Posted by Ann Bernard

Don’t look now but you’re running a business.  Say what?  You only want to make music, snap pictures, paint on your canvas, get up on stage and do your thing!?!? 

Sorry, but as an artist – be it a musician, writer, painter, photographer, comedian or actor/actress you are a business owner…I mean, in most cases that’s literally speaking – you are your brand, the sole producer of your product, and your business.

What does that mean – You’re a Business Owner

It means that your responsibilities are much greater than just producing your art.  It means that you need to familiarize yourself with the art of business and being an entrepreneur.  Blending creative vision with being business savvy

 For a business to be successful it needs:

• A Good Product
• Manufacturing/Production Capabilities
• Marketing
• Sales
• Bookkeeping
• Legal Structure

The biggest challenge of an artist-entrepreneur compared to most other kinds of business is that you are much more connected to your product.  You pour your heart and soul in each song, painting, or writing.  Rejection from a sale is much more personal.  Unfortunately, no one said that following your dreams would be easy!!  What matters is that it’s doable!

Hard Realization to Cope With

Becoming a savvy business owner is not compromising who you are, your art or selling out – it’s being extremely smart and ensuring you can make a living doing what you love.

I’m an entrepreneur and you can trust me that entrepreneurship has a great deal of room for being creative – I wouldn’t be one if it didn’t.

Embracing being a business owner will not crush your abilities to remain creative, have fun and do the things you love.  Embracing being a business owner will provide you the tools, means and knowledge to MAKE MONEY – MAKE A LIVING.  No need to be a starving artist.

Saving Grace - The Web Makes it All Easier 

You can accomplish much of what needs to be done over the web: marketing, sales, bookkeeping, some production and incorporating.

Stay with it and we’ll turn you into more of an entrepreneur!!  The 'Starving Artist' picture came from a EP Entreprises blog post - Entrepreneurs as Artists: A Comment  because often times...entrepreneurs are called and compared to artists!! We all have a lot in common.

Filed in artist-entrepreneur

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