Two things especially jumped out at me on the Entrepreneur the Arts site: their aim to “tap into the power of creative artistry to innovate lives, bottom lines, and the communities we live in,” and their commitment to helping artists build more fulfilling careers through entrepreneurship. These two ideas resonate deeply with me simply because THEY WORK! Over the past 3 years, we’ve seen the benefits of artistic entrepreneurship and a community focus come alive here at Summerglen. Andrew and I are definitely well-fed, happy artists…and the ETA website shows you how you can be one, too!

Here’s a sampling of some of the helpful articles over at ETA:
Identifying Your Ideal Client

How to Be a Thriving Artist in this Economy

13 Steps to a Happy Artistic Life

Hope you enjoy these articles as much as I did. Many thanks to Entrepreneur the Arts for your support of working artists!

Yesterday evening, one of the ensembles I perform with lost a gig–because the gig was booked by a scammer! A couple months back, another group lost a show because they relied on a verbal agreement (and no deposit) to book the gig. Both the scammer and the verbal agreement person backed out at the last minute with no consequences whatsoever, and we musicians had no way of collecting the income we were anticipating.

On the other hand, Andrew and I had a student last year who would take a lesson, “forget” his checkbook, and not show up again for several weeks. But he didn’t run off with free lessons–he ended up paying our fee and then some! The difference? A contract.

Unfortunately, there are dishonest people out there, and there are those who think it’s OK to try to get something for nothing. As a younger musician, I thought people would think I was “mean” if I required a contract for my services. But after getting burned several times, I realized that it’s better make sure you get paid than to have a con man think you’re “nice”.

In his excellent book Book Yourself Solid, Michael Port advocates having a “Red Velvet Rope Policy” for your business–meaning, if you’re not the very best type of client, we don’t need to let you in. Willingness to sign a contract is one of the top items in my Red Velvet Rope Policy. When a client signs a contract, it not only shows me they’re serious, but it also protects me if it turns out they’re not.

Having a Red Velvet Rope Policy can be tricky without faith; after all, some people won’t make it past the rope. They might promise lots of money or more gigs in the future, but if they refuse to put down a deposit, or won’t sign the contract, or give you more excuses than details, it’s usually best to politely send them elsewhere. You’ll survive without the gig, and you can save your energy for those clients who treat you well and are fun to work with.

So, if you’re a musician without a contract, go to the library and learn more about written agreements. Take a lawyer friend to lunch and talk contracts for your band. Do something nice for yourself, and step behind the red velvet rope.

Networking meetings are cool; you get a chance to meet several new people and put their business cards in your file. But this picnic was something special, because it allowed everyone to get out from behind their 30-second commercials and really get to know each other. As we talked about random things like astrology and pets and the Olympics, we made connections. I’ll often leave a networking meeting saying, “Hmm, now I know a wellness coach.” But I left the picnic thinking, “I have a friend who’s a wellness coach.” Why is this so important? Because people buy from their friends!

We also unveiled our new Summerglen logo for the first time today (this is the logo that YOU picked out, blog readers! Thank you!!) Here’s a picture of Andrew and me with the fine designers at Vigor Creative, and our logos. We hope to reuse these banners at upcoming Inside919 picnics–we’re planning to do one every quarter!

The speech for the Wake County Women Business Owners Network went very well!

My presentation was designed to teach business owners the skills of performers, to help them promote their businesses more easily. In the presentation, I offered 5 tips to help build the inner confidence needed to perform well and feel comfortable in front of a group. And in preparing for today’s meeting, I used the 5 tips as well.

They work! A lady actually came up to me afterwards and commented on how confident I was!

It was a pleasure speaking to this fine group of women business owners, and I look forward to seeing them again at the meeting next month! (Check it out if you’re in Raleigh!)

This time last year, I thought that business owners should always be busy and productive. After all, there’s a ton of stuff to do when you’re working for yourself, and many different hats to wear each day. But as I went on, I learned that taking time to relax is just as important as working. Down time gives my mind room to think, and when my mind feels free, the ideas start flowing. Summerglen has blossomed because of all the new and different things we’ve done, so having a steady supply of ideas is critical. So, relax time is critical as well.

Since I make my own schedule, I’ve started following my body’s natural clock, which makes work and relaxation balance themselves out nicely. I’m wide awake in the morning, so I knock all my detailed work out before breakfast. In the afternoon, though, I’m dead to the world, so I use that time to drink a latte and read. At night, I’m awake again, so I practice. I get a lot of stuff done each day, but I never feel overworked or deprived. It’s cool !

I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be a full-time, independent trombonist, and to be able to create my own ideas and follow them on my own schedule. Thank you for dropping by to read this week’s series, and for supporting our little Summerglen. Best wishes, and good night!

I had absolutely no marketing experience when I started Summerglen, but I knew I needed to get the word out. So, I started by thinking about my own experience as someone being advertised to. I thought about how much I disliked junk mail, and how frustrated I became when I signed up for an “educational” ezine and got an advertisement instead. Ugh!

Then, I thought of the businesses that I liked and trusted–how did they get me to do business with them? I remember the window salesman who wiped his feet before entering my house, and spent 2 hours at my kitchen table patiently answering questions and educating me on the finer points of windows. He was so excited about windows, it was contagious! And he knew his stuff. And he respected my home. And he got my business!

I wanted to be like the window guy, gaining business by freely sharing my expertise with others. Many people don’t know much about music, or they’ve received incorrect information. So my advertisements are really educational tools: articles about music, workshops on creativity, free shows on the street, student recitals that are open to the public, speeches, and even detailed email replies. In sharing what I know, I feel good about helping people, and I also attract people to Summerglen to study or book live music.

Tomorrow will be the last article in this series, on the most important lesson of all–RELAXING! Until then!

Before I started Summerglen, I thought that the best way to find music students, brides who wanted cool ceremony music, and people to host Summerglen Duo concerts was to let the WHOLE WORLD know about us, and try to convince everyone who would listen that they needed more trombones in their lives. I was so worried that if I didn’t “get” these people, the “competition” would. Sound desperate? You bet! Sound like an approach that works? In a word, NO!

As I started learning about working solo, I discovered that the most successful entrepreneurs take a more relaxed, but detailed approach to finding the right people to work with. These people believe that there’s plenty of business to go around, so there is no need to sweat the competition. And instead of changing their businesses to fit everyone’s needs, they do research to find which people might benefit best from what they’re already doing. This way sounded workable, positive, and even fun; this mindset could allow me to relax, be myself, AND find the perfect clients.

And it worked!

There are plenty of people offering music lessons in Raleigh–but Summerglen is the place to go if you’re excited about low brass or percussion. There are a number of groups that perform at special events around here, but only one that comes downtown and entertains you as you leave your office for lunch. Simply by being ourselves, getting to know our ideal clients, and trusting that all will be well, we’ve attracted wonderful clients who are a pleasure to have in our lives!

Making the transition away from being an employee can be confusing and a little scary–after all, you’re stepping out and taking a risk. But I knew from years of taking auditions that preparation is one of the best ways to minimize risk and be successful. So, the first action I took was to get prepared, by reading tons of business books. I wanted to see if I had the right stuff to go solo, and to figure out what I needed to do to be successful. Here are 3 books that helped me do just that:

Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton – This book showed me that some of my habits I thought were annoying were actually unique strengths that I could use to be successful. After reading the book and doing the online quiz, I was able to use my newfound strengths to create the foundation of Summerglen Music.

Before You Quit Your Job by Robert Kiyosaki – Describes how to think like an
entrepreneur, gives many details on how to build a business from the ground up, and empowers you to learn from your mistakes. Priceless.

Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port – This book makes you sit down and figure out who might want your services, where they might be, and how you can best reach them. It also teaches you how to promote yourself in a credible, trustworthy way.

I also subscribed to lots of e-zines and read a number of blogs about business, and then tried out the things I learned. All this research helped me understand how to promote musical services in a businesslike way. And once I understood that, I could balance business with artistry, making ends meet while making music!

Until next time, enjoy!

1. Go out and play – Generally, when people read a description of a musical group like ours (a trombone and marimba duet), it’s tough for them to get an idea of what we sound like. I mean, what is a marimba anyway? And aren’t trombones kinda blatty? But when people see and hear us in person, the reaction is more like, “Wow, that’s beautiful!” When we go out and play, usually we make a few dollars in tips, but more importantly, we make people happy, and we help them get to know us better. Everyone wins!

2. Post online classifieds – I’ve heard a lot of people say that posting on free online classified directories doesn’t get you good clients, but that hasn’t been the case for me. I’ve found 3 strategies that make posting online classified ads really successful: (1) post on LOTS of different directories, (2) post regularly, and (3) post meaningful ads with lots of info.

3. Get publicity – Publicity is better than advertising because it’s free, many people see it, and they tend to trust what you say more because it’s not an advertisement. When I do an interview, sponsor a musical event, or volunteer to speak for a local group, afterward there’s usually a big jump in the number of calls I get for gigs and teaching. As long as I keep the focus on sharing with other people (instead of plugging my services), everyone leaves feeling good, and Summerglen has new friends.

4. Write articles – I like to write articles about music, especially about learning to play an instrument. When I finish an article, I put it on the website for anyone to read, and ask nothing in return. These articles help people, and at the same time give them an idea of what I’m like as a teacher. Some of the students here have mentioned that they signed up for lessons because the articles made learning music seem more possible. WAY cool.

5. Always have something to invite people to – This is a lesson from Michael Port, the author of the business book Book Yourself Solid…and it works! Inviting people to events is fun for us, and checking out our events is fun for other people. Having something to invite people to can get new people close enough to hear your music, meet your students, and learn more about what you do. And soon, there are more and more people at your events, and you’ve got a healthy buzz going all over town.

As I write, many more details and ideas come to mind. And as I keep practicing, getting the word out becomes more and more fun! Let’s call it my new hobby .