Starting Your Business

[Mike Sibley]

Did I ever mention that you have a natural talent for whatever you try?

No? Well, you do.... and this is proof

[PogArtTi]

Did I ever mention that you have a natural talent for whatever you try?

You're ALWAYS VERY KIND to me Mike
Your words reminds me something *untold about myself as a person...
All I can tell about it, is that a good luck or happy ending coincidence is guiding me throughout the life...
It's difficult to name it, but the people like me...
Most of the bad cases ending not so bad, thanks to the above...
Once I was speeding up driving the wagon (TIR) in Poland, by the corner the coppers stopped me...
One of them (a woman) started dealing with my case, checking the truck, licenses ..., the other copper just caught another wagon behind me...
Will you believe, that after short time of conversation with that woman she set me free? She had a look over the arm, checking out if the other copper is not watching her, and ... .. .
She said - go now and watch your speed!
How to explain that I didn't get ticket, fine, anything at all after few min of conversation...
When I mentioned it to other driver, I remember his words -
he said, it's because it's enough to have a look on you, to see your nice smile and eyes to like you, so whatever you do wrong your expression easy off the situation...
There's obviously much more bad case scenarios that finished in my favour Mike...
The last I wish to mention is my will to change my life and go to UK driving buses...
I had no money, so I sold my old Honda CB400 to pay for airplane ticket, I couldn't speak English too, just fewer common/popular words I knew from TV, music...
I was desperate and had strong will only.
I packed up some clothes and was ready for the life change...
I'm willing to mention now my mum, the mother of her son, seeing him living the country for first time ever (I was 33)...
She said seeing me ready to leave - my dear son it will be everything alright, don't worry, you'll be fine because the good luck is always with you, you was *born in cap*, you can do whatever you want to, and you will succeed.
My first steps I placed to the First Bus Company in Bradford.
Struggling to say what I came for, they sent me to local Polish club to ask anybody there if they have any overnight place for me, as I knew nobody to stay with through the night...
The next day I was seen by the Bus Company boss again, who was doing his best to find me anything to survive.
He found the construction agency for me,to let me earn some £ to start with, but that job was for few days only...
Not to mention I was asking people on the street for any job I could do for them .., to earn even only £5 to afford buy bread and some to eat...
I became handy man and started earning £20 a day soon, working all days for some decorator from India...
To finally get some agency work in local shampoo factory...
Where managers seeing me working hard, did train me to get me forklift truck licence, just to keep me working for them...
It was two of us at that time, and the managers had to choose who to keep, who to let go...
It took me 18months to became the bus driver...
Mainly because I didn't know English, and I couldn't pass theory test...
But I improved and finally I passed!

Sorry, I wanted to keep my story short, but there's lots to tale unfortunately
I wanted to give an example only how I ALWAYS feel reading your words dear Mike :
you have a natural talent for whatever you try
That's very true!
It's guiding me all my life
Thank you!

[Mike Sibley]

That was a fascinating story, Artur. Thanks for relating it.

I'm just going to grab one small part:

To finally get some agency work in local shampoo factory... Where managers seeing me working hard, did train me to get me forklift truck licence, just to keep me working for them...

...because that could be me I was cleaning factories and shops at night and driving forklifts during the day - all agency work. And, like you, I had businesses asking me to work permanently for them because I was a hard worker and good at what I did... but working for others never appealed to me.

I tried it - I was manager of a timber yard, and manager/driver for a frozen food company to name a couple - but it was meeting Jenny and her dogs that finally gave me a way to use my art to make a living. And I've done nothing else for the past 40 years.

You'll survive and prosper, Artur. You have what it takes and I have absolutely no doubt of that.

[PogArtTi]

You'll survive and prosper, Artur. You have what it takes and I have absolutely no doubt of that.

Thank you Mike, and I'm glad you liked my loooooong story tale
Unfortunately I'm your opposite
I am crap running any business, no skills for it, I mean it
I was always working hard for factories, for small privet business, for everybody but not myself
Do you remember (maybe not, I doubt I did mention...) those prints of Sumatran Tiger and the Red Deer Stag ..., It cost me a lot to order them, to have fewer at home in stock when I need to send it...
I didn't sale even single one ever
So I started giving them away to my friends to make them happy
You was running the website for me for 2 years dear Mike, thank you for that, but again, nothing, no sales, commissions , nothing
I remember your words, that website is always handy and not necessarily will bring profits immediately, I know, but after two years I decided to ask you close it, because I was spending money, not really being able afford to keep it running...
I was hoping to start making profits, so the website would will start pay for itself at last, but not, never happened
You see my dear friend - business is my weak point 100% hahahaaa

[Mike Sibley]

You see my dear friend - business is my weak point 100%

If it's any consolation I'm no good at business either. To be more precise, making money doesn't excite me. I love being creative but have little interest in the business side.

So, you have to recognise your strengths and weaknesses and then use those to make a living. Also, bear in mind that I've been a professional artist for 40 years but the Internet wasn't available for the first 20. I was "lucky" in that I was mainly drawing dogs. Championship dog shows had catalogues containing the addresses of every entrant. That gave me a perfect pool of potentially interested customers that I could mail details to. Where cold mailing was achieving a 3% hit rate for sales, I was achieving 25+%.

These days it seems as if you don't sell though a website (which you have to constantly promote), or social media like Facebook, that... well, maybe nobody is interested in what you have to sell. But that's not true. It's just that you haven't found the buyers yet. Also, online contact doesn't generate good feedback. Remember "no internet in the first 20 years" so I attended local craft fairs, then dog shows, and finally 3-day Country Fairs and Championship Dog Shows (never Crufts - I already had dealers selling my work there). What happened at the shows is that I got to talk to prospective customers and I found out what they were looking for. And, of course, dealers who could see my work in person.

Warning: do NOT draw for a market. Draw for yourself. But you can compromise. I, for example, would draw something I really wanted to produce but would alter the colours of the dogs to match the most popular. I enjoyed the drawing - the customers got their breed properly represented.

If the customers and clients aren't coming to you... you have to go to them.

I've got a bit off track here When you're not sure how to do something look at the "big boys". Copy what the successful businesses are doing. Then remind yourself that you have an edge on them - they're big and probably impersonal. You're just you. You can give PERSONAL attention and customer support.

Of course, they also have IT, advertising, and accounts departments. But so do you - all bundled into one person. You CAN do it. I built my first website in 2000 using "The Idiot's Guide to HTML 4" and "The JavaScript Bible". I'm not an expert in anything but I can hand-code HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I can write reasonable advertising copy. And on a good day if I've nothing else to do I'll even get my accounts up to date

Right now I'm learning to use Affinity Photo and DaVinci Resolve to replace Photoshop and Premiere Pro. And I'm battling with my new £2K video super-computer. I really want to be creating new videos but the builders took my order... and built it to a previous and discarded specification. The missing second SSD arrives later today, so I can fit it. And if I can't get the static on the audio figured out (I'm busy working on that - because I'm my own audio engineer too) I'll be sending the whole thing back for repair or refund.

Now I'm way off track. Enough!

[PogArtTi]

Thank you Mike
Yeah, sometime even lack of internet is handy , lol
It seems you was where you was supposed to be at the right time Mike
In my case I am always aside
Funny thing is most of my clients are my workmates
They are my friends on facebook where I'm advertising my drawings, tgerefore they're always updated of what I'm doing , lol, so if they get interested by something, they coming over to ask the question, and this brings me sometime the commission to draw

I'm also back into graphite drawing to settle.
I felt I was doing everything together, but nothing precisely.
Little bit of pastels, some airbrush or oils..., you know...
But nothing permanently.
I been looking for new mediums, instead of mastering the main one, which actually I was looking for, lol...

I don't know really where would I go further if I wouldn't have joined your forum Mike!?
Being back in here between you great artists has awaken my forgotten love to the graphite...
It's you again who gave me a hand

Why I'm mention the above?
It's the reason I really have no portfolio!
I can not sent my arts to exhibition , because all I have is bunch of learning pieces of different mediums for last couple of years!

So first things first.
I just started warming up with graphite drawings, let see if I can keep improving my skills, and If I start producing some nice looking arts, to start building my portfolio up, to have something in hand to show anywhere...

Funny thing is you've mention the computer and ... audio...
The CCL company did build up computer for me, I was after to get powerful machine to deal with photos, photoeditors and such data hungry software.
It was shortly before covid-19 has started, so I could afford it.
It cost mr about £1,600, but computer will last for long time now without upgrading...
Hopefully I was picking up on their screen the gear I wanted my computer to be fitted with, and therefore they couldn't have miss anything, because every single item was paid and on the list, so in a week time the computer was ready for collection.
I'm sorry they missed few important things regarding your request, and I know it's always upsetting and time consuming to sort it out.
But I know it's nothing but matter of time to sort it out, and you'll be fully prepared to enjoy recording your tutorials even more professionally!
I'm also going to buy headphones now, to fully immerse into my music white drawing
The sound bar on my computer can not provide me that total fascination...
The music is just there, but nothing special, no quality into it, no anything but killing the silence really...
I used to have headphones few years ago, so I know how is like to fully forget about surroundings...
The drawing becomes more enjoyable too...

Thank you Mike

[LindasPencils]

If it's any consolation I'm no good at business either. To be more precise, making money doesn't excite me. I love being creative but have little interest in the business side.

Lawdy, I hear you both, Mike and Artur! All I want is the world to beat a path to my door!

My website is sadly out of date and needs to be redone but am struggling with finding a good alternative to Dreamweaver. I have only sold books and the (very) occassional print via the website. And 2 small works after running the thing for more than 12 years.
Is it worth it? possibly, because people do visit, see the work and contact me or join a class.

Artur, there are some great art sites to join - you are already here on Mike's which is a good step. A really good site is artaviso.com which not only offers a good webpage of your art, but exposes you to buyers and galleries as well as opportunities to exhibit and join competitions. It is not expensive and is an international base site (although run by by friend here in Melbourne). They do all the work for you!

this is my page there: https://www.artaviso.com/profile-member/?uid=1088

[PogArtTi]

Artur, there are some great art sites to join - you are already here on Mike's which is a good step. A really good site is artaviso.com which not only offers a good webpage of your art, but exposes you to buyers and galleries as well as opportunities to exhibit and join competitions.

Thank you!
I mean it
You have reminded me the forum when I used to airbrushing.
There was monthly competitions which was encouraging members to post their work, and winner of the month was published on the forum and his artwork was highlighted until the next month competition winner, and so on.
Unfortunately that's it.
No any support regarding website, exhibition or selling...
The link you have kindly shared Linda seems to be superior to the one I did mention...
It seems to be a great way for me to start existing somewhere, not only on FB groups...
I will join artaviso this afternoon for sure, but it'll depend what's the fee.
The covid-19 has killed my finances badly...
I just sold the digital camera set to support myself regarding credit cards, loans, other bills.
Hopefully I did manage to reserve some of it to treat myself with the headphones to enjoy the music even more while I'm drawing ...