Launch a successful business selling your art or crafts

Define your goals and get organized - What are your goals as an artist? Do you hope and dream to one day have your artwork displayed in a museum or do you just want to sell enough of your art to make a good living? Defining your goals is an important first step toward your success as an artist. Realize your long-term goal and then set reasonable and attainable short-term goals.

Build your confidence - You need to believe in yourself and your artwork. If not, your marketing efforts will be less effective as the fear of rejection will hold you back. You have to learn to take risks. No one is going to come knocking at your studio door. Get out there and meet new people, network with other artists, open a booth at an art show, etc.

Get in a business mentality – If you want to be successful with your art business, then you will have to learn how to juggle more than one task. This means learning how to become successful as a businessperson. The artists that are most successful have learned how to enjoy both creating and marketing their art.

Art fairs – Art fairs open up great doors of opportunity for artists. They enable artists to market directly to the public without the need of an agent. The public loves art fairs. They usually come to these art fairs with the intention to purchase something, which creates more opportunity for an artist to make a sale and get recognized. You can find a wealth of information about art fairs online. One such place is http://www.sunshineartist.com/. Sunshine Artist is a great magazine that provides detailed information about art fairs and festivals. Check it out!

Follow up – You must get into the habit of following up with anyone who has shown interest or has appreciated your art. That person who saw your painting in the doctors office, or the person who took your business card at your last art show are leads who can possibly turn into paying customers. They may also be able to help you in other ways you never thought possible. It’s important therefore to keep in touch with everyone. Create a mailing list and ask your contacts if they would like to be added. You can send out mailers whenever you create a new piece, or to notify your contacts of upcoming exhibits or art fairs you will be attending.

Customer service – You must go above and beyond your customer’s expectations if you want to set yourself apart from the competition. Make sure you treat your customers and leads with the utmost professionalism. Answer all inquiries promptly. Send out thank you notes and instructions for preserving and caring for the art with all of your orders. Customer service is important to all businesses, and your art business should be no exception.

Artist agents - You are your own best agent. No one knows your art better then you, and no one can express yourself and your art better than you can. An agent generally deals with more than one artist at a time so their focus is not on you and your art alone. Agents usually charge a lot of money as well. By the time it’s all said and done, the artist doesn’t make very much on the sale. It’s better to learn the ropes yourself and learn how to reach your buyers directly.

Get your own unique website - The Internet has become a huge platform for selling goods and services. More and more people are going online then ever before and artists are taking advantage of this amazing opportunity. If you want to expand your business and reach more people on a worldwide scale, you should definitely consider getting your own website. You can market and sell your artwork directly online with your own website. Your website is also a great way to organize and showcase your art to interested galleries and the people you meet in public.