Not very many years ago a young woman started a business selling cookies. After discouragement from family and friends and multiple rejections by banks, she had finally persuaded one bank manager to give her a small loan.
Maybe it was the freshly made chocolate chip cookies she brought to the loan officer. Whatever the reason, after all the other loan officers had declined Debbi's proposal, he gave Debbi a $5,000 loan.
With the loan, Debbie started a small business doing the one thing people had always complimented her on: baking cookies. Opening day came. Her husband made a bet that Debbi couldn't sell $50 worth of cookies.
Armed with determination and the pretties, most delicious array of cookies she could bake, Debbi opened up her bakery.
No one came in. Not. One. Person.
With a platter of cookies in her hand, Debbi walked out to the sunny streets of Palo Alto and began to give cookies away.
"Just try them," she said to suspicious people. Suspicion turned to delight as people tasted the cookies. Soon, people began to trickle into the store. Debbi ended the day selling several cookies.
And the bet with her husband? Debbi won with sales totaling $75.
You may have guessed who the woman is. Debbi Fields turned her cookie business to a multi-million, international company by the 1990's.
Debbi was a good cookie baker but it wasn't her baking skills that brought her the first days success (and the days after).
The difference maker was Debbie's ability to blend her great product with the business skill set of an entrepreneur.
The Shift in Work & Business for Everyone...including the Artist
We've already seen the first massive change hit the global economy in the last 15 years. The onset of the digital age left many artists feeling stranded, unable to make as much money in traditional venues as they used to and frustrated and loss.
We need to grow as artpreneurs- blending the skill and beauty of an artist with the ability to go out and get stuff done and pull money in like an entrepreneur. As Dave Ramsey says, an entrepreneur goes out, kills something and brings it home for dinner. A bit graphic for my taste but he gets the point across like a Ben Franklin colloquialism.
Entrepreneurs have an aversion to sitting around and letting life happen to them. They go out and make things happen. Sometimes the things they try work. Sometimes they don't work so well.
As a creative I can get into the habit of creating. Lots and lots of creating. Creating is great. Creating helps me grow. But at some time I really need to actually go out and sell something- and not just one thing but a lot of things. The whole starving-artist thing stinks. And while a few artists do make it big by lucky breaks (highly unusual) most of us will be able to create income by blending art and business.
The Core Characteristics of an Artpreneur
Before discussing how to make money, I think there needs to be a shift in thinking. In today's world the artist may have a hard time making a sustainable living selling their artwork at shows. But, with the entrepreneurial mindset, the artists begins to see opportunities everywhere in the marketplace (more on that in the next post in the series).
Entrepreneurs tend to think differently. They see opportunities and options. Obstacles are seen as barriers to beat not blocks to be discouraged by.
An entrepreneur doesn't get bogged down by a bad economy, a lack of resources or their own failures. They have a resilience to keep going despite the marks against them. Others may look at them and scratch their heads, wondering why they do what they do and "when will you get a real job?" The entrepreneur stubbornly keeps going, possibly taking on day jobs, side jobs or other freelance work while they continue to work on their art.
Entrepreneurs have an appetite for learning. When they realize they don't know something, they go out and figure it out. Many entrepreneurs consume books, often on the same subjects, gaining more insight and different perspectives.
Entrepreneurs see a need in the market and fill it.
When Eric Bandholz went to a bearded man conference in 2011 he didn't know he was making a turning point in his entrepreneurial life. Eric had been trying to start a business for 10 years with little success to show for his efforts. However, at the conference Eric realized there was a significant demographic- men with beards- who needed better grooming materials. The idea didn't take off right away. He started a blog and updated it monthly. Then the NY Times called, wanting to do an article. Eric realized that if the NY Times provided significant exposure he was going to need something to sell!
He began to sell products under the BeardBrand company.
Between some exposure and a lot of word of mouth (Eric gives Facebook a big plus for growing his business), the company went from $1,000 in sales in 2012 to five figures a month in sales in 2013.
Eric was part of a group who had a) a similar interest (growing & maintaining beards) and 2) was interested in spending money on their beards.
Crazy story? Check it out for yourself.
Entrepreneurs figure out how to put themselves, their products and their services in front of people. The entrepreneur is Debbi Fields at 19 years old on the first day of her cookie business. No one was entering the store to buy her cookies- what did she do?
She went out to the people with her cookies.
Baking cookies may have been her art. But her ability to sell was the entrepreneurial side of Debbi.
All because Debbi wouldn't take "no" for an answer. "I'm allergic to failure," she said.
Debbi may have had a fledgling cookie shop but at heart she was an entrepreneur.
An artpreneur sees multiple opportunities and tries multiple things; sometimes at the same time. This is more commonly called, the law of massive action. When they get an idea, they usually jump in with both feet, doing multiple things to make it work.
In no greater way is an entrepreneur more obvious than in the ability to get stuff done.
Today many people suffer from paralysis by analysis. Everything requires buying 10 books, listening to several experts and doing endless research on the subject matter.
Then we talk about doing stuff. We join groups with other people who talk about doing things. We discuss what it takes and all sorts of helpful topics.
But the one thing that separates the entrepreneur from the people described above is ACTION.
Without action nothing happens.
And the more we action we put out, the more opportunities there are for good things to start happening.
How Hungry Are You?
Some people believe entrepreneurs are born, not made.
I disagree.
I think any of us can learn the entrepreneurial mindset and become artpreneurs.
Many entrepreneurs can take their skill set and apply it to any business.
We are going to take the entrepreneurial mindset and apply it to our art.
How can you take what you are currently doing, pour oil all over it and set it on fire with activity?
One of the biggest roadblocks artists have is selling their work. They may have a pile of their product in their closet or on the walls but nothing happens with creating a lifestyle of a working artpreneur because they haven't told anyone about what they are doing.
In the next session we will talk about selling your art. I'll have resources for you to look at and action steps to take.
To sum up, the mindset of an Artpreneur:
- Thinks Differently
- Works on Different Projects at the Same Time
- Follows the "Law of Massive Action"
- Knows How to Get Products and Services in Front of People
- See a Need in the Market & Fill the Need
- Have an Appetite for Learning
Missed the last two sessions on becoming an artpreneur? Check out how my Grandma used a postcard strategy to promote my Grandfather's fine art business. Then, I talk about my experience in the candle making craft business.
What parts of being an artpreneur are you already excelling in? What one thing can you start doing to grow as an entrepreneur?
The post How to Become an Artpreneur: Blending Art and Business appeared first on Launch Your Creative Life.
