Art Biz Voice: To Give or Not to Give, Simple Guidelines

Dear Mr. Trump,

I’ve been away from my blog this week working on some of my charity work.  I really feel that charity work is incredibly important but of course not at the expense of the business. I look at charity work as an integral part of my work ethic and my business plan. 

Because I am an artist I am in a unique place to build my brand while helping some worthy causes I believe in. I can help them fund raise while building their reputations and also build what I call foundational care for daily expenses. I occasionally will help fund raise  for animal charities, many of whom are sanctuaries and rescues. I also try to occasionally work with charities that help people in crisis as well.

Click image to view larger.

Sometimes these sanctuaries and rescues fail, usually, because of poor planning and too much repeat dependence on fund raising for their daily expenses. When they fail there comes a huge rift between them and the public trust.One misstep in planning and animal care due to a bad economy can lead to a spiraling decline in donations. The animals in their care suffer because of lack of donations. No one wants to be associated  with failing animal charities or animal charities that raise huge sums of money only to euthanaize the majority of the animals they bring in. It is even worse when the leaders of these charities have suddenly stopped all fund raising efforts because they simply didn’t know what to do or they have lost interest because it is so overwhelming to them.

As a result of the change in the giving practices, I think, mostly due to the tight economy,  I have put together a set of guidelines for all the charities I consider working with. I of course adapt them slightly for newly created organizations.

What I consider before I give to or work with a community

1. Persons involved in The Charity already support my business.

2. The Charity has good business practices, including foundational support for every day expenses.

3.The Charity is highly visible with regular community access and education. It has a good reputation for service and available programs that reach out to the community.

4. The Charity has  active highly visible fund raising programs through out the year  that maintains a steady flow of nurtured and new support for the organization. The face( generally a person) of the organization is active in fund raising and building community support continuously.

5. The Charity has a transparency policy with public financial accountability. This means proof the money is being spent on what it is collected for.

6. The Charity not only nurtures givers, it nurtures and values its volunteers. This includes a reward for effort program and training program  for volunteers.

7. The  Charity sees my work as valuable and protects the investments my collectors. They not only understand that how they present the work during fund raising determines the value they also know how to get top dollar and increase the value of my work to benefit themselves.

8.  I agree with the objectives of The Charity and how they are implemented. Their work ethic, how they carry it out and the pride they take in their events and location, all play a part in their reputation. If  I disagree with their objectives, I don't want my name associated with their organization. If the actions of  The Charity are completely different from the objectives or they lack professionalism and polish then I don't  offer to support them.

Its so much easier to support people who appreciate your efforts.


Have a great weekend
~Linda

ArtBizVoice: Qualities I look for in a Good Salesman

Dear Mr. Trump,
 
My question today is how do you know when to move on from a potential client? Or perhaps to clarify that how do you recognize that  your investment in a person or business is probably not going to result in mutual satisfaction. I.E. we provide a product or service they need and they pay us for it and both are satisfied and happy with the result.

I suppose that someone who has been in business successfully has learned the early warning signs and can figure out when a person they meet for the first time is really a looker, a client or just had time to kill so they just wanted to spend time talking. Keep in mind though that I meet a lot less people than the normal business man would meet so I really don’t have the experience or the time to invest in a dead end.

Then again I don’t look at anyone as being a dead end. I just look at myself as having not figured out the best approach. So I wonder how many times we should approach someone. I suppose its as vague sometimes as a person giving an opinion rather than stating that they totally disagree or don’t want your product around. They are being obtuse but they think they are being  polite.

One of the coolest examples of the tenacious sales man was a movie I saw once called Second Hand Lions.  The movie was about two elderly men who adopted their grand nephew and all the fun and excitement they had. In one scene the two men sat on the porch waiting for the evening parade of sales men to drive up so they could chase them off with shot guns while  they sipped Texas Sweet Tea. Well one of the sales men happened to figure out that what they needed was something to do with their time that let them have the satisfaction of shooting their guns. So he found a state of the art (in 1950s) skeet shooting machine. He realized he only had a minute to get their attention and make the sale. In a very dramatic move he signaled the boy to set off the skeet and in one sweeping movement he pulled a loaded shotgun from the trunk of his car and blasted the skeet. Of course he got the attention of the uncles and made the sale.

In the movie the sales man solved a problem, made some money,  and there was satisfaction all around. I Think a really good sales man knows how to assess the situation and combine a really good product with a client that can appreciate it.

There is, I think, a difference between seeking out new clients that buy what you think they want and new clients that a salesperson is meeting the needs for. Personally I want my sales person to be meeting the need using my product to do it. That does take a bit of creativity.

ArtBizVoice: In Mentorship Language is Everything

Dear Mr. Trump,

 As an artist, I speak the language of Artists. We sometimes speak little; sometimes in long flowery phrases of description, that translate into color and brush strokes. As a Journalist and Writer, I speak the language of a reporter, asking too many questions and trying to build pictures in my head of details and minutia, that I can share through the written word.  As a business person, I understand a growing vocabulary each day; however. I still have conceptual trouble trying to  think outside of my emotions and into practical successful business practices. When I translate business language into a picture its easier to understand.

This is where I think we artist’s always run into trouble. We are conditioned to solitude, with extreme explosions of creativity, that demands focus in order to do our best work. If we work totally alone we actually develop a language set that only we understand. If we are lucky, we also have an assistant who understands it too.

The small amount of time we have outside of the studio requires, at least for me, direct concise answers to our questions so that we can let the information process in our brains. Then we can come back into the conversation at a later time and correct the problem or adapt to a business process we didn’t understand before.

Convincing some business people to give us the non-idioms, strait talk version of a concept in “every day people” language is sometimes very difficult. Especially, if the person talking expects us to understand what they are saying the first time and dismisses the us if  we don’t understand.  It can be even worse if the business person is trying to impose their preferences on a very creative person who’s skills sets run to non-conformity, especially if it seems to be conformity for conformity’s sake. Artist's often understand the nuances of business but have little knowledge of the lingo.

This is one reason I think that mentorship is really important. A good mentor realizes the creativity, out  of the box thinking and exuberance of the artist .  A good mentor speaks in direct simple terms that  answers each question while still being factual and tactful at the same time. A good mentor is going to recognize the process the artist uses and help them translate good business practices into it. A good mentor will not only give practical help, they will also learn from the person they are mentoring.

Understanding that creative emotion can translate into good successful business, can have a healthy out come, without the frustration of communication breakdown, because people don’t understand one another. All that it really takes is the desire to make it happen and a mentor with the ability and willingness to view things from a new perspective he or she had not thought of before. (Artist tend to be trained that way already)

My thoughts and prayers are with all of those in the North East today who are still without power after the snow.

Blessings,

~L

ArtBizVoice: My Audience and What they Need.

Dear Mr. Trump,

I took a couple of days off writing to ponder my purpose again. It’s a luxury I have at the moment because I have a number of projects going. I did take a break because someone questioned the wisdom of my using this format as a way to reach out to people like myself and to find a possible mentor.

The people I am trying to reach are people who are creative, don’t really understand the nuances of being an entrepreneur, they have no mentors who understand the challenges they face as sometimes they are the first in their families to go into business. My target for these blog posts are people who recognize your name because you have a media presence that most in business do not have.

My writing these letters to you gives people who need the information a key into the locked door of the business world they might not find any other way. You have name recognition to those on welfare, stay at home moms, disabled, people who have lost their jobs. They understand that you are an entrepreneur and a successful business man living the dream. They see the result of your education, experience, the people who mentored you but they simply don’t know how to get from where they are to becoming successful like you.

The questions they have are not answered by The SBA, SCORE or most business associations or state funded employment councilors because many of those councilors have never lived the challenges.

The people I’m trying to share with don’t have access to mentors, educators and others who have learned how to navigate the zero dollar start up business and operate it on a shoe string.  These are creative people, many of them living in poverty, many of them reach out to people like myself who have had experiences and came before them. Their only access is what they see on TV and what books they find when they shop at a store like the Dollar Tree or a Thrift store. Fortunate is the one who finds one of your books in either of these places or in a public library.

In this day and age people need practical help, not pat answers from people who haven’t been there. I heard on my local radio station this week that the number of first time entrepreneurs is the fastest growing sector in the economy this quarter. I think people are seeking it because of so many who have lost their jobs and industries over the last 4 years. People need this help. If they cant find work, they need to create their own job. They need to know what is possible, why and how to get there even in spite of their insecurities.

So, Mr. Trump, until you tell me not to write to you like this, I am going to continue to use the format to reach out to people and share what I know, what I have learned and where I have found to get the answers.

Thanks for being there.
~L

ArtBizVoice: Social Isolation, On Social Media?

Dear Mr. Trump,

I have been on Social Media since the autumn of 2008. I’ve noticed that every time Facebook rolls out a new change it isolates people more and keeps them hooked into a very narrow number of  topics.  The method behind this seems to be the gathering of more and more information about each person and what they like, buy, topics they discuss and the type of food and entertainment they are likely to spend money on.  Then target market to them via paid promotions and advertisement.

There is a flaw in the idea. The Flaw basically is that by manipulating the population on the social media they actually skew the marketing data they are collecting.   Unless we have a huge number of boringly excessive compulsives out there in cyber, land I do not think that this is an accurate measure of what potential consumers like.  I also do not think it accurately represents the buying or the web use of people.   It’s tainted and it actually forces people into a sort of controlled boredom. 

Most people don’t want to be force fed information or social interaction. Yet these days that is exactly what Facebook is doing, they force feed or completely deny feed and limit interaction between friends, associates and potential clients. My solution is to look more to twitter for my information source. I both share there and look for current information.  For searches "Google" and "Ask" are my top choices; however, I have noticed that Google is leaning to the “isolation” business model so I haven’t decided how that will work for me.

I think that the saving grace has been the group structure. Both Google+ and Facebook have this. Google+, with its circles and Facebook with its closed and open group options.  Even though the groups are more narrow in topic and opportunity, they do generate leads and repeat business if you stick to offering services with in the scope of the topic. Even if someone doesn't interact with you for moths at a time, if they are in the group they will still see the group activity in the live feed. That is about the only place where your activity is not limited. And when the groups are open to non- members to view their is more potential to be seen.

I have to admit that it is always a good day to learn something new. It does make it more difficult if you are a small business trying to grow  to work hard at making the best product you can only to have it be hidden from the world.  

Have a prosperous day,
~L

ArtBizVoice: Accessibility

Dear Mr. Trump,

This morning I found a site for artists in business. It suggested that I enlarge my business by becoming involved with an interior designer or a corporate art consultant.  I would love to do that. I’m just wondering how that might be possible.  I really am not going to be able to pack up my massive portfolio and hop on public transportation and travel to where they are. First while I am independent, I am limited in my independence due to mobility.

Seriously, if the store is too big or the parking is too far away I have to do without. Walking is a problem for me.  I have to juggle a cane and carry things. Accessibility is not just a level doorway. It is also the distance the disabled must walk from where their ride is parked.

I have heard business owners say. “ Oh we are so lucky we don’t have to have handicapped accessible entrances to our building because its grandfathered.”  They lost my business because I couldn’t navigate the stairs.

 I was thinking about this the other day. If more building designers and business managers knew the practical limitations of their elderly and disabled clients perhaps they could adapt their buildings to be more accessible. And they might not lose that business. 

I know that some businesses are trying to cut startup costs and renovations the best they can. I wonder what the figures are, the numbers of people that cant access the building and the amount of money that the business looses, because of it.  I am guessing its somewhere between 10% and 15%.  That percent could make or break a small business. And for a larger business it could means millions in business that they are not realizing. Its not about what the law allows, its about what allows those who are potential clients to participate in your business.

With an aging population and even more people becoming disabled at an earlier age due to injuries on the job and just wear and tear on their bodies,  I can see how this is a big drain on the economy if they cannot contribute to the economy.

When a business does not address accessibility, it disengages a portion of its potential client base.
New and creative solutions need to be found to not only allow the disabled to participate as clients but also to participate as employees.

I’ve lots of new projects coming up this month. It’s becoming very exciting.
Blessings of the Day to you.
~L

ArtBizVoice: Avoiding Drama that Stunts Small Business.

Dear Mr. Trump,

I am again astonished at the number of young adults that can look right at "danger " and  not recognized that it could hurt them. They hear the warnings, understand what those warnings mean  and just stand there looking up in wonder at whatever threatens and simply they don't get out of the way.

Example: All of us knows that driving without a license is wrong. It victimizes almost every person in the offender's life. Sometimes it even harms complete strangers, if the unlicensed driver is in a wreak and is uninsured because of it.
So why are some people able to see how their actions affect themselves and others, while other people are oblivious and get mad at who ever catches them? I can’t even begin to answer that question.

This is a work place issue.

Every time an employee gets involved in one of these instances, where they do something that they do not recognize will harm them, drama invades their lives and overflows into the office and the entire business.

 The loss of productivity caused by the stress and anxiety of the situation harms the bottom line, the attitude of those working in the establishment and even the reputation of the business, if deadlines are not met or attention is not paid to clients. Professionalism drops. No matter what managers do in dealing with these people, they never seem to go forward and business starts to revolve around the condition of the person in the most trouble.

It is professionalism verses an emotionally stunted work force.  I know in these circumstances you probably would not hire someone with these problems. If eventually they let  their drama over flow  into your  business you would probably reassign them or fire them. However, the less money the small business has, the more likely the business owner is going to be faced with this issue. We cannot just hire anyone off the street.  We have to be able to hire people willing to learn and able to focus on the business at hand anytime they are in our employ.

Our Success depends on the quality of the people we hire.

It makes me think that short term contracts are the way to go for a small business such as mine. Contract them to provide a specific service then if their personal life flows over into their business life it won’t hurt the business. If  they can’t meet the obligation of the contract they don’t get renewed. And they only get paid of course, according to fulfillment of the obligation.  If they do a good job as a contractor and the business grows, one can offer the ones who are dependable and productive a job when one comes open. This also cuts the business's losses from a work force that hasn't learned to recognize behavior that can harm them.

Have a wonderful weekend,
~L