether we feel like it or not. Like brushing your teeth and taking a shower – haha…just do it! With the rest of my time I work on my creative projects according to priority – but when I feel the most productive to do that kind of work. Certain projects might have deadlines, others might be personal ongoing projects or explorations. I rank them and work on them in that order, but jumping around if I feel like it and time allows. Over time I’ve also learned a bit about my own rhythms and when I’m most productive on the computer or painting or crafting something or another. I find it extremely helpful to give myself that flexibility, because I’ll get something done faster when I’m in the mode and mood.

RE-ENERGIZE or RE-DIRECT

Of course, there are times when I simply feel overwhelmed. The culprit was probably taking on too much to begin with. Which is why a monthly calendar of sorts really helps me to see the big picture of my time, before saying yes to something new. I’ve certainly burned myself out many a time. And I’ve had to ask myself the question so many times, in the midst of slaving away…why!? why!??! Before taking on more work, I have to remind myself of my ultimate goals and how the project fits in. Does it help me learn something? Grow something? Spread the word? Or do I have the time to participate for fun? We often want to do it all, saying yes, yes, yes! Perhaps as we grow older and wiser, we learn how to say no…and not feel bad about it!

I’ve found it really important to add in texture to my schedule. By that I mean, getting out…doing something completely different. If you do something heavy…afterwards, try to go with something more lighthearted or less stressful. You wouldn’t want to have to do your taxes, then go write an essay, followed by coding a program or something… it’s like stress, stress, stress. I personally need the variety and spice, breaking things up and making my activities balanced with each other. I think it helps to re-energize me… taking a walk, collecting wildflowers (taking lots of photos of them) going to get a snack or a coffee. Little things that balance out my day…or at times serving as the reward for having finished something not so enjoyable  – like laundry!

EXPERIMENT AND ADJUST

So ultimately, I think of my fluid management is like having multiple layers or lots of rings that fit within each other. Hmm, can’t really think of a good way to put it. But there’s the big picture…like my yearly goals, both business and personal. Then there’s the actual dated schedule planner, month to month with the major deadlines…things I must do. Then if you zoom in closer week by week, certain things need to be done, but can be shifted around. Like a bunch of blocks that you can move around in any way, but they fit within a week’s time…usually leaving breathing room, so it’s not a tight fit that you are shoving them into each other to make it all fit. Okay, enough with the bad analogy. It makes sense in my mind anyway! I certainly don’t know if this method of time management will work forever. It takes more than a month to see if it’ll work. Not to mention, our lives are ever-changing and our methods will evolve with time. However, I wanted to share my thinking process and hear what perspective you have on time management, especially for creative types of work. Let me know and I hope that we can all get a better grip on our personal schedules and move forward with our creative businesses. Until next time…

Creative Business 101 – Blogging and Social Networking

by Linda | Apr 19, 2011 | my creative journal

I would say my website launch went pretty smoothly, even though checking the site on my husband’s old laptop really threw me for a loop! When you start to realize that what you create online will not necessarily be perceived in the same way by every computer or browser…you start simplifying…and simplifying. Anyway, I used this nifty free tool as well – browsershots.org – which takes a screenshot of your website in all the platforms and browsers you select. That way you can do a simple check to make sure your site looks pretty much okay across the board.

Moving forward in my creative business journey, I also decided to do some online clean-up. I had already started blogging well before starting up an official business website…but it’s always a good idea to clean things up every once in a while. I made a few changes to the design and reorganized bits here and there. However, I chose not to give up my identity as tortagialla for this blog, so it does look different in brand from lindatieu.com. I don’t think it should be a problem and coincidentally gives me another outlet of expression. The artists’ website or portfolio is the professional presentation. The blog however moves into more personal territory for me as well as presenting a different area of my creative work that is not for my “clients” necessarily.

BLOGGING
If you are reading this blog, I think you might be a blogger yourself. But I think it’s worth delving into the question of why creatives blog. Especially for working artists, I think the blog gives you a place to share your ongoing progress and even failed experiments. A peek into your world that is more personal and inviting than the business/portfolio website. I think it shows your human side and allows people to connect to you the human. By sharing your thoughts, I think you also build credibility. It’s always nice to learn more about an artist or any person for that matter through their blog. Knowing that they are taking action in real-time…I think it brings us all closer together… even if we actually live thousands of miles away and have never met. 🙂 I also think that having a blog gives you more internet real estate. Does it matter in the long run? I dunno. I think it must be a good thing though, to be known in more places. It certainly can’t hurt! You have to put yourself out there if you are going to be a entrepreneur.

SOCIAL NETWORKING
Which brings me to social networking and putting out all those online profiles into Internet cyberspace. At times it might seem like a whole lot to keep track of and handle. Shouldn’t we be working instead of tweeting? I agree that at times I find myself overwhelmed with all my identities online and profiles to keep track of. So I don’t not hesitate to cut loose any baggage. I’ve opted out of many things, doing some digital clean-up and while I was at it, unsubscribed to lists and cleaned my RSS reader as well. Reduce the clutter! However looking at my web statistics, I know that each network drives a bit traffic to my blog and website. So it really does work. You just have to consolidate to those you truly participate in and enjoy interacting within…to get the most out it.

The popular tools for networking online these days include Twitter, Facebook (Pages), LinkedIn and even YouTube and Vimeo. I also have  a Gravatar profile, so when I comment on blogs, my picture shows up…putting a face to my comment. Each network reaches a different audience, so I certainly think it’s worth participating in multiple networks or communities. However, everyone has to know their limits and habits. For example, Pinterest is booming and such a trend these days, but I never joined up. I chose purposefully NOT to add more distractions to my day. Even if I did sign-up, I wouldn’t have the time to truly participate – so there’s no point. You have to participate and gain something from a network or community for it to be productive and helpful both ways. I know there are lots of tips out there on how to social network, dos and don’ts. But honestly it comes down to being yourself and sharing relevant information. Think about how you interact with friends…it shouldn’t be so drastically different online. If you want to get your work out there and to connect with others who have similar interests – then use these online tools to discover others so they can discover you. It’s networking, so it should go both ways.

If you already tweet and post daily, I would advise you to go check all your profiles and make sure your information is up to date and links are correct. You don’t know how many times I’ve clicked on a Twitter profile link and have it go to a broken page! Talk about disappointment. If the person didn’t take the time to check their own profile…why should I spend the time to go look them up, right? So off I go now to check my profiles and do some more digital Spring cleaning. Hope you will do the same and get that refreshing feeling after purging all that excess baggage and really participating in those things that inspire!

Here are some useful articles that might be of interest to you:

– 10 tips to using twitter to increase your creative business success

– Be Authentic: 5 Tips for Creating Engaging Video Podcasts

– Want to be Crafty and Connected? Promote Your Biz with Jess Van Den

– Share Your Profile Instantly with Other Blog Commenters

– Why Artists Should Blog at Making a Mark

Creative Business 101 – Setting Up

by Linda | Mar 18, 2011 | my creative journal

After all the deep thoughts from last week’s post…now you should be ready to dive into the details of starting up your creative business. Again, you don’t need to have everything figured out to move forward. Facing certain thoughts and getting things down on paper simply helps you to move forward into action. We will be bringing in those thoughts as we go through the nitty gritty details and make some important decisions to set up the scene. Although every aspect can seem like such a pivotal and huge decision, you must overcome the fear and take action. We cannot predict the future, so make the best possible decision you can NOW and move on! Don’t get stuck and don’t wait for xyz before starting.

SET ASIDE TIME & SPACE

Many of us have day jobs and will be working on launching our creative careers on the side…or you might have many other responsibilities to worry about at the same time. So it’s important to clearly define time for this creative business effort and give it your full attention. I know some people who dabble here and there when they have time. Honestly, that’s a hobby, not a career. So take a good look at your lifestyle and schedule in the time that you will be working on this. Maybe you’ll wake up earlier on the weekends instead of sleeping in. Or instead of watching television, you are going to schedule that time for this effort on a weekly basis. You’ll be surprised how much time you really have, it’s all about trade-offs and what is more important to you. I’m personally spending as much time as possible on this effort. When I’m not working on my paid projects, I’ll be thinking and working on this – because it’s THAT important. I’m also super excited and pumped up…so it’s not like I’m distracted or thinking about other stuff anyway! However, I know for some, blocking off time will be necessary to get the distractions away. If you don’t give your creative business a honest effort, you can’t expect it to go anywhere, right?

In addition to setting aside time, it helps to have a dedicated space as well. Maybe you can clear off some desk space and make it your official creative business work area. That way there’s a dedicated space to remind you of this effort, where you can organize and keep the momentum going. I’ve cleared off a little desk space and started up a binder to hold all my materials. As things move along, maybe I’ll upgrade a bit…but for now that’s a great start. This also leads to the topic of recordkeeping. It’s important to be organized from the start – it’s easier seriously! Keep your official papers in that binder, file in receipts, accounting papers, everything related into one place. I know some folks use online software for accounting as well. Whatever works for you, but keep it as organized as possible. I also keep digital records, but also print them out regularly to slip into my binder. My accounting is super old fashioned, because I use an Excel sheet I personally created…but it works for me because everything is organized as I need it to do my taxes yearly. For every transaction or work related expense, I enter it in immediately and file away both digitally and on paper. It’s all together and even if  the receipts might not be totally in order, at least they are in the same envelope if I need to reference later. It’s always a benefit to be organized and to keep all your official paperwork at hand.

WRITE YOUR MISSION VISION STATEMENT

I could have said business plan, but that sort of scares people away. I’m coming from the approach of launching my design and illustration career as an independent artist, so I don’t need a formal business plan that will be presented to potential investors for example. I’m assuming you are in a similar situation. Either way though, you need to have a plan. Let’s think in laymens terms. When people say business plan, they simply want to know what you do and where you are headed. Your business needs to have a direction and goals, otherwise what’s driving it all? This is where your thoughts from last week will come in. Ultimately, you are creating a mission vision statement. Okay, I know that a mission statement and a vision statement are technically two different things. I like to combine them, to encompass the two ideas of what you currently do – products, services, etc… and what you are working towards for the future – the ultimate big picture vision. Take note that this is not your CV or biography of past efforts. It’s like your directive…simple and to the point! The mission is specific – what you do, whereas the vision is the bigger picture.

I do not claim to understand it all and I’m not a writer – from my blog posts you can tell that I get wordy! So this is a challenging process for me as well…but I do find it helpful to get something down in writing and use that as my guide for my business decisions moving forward. It helps to think about talking to a friend, trying to tell them what you do. A bit of editing also helps! Remember that whatever you decide on – it’s not set in stone and it might change with the times. It’s simply a jumping off point so you can move forward.

To use my passion and skill in design and illustration to create a profitable business that brings joy, empowers and inspires us all to live happily. Artistry for blissful living. My mission is pretty specific in terms of starting a business with my art and being profitable is important to me personally, especially in this point in life. It clearly says I design and illustrate. However, the driving force is about bringing joy, empowerment and inspiration – my motivations. Which leads to my vision – short and simple, because ultimately it’s about creating for a happy joyful life. I like it. Perhaps not perfect and perhaps not written so elegantly, but it directs me and that’s where I am right now. Woohoo! Statement done. Now it’s your turn – write it up and stick it on your bulletin board!

WRITE OUT MORE ACTIONABLE DETAILS

Now you have a directive. Sweet! To continue the “business plan” get into a few more specifics since you are putting it down on paper already. I know it seems like boring stuff to do, but just write out exactly what you do or what products or services you are offering. List them out plainly and clearly. For those who offer services, you might go into details about pricing and rates. All those details are good to have figured out and done with before approaching clients. Of course, they might change them over time but you need something to start with. Another good exercise is to write out who your ideal customer is. Whenever you come up with new products or services you’ll know exactly if it jives for your ideal customer. Again, it’s all about helping you focus and move towards your ultimate goals. If you have the reason why your particular products or services are super unique and cool…write that down as well. It’s your unique selling point and helps to direct your marketing. The why is the essential point when it comes to marketing yourself…because I think that is what people care about. There are millions of people who probably do exactly what you do and are maybe even better skilled or more experienced than you. The why will differentiate you and make you stand apart from others. There’s a great TED talk by Simon Sinek that really illustrates the point – check that out for some inspiration.

I think of myself as creating for blissful living and truly living it. I took the plunge and went from a “normal” life I hated to a different “normal life” that I love! I like to declare that I live in the beautiful Tuscan hills of Italy, eating delicious pasta and drinking wine – not to make people jealous – but to inspire blissful living! I live it out and then design it to bring joy, empower and inspire. That’s why you might like my work. We all want to be happy and live well…and why not?!

I know many of you have all of these thoughts and statements in your mind and perhaps you are thinking it’s all too visionary and loose. Well, it’s all necessary as we move into the details. With direction, now I can write out my actionable steps to outline the operations and ongoing promotion of my business. Perhaps it’s best explained by example. My day to day operations is to live blissfully so that I can create my collections of artwork that exemplify the feeling – to be licensed in the end. I have listed out 10 themes I would like to work on, with about 10-20 pieces in each theme. It’s a concrete way to direct my day-to-day work. As I take on that task, I will also be able to define the timing…how many collections I will create in a certain amount of time. At this point, I’m not yet sure on my speed or if it’s something that can be set on a timeline – yet. On the marketing end I have decided on specific actions to get myself out there.

• Submit my work to potential manufacturing clients (1-2 weekly)
• Introduce myself to one related online blogger or magazine for promotion weekly
• Print postcards yearly to send to mailing list
• Offer monthly free printables to build my mailing list
• Blog progress and share through social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook page, Flickr)

Just to note, these are ideas and they will vary depending on your business type. It could include handing out flyers or specific advertising. Write them all out first then edit later…sometimes it takes a while to refine your plans and a business plan is always evolving anyway, so don’t worry that anything is set in stone.

Finally, you should also write out some specific goals, so that you can measure if you are successful or not. What are the measurable results you are expecting? For example, I could say get 2-3 license contracts in my first year. It could be something like sell a certain amount in a specific amount of time. It has to be specific so you can tell if you’ve accomplished the goal or not. Goals can also be about bettering your skills, not just results like profit. I could say take a class and improve my watercoloring skills to create a watercolor collection of art. Or perhaps learn a certain video program to create an animated reel by the end of the year to put on YouTube. Write out those goals and actionable items!

YOUR BUSINESS NAME

For many this is already done and for others, it might require a bit of thought. What is your business name? This will drive your website, promotional materials and other documents and presentations. Many artists simply go with their name. Or sometimes name with an added word, like John Smith Designs or John Smith & Co. This option is probably the simplest and easiest. For me personally, I’ve delved into different names…trying to be clever and cute. This blog is named after my Italian nickname, but I’ve already run into trouble with people not knowing how to pronounce it and already being inconsistent in spelling it as one word or two words. Since I create many different types of work in different mediums, the common thread is ultimately me. So I’ve decided to go with my name to keep it simple, although my last name isn’t the easiest to pronounce either! Got to go with what you have though. When deciding on a name just make sure it doesn’t end up being a bad word if two words are stuck together or that it’s something unpronounceable by the common audience. Some people abbreviate part of their name to make it simpler as well. Do a little brainstorming, look at it in different angles and make the decision.

I think it’s fine to name your blog or social media contacts something else, especially if you already have them setup and don’t want to convert. In other cases, certain names might be taken and you just have to go with whatever is available. Once decided upon, this is the name you will use for official business papers, payment, logos, contracts, marketing materials, etc. I do recommend going and signing up on everything you might be interested in using once you’ve got your business name. It’s like claiming your spot, even if you aren’t going to touch it for a while. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, WordPress, Youtube, Blogspot, Typepad – whatever you might use! Better to have it and never use it in my opinion! It’s always disappointing when you think you have the perfect name, then realize everything is already taken by your doppelgänger!

On the topic of a business name, once you have it decided make sure to do the research and claim the name for yourself officially. Some folks go into registering or trademarking, getting the business license, registering the business name, etc. The rules and regulations depend on where you live. Do you need permits to do business or do you want to set up a corporation or go at it as a sole proprietor? I like the idea of starting a business officially, because then you can keep it separate from your life. Especially if you are married and have many different things going on, it helps to set it up as a separate entity. However, I don’t have much experience in all that so do your research and get it sorted out. I do believe that getting some advice from a laywer or accountant will be well worth it.

Personally, I have decided to go ahead as an independent, sole proprietor because I already have freelance work and other small things going on in that capacity. It’s already challenging getting taxes done as a US citizen living in Italy – so I just don’t want to delve into it right now. Suffice to say that you should do some research for starting a business where you live and decide what you need to do to get official.

YOUR LOGO

Now that you have your name a logo should be developed. You’ll be using it for your promotional materials and online presence, so it’s good idea to get it done as soon as you have your name decided. I thought it would be simplest to go with my name written out in a font that I like, pretty straightforward. Some people go with their signature or somehow incorporate their artwork into a logo as well. As you look at the variety of logos and brands out there, I’m sure you’ll realize that it could take a long time to come up with a logo. You can certainly hire a designer to do it for you as well. Since I’m a designer, I’m doing it for myself. I don’t want to include artwork in it, because my work is so varied. Again, I’m focusing more on me as a brand…so I started playing with my favorite colors…

You might already have something in existence or a clear idea in your mind of what you want. Or you might have wanted something simple, but then as you got into it started going off into a million tangents. I started designing and creating variations and just played around for hours. Okay, it’s an important step…but I don’t want to get hung up on it. I can always change it if one day it’s suddenly horrible to me… remember, nothing set in stone. Just make the best possible decision you can at the moment. If you do not have design skills, I do recommend getting a professional to help because it is representative of you and your business. You don’t want to present something that is low quality in terms of the basics of graphic presentation. I had to stop myself from tinkering endlessly and now I’m taking a look at my final variations. Perhaps variations can be used for different purposes or perhaps I might go with one. I’m also looking at it in black and white to make sure it looks good on faxes 🙂

The idea is to keep it simple, but whimsical and cute in a style to reflect my work. The tagline “design & illustration” does not have to be included, but I like it there to be clear I’m not an interior designer or such. It’s sort of like a label or brand image…I like it. I’m going to look at it printed out large and small…then choose one to go with. My logo is pretty much done now. Check.

MARKETING MATERIALS

Now that you have your name and logo, get some business cards. I know many people think it’s an old fashioned way to leave your contact information. Well, I don’t care if it’s old fashioned, it’s effective. I think people like to get your card especially if you are a creative business…because chances are you’ll have a creative business card design! Again, get professional help if you need it…or keep it super simple. The tools we have today make it easy to print a bunch of business cards by simply uploading an image and typing in your info. It can be that simple. Perhaps your work will speak for itself? Also, the cost makes it so that you can also re-order if anything needs to change. Order in small quantities. In fact, many creatives revamp their business card from time to time or rotate imagery by the season. I’ve ordered from Vistaprint before and find it really easy and affordable. If you sign up for their newsletter, you’ll often get coupon codes and deals as well. You can also do a quick search online and I’m sure you’ll find many different printers to go with that are affordable, with decent quality for your purposes.

Once you have business cards, you can finally spread the word and get your business into people’s minds and hands. While you are at it, feel free to print postcards or other marketing materials to hand out and share. It’s up to you what you want to spend or what makes sense with your business specifically. Folks who sell items usually like to print something to include in orders like bookmarks or notecards. I know that in this technological age, some people feel that the business card is defunct. But I think there’s something special and irreplaceable about having that tactile card in hand.

WEB PRESENCE

I’ve already mentioned the idea of claiming your name once you have it decided upon and it’s important to do this for your web presence as well. Do you already own your domain name? I have lindatieu.com and you can see it’s just a splash page I’ve had for a while. It’s best to be able to get your exact business name for all aspects of your business, domain name, blogname, twitter account, etc. However, I understand that it is not always possible. Sometimes names are taken or there might be limits on the length of the name. Again, just take a look at your options and go with something. I would stay away from using hyphens or weird spellings though…better to be clear and direct. Consider adding a descriptive word after your business name if you are looking for variations, like design, studio or artist. Also, I would recommend going with the .com version and if you want, buying all the variations as well. I’m not so into doing that when I already have the .com. If you have a really long name, sometimes owning the full version, but also the abbreviation that is easier to promote. All your domain names can be pointing to the same website, so you can own as many variations as you want.

I purchase all my domain names through namecheap. Never had problems with them, so stayed a customer for many years now. However, if you just need one domain it might be easier to simply purchase it together where you will be buying your hosting. I had issues with my old hosting company and just switched to Bluehost this year. I love the immediate access and control I have to start developing my sites and so far the service has been great. Of course, there are a million hosting companies out there to choose from. I do recommend going with a larger company more than anything else though… there are a lot of startups that are low quality and one day just disappear!

We will get into the details of building up your website and blog soon, but for now just claim your spot. I realize that not everyone will want to delve into coding their own website or even hiring professionals to do it. Even though setting up a WordPress site is super easy these days…it just might not be something you are into. For artists there are many other options that will be completely valid as your portfolio website. Just get your domain name, then you can direct it to a paid portfolio website where you choose a theme and just upload your images and info. I haven’t used any of them personally, but a quick search online will give you an abundant amount of options. There’s this blog post with a huge list of options…again, pick your path and go with it.

YOUR PORTFOLIO WORK

Finally, my last step this week is to gather all my artwork together for organization. For visual artists, you might already have a body of work ready to be uploaded into your portfolio. In my case, work is scattered in many different places, digital files here and there and in other cases no digital files at all. I know that to create collections and themes of work, I will be working from scratch as well as off some of the work I already have. Studio time is of the utmost importance – you cannot stop creating! It’s bizarre to have to write about it, but it’s really important. If you don’t have your product, your service, your work – what are you going to show to people? If you are moving from hobby to professional, it is important to think about creating new work as well. There’s always a difference, because you are approaching it with a different perspective.

So I’m taking some time to gather all my work into one place, making high-resolutions scans and organizing into one folder. Now, I can take a look at everything and evaluate. How will I present my work – are there common themes or bodies of work in existence? What is suitable to show off, what do I need to work on? If you are just starting out, you might not have a whole lot to show but it should not stop you from the process of building up your business. Just know that part of your plan is to create work to rotate in… we all have to start somewhere! I certainly find myself in a situation where I will be working constantly, because my previous work is very random and one off. Next time around we will delve more into the studio time and work aspect of your creative business. I’m coming at it as a visual artist…but hopefully this can be applied to your situation as well. Perhaps polishing your product or service offerings? Even creating work to show off a new service option or new style that you want to get into.

TAKE ACTION

Okay, I know this is a lot to take in. It’s really just a few steps, but I am explaining my process at the same time, sharing my examples in hopes that it will help others. Not to mention creating a record for myself and holding myself accountable for progress. I know that many folks get stuck just coming up with a name. Or maybe you just can’t settle on that vision statement. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap. There is no perfection and you must realize it’s all going to evolve over time. So just do the best that you can – do it – then move on. I was getting a bit stuck on certain parts, but I had to push through and just get it done this week. I’m so glad to have come to this point and I know you will be too…so get to it! I’ll be back soon to share my next steps in this creative business adventure 🙂 Ciao ciao!