Tools for art business

So what does it take to build your business?  It seems that experts will give you a laundry list of ideas… ofcourse you need to have production – and some form of accounting, a method to sell your goods, and a way of keeping track of the sales for tax purposes.  But one thing i have been hearing more and more from experts  is how important it is to keep a great list of clients.

People who buy your products are most likely interested in what is new, what is happening, and where you will be.  I have asked a number of artists, and posted questions on art forums wanting tips for how to effectively gather email addresses, with a number of answers.  We tried the passive idea of leaving a notebook on the table with a pen…. and i even put one or two listings at the top to encourage others to add their info.  I would say that was an epic fail… few people bothered, and those that did gave email addresses that were bogus.

Another artist said she put a form on her web site to capture email addresses of her customers…. We did this, and once upon a time we get a new customer register their info.

So the tool I am employing now is boldness.  As i finish a purchase I ask if I can add their email to the mailing list, and I have been seeing favorable response.   Boldness requires me to stretch out of my comfort zone a bit, and be ready to hear “NO, Thanks”.  Look beyond the hesitation because there may not be a no, I have had some wonderful conversations that were “Yes”.