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!
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