Oh, boy. Today’s Art Marketing Action newsletter gave you yet one more thing to do during the holidays. (Hey, that’s what I’m here for–action!) Be sure to check it out if you don’t already have your holiday card and gift list finalized–or if you think you might have missed someone.
If it’s just too much to think about getting these out before December 25, why not send out Happy New Year cards and gifts? Or even Valentine’s Day? (”Your generosity has been good for my heart.”) Sending something after the holiday rush might even be more effective since it won’t get lost in the mounds of mail.
You may not believe it, but now is the perfect time to get yourself better organized for the holiday 2007 season. Yep! Take these steps:
1. Go into your computer database and make a checkbox for your holiday list. Throughout the year, add people who should be on that list. No checkbox capabilities? No problem. Just add the word “holiday” or “Christmas” to the area for notes. Next year you can do a search and pull up all of those names.
2. Keep track of what you receive from others and whether or not they should be added to your list.
3. Start a “Holiday Ideas” file. When you hear a clever idea that you might want to appropriate (not the design! just the concept!) or get an idea of your own for a card or design, throw it in the file. If you want to tell any personal stories that you might forget when it comes time to send your greeting, put a note in your file to help you remember.
4. Put a reminder on your calendar for August 1 that you have just four months to prepare for the holiday madness. Add other appropriate deadlines to your calendar.
5. Start a “Holiday Mailing List” folder. Throughout the year, drop in names you need to recall at the end of the year.
Image: Anne Leuck Feldhaus greeting cards.
5 thoughts on “Organize Your Art Biz Now for 2007 Holidays”
Thank you Alyson for these great reminders and suggestion’s. I truely love them … I’m confused with “computer database” … what kind of program would this be? This is the kind of information that I lack. What kind of program do I keep this in. Can you offer some suggestions please?
Ah, Christmas cards. This is something I stumble over every year. As an artist I always dream of making my own cards. But since late summer through the fall is my busiest time of the year the holiday card project always ends up on the back burner ’til December. And then I find myself (as I will this year) two weeks out from Christmas, cards from friends starting to pour in, without a card of my own to send and zero time to embark on an ambitious cardmaking project. Alas, I could really use some help in this area. Artists – what do you do for holiday cards? Do you send handmade cards? A print of your work? Store-bought? I’d love to hear your thoughts. HELP!
Hi Laura–I print cards from my paintings to sell in my shop all year long but do a special card for my clients, wholesale accounts, people I’ve met through the year. I have been doing humorous ink drawings depicting my family since my children were born (they now feature my new grandchildren!!!) and they have been such a big hit that I do a similar thing for my holiday cards and my clients seem to really like them. They definitely remember them. One year I also had mugs made with my company (I’m a tile artist)name and logo, filled them with candy and sent them to everyone on my list or hand delivered them. When I visit people I see that they still use the mugs! It never hurts to keep your name in front of your clients….and the holiday cards are well worth the effort, I think. It takes an hour or so to do the drawing, another to take it and have it copied, another to hand color them (I do the drawings in black and white and highlight a simple area with red watercolor), and a night to address and stamp them but when I send them out into the world it makes me happy and it seems to make them happy, too. Long time clients remark on the cards all the time and new clients mention them when I see them again, too. In my business building a relationship with my clients is as important as the work I do in my studio.
Mary, Thanks for the inspiration! These are great ideas. Laura
This year I am painting miniature landscapes for my most faithful collectors. It is time consuming but I believe that it is worthwhile. On the back of each mini, I am pasting a Christmas greeting to the collector.