Letter to a Young Decorative Painter

Letter to a Young Decorative Painter

25 Years of Painting

Recently I received  an email, the gist of which was the following:

Hello Debra,
I had an opportunity to view your website and I love your work. I commend you on your business. I recently began my endeavor in running my own decorative painting business, only to realize I have no idea what I am doing.
I have the creative background as well as sales background, but have no idea how to find clients.  I was part of Home Adviser, but they have no real category for someone with my skills.
What advice would a creative mind and business owner as your self give a fellow creative mind? I was given the advice to contact someone who is in the same industry as myself from another city  and ask questions,  being that I am not your competitor. I look forward to your response.
Respectfully,
Rene

Now, I don’t know how old in human years Rene is, but I do know that he has just begun his professional journey as a decorative painter, and thus is a “young” one, in terms of business years!

Here is what I emailed back to Rene, with a few additions and modifications, to make it  more useful for You.  It was interesting to review what I have done over the years to create, sustain and build my business, and how much it does take!  I realized this list could be valuable to just about anyone pursuing creative entrepreneurship…and entrepreneurship is always creative!

Hello Rene,

Here are my recommendations:

• Get a good Website, absolutely, to share and showcase your work.

• Start a Blog, focusing on the kind of work you would like to do, etc.

• Network with Interior Designers and Architects, as well as Painters, Paint Stores, and others in the Building/Built Environment field.

• Join a networking group, such as “BNI INTERNATIONAL“, (Business Networking International). (Google it).

• Take an entrepreneurship or business class, or whole program, and put together a Business Plan.

• Have a selection of good-sized Samples, depicting your strengths, and the kind of work you most like to do, most want to do, and from which you think you will get the most business.

• Create brochure, and a postcard, as well as a business card to go with your Site…they should all work together, as your business Visual Identity.
  

• Start an email newsletter, and start building your Mailing List.

• Put your card and brochure in Local Paint Stores.

• Selectively, Do Some High Profile Work, at a Reduced,  or no Cost, for 1-3 Clients…to get your name out there, and showcase your skills and abilities. Have a party to celebrate it, at the job site if you can, when completed.

• Follow Online:  Alyson Stanfield/Art Biz Coach, The Art Business Institute, Artists Who Thrive at Ann Rea Inc., Rebecca E. Parsons at her Artistically Speaking Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio, and Cre8tive Compass Magazine,  and “HOUZZ“.  You can Google and Facebook all of these to find them, and also “LIKE” them on Facebook. Read all posts, and save those that most apply to you and your work in an email folder.

• Get a Facebook Business Page, a  Twitter feed, and a Linked In and Pinterest account, and keep up with them…interact and support others in related fields, and post many images. Share, support, educate, inspire and inform.

• Follow “Seth Godin“ for rich, daily doses information and inspiration. You can research his work  through Google/Facebook. Sign up to receive his daily blog posts in your email inbox.

• Don’t get discouraged. Do something to grow your business every day, and keep plugging!

 

Here is how Rene responded:

Hello Debra ,
What it does in my opinion is simply show support that creative individuals as ourselves are willing to provide one another.  I truly appreciate the advice, and I have already set up a meeting with a client to provide my services at little or no cost, simply to attract his high end neighbors.  If I can ever be of assistance to you in any way, I would be happy to help. I thank you again and I wish you well always.   I would love to share my work with you as well.
Respectfully,                                                                                                                                                                                                                Rene

Have YOU ever looked back at all the things you have done, to establish, nurture, build, sustain, and grow your business?  I am certain that if you make a list you will be amazed at all you have done, and at all it takes. I look forward to elaborating on mine, and going into greater depth with it, for myself and others. It’s a fascinating and rewarding process!

Here’s to all of You creative entrepreneurs!

 

 

The Importance of Being Earnest…

The Importance of being Earnest…

I recently received an email, in which a Client expressed his appreciation this way:

” I know in the big picture, our job on Corbett is tiny compared to all that you handle. However, you really made us feel important and that is genuinely appreciated.”

My (emailed) response included this comment, ” …by the way- you/Corbett ARE important to me!!!”

This exchange gave me pause for thought…

Why would a Client think that his/their project, in this case, color consultation for the exterior of a 3 unit condo building where he is the HOA president, was not important, or as important then other projects that I, or for that matter, my colleagues might have?

We have all heard the adage “The customer is always right.” as well as “Every client is important.”  But, what does that really mean?

For me it means that if I take on a Client, I make a commitment to them and to their particular project  within the scope of the work we are doing together.  So much of our work as artists, decorative painters, craftspeople, designers, architects and color consultants (to name a few) is collaborative.   We work WITH  the Client to realize their vision, and our vision of their vision.  If we don’t have their contribution, commitment, buy-in, or what-have-you, that process can become difficult, stymied, or downright impossible.  We may even get our head, or someone else’s, handed to us!

In other words, yes, every Client and their project should be important to us. It just so happens that the particular Client I have quoted here,  falls into the category of “dream” Client.  Along with his partner, he has been responsive, communicative, cooperative, intelligent, and generous with time and fee.  Add to this reasonable, fun and funny, and I think you get the picture.  This is a great Client, with a fun and engaging project, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him and his partner.

I don’t value this Client and his project less because the Job in question is not as lucrative financially as some others.  Lucrative does not only refer to  the dollar amount received for a particular Job.  To me,  it means what I am getting out of the Job, vis-a-vis what I am putting into it. Is there positive return on all fronts: artistic gratification, compensation,  appreciation, and client interactions?  In essence,

and

must be upheld on both sides for a fruitful relationship that delivers results and satisfaction, perhaps even exceeding expectations.

I recently heard a marvelous audio interview with Wine Country painter Ann Rea, founder of Artists Who Thrive,  by Carlos Castellanos of Drawn by Success.  During the interview Ann brilliantly describes how she feels that she gets paid twice by those who purchase her paintings, prints, and other artwork. In money, yes, of course, but also in the appreciation of her work by her buyers and collectors, and the relationships she forms with them.

I think many of us know what she means.  We need to have our work connect with others and the larger world outside ourselves to have it really mean something, outside ourselves. So that our work, (and ourselves) do not remain in shadow, or behind bars.

So yes, every Client is important, and especially those with whom we can have a great rapport, grow, and create something that is more than the sum of its parts. When we find ourselves in the path of these dream Clients, all we can be is grateful…

to grow ourselves by working closely with them, realizing their vision, and our own.

Lucrative?  More like priceless!

What priceless Client experiences  have made YOU grow lately?

If you feel so inspired, share them with us here.  We love to hear from you.  Remember, we are all growing though this thing called Life, together.