Starting a Business as an Artist: Realities & Strategies for Success | by Boyd Stough | September 2024

1. Understanding Your Motivation: Beyond the Art

For an artist venturing into the business world, it's essential to confront the true motivations driving this decision. While financial gain is often a factor, many artists prioritize acceptance, validation, and praise. However, starting and growing a business requires more than creative passion; it demands dedication, persistence, and perseverance. The journey will inevitably include rejection and obstacles, which can be particularly challenging for those who crave immediate recognition. If an artist struggles with delaying gratification and isn't prepared to face these harsh realities, their chances of succeeding in business diminish significantly.

2. Defining Your Target Market: Finding Your Niche

Once an artist has committed to the realities of running a business, the next crucial step is understanding the target market. Unlike the broader market, the target market consists of those already interested in and passionate about the artist's unique style or medium. This subset of potential customers is where the artist should focus their efforts, tailoring their approach to resonate with those who already have a natural affinity for their work. Knowing and understanding this audience is key to establishing a successful business.

3. Idealizing Customer Relationships:

Creating Meaningful Connections

With the target market identified, the next step is to envision how to use art to forge and nurture relationships with these customers. It's important to conceptualize the dynamics that will govern interactions and transactions between the artist, their business, and their customers. These dynamics should reflect not only how the artist's work will be perceived and valued but also how it will inspire ongoing engagement. By thoughtfully idealizing these interactions, the artist can ensure that their business not only attracts customers but also retains and deepens relationships over time.

4. Crafting Operations: Turning Vision into Reality

Having idealized the customer relationship dynamics, it's time to translate that vision into the day-to-day operations of the business. This involves designing processes and protocols that align with the desired customer experience. Everything from how the art is positioned in the market to how customers purchase it should be carefully crafted. Additionally, the business should have strategies in place to enhance customer relationships, encouraging repeat purchases and fostering word-of-mouth referrals. These operational details are the backbone of a sustainable and thriving business.

5. Building a Support System: Assembling the Right Team and Tools

With the operational framework in place, the final step is identifying the professionals and tools needed to manage the business effectively. This includes working with an attorney to formalize the business structure, an accountant to oversee financial management, and selecting software platforms to handle marketing, customer relationship management, sales, and other business functions. By assembling a strong support system, the artist can focus more on their creative work, knowing that the business side is well-managed.