Coming Up with the 12 Steps to Becoming an ArtisticPreneur
The artist steps we came up with last time in conjunction with becoming more successful as an ArtisticPreneur went well, so we at ArtisticPreneur were asked by ArtistSteps.org to work with them again. This time they requested that we now come up with something a little different. We’re once more focusing on becoming successful as an ArtisticPreneur, but this round it’s starting from even further back. We are now about to present the 12 steps it takes from just having an idea to actually launching your ArtisticPreneurial business!”
The Challenging World We Live In
Not to start on a downer, but more and more we are living in an era in which that job that we thought was waiting for us when we got out of school, just plain doesn’t exist. Nor is the classic entrepreneur role for everyone because of fears of it being a dog eat dog world out there.
The “Being an Artist” Stigma
Additionally we are creative at the art form we do. Maybe even talented?! So what’s a starving artist to do? Maybe the 12 steps on the path to becoming an AritisticPreneur are for you?! Read on! The following 12 steps are the ones that we’ve taken before launching our various successful ArtisticPreneurial business.
1. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: First and foremost you need to BELIEVE. Believe in yourself. Not through mantras. Not through psychotherapy. Not by being hypnotized and certainly not through crystals or yoga camp. Or rather, maybe all these things but no dependent on one thing more than the other. The point we’re making is that you must be able to picture you end goal clearly and believe that it is achievable.
2. CHOOSE YOUR BUSINESS: Next is identifying what kind of business you are going to do and how it relates to your art. An example we’ve seen is someone who wants to be an actor could start a business of actor services of some kind. Maybe shooting headshots or editing demo reels or even teaching acting. You get the idea. Do this for your art form.
3. REFINE YOUR BUSINESS CHOICE: Now is the second look at the business you want to start. Make certain that it matches your existing skill set. What have you been hired to do in the past? What skill do your friends sometimes depend on you for? What is a big problem in your industry you can solve?
4. FURTHER REFINE YOUR BUSINESS CHOICE: If your business fits all these descriptions then continue. If not, then keep coming up with creative entrepreneurial ideas until you do. Remember, you’re aspiring to be an ARTISTICPRENEUR so think with both your artist persona as well as your business one. To further refine your idea, think about businesses you like and admire? What are their products and services? What makes them successful.
5. CLARIFY FOR YOURSELF WHO YOUR AUDIENCE IS: Now that you’re clear on your creative business idea, begin to think about WHO your customer, client or fan is. Are you your own marketing prospect? Meaning, are you looking for customers people who are like you? This can be an advantage if you approach it as objectively as possible. But bottom line is, you need to have a concrete idea of who your customer is. Sometimes this can change your business idea as you realize that the customer your think you can reach may not be a fit with your original business concept.
6. SOLVE A PROBLEM: Go back to the idea of solving a problem and make a list of services or products that you could create to solve that problem. This can actually be fun. Make certain that your ideas will CREATE VALUE for your future customers. Think in terms of always giving them more quality for their dollar than others do. Thinks can mean better customer service and even a better “mousetrap” as the saying goes.
7. CREATE YOUR BUSINESS PLAN: Now you need to create your “business plan.” This doesn’t have to be some kind of a fancy thing, but you do need to start thinking about how many customers at what price you will have to serve to make a living with your artsticpreneurial undertaking. Compare how much you think you can make versus your actual living expenses.
8. ANALYZE YOUR BUSINESS: Don’t jump into marketing yet. First consider if this is a time to maybe downsize so that your living expenses are closer to what your projections are (the amount of money you think you can make). Remember business planning improves your chances of success. And you shouldn’t take any action on marketing things such as a website before you understand how much money you can make versus your living expenses needs. Think in terms of how many clients will you need at what price and how do you retain them as customers?
9. ASK YOURSELF IF YOU’RE UP TO THE CHALLENGE: This goes back to the believe thing in the beginning. Are you going to be able to push through difficulties? You should also be a aware that when you are an ArtisticPreneur, your personal life and business life are often interconnected.
10. NETWORK: Continuing to nurture your belief in yourself and if you’re not too overly shy, force yourself to get out there and network. If you’re someone who is not prone to being able to do such a thing, be selective of the people you will be contacting. If you try to connect with people who share an interest and passion of yours – especially as relates to your ArtisticPreneurial business – you will have an easier time with this.
11. DEFINE YOUR COMMUNITY: Think of your community as being both online and off. Decide if your business needs an offline and in-person component to occur. This might require having a retail location or at least somewhere to provide the service. If you do not have the budget for this you might consider doing an online-only business and focusing on an online community.
12. BEGIN THE MARKETING PROCESS: Time to start using Digital Marketing to launch your ArtisticPreneurial business. If you have an online business needless to say you will need to focus your marketing efforts on the web. Go back to your audience. How will you reach them? How will you convert them to customers?
In Conclusion
In conclusion you want to be sure to have a quality product or service as well as know who your customer is plus how to reach him or her. Digital Marketing can be useful, especially if you are able to do your business online. And since you’re an ArtisticPreneur you might consider visiting ArtisticPreneur.com which has resources for ArtisticPreneurs just like you!