Successful Art Business, Planning and Marketing Tools and Techniques You Can Use

I recently watched a very interesting program on PBS Frontline entitled Digital Nation that has some major implications for your business or personal brand. We are spending more time on our computers, notebooks, netbooks, PDAs, Smart phones iPhones, and soon the iPad – increasingly we are using more than one of these devices at the same time. Read more

The creative economy: define success to achieve it

Nine questions to help you get there 

In working with creative individuals I have found that it is hard for many of them to define what success means. “I want to be a successful artist working in my studio” seems to be about as far as many of them can go in defining their success.

When you ask other entrepreneurs what success means they will describe their success in terms of being a market leader, capturing market share, developing new and innovative products, their distribution chain, market capitalization and the financial rewards. Thinking in these terms is not so easy for many creative types.

Success for many creatives is simply being able to pursue their passion – not a bad measure of success for any business. In some respects many businesses have to work hard to instill and keep passion thriving with their owners and employees. Passion for one’s work will get you a long way but it is not a guarantee of success. Read more

Brand is usually associated with the marketing world. For some the definition of brand means your logo or logo type. Today brand has come to encompass much more than marketing to include your product or service, the quality you provide, how you treat your customers and the total experience provided by your company. It goes across all business functions and is determined by your employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders. Read more

The creative sector of Colorado’s economy is the 900-pound gorilla that few have really noticed until now. According to a new study by the Colorado Council on the Arts, this sector is the fifth-largest of the Colorado economy, directly employing more than 122,000 people – plus another 75,000 supporting these creative enterprises.

The true story of the impact of the creative economy is not just shown in the direct employment figures, however. There is a multiplier effect, where each creative enterprise job contributes to additional jobs and revenues for other firms-like yours. If you own a restaurant or other business near an arts district, you are directly benefiting from the traffic generated by the creative sector. For some Colorado towns, like Creede, the arts community is vital for the area’s survival. Read more