D - Displays

Displays - Any artist who hopes to participate in art shows, needs to think about booth display. Display elements include tablecloths, signs, banners, business card holders, display stands (such as jewelry stands for jewelers), and picture hangers (for 2-D artists).

Displays should be visually-unified and welcoming. They should allow the customers easy access to the artwork so that they can adequately view all pieces. Displays should also visually represent the artist's brand (see B).

For display ideas, artists can look on photo sites such as Flickr.com to see successful artist's booths. Though artists shouldn't steal the look of any one booth, they can incorporate great ideas from many booths and refine them into a useful booth display.

E - Etsy

Etsy - Really, what else is there to say about Etsy.com, except that it is THE place for art business. Not only does Etsy provide artists with a free shop and low listing fees, but it also offers a wealth of information in their seller handbook.

For those still in the dark, Etsy is an online marketplace for artisans and those selling vintage items. Etsy is a great way for artist to start small and build their brands. Artists pay by listing, so they can choose whether they want to list a lot of product or just a few things.

Besides the shop, artists can find selling and marketing tips in the "seller handbook" section. Some helpful tips include how to take quality product photos, how to create gift certificates, and how to increase your item views. Because of these useful business aids, Etsy is a wonderful place for artists to start and learn the basics of online art sales.

Ofcourse, every good thing has a flip side, and Etsy is no exception. The down side to Etsy is the fact that it is saturated with artists. A new artist on Etsy really has to struggle to be seen on such a huge site with so many competing stores. If an artist depends only on the Etsy search tool, he or she will see very few sales. This is why artists must advertise (see A) and promote their items off of the site. If an artist drives traffic to his or her particular shop, the sales should go up.

F - Facebook Fan Page

Facebook Fan Page - Facebook.com is a useful social networking site that can help artists to generate traffic to an online store. Artists can create a fan page for their artwork and invite friends to become fans.

A Facebook fan page can be created for free. It should feature a variety of artwork images, a description of the artist's business and a link to the online store. The fan page can be used to introduce new products, announce promotions or sales and advertise upcoming events such as art shows.

Once a fan page has been created, artists can also purchase advertising space on Facebook to promote their fan page and their site. The advertising cost is relatively low and the ads will be targeted to people who show an interest in similar shops and items.

G - Good Customer Service

Good Customer Service - Good customer service is the best advertising an artist can create. It is important that artists provide quality products and excellent customer service to generate repeat sales and word-of-mouth advertising.

One of the ways artists can ensure quality costumer service is by providing clear communication. Create a set of policies that clearly express information such as:

• When should the costumer expect to receive their item after ordering?
• What is the return policy?
• What payment types are accepted?
• What to do if a refund or exchange is needed.

If clear policies are set upfront, customers can avoid frustration during the buying process.

Shop owners should also e-mail customers as soon as a purchase is made to let the customer know that they received the order and will be mailing it out soon. Once the order is mailed, artists should e-mail the customer with the tracking number for their package. It's also helpful to tell the customer to contact them with any questions. By maintaining an open stream of communication the seller can make the customer feel more comfortable and more satisfied with the buying experience.

H - Hand Gel

Hand Gel - This may sound like an odd tip, but antibacterial hand gel can be invaluable at art shows. Not only does it help to keep vendors healthy while handling all of the germ-laden money, but it can help to disinfect jewelry. In this way, jewelry artists can allow customers to try on jewelry such as earrings. They can just coat the earring posts in hand gel and rub them clean with a cloth.

I - Inventory

Inventory - For artists who participate in craft shows, building inventory is a must. Artists must have an idea of an adequate amount of product to take for an art show. This will vary for each artist. As the inventory dwindles, the artist must create more pieces to stay ready for upcoming art shows.

Even if no art shows are currently looming in the future, artists should keep their inventory up to date in case an opportunity presents itself. Artists should also create a way to adequately label and guage the amount of product they have. A simple graph can help artists to quickly assess the amount of product they have and how much more they need to produce.

Of course, by creating surplus inventory, artists will also need a way to store the inventory until the shows. For painters, this might mean finding an extra room to store paintings. For jewelers, they might need to buy a set of bins and labels to store jewelry.

J - Just Smile

Just Smile - This tip carries a few meanings. First, it is important for artists to appear pleasant and welcoming at art shows. They shouldn't try to oversell their product. If the product is good, it will sell. Instead, artists should just smile and let the customer know that they are there if they have any questions. This method will make customers more likely to browse and feel comfortable at the booth.

Also, it is important for artists to remember that there will be up times and down times. Sometimes running an art business can be frustrating, but it is important to persevere. So when it seems like nothing is working, just smile and push through until you find something that does work. The ability to adapt to problems is the one thing that will ensure future success for any business person.

M - Moo Business Cards

Moo Business Cards - Moo.com cards are actually more than just business cards. This company allows an artist to order a box of regular or mini cards featuring a variety of their images (a different one for each card). The Moo business cards are really like a mini portfolio.

Artists can choose to keep the cards to show to prospective clients or pass them out at shows and events. Either way, the cards provide a professional way for artists to show off their shops. Each card is printed on glossy cardstock in brilliant colors. They clearly and crisply present artwork in a vibrant format.

Moo.com also offers other accessories such as stickers, greeting cards and post cards. Post cards can be particularly helpful in preparing for an art show, as they can be mailed to prospective customers. The stickers can also come in handy when packaging artwork to ship. A photo sticker placed strategically on tissue paper wrapping can create a polished and professional look.

Whatever the needs, Moo.com provides many business solutions for artists. To go to their website to learn more, simply click on the link in the side bar of this page.

N - Network

Network - Networking is one of the most useful ways of finding new opportunities to sell art. Making friends with other artists allows you to pick their brains for useful art business information, such as upcoming art shows, selling tips and time management.

It is true that WHO you know is sometimes as important as what you know. You could be qualified for an art show, but maybe the organizers of that show know other qualified artists that they'd like to feature. Is it fair? Maybe not, but it happens all the time. It never hurts to get to know people that can advise you on your art career.

A key rule of thumb, as corny as it sounds, is to be friendly and pleasant to show organizers and other artists. If people think you are easy to work with, they will want to work with you again. Making a good impression is so important to securing future show spots.

Bottom line, don't burn any bridges. Your talent is very important, but no one will want to work with a talented snob.

O - Outright

Outright - Outright.com is an online book-keeping software program that allows artists to track their income and expenses. This software documents spending and income and can be linked to a Paypal account. It will automatically deduct or add money based on Paypal transactions. Spending or income can also be entered manually.

Outright.com is a useful tool for tax season as well. It will tally up individual business expenses and income and divide them into categories used by tax preparers. Doing taxes for a business can be incredibly difficult and this software helps to make it a bit easier by preparing all financial information.

Another great aspect about Outright.com is the fact that it is free to use. Artists simply have to sign up with a username and password and then grant access to a Paypal account. Outright will track expenses as they happen and generate timely reports of earnings or losses.

P - Paypal (Virtual Terminal), Propay

Paypal - A Paypal account is essential for artists who wish to sell their wares online. Paypal.com allows customers to make payments via credit card and the payments are safely processed and deposited into the artist's online account. The funds can then be transferred to a local bank or used directly from the online Paypal account.

It is free to register and fairly simple to use Paypal. Artists need to sign up and register a username and password. They then need to verify the account by registering either a credit card, bank account or debit card. Money can then be deposited into the Paypal account using one of these methods. When the artist receives payments, those payments are credited in the Paypal account and can then be transferred to either the bank account, credit card or debit card. Paypal does charge a 2.9%  fee to process payments.

Paypal also provides a number of services that members can take advantage of. Paypal users can agree to turn their Paypal account into a money market account that gains interest. Account holders can also sign up for a Paypal debit card that can be used to purchase goods using direct funds from the Paypal account. Perhaps the most useful tool for artists though, is the Paypal Virtual Terminal.

The Paypal Virtual Terminal allows business owners to process credit cards using the computer. It does cost around $30 a month, but for artists who participate in an art show each month, it quickly pays for itself. The great thing about the Virtual Terminal is the high volume of payments that can be processed per month. The Virtual Terminal allows artists to process over $10,000.00 worth of sales a month. It charges a percentage fee on each charge, and the percentage decreases as the number of sales rise. The highest percentage fee is 3.4%.

Artists can use Virtual Terminal with a manual credit card machine or knucklebuster (see K). They simply need to swipe the credit card and make sure the numbers imprint on the receipt. They also need to mark the type of credit card that was used, i.e. Visa, Mastercard, etc. Finally, they need to get the expiration date and the contact information for the person using the card. This information can then be entered into the Virtual Terminal later that night, after the show. At shows where WiFi is available, artists can use Virtual Terminal at their booths from their personal computer.

Propay - Propay is another website that provides a credit card processing service. Unlike Paypal, Propay exists solely to process credit cards for business people. Many artisans prefer Propay because the membership fee costs less, even though the processing fees are roughly the same. Propay uses a graduated membership system with different yearly membership fees.

The least expensive Propay membership, at arond $35.00 a year, allows artists to process Visa and Mastercard but they cannot exceed over $1000.00 in sales each month. The most expensive plan, at around $300.00 a year, allows artists to process Visa, Mastercard, Discover and AmEx and the monthly processing limit starts at $3,000.00. Artists can apply to expand the limit, but there are no guarantees that they will be able to process over $3,000.00 a month. For many artists though, this limit is very reasonable.

S - Study, Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center, Square

Study - Artists should continually strive to advance their skills. They might not do it by taking a traditional class, but they can watch tutorials online, read instructional books and even participate in the Etsy labs to learn new techniques. Art business people should also study up on business strategies. Business has to be as important as art in order to make a full-time living with art sales.

Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center - The small business and self-employed tax center is a page of the IRS website that helps small business owners find all of the necessary tax forms and documents. Artists can register their business and apply for an EIN (Employer Identification Number) that allows them to hire help. Artists can also find important forms for filing their yearly income tax.

Artists who plan on pursuing a full-time art career need to register with both state and federal government agencies to be able to collect sales tax and file income taxes. Many art shows do not allow artists to participate unless they have the required state documents to collect the sales tax. It's also just important to be professional to prevent any future problems with audits.

The small business and self-employed tax center is a wonderful resource for anyone seeking small business tax information at the Federal level. Each state also has sites for small businesses though, and don't neglect viewing that information to be prepared as you start your business.

Square - Square is a service that will process your credit cards through your smart phone. Sign up at http://www.squareup.com/ and they will send you a free card reader. Use the reader with the Square app on your smart phone to process credit cards at shows. You will only need to pay a small credit card processing fee for each transaction, which is much better than paying a monthly fee AND a processing fee, like most credit card processing companies.

U - Understand Your Target Market

Understand Your Market - Every small business person has to understand his or her target market. They must know who they are marketing to and what that group of people values.

An artist who sells high-cost sterling silver and gold jewelry probably won't be selling to teenagers, whereas a funky artist who creates plastic jewelry out of shrinky dinks might. Artists need to continually think about who their work is intended for. This doesn't mean that they have to change their work to fit a different market, but instead find the market that is perfect for their work.

Artists can look for certain variables in the market to determine their target market. These variables include age, gender, financial affluence, geographic location, and even whether or not the target market are parents. Each artist or crafts person will have different criteria for assessing their target market, but they should continually be thinking about who could best use their products. For instance, a crafter making baby blankets probably wouldn't want to participate in an art show on a college campus. Even though there may be parents there, the concentration of parents would be less than if that crafter was at a street festival for families.

By understanding the target market and choosing to participate in events that appeal to that market, an artist can maximize his or her earning potential. Artists can also spare themselves the time, money and effort of participating in an event that doesn't adequately showcase their work for the right market.

Though no event is ever totally targeted to only one market, artists can use some smart business sense to pick events that will get them the most contact with their target market. In this way, artists can be even more successful and build a strong customer base.

V - Value Your Time and Work

Value Your Time and Work - Crafters and artists face a lot of competition when trying to sell their goods. Sometimes it is tempting to lower prices to compete with all of the other art businesses online. Though this is tempting, artists should never sell themselves short by devaluing their work. Instead, hold the work to a higher standard and take pride in your ability to offer a unique, high-quality product that customers will recommend to friends and family.

Though artists need to price their work realistically to compete, they need to find a comfortable price point that will provide them with an adequate hourly income (see L) and still produce regular sales. If the work doesn't sell at the price, it may need more advertising, marketing or exposure at art shows and events. Don't immediately drop prices if items aren't selling. Instead, give the business time to build a loyal customer base. This could take six months to a year. If, after the first year and excessive marketing, the sales are still slow, than it might be time to think about slightly lowering prices.