It starts with You!

We are a month into a new year, and many of the blog topics, *mine included

 Are yammering at you to set goals, whether or not you have any interest in doing so, or perhaps you are stuck with where to begin?

When we get stuck, its time to start at square one.  Start with you.

To thine own self be true:

To share a personal experience, these words didn’t really ring true for me until I gave myself the gift of living alone.  At that time I wasn’t happy about a relationship ending, and not feeling good about myself. As I was  packing up a box in my home, I knew I also had some personal housecleaning that needed to be done.

  I got a dry erase board and hung it in my kitchen and started writing out a plan to change how I was looking at things.  You can use a pad of paper, which works just fine, and is much easier to carry around.

Mind your Ps & R’s?

Growing up you may have heard the saying “mind your P’s & Q’s”- It’s an old term that originated in the pubs.  Mead and Ale were served in pint & quart containers, hence the P- for Pint & Q- for quart.

I have two P’s and two R’s that in today’s world are important for each of us to be mindful of.

When your making a commitment with yourself there is no middleman, no special equipment or tools needed, only the simplicity of being honest with yourself. (it’s ok, no one is watching). Allow yourself to check you P’s and R’s

On your pad of paper list these categories as column headers:

Potential   Pitfalls      Reflection      React

Under each column, you’re going to look back over your year and list as many things that resonates with you. I have included some idea’s and thoughts for you to consider when moving through each category:

Potential:  Each of us has limitless potential, what are your strengths /gifts and are you utilizing them to be your best ability?

-Good at organizing?

-Love to talk to people?

-Likes to drive, plan routes

-Incredible cook?

-Good at photography?

 Ultimately where do you want your skills to lead you?

Pitfalls: What are the problem areas for you?

 Are you bad with money?

Are you a terrible organizer?

To you have a short temper?

 Trouble communicating well with your colleges and loved ones

Are there area’s where you need some additional training, or development?

Reflection: Think back over the past year, list major events and  individuals that you met.  You will be surprised when you scroll through your iPhone or Android iCalendar, you’ll come up with names, and recall situations where you met someone significant or attended a event

React- How did you respond to individuals and react to situations this past year? Did you burn any bridges? Or did your network  grow?  You cannot be responsible for the outcome of all situations; however, you are always responsible for how you react going forward to help facilitate communication.  And where it’s appropriate, accept responsibility and make amends when you messed up!

I usually walk around with the written list with my 2R’s & 2P’s that I add things to as I think about them. At the end of the week, I have captured as much information as I can shake loose.

  It feels like trimming back the garden, the more honest with yourself you are, clearing away the unwanted trimmings and undergrowth the better growing season you have to look forward to.

Share a success you have had with your personal “gardening” in the comment section below

Tamra Engle is a independent  business strategist based in the S.F. bay area she is available for private consultations to help you develop your creative project or business. You can read more about her and join her mailing list at www.tamraengle.com  guitartam@gmail.com 

Is your merch table a cash cow

  

 As a performing musician You need unique & engaging musical performance to encourage repeat customers and increased ticket sales. Statistically individuals are going to fewer show, so there are to be a compelling performance and high entertainment factor to bring people

out en masse.

Often when working with artists, I find their merchandise table either missing completely, or missing significant sales opportunities.

I pulled together 5 tips to help you:

-Increase your sales

-Create meaningful engagement with your fans

-Manage inventory / cost

 

     1)  INTERESTING TABLE:  Think about high traffic areas in stores, they often have colorful interesting displays to capture your interest.  Think of your merch table as your own personal fan store. Even if you only have a table with a mailing list on it, have a colorful tablecloth and a sign (something that ties into your bands image) if you’re a country act, a picnic table w/ tablecloth vase of flowers and a framed sign. A Punk band might have a black vinyl or red PVC material with chains and a metal box displaying cds. Your local fabric store often has remnant materials you can buy for next to nothing, also look at recycled items to repurpose.

Many venues often offer you a tiny cocktail table to sell from so you need to be creative and prepared- having a card table that you can set up, it takes up a  small footprint and  doesn’t use a lot of valuable space in the tour car/truck.

2)   MAILING LIST: At the very mimimum your table must  have a clip board & mailing list that you can pass around and have people sign up.  TIP: Between songs right before the break take a few pictures of the crowd from the stage, tell them if they sign the mailing list, you’ll be posting the pics in your next newsletter for them to see THEIR mugs  at the show.  It WORKS!

3)   INVENTORY:  If you are just starting out, you may only have a couple of songs or a demo cd of “pre-released” or live songs. Give a free demo or song to everyone who signs your mailing list. Stickers, are also a very low cost, easy to give away item in exchange for a email address. Remember, you want to give them a reason to come back, and tell their friends about your show.

If you have several inventory items display them in a interesting way so people can see different styles.

Make it clean & well organized and have something at various price points- If you have a $15 admission fee, you better have something for sell for $5  since everyone will have at least a left over $5 from the $20  they paid at the door.

4)   ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS: You are losing 30-40% of your sales if you do not have a card swiper. Think about that!   If your fan’s spend their $5 from item #3 on a drink at the bar, you want them to use that cute little debit card in their wallet. Keep it simple and have a swiper machine and the credit card slips  it’s the best $30 you will spend   You can also use various apps with your iPhone/iPad as a cc machine however, you need to have a strong internet connection for them to work. You don’t want to worry about losing merchandise sale because the bar your playing in doesn’t have a cell signal right?

5)   ATTRACTION:    If you are the performing act, during the break and after the show, you work the merch table, talk to your fans AT THE TABLE. Do not go to the bar, you are working!  At the table  you can sign cd’s, shirts, and invite folks to join your mailing list. Usually artists have PLENTY of enthusiastic fan will offer to buy you a drink I promise! If you see someone always showing up at your show, give them a free cd or shirt, they are free walking billboards for you!   Yes you want to make money AND spread the word.

 Recruit the cutest sales gal you can find to wear your band T-shirt and work the table during your performances. Men and women can’t resist talking to a cute girl with a smile on her face! Honestly your sells will go up accordingly.  Make sure you give them a little cash or at the VERY least pay for their dinner for helping YOU make more money that evening / tour. *Remember NO eating at the merchandise table- no one can sell well if they are shoving food in their mouth, save the noshing for AFTER the show when the audience has gone home.   Having a merch. person keep track of the money and being proactive about working your “store” while your performing will make a huge difference to your earning potential and turn your merch table into a cash cow when you look at it as your own personal fan store!

Ultimately, it is about reaching out to your fans, and creating a new connection with them so they come back and bring their friends.

Do you have a really cool merch set up, email me a pic if you think you have a awesome space efficent merch set up!

Links:

CD baby  swiper http://members.cdbaby.com/moreservices/creditcardswiper.aspx

Merch case: http://www.hughshows.com/merch.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/PERGEs/s320/cigarette_girl.jpg

Looking for something fun to collect your merch $ in? How about your VERY OWN cash cow!

     

The business of being a artist

Have you stepped back and taken a look at your looked at your art AS a business?  

If you don’t have a “business background” or know where to begin, or you feel business and art have nothing to do with one another,  you may not have done this.

If this is the case, how is this working for you? 

Are you happy with where you are professionally as a artist? Probably not, 

It's ok- you one of hundreds of thousands  who are not getting what they want from their creative pursuits, and as a result are not able to make a living wage doing what they love.

You realize you can do something to change that?

Let's back up and start at the very beginning to  do a little “check up” to see if you are ready to start a business?

Answer yes or no to the following questions:

1. Do you think your ready to start a business?

2. Have you ever worked IN a business similar to what you are planning?

3. Would people say you are well suited to be self employed?

4. Do you have support from your family & friends?

5. Do you consider yourself a leader and self starter?

6. Would OTHER people consider you a leader or self starter?

7. Are you willing to invest a significant portion of your savings or net worth  to get your business started?

8. Are you prepared if needed to temporarily lower your standards of living  for a couple of years until your business is firmly established?

9. Are you willing to commit long hours to make your business work?

10. Have you ever written a business plan?

If you answered NO to more than 3 of these questions then perhaps the making a living as a self employed artist  isn’t something you are suited for- and you can continue to languish in obscurity.

  If you answered yes to many of the questions, and want to take steps to change the trajectory of your artistic career, then re-framing how you view your music, as a BUSINESS and creating a business structure around it will insure you  have more success. 

The degree of your success depends entirely upon you having a GREAT product, GREAT plan, & lots of hard work on creating a foundational plan to build your career upon.

I have listed these items in the order they should be addressed each step is dependent upon the next to be successful

CREATING YOUR ARTISTIC IDENTITY:

    This will help you distill and clarify what it is your doing, what space your competing in, what value you are providing your audience, & why they should care about what your doing.

A PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN BIO:

    When you write your own bio, you know it, and so does everyone reading it.

The information you provide your readers is vital to them understanding who you are-  Listing the unique facts about you, relevant experience, and phrasing it in a clear concise way that compels the reader to want to know more about you

Carefully cultivating the unique qualities that make you different than everyone else.

YOUR PLAN:

Every SUCCESSFUL business has a plan-& goals. It doesn’t matter if you are the only person in the business you still need a roadmap detailing what your business does, what direction your headed in, who your customers are and what core values are important to you and guide you.

BUSINESS CARDS:

  This simple tool is often over looked- and a key tool to show that your serious about what you do.  Often I get a card and  find it is missing a website, or email address, last week at a conference I got a card that just had a name on it. that's it.  I nearly tossed the card, then I googled the name thinking ah a clever ploy to get me to the artist website. NOTHING, not even a facebook page.  I tossed the card, and that artist probably doesn't realize how many opportunities that have been missed by trying to be cool and different.  Clearly missed the target.

Use a standard sized card- if it doesnt fit in a wallet it will get tossed or annoy people that it wont fit in their wallet.

Print on ONE SIDE, on a NON GLOSSY card,   when people who care about you get your card, & if they want to make a note about you on the back of the card, for possible follow up.  They can’t if the card is two sided or glossy.

Include:  NAME PHONE # EMAIL WEBSITE ADDY & your ARTISTIC TAG LINE

(the tag line comes  from your work on your artist id)

You can order great cards from http://www.printsmadeeasy.com/

A SMART PHONE: 

 If you are not easily accessable, you will miss opportunities and not even know it.  A prospective client talking with you, hearing beeps and clicks as you hit the keypad, and then dead air because you hung up on them.

 With today’s technology you need access to your phone calls, & emails-and RESPOND to requests within 1 business day unless you are "out of the office" then you have a message indicating that you will be returning on a specific date and will be returning messages THEN.

   At this writing Whether you are with ATT or Verizon  get either a iPhone or a Droid-  they both run multiple apps are dependable (as much as the two largest wireless providers can be).  And most importantly they make you available to do business.   Do not mess with bargin brand phone service, or pay as you go services-  You get to WRITE OFF this expense when you do your taxes. YOU CAN"T AFFORD NOT TO HAVE ONE.  Do not short change yourself, in having a key communication tool available.

The bottom line is, You never get a 2^nd chance to make a 1^st impression-  by having the correct  BASIC tools, shows the outside world you are:

-       Organized

-       Open for business

-       Have a Plan 

-       Serious about your career

If your potential customers or fans are unsure about you or the service you offer they WILL NOT BUY your products, it is up to you to clarify and make it easy for them  

If you need help getting organized, clarified, and realize the success you imagine, contact me I can help you put the correct pieces in place for YOU to make a powerful impression on your prospective fans, business partners & investors. 

In teaching you how to succeed these tools can be used in ALL areas of your life, it happened for me, it's happened for my clients, it can happen for you. It just takes the acknowledgement that you want to, and are ready to make a positive difference in your life.

Tamra Engle is a performing songwriter and business strategist who offers business solutions for creative minds to help them succeed in the evolving music and entertainment industries. As a performing singer-songwriter,  she has worked as a studio musician in Los Angeles; toured the U.S. and enjoyed the placement of her songs on television and nationally aired commercials. Her recent album was on the final round ballot for the 2008 Grammy's in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.

PASSION PROJECTS:

Helping others achieve success doing what they love.

Insuring music education remains accessible to school age children.

Ending Violence against Women & Children.

Reef Preservation/Restoration

Deep Sea Diving

Ref:  http://web.SBA.gov

         http://www.tamraengle.com