B - Brand, Blog

Brand - Customers want to be able to identify with your product. They want to be able to look at your store and understand the type of style, subject matter and quality they will receive when ordering from you. This is why artists need to pay close attention to branding their product.

Branding is a process of defining the visual qualities of your store. The products need to have a unifying element that ties them all together. For instance, a store could feature all modern-inspired items that use bold colors and simple geometric shapes. That same store should use logos, packaging, business cards and promotional materials that also use modern elements, bold colors and simple geometric shapes.

When branding, it is important to ask a few questions such as:

• What are the three main visual elements that define my work?
• Is their an overall theme to my subject matter?
• Do my shop images, logos, packaging, business cards and promotional material complement the visual quality of my artwork? i.e. If the artwork is organic in nature, do the promotional materials convey that as well?
• How is my work different from all of the other artists doing what I do? How do I stand out?
• What three words would a customer use to describe my products? Can those three words apply to all of the products?

Blog -  Blogging can be useful for artists who want to engage customers in the process and developments of making and selling art. Blogging can help to raise awareness of a product, provide free advertising (see A) and help the artist track his or her business journey.

Sites such as blogger.com and wordpress.com offer free blogging platforms that look professional and are simple to use. Bloggers needn't write a ton of content to stay current. A post a week is enough to generate interest.

Successful bloggers use some specific tactics to increase their blog followers. They invite guest bloggers to write a post, so that the guest will direct traffic to the blog. They feature other artists' items on their blog so that those artists will advertise the blog. They also join blogger groups of writers who cover similar topics. Each of these tactics, should increase a blog's following.

C - Craftcult.com, Craft Show Listings

Craftcult.com - This website allows Etsy users to see how many new hearts they have received on their individual items and on their shop. Users need to click on the "heart-o-matic" link on the site and type their store's name in the provided space. A list will then be generated that shows all of the current and new hearts.

Users can also use Craftcult.com to find out if their store has been featured on Etsy's front page. Users need to click on "the vault" tab at the top of the page and then choose "search for member". Type the store's name in the space that pops up and a list will be generated of any past front page treasuries featuring items from that shop.

Craft Show Listings -  There are a number of databases online that advertise upcoming art shows. I've compiled a list of some websites that feature craft and art shows throughout the country. Some of these sites require membership, but all are free.

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.

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.

Q - Question the Pros

Question the Pros - The best way to be successful in the art business is to ask the advice of people who have already succeeded. There are a number of ways to do this both virtually and in person.

To start, take advantage of the Etsy forums and their "Quit Your Day Job" series. Though forums can be bogged down with people wasting time and chatting about who knows what, some posts can be extremely helpful. I find that the "Business Topics" section is best for useful advice. Many successful artists post in that section and are quick to share knowledge with newbies.

The "Quit Your Day Job" series is a string of stories featuring people who were able to make a full-time living from their art business. They share the ups and downs of making a full-time living from their art. It's useful to hear what has helped in their success and also what challenges they have faced in the process.

Participating in art shows is another wonderful way to pick the brains of seasoned art pros. Get to know the people participating in the event and ask them about their businesses. Each person will probably be able to offer something useful, and it never hurts to network (see N).

Taking an art class can also expand access to other artists in the area. Look for community art classes that target art educators and art business people. These classes can provide invaluable information and help you to network with many other artists and art educators.

R - Receipts

Receipts - Receipts are important for both sales records and to present a professional business appearance. Luckily receipts are easy to produce in a couple ways.

When using a knucklebuster (see K) to process credit cards, the receipt is automatically generated with the swipe of the machine. The artist simply needs to input the sales information as well as the expiration date, type of credit card and customer contact information. The sheet then produces a carbon-copy that can be given to the customer and an original receipt that the artist keeps.

When processing a cash transaction, artists can use carbon-copy receipts purchased from a local office store like Kinkos, Office Depot or Staples. They simply need to fill out the sales information, add the tax and provide a total at the bottom. These sheets can then be separated so that both customer and artist can have a copy.

The receipts can be kept in a file box, with a different file for each show. This helps artists keep their sales straight and provides clear, organized records that will help at tax time.

Any receipts from purchases should also be kept and tracked using book-keeping software such as Outright.com (see O). Artists should keep receipts from purchases such as the following:

• Supplies
• Gas for riding to and from art shows
• Application and booth fees
• Etsy fees
• Paypal fees
• Legal or tax services
• Workspace improvements
• Internet (and possibly phone) bills
• Any other related expense

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.

T - Twitter

Twitter - Twitter.com is a fast and efficient way of alerting customers to deals, new products and events. Twitter.com allows users to post small announcements of 140 characters or less. These announcements can feature links, but no pictures or other html.

Because of the space limitations of Twitter, two sites offer services to shrink URL's to fit on the Twitter posts. These sites are bit.ly and tinyurl.com. Simply go to either one of these sites and type in the original URL. The site will then generate a much smaller URL that can be posted into Twitter. This allows a business person to link to an Etsy shop or a blog.

Twitter can also be linked to a Facebook fan page (see F). This will automatically input any fan page updates directly on the artist's Twitter page. This is a great way for artists to make announcements without having to go back and forth between social networking media.

Business owners can also learn more about Twitter's features in the Twitter Business Tips Center. This section will give business owners information on how to promote their wares and increase customers by using Twitter.

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.

W - Wholesale

Wholesale - Wholesale orders can help artists stay afloat and produce an income apart from online and show sales. Wholesale orders are usually placed by shops or art dealers for a set number of a particular product. The shop owners receive a discount by ordering in bulk. By selling wholesale artists also gain greater exposure and can sell their work in different parts of the country.

The average wholesale price will be 60% of the normal purchase price of the item. Some artists also offer discounts to wholesale buyers when they purchase over a certain amount of product, as determined by the artist. Though the artist loses 40% of the income, they also don't have to worry about sales or advertising for those items. In this way, the artist might be making only slightly less than he or she would normally be making on the items.

To market items to wholesalers, artists need to create a line sheet. A line sheet is a document that showcases that artist's work by piece. The line sheet should show the following pieces of information for each item:

• A high-quality photo
• Suggested retail price
• Wholesale price per # of items
• How long from point of purchase wholesalers should expect to receive items
• Materials used in creation of product
• Artist contact information

It is important for artists to have a line sheet ready at shows and online if wholesalers want to quickly review the prices. Having a line sheet handy could translate into immediate orders and possible steady future business.

X - eXtra Order Sheets

eXtra Order Sheets - When participating in art shows, instances can occur when someone likes an item, but wants it in a different size, color or format. In this case, artists should have order forms handy so that they can immediately take an order for an alternate product.

By having order forms handy, artists can receive on-the-spot payment and increase sales. It is important to provide the customer with a time frame in which they should expect to receive the order. It is also important to make sure the customer has adequate contact information in case any problems arise. Simple order sheets can be printed up at home and filled out by hand at an event or art show.

Order forms should include the following information:

• Customer's shipping address and contact information
• Item order
• Dimensions of item
• Materials used to make item
• Colors of item
• Size of item
• Price of item
• Item shipping date (The latest date on which the item will be shipped)

Y - You Own It

You Own It - Running a business means that you own any successes and failures. Successful business owners take charge, work hard and adapt to adversity to make their businesses work.

Small business owners have to be master problem solvers and incredibly self-reliant. That doesn't mean that they can't ask for help, but they have to be motivated enough to make that help work for them in their business. An art business requires daily hard work and dedication that not everyone anticipates. It also is filled with many disappointments, both financially and professionally. Artists must know how to pick themselves up, brush themselves off and persevere through any tough times.

Whether your business is a success or a failure, remember that you own it and only you can make the changes necessary to make it great.

Z - Zapplication

Zapplication - Zapplication is a free online database of art shows. Zapplication allows artists to create an online portfolio and art show application that can then be used to apply to numerous shows throughout the United States. The site features some of the top shows in the United States and provides a simple format for artists to quickly apply to shows.

To use Zapplication, artists must sign up using a username and password. They must then upload pictures of their artwork and booth display. Zapplication requires that the images be a specific data size, but they offer help to adjust the images to be approved. Once the images have been uploaded and some basic business info has been entered, artists can search through a large database of shows and instantly apply.

To apply to any shows, artists can simply click on the shows they want and select "apply". Most shows require application or jury fees and these can be paid through Paypal (see P) directly from Zapplication. Once an artist's portfolio has been created, that same portfolio can be used to apply to numerous shows. It only take minutes to apply, making Zapplication invaluable to busy artists looking for art and craft shows.