It almost goes without saying, but the first thing to do is make certain
that your art work is good enough that people will be willing to pay for
it.
It should also go without saying that you should be warm, friendly, and
polite. Always wear a smile and have a positive attitude. Be professional
in your manner and appearance.
Design your own business card (and make it sizzle!). Don't buy a cheap
pre-designed card. When you do your design, make it 3 times larger than
the actual card will be. The printer can reduce it to the correct size.
Make a portfolio of several samples of the kinds of the art that you can
do. Use your portfolio to show prospects what you can do. Add photos of
new work as you go.
NEVER do any work for free. Charge people something, even if just a very
little amount. The important thing here is that people understand from
the beginning that you are in business and that your work may be inexpensive
but it's not free. If you do work at no charge for one person, another
person may expect free work also.
To get started, charge very, very low prices. The point is that you want
to create a reputation for doing good work and you want your work to be
seen. You want the public to learn about you. For that reason, start cheap!
You can tell people that your prices are low at this time only because
you are just starting out. That will encourage them not to wait to order.
Contact restaurants, hotels, inns, businesses, clubs, civic groups, schools,
churches, libraries, and any other organizations that might want to have
art created..
You may want to create a set of note cards that you can wholesale to card
and gift shops.
Every time you complete a job, show the finished work to other people and,
by all means, don't forget to PHOTOGRAPH it for your portfolio.
Ask people to give you referrals. Ask, "Who do you know that might also
be interested in having me do some art?" When you call a referral, begin
the conversation by introducing yourself and telling them that the referring
person suggested that you call. When a referral buys from you, send the
referring person a little gift or thank you card.
To get a prospect to look at your work say, "I am an artist who specializes
in (subject), and I'd like for you to take a look at some of my work. Do
you have 2 minutes?"
While a prospect is looking at your portfolio, you can point to a specific
example and ask, "Have you ever thought that you might like to have something
like this for yourself?"
I recommend that at the time you take an order, you ask for a deposit.
This encourages people to be prompt in paying you when the work is completed.
I also recommend that you guarantee that people will be satisfied with
your work or you will do it over.
When you take an order, make detailed notes and draw a rough sketch so
that the prospect gets an idea of what the finished work will look like.
This will also help you remember.
Always do your absolutely best work. Don't be sloppy or hasty. When you
are ready to deliver the final product, be confident that you have done
a good job and it's worth the price you are charging.
Once you are established and want to raise your prices, devise a formula
that you can use for all work.
When people ask you for a price quote, don't hesitate or try to avoid answering.
You may want to ask for more details before you give them a price, but
when you know what the job is, give them a quote!
If you provide matting and framing, you can increase your profits. There
are mail-order businesses who will sell mats and frames to you at discount
prices.
M O N E
Y - M A K I N G - T I P S 
