You can not survive depending on a little help from your friends!

 This is a blog for those of us who are entrepreneurs and small business owners trying to find our way. I have learned a lot about business since opening my own Art Studio and Gallery 3 years ago that I did not learn in the fancy university that I went to or while managing companies for others.

One of the most painful yet important lessons that I learned is that though our friends and family can be excellent support and strength for us as we forage into the unknown, they can not and should not be viewed as or expected to be endless financial supporters of our efforts.

Some years ago I signed up to sell Mary Kay. For those of you who do not know what Mary Kay is, it is a line of make up. I was attracted to their representatives which were extremely beautiful and intelligent women and I really hungered for the streamlined approach to business this company offered. I still very much appreciate it today. I was not successful in Mary Kay for several reasons.

(1) I did not put enough focus and personal energy into being successful.

(2) I was not strong in my marketing and networking skills at this time and did not really have personal goals outlined or means to execute the ones that were laid out for me.

(3) When I was lucky enough to get make up parties or clients I was not versed enough in sales to realize the importance of taking personal interest in my clients or inviting them to introduce me to new ones.

When I opened my business I had gained a lot of things personally that I was lacking at the time I sold make up but I still was missing the mark on number 3. I was not understanding to survive in the business world I would need to do two things well.

(1)   Truly know my clients and listen to their needs.

(2)   I needed to make contacts that were fresh.

I spent a lot of time this past few years waiting for friends to take my art classes and purchase my paintings and I am so very grateful at how supportive of my business my circle of friends has been. However, if you want to truly be a financial success you are going to have to work networking into your business plan. Expanding your client circle is paramount for being successful. Our friends and family are our support system emotionally, not financially. Let them be the people who you turn to for a boost or a kick in the pants, not who pays for your electric bill. It is important that our friends and family are our private cheerleaders, not our financial backers.

This year I have a plan. My plan includes a number of new contacts that I must make each month. I have decided how many people it will take to get my business to reach its potential this year and I have decided to actively seek them out.

How does one reach 30 new contacts a month? (or what ever your number is)

We go to the places our target clientele go. We take part in community functions. We volunteer our time, we chat with people at the grocery store check out line, We ask friends to share our site with others who may be interested. There are many ways to meet new people.

It can be difficult when we are sitting in our businesses or homes and we are ripping our hair out wondering how we are going to get new clients. The best thing to do is, get up, get dressed, grab your business cards and get out the front door. There is a whole world out there waiting for you and somewhere in it you are going to find just the right opportunities!

Love!

Hannah Scott

Legacy Studios Midland MI

Success Coaching and Strategic Planning Sessions Available

989-430-3113

Email: LegacyStudiosMidland@gmail.com

We must plan our success!

What is your plan?

If you don’t have one…..You should reconsider. Here is why!

So it is no secret that my life has been centered around business and creativity. I have had corporate management positions and today I own an art gallery. I will be spending a lot of time in this New Year assisting people who have small and home based businesses do what I do best…plan! Now I know this sounds a bit dry, most creative or busy people do not like to plan. I am here to tell you if you want to make it out there a plan is going to be your best tool. I am also here to tell you that planning can be fun!

Plans are so important because not only are they road maps to our success. They are our sanity! We create plans in sound mind before the stress of the goals are due, before we are tired of running into the same brick wall, before the chaos of the year strikes us and we are running like mad. We develop plans when we are calm and ordered in our thoughts. We lay our plans down surely and steady so that when we are in the thick of the chaos we can trust that our plan makes sense. We can trust that we have a direction. We can monitor our progress and make adjustments as needed while still moving towards our larger goals.

I tend to suffer from an identity crisis in the community because half of the community knows me from business while half of the community sees me as artistic. What I learned today was that I am so good at planning that I was able to use my business sense to not only create a business and sustain myself, I was able to do it on a business idea most people believe could not work!  Most people feel that being an artist is not lucrative. I say FALSE! It is not what we are selling it is how we are selling it. There are always going to be people who will buy your product. It really doesn’t matter if you are selling paintings, bottle caps, tools; make up, clothing, Tupperware or candies. There are always going to be other people selling a similar product as you, what do you think makes you different from them? Why would someone want to buy your product rather than buy it from someone else? Strategic planning!

We need to know what our goals are, who our targets are, what their tastes are, what their buying habits are, where they hang out, and develop ways to reach them. We need to be able to break our big goals down into smaller obtainable goals that we can chip away at on a day to day, week to week basis. We need accountability! Who is helping you keep on track?

Plans are the life line to a successful business and person. Even if you do not have a business you most likely do have dreams. We must still have a plan to reach our dreams. For most business owners, our business is a physical manifestation of our dreams. Either way, we all could benefit from a solid run plan regardless if it is for our business, our selves or our families.

If you are interested in discussing your business, a plan or your dreams come see us for free. We are offering free consultations to learn about what direction you want to go!

Hannah Scott

Owner Legacy Art Studio and Gallery

989-430-3113