I am the queen of systems.
There is a reason why my signature program is the Art Career Success SYSTEM. I believe that when you take the time to put in place easily repeatable steps to do a certain task or implement a project, you free your mind and calendar for the more creative pursuits of the studio.
You have a better organized business and life. You are more productive, fueling the creativity you need in the studio.
What is a System for Your Art Business?
We often think of the technology that we use as a system, but the technology is just a means to the end. It’s a tool we use for a specific step (or set of steps) in part (or all) of the systematic process.
My definition of a system is this …
A system is a series of clear steps or procedures for accomplishing a specific task. It could be a task that you do regularly (weekly, monthly, or quarterly) or one that you do infrequently but know that you’ll need to repeat in the future.
You can create systems for almost everything in your art business. As I said, I have even developed a system that helps your entire art business run smoothly. The Art Career Success System gives you a reliable structure that you can turn to at any point in your art business and career. And return to again and again as you evolve.
I think of this program as a complete ecosystem that holds together the meta-systems within the various spokes of your business.
Examples of Business Systems for Artists
You might benefit from any of these meta-systems within your art business.
- A system for following up with your best prospects and supporters so that they don’t get lost in your ecosystem.
- A system for shipping artwork, including packaging, insurance, and tracking.
- A system for publishing a newsletter—from storing ideas to writing the first draft to scheduling it to be sent.
- A system for when you have completed an artwork. Consider what you want to do with a finished work: photograph it, add it to your inventory, post it to social media, and perhaps ship it.
- A system for accepting commissioned artwork. What is your process for onboarding collectors who commission work? And how do you accept payment and keep them informed?
In this episode of the Art Biz Podcast, I discuss the 3 benefits to implementing solid systems in your business, how to know when you need to fix a system, and the process for documenting your system.
