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.