The Business Start-Up Blog

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye…

2010-03-15T05:50:00.001-07:00

If you have been following this blog since its inception almost a year ago, you’ll have noticed a dearth of posts lately.

If you’re new to it, don’t go away…yet.

The bold experiment is over. I am a year older, a year wiser, and I don’t regret a thing.

I opened my shop last May. It closes this May, 2010.

I would, of course, do it all again in an instant. I’ve learned so much about business, accounts, community, art, shops, the local council, publicity, marketing, everything. It has been fantastic. Utterly brilliant. I have worked harder than I ever thought possible. I’ve been so tired I’ve spontaneously burst into tears in public. I’ve gone months without a full day off.

The business is not folding: it’s evolving. The harsh reality is cashflow. I started with £2000 of capital. After one year, it’s been up and down but I’m finishing the year (slightly) in the black. That’s pretty good!

I had to take a long, hard look at the outgoings and incomings though. My main income is not shop sales. Just before Christmas was pretty good, but once I’ve paid my suppliers I’m not left with much commission. The stuff that sold well in the shop made the least money for me. My main income, month to month, has been from internet sources – my own design work, book covers, proofreading and editing – and from private tutoring. None of these incomes need the shop. And my main outgoing? The shop rent. At £150 pcm it’s peanuts for most shops these days. But even so. That’s 10 hours’ tutoring to pay the rent. It is not worth it.

I have met a lot of people through the shop and it HAS started to build my profile. However I’ve done a lot of successful internet promo – much more than I thought I could, actually – and I still get people emailing me for help.

Which leads me onto another thing – people that email me asking for help or advice, and then do not even acknowledge receipt of said advice. I have had contact from a lot of people trying to use empty shops as display, and also various artists wishing to sell their work, and some people doing research. Mostly people are very nice and we enter a bit of a dialogue. There have been some people, and more than I expected, who asked me lists of questions – I replied with detailed, long answers – and I don’t even receive a “thanks” in reply. That, dear readers, is rude.

So…where now? Well, I have got my employed work down to 2 days a week (though it is 70% of my income, still). I will be pursuing my tutoring, design work, and budding web work. I have a website called Understone where I showcase my work and a blog that links with this, called The Weekly Spleen, where I mainly sound off about art. But I am also building up some how-to articles here. I will also be reviewing books and products. I intend to get this to pay for itself eventually by getting an Amazon affiliates account to link to the book reviews.

I proofread and edit for loveyoudivine, and am taking on more of the administration for this site. It’s an over-18’s publisher of alternative erotica, so don’t follow the link if you’re offended by sex!

And I intend to bring together what I have learnt maintaining the online shopping cart for loveyoudivine, with my tutoring, to create a new website that makes available all the resources I have been developing for tutoring. Most of these resources will be free downloads, with collections of them available to buy as pdfs. It’s an exciting new business venture that I wouldn’t have even dared to do before!

I’ll be leaving this blog up. You may stumble across it in the future. It still has some useful information on it. The main thing I would say to anyone who has come across it because they’ve googled “business start up art” or something is…. DO IT! Try it. Remember: the only failure is the failure to learn from your mistakes.

Good luck and thank you for reading.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye…

2010-03-15T05:50:00.000-07:00

Problem solved...radically!

2010-01-12T04:56:00.000-08:00

In my last post I mentioned my current accommodation wasn't suitable for working form home.

Solved that one; I've bought a house with a converted attic.

This means that the shop will be up in May and I will be working as an illustrator, designer, jobbing artist and budding webmonkey from my own home. It makes financial sense; the mortgage is less than my rent, AND I will be saving on shop rent.

If my business relied on passing trade obviously this is a bad idea. But as I can see that the bulk of my income is NOT from wandering shoppers, there is little point keeping this place on.It was a great stepping stone that enabled me to test out what works for me, and what doesn't.

It's also damn cold.

Forward Planning

2009-12-11T01:18:00.000-08:00

I'm glad I said from the start that I was going to be flexible and responsive to the changing climate. It's as much a state of mind as what's in the formal business plan. I was always more keen to be self employed than to run a shop; the shop is a means to an end. The end is... well, what is self employment? For me, it's having control and making decisions and being flexible. For others, it will mean something different. But I think it's important to understand what it means to yourself, so that you'll know when you finally get it.

I think I've got it. My only paid employment for others now is a day and a half a week. That's my guaranteed, regular income. The rest of the time I'm a private tutor, I'm doing book covers, proofreading, pet portrait commissions, various small design projects, and lately, some web admin and design for people. I'm probably working longer hours than ever but it feels like I'm in control.

Ahhhh what about running a shop? Well, when I look at the figures for this year, since I started in May with two grand in capital, I have not dipped into the red. I've tip toed around the edges of it, but I haven't waded in. However the shop rent is a drain on my income, and is kept afloat by the design and tutoring work I do. I haven't had to subsidise it from my "mainstream" employment, though, which I feel is a success.

The lease will be up in May. After Christmas, I'm planning on a sale, and then I shall start to move towards being more of a studio. Already I advertise Saturdays as "shop day", when I'm guaranteed to be there, and other days as "studio days" when I may, or may not be present. It might make sense to keep on as a working studio; my current accommodation is not suitable for working from home. I have a few months to decide. I feel very glad that whatever happens, I'm not "giving it up"...I'm just changing the focus of my business to pursue the more profitable activities.

Where's the Christmas rush?

2009-12-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

Sales have dropped off recently. I'm not even getting the foot traffic past any more. In the summer, some of my custom was from tourists, but not much. Not enough to account for the last few weeks of poor sales.

I blame Christmas.

Yep. If someone wants to buy a birthday gift, they may well pop in to my shop. I also sell a lot of "treat myself!" stuff, mainly to women.

But now we're running up to Christmas, people are doing "a big shop" getting as much as they can in one go. So they're going online, and also hopping on the train to "do" Lancaster, or Preston, or Manchester.

On the other hand, I've just finished a pet portrait you can see here.

Business is fine, real life less so!

2009-11-28T06:37:00.000-08:00

Running a business. They say it'll be tough. They say you'll work 26 hours a day. They say you'll go mad, go through madness, and hopefully out the other side.

All kind of true, but meh. You can cope.

The problem is having any kind of life as well as having a business!

If I had staff, it'd be great. If I didn't have to do the mundane things of life, like shopping, ironing, sleeping, cooking, it'd be fine. Actually, I don't do the ironing. And I recently bought a freezer so I can eat more frozen ready meal rubbish. A cardboard microwaved lasagne is better than nothing.

So I do the very minimum of housekeeping, and things go ok. But then there's family, friends, relationships to maintain. I have been very caught up in my commissions and projects lately, and it makes me very selfish. I have a great support network but I neglect them, and that's bad. It's very hard to make time for the important people in my life as I'm currently so driven, and I want to spend every waking moment on my projects. But it is crucial to switch off sometimes, I know. I have to turn my phone off, leave my work in the shop/studio, and make a very conscious effort to engage with others.

And then real life intrudes even more... my car went to the big scrap yard in the sky (or so I thought...) and I was given a second hand bike to get around. Fine. It gets me fit, and it is a nice bit of thinking time as I cycle along the prom. Last week, my bike was stolen. Ok. This caused hassle but luckily a neighbour gave me an old one, in exchange for carrot cake. This bike is unfortunately rather seized up, and I don't have time to unseize it, so I am mainly on foot.

And yesterday I got a speeding ticket through the post, incurred last week, on that car I scrapped two months ago... hmmm.

I don't want to be dealing with the tedious minutia of everyday life! I just want to work!

Head above water!

2009-11-22T01:35:00.000-08:00

I'm getting there. It's happening. Bit by bit...

I've got a portrait commission to fulfil in the next few weeks. I've completed some book covers for a local writer which led to logos and a portrait, and a poster. I've done enough paid work now, to start to feel confident really calling myself a professional.

I do book covers, editing and proofreading for loveyoudivine.com, which has led to me taking a more active role in the back-end website management, leading to monthly payments for uploading and updating the weekly releases. I can't call myself a WebMaster... yet... there is a lot I want to learn. I have been curling up with tutorials on C++ and PHP. I can see where I want to be in the future, and it's basically as I am now - but with more knowledge, more work, maybe a bit more money.

I have enough to pay the rent and buy food, but that's it. It would be nice to start making a bit more, now.

But I'm pretty optimistic that it'll happen - things have developed well so far, so if I keep working and learning and say "yes" to everything then no doubt things will continue to develop.

I'm tired but I'm happy.

Networks...growing

2009-10-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

Networking

It would be very easy to get disheartened and say “pah to this community art nonsense!” and give it up. Certainly I am taking a breather from it. But I’m still looking around, thinking, and talking to people. The local council Arts Officer put me in touch with MidPennineArts who are running a “Talking Shop” project and one of their people came to chat with me yesterday.

Their projects don’t use empty shops – theirs is a creative collaboration between artists and shopkeepers. It was fascinating stuff. We discussed various things and although we’re formulating a plan together, I started to appreciate the value of debate and how it opens my mind to new ideas, and having to express myself succinctly helps to clarify my ideas too.

I’ll be watching their projects develop with interest as there may be scope for working in partnership at some point.

My long hours have prevented me from networking very efficiently. I have joined Qsand, the local art group in Morecambe, and taken part in some art events, but really I’ve been feeling my way in the dark. The internet is useful for connecting but a lot of what I dug up was out of date information. There is also a tendency for people to create wonderful websites but when you dig a little deeper, all that exists of their organisation is simply that… a wonderful website. Ideas, but no action.

Word of mouth is slow but it is effective. Connections lead to connections – and what you say and how you say it remain in people’s minds. You have no control (well, very little control…) over what perceptions someone takes away and stores in their memory – filtered as it is by their own expectations. Two months later, a stranger may approach you and say “yes, such and such said you do this, and I do that, and I thought we could…” because they have built a whole new reality in their head.

Generally, that’s a good thing.

Today I was pleased to find one of my stockists popping in to see me, and tell me she’d recommended me to someone else who’s looking for an illustrator. It may, or may not, come off… but that third person will now have me filed in their head as an illustrator and perhaps, if they don’t use me, they’ll mention me to someone else. Because the consumer, when making a choice, still prefers to go with a business that has a connection – however tenuous.

I am currently revamping my website to reflect my new direction – “alternative illustration and underground design”.

If you want a reciprocal link (that is relevant!) email me on webfoot@hotmail.co.uk

Funding; Frustration; Distraction and Re-focus

2009-10-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

Let's recap. I moved here in May and used a whole arcade of empty shops to show local work. It was great. No funding, no obligations. I just did it. Now 5 of those windows are occupied by other businesses. The council were interested and supportive, and encouraged me to pursue funding to expand the project.

Due to post going astray, I spent the summer wondering if I'd got the cash - I hadn't but I didn't know.

The feedback from the Arts Council and the local Arts Officer was very interesting. I am very pleased with the time that everyone concerned has spent with me, and it's been a massive learning curve. I have learnt that funding is no good for me!

For anyone wanting to do a similar project, what I didn't fully appreciate was the emphasis on ART. Yeah, um, it's the Arts Council, so it should have been obvious to me. But I have been caught up with ideas of regeneration and community and so on, and did not pay enough attention to ideas of quality and employment for "real artists".

I have a bit of a problem with "Art", capital "A". I am much more interested in art which emanates naturally from "normal" people. I am from the kind of background that does not go to art galleries, does not look at art or listen to music or read newspapers or debate ideas. I think that the majority of the British public is the same. The problem is, people who do do art, and cultural stuff, don't realise that they are in the minority. They think that lots of people go to galleries. But they don't! Normal people are scared of ART! They see it as irrelevant and a waste of money and hard to understand and "why doesn't it just look nice?"

Now I like art and Art and debate and galleries, but surely we have enough Artists doing Art in Galleries. Fair play to them and I appreciate what they do.

But I want to reach other people. Hence, using normal people's art (which they don't call "art!") in shop windows, breaking out of galleries, onto the high street.

This does not fit in with the Arts Council's criteria.

So I spent a weekend considering ways to make my projects acceptable to funding sources. However I was unsuccessful in reconciling my ideas and motivation to their requirements.

Now what?

Well, it's time to re-focus. I have been distracted by the forms and justifications and accountability - and if I were to be using public money I do fully accept I would need to be accountable.

Let's go back to grassroots. Let's see if this project can evolve itself. I am passionate about movements such as Freegle and Local Exchange Trading Systems (money-less local economies) and Guerilla Gardening and this kind of thing. There are some ideas now pickling in the back of my mind...

I need to know what my motivations are. I'm about art coming FROM the people not taking "Art" TO the people; I'm about our community being shaped by US; I'm about having a visually exciting urban environment; and I'm about being flexible and responsive and shared ownership of what can or might happen.

Winter is a harder time for me; I tend towards a lower mood and I'm less motivated. It's a time of year when I retreat a little and think about things. I don't fight this tendency any more. It seems more healthy to accept it and work with my cycles - so don't expect massive activity for a short while. In the Spring I am hopeful that things will be happening that right now, none of us can predict...

Adjusting my time

2009-10-11T02:29:00.001-07:00

I have felt a little flat these past few weeks. Last week, I finally had Monday and Tuesday as days off. Well, they were supposed to be days off. I am so used to working that I still found myself planning some work. It was strange; I stayed at home on Tuesday, and flitted between my computer and my sofa, and felt oddly dissatisfied. I have a habit of assessing how much has been achieved each day, and I didn't feel I'd done as much as I could have - forgetting, of course, that it was a day off and so I didn't NEED to be doing anything.

I have decided that I need to set myself some deadlines to finish my portfolio and speculative work, otherwise I'll not get anything done.

Not for the sensitive

2009-10-03T04:53:00.000-07:00

I chased and chased and chased the Arts Council; finally someone rang and said my application had been rejected in July and they'd sent me a letter. I never got the letter and so have wasted many months where I could have been redrafting the application - the feedback has said I didn't explain the development fully. Hopefully I can get the help of the arts people at the local council, and re-submit. I still think it's worth doing!

Disappointing, though.

Equally frustrating is the illustration work I'm getting into. I've done two covers for a local author, and he's paid and is happy with the work - woohoo! I've also been doing covers for an online publisher in America and so far it's been good but they have a print version of one of the books coming out soon. So they asked me to produce the print cover but I didn't have the right software - I used the money gained from the other covers to purchase the right software - but it's new to me and I just didn't get the right "look" for the publishers. They were on a really tight deadline, ie needed it last week, and after much to-ing and fro-ing she had to tell me to stop, she'd have to mock it up herself. This is incredibly frustrating but I accept the style she wanted isn't my thing - I told her this and suggested I be used for the kind of covers that cater to my strengths (ie hand drawn/graphic illustration). She wasn't aware of that, as I'd been engaged initially via one of her editors, so it was a useful learning curve for both of us.

So, annoying though it was, I have to accept I'm good at some stuff - and I must work to keep improving - but not so good at others, and leave that to the experts! I suppose you just can't be too sensitive in this job.

I do have a wodge of completed commissions under my belt now, and many of them (not all) can be seen here.

The Big Draw

2009-09-25T03:22:00.000-07:00

Hmm, something weird happened with my post last time; it overlapped the previous post.

So here we go again!

On 10 October, the Big Draw will be taking place right across the UK - and in Morecambe it's happening in The Plaza Arcade!

It's an event to get people drawing. It's not organised by me - it's Joe Cowell of Qsand, Morecambe's artist group based at Mona House on Deansgate. For more information, call Joe on 01524 410361. He is particularly keen to get street performers, buskers, face painters, jugglers and all sorts involved - and is still looking for donations of materials.

Tony at Studio Arts in Lancaster has been very supportive with donations but of course we could always use more!

The arcade is undercover so ideal, whatever the weather.

This is EXACTLY the sort of thing we need to be using spaces for!

Webcomic Launch

2009-09-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

Part of being an artist is being part of networks. I'm involved in the local art group, Qsand - see the post about The Big Draw. But I also link with artists across the world, a feat made so quick and easy by the internet.

I am a graphic artist and produce book covers and illustrations. A writer I have worked closely with is Bryn Colvin (here). I have also been helped enormously by an American artist of exception talent, Tom Brown. Now these two have come together as Copper Age Studios on a range of projects - and this weekend they launch the latest venture - The Blind Fisherman. Go here on 12 September to see the first instalment - I believe that there are various promotional goodies and so on up for grabs.

Tom's work is awesome - in a true, jaw dropping sense. I honestly believe this guy is going to be HUGE and I really recommend you check it out so you can say "Yeah, I was in that at the start". Much of his work can be seen at the gothic (possibly fictional? You visit, you decide) blog at http://hopelessvendetta.wordpress.com/.

They produce a newsletter at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/copperage and if you sign up, you'll get a free PDF of one of Bryn's stories about AnneMarie.

The Big Draw

2009-09-11T03:49:00.000-07:00

The Campaign for Drawing runs a national event every October, to encourage everyone to get drawing. This year, Morecambe's event takes place HERE!

I am a member of the local art group "Qsand", and Joe Cowell (local artist) was looking for a suitable venue. We could have done it at the gallery - but that would go against the principle of Art for All. So we've decided to use the whole arcade that my shop is in. It's very exciting and will take place on 10th October.

Watch this space for more details, or check out www.qsand.org

A renewed attack!

2009-09-03T11:52:00.001-07:00

It turns out that I am a lot tougher than I thought I was; but even so, I have found the limit of my endurance!

The last few weeks have been incredibly hard, with teaching for four days a week, in the shop for three, undertaking commissions while in the shop, and tutoring privately for four evenings a week. I haven't hoovered in - my god, two months perhaps? - and shopping has consisted of raiding Tesco express on the way home for something vaguely microwavable. The only thing that has kept me going is having an end date... and the end date was this weekend.

Yes, it was Bank Holiday, but I closed the shop and had some time away. For the first time in 8 or 9 weeks I didn't have to be anywhere or doing anything. For the first time in 13 years, I got roaringly and embarrassingly drunk.

And now? Well, my teaching is down to one and a half days a week; tutoring is five nights a week for the next two weeks, then will drop to one night a week unless I get a few more pupils. The shop is three days, as usual. I'll be using my spare time (as well as housework!) to prepare my portfolio for presentation, complete a book cover for a local artist... oh, and chase the bloody Arts Council!

Chasing the Arts Council

2009-08-17T01:52:00.000-07:00

Right. It's 8 weeks since my application for funding and I am turning away some brilliant artists who want to display work, so I have fired off an email to the Arts Council today. They sent me a confirmation email on 25 June that they received my application, and said I'd hear within 6 weeks. So now it's time to chase.

I am losing display space weekly now; when I came to The Plaza in Morecambe, all the units were empty save mine, and a cafe. So I plastered 8 windows with art.

And now? We've got a cake shop, a computer-and-jigsaws-and-geneaology place, and potentially a hairdressers'. I am down to 3 windows and I have more art than I know what to do with.

It has been hard to get my head straight recently with working too much; in September (just two weeks away) when I will be an "illustrator who does some teaching" rather than a "teacher who does some illustration", I will have more time to really pursue other avenues if the Arts Council grant is refused.

Workaholic!

2009-08-09T03:03:00.000-07:00

Whew!

Within a week of advertising myself providing tuition, I have acquired four hours a week of English conversation with an Arabic professor at the University! It's not what I expected but it's great. All my advertising costs have been met already.

The shop is steadily growing. I had good sales this weekend and it gave me great pleasure to be able to pay my artists.

And it does well as a studio too; a few minutes ago a family stopped and looked at the pet portraits I advertise in the window. Then they cam in and have commissioned a large picture of their beloved collie, who is very ill.

Yesterday a man came in and peered very intently at my paintings. He asked who did them; I replied it was me. "Do you do book covers?" he asked.

As it happens, yes; I've been doing some for an American e-publisher.

It turns out he's a local writer with two books to self-publish and the thing holding him up is finding an artist with the right style for his work. I asked whether he wanted a digitally edited photographic cover, or a painting; with a deep breath I told him that painted would be £50. "That's fine, that's what I want" he said airily. "Two paintings. I'll email you the spec."

I've got a tattoo design to complete this afternoon too.

I will be giving up one (just one!) of my paid teaching jobs at the end of this month - I simply cannot fulfil these commissions AND work every day. It's a risk, yes... keeping the other teaching job will pay my flat rent ONLY... I need to find shop rent and money for bills and food elsewhere. But it looks like the tutoring, the art and bits of cover teaching will meet the shortfall... it will in August and September, at any rate. Beyond that, who knows?

It's time to take the plunge... very scary... but if I don't try... :-)

On advertising

2009-07-27T09:47:00.001-07:00

Working 7 days a week, and spending half of that time schlepping up and down the M6, has already lost its shine. I had a rethink this weekend and looked at my assets.

Having a teaching qualification, and an inexplicable talent for teaching basic maths, is in my favour. So I spent this afternoon driving and cycling round the Morecambe, Bare, Torrisholme and Heysham areas, putting up adverts offering maths and English tuition. I've done it for adults who didn't like Learndirect, and I think with the credit crunch, more kids are coming out of Private Education but still have parents who want to push them forwards. To be honest, I am more interested in boosting the confidence of maths-phobes, than hot-housing the already rather bright student. But at this point, I'll do any tuition except of course for the 11-plus. Tutoring for the 11-plus makes a mockery of the system that should be open to all pupils from all backgrounds, not just those that can pay.

I also put an ad in the newspaper. It's maybe not the best time - lots of people are on holiday - but there are also kids going up to Secondary this September who maybe need a bit of a boost.

The costs vary. One newsagent charged me 10p a week and it goes to charity. Another place, a chain newsagent, charged £1 a week. Some post offices do advertise, some don't. I could not find a co-op with a community noticeboard, which surprised me. Altogether I got my ads into 12 places, and had a potential customer at one post office. The lady said it was 30p a week, so I gave her £1.20 for a month; no, she said, I owed her £1.60. I offered her maths tuition... when we stopped laughing, the lady next to her said her daughter was 9, would I help her with mental arithmetic? I said yes. I hope she'll be in touch, but even if she isn't, if she gets chatting to other parents, then word will spread. It's word of mouth and I just need to get my foot in the door.

I also had a good weekend of sales.

It makes it very frustrating not having time to really promote myself and my work! I will have to bite the bullet soon and give up some of my regular paid work...

I am still waiting to hear from the Arts Council but luckily I have a contingency plan now, in the form of this: http://www.meanwhile.org.uk/index.html

Getting frustrated now...

2009-07-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

This has been a good month so far. I am selling much more of my own artwork than I expected. To be honest, putting up my own work was a way to fill the walls. I thought that people would buy the knick knacks, the jewellery and so on.

Instead, I've sold a watercolour fairy, quite a few cards of mine, and a pen and ink drawing that wasn't even intended for sale. I'm illustrating a graphic novel by Bryn Colvin, and each page gets drawn and inked before being scanned and edited in GIMP. I had a partly finished drawing on my board, and a lady fell in love with it; and bought it! You can see it here at http://marshpixie.deviantart.com . And then, late last Sunday, a woman came in with her daughter and requested a quick five-minute portrait. I have very nearly made enough for the shop rent, and that's not bad for the second month of trading.

I am still waiting to hear from the Arts Council regarding my grant. I have two teaching jobs (both part time) and much as I enjoy them, one is a considerable travelling distance and I am feeling the strain of being constantly on the go. I looked at working tax credits - you can claim if you're self employed - but it's based on the previous tax year, so not a lot of help right now.

I am brimming with ideas but have no time to execute them. When I do drag myself in from the endless M6 I am pretty shattered.

It's frustrating and I need to change something, but I am a bit stuck right now. If the Arts Council would let me know.. even if it's a no, then I can maybe move other projects forward!

Getting frustrated now...

2009-07-22T11:31:00.001-07:00

Time management

2009-07-12T02:44:00.000-07:00

One of the things people say about being self-employed is that you can choose your own hours. So, if you're a morning person, you can base your working day in the early hours.

Ah, but when you're starting up, if you're also still working for someone else, you don't get a choice. You work every hour of every day!

There is an element of flexibility if course. I am better in the morning. So, all the stuff I hate doing - phone calls, for example - I do straight away. If I don't do them when I'm at my best, before midday, I won't get them done that day.

It does lead to some strange acts though. All week I have been up at 5.45am to travel to my work, so when it came to the weekend when I was in the shop I was still awake and up early. As I don't open until 10am I decided it was a great time to do some housework, bake some scones for my lunches (money is tight!) and so on.

But I live in a top floor flat, and I am mindful that the man below has a bedroom below my kitchen. I must have looked like I was doing some kind of T'ai Chi cookery as I moved slowly and deliberately, attempting to bake in total silence!

Today is a good day!

2009-07-04T07:51:00.001-07:00

It’s been a great day. Town has been very busy, and as a consequence there has been more people coming down the arcade. I sold a variety of things, from my hand-spun wool to one of my watercolour fairy paintings! I’m over the moon.

One of my artists popped in with some flowers for me, which was lovely. I was pleased to be able to give her the commission earned on various items which she has sold here.

Then a couple started taking photographs outside. I went out to say hello, wondering what they were doing; it transpires that they are taking on the two units next to me, to do “genealogy, jigsaws and computer accessories” – a peculiar combination, perhaps! It means I will have to move a lot of artwork but hopefully the Arts Council grant will come through. Later on a young woman turned up; the unit opposite is going to be bespoke cakes, and chocolate fountain hire. Luckily for my bank balance, chocolate makes me ill.

I’ve been revamping websites like mad, and I have just discovered I get a better mobile broadband signal here in the shop than I do at home…

Today's buzzword is...

2009-07-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

"Maximise your income stream"

Okay so it's a buzz phrase. Whatever.

I have to remind myself of my aim. It's to work for myself. I feel more motivated that way.

But I am realistic enough to accept that I will not take enough money in this small shop to live on.

That's why I am doing so many things right now; I can do a lot of stuff, and I'm doing them all to see what is most effective. So there's the shop; there's the community regeneration arts stuff (now going under a new name... website to follow), there's the pet portraits. There's the pictures I've got up in the Bath Hotel, Morecambe, for sale and also advertising my "chick on a chopper" commissions. And there is also website design. Last year I got a bit bored so I taught myself HTML and CSS and all that stuff, and did a few websites for people. That's something else I can advertise and exploit!

Just wish I wasn't on a two week induction for one of my new jobs. It's too hot to learn about what to do if you're taken hostage.

A little over ambitious?

2009-06-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

FIrstly thank you Ambermoggie for your comment and I am afraid my computer is glitching so I cannot add a comment to your comment... yes, I have got my car posters done, and I will get to the library as soon as I've solved the problem of working 8 days a week.

Yes. Hence the over-ambition of the title. When I moved here I applied, speculatively, for work teaching adults; and in a panic about unemployment and so on, I said yes to all I was offered, which now stands at 4 days a week and all the cover work I can handle. I am in the shop 3 days a week. I do freelance proofreading which is erratic and comes in fits and bursts. I try and keep my own art going, producing work for sale and as examples. I'm trying to illustrate a graphic novel for a friend. I write, and recently had a very favourable feedback letter (running to 2 pages) from a Radio 4 producer, encouraging me to have a go at a comedy drama. And this week I submitted my application to the Arts Council for the money to regenerate all the empty shops in Morecambe which would take up another day a week.

Laughably, I teach maths.

That's why there has been a gap in the upkeep of this blog! Last weekend I was also taking part in "Art in the Park" which was a fantastic way of getting myself seen, and handing out fliers. Tomorrow some of my work will be at Qsand art market on Deansgate in Morecambe. I have managed 3 days off this month (though spent those days doing admin, art, and having meetings with the council and Creative Lancashire... so by "day off" I mean not in the shop and not teaching.)

I'm getting rather tired. I was advised not to try and work full time due to tedious medical issues but while I'm enjoying it, I'll keep going... :-)

On advertising.

2009-06-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

I don't have a television so a certain amount of popular culture passes me by, though I have heard of such shows as the Apprentice, and there's one where a woman goes and helps shops, that sort of thing.I haven't seen them. So I am not really sure of current trends in advertising (when I gave my television away a lot of ads were using lots of colourful, swirly flower-like decoration.) But I did read a list of words that are supposed to be key in advertising - like "secret", "free" and so on. Hence, of course, the Secret Gallery Shop.

So to tempt people down an unappealing alley I have been doing more boards. As well as the one at the top entrance which simply says "Where are the Secret Galleries?" (and when you look to the left you see another board saying "Art...craft... local... shop..." and so on, I did two more board this weekend. One is at the other entrance and lists a selection of things that I sell, interspersing the usual with the unexpected - "cards... candles... weird metal hand... bags... spiders..." and so on. I found people only came half way down the alley and did not turn the corner to my shop, so I have added a sign half way that says, very large, "YOU DON'T KNOW...UNTIL YOU LOOK" and has a big arrow on it.

It works! People come in! Though they almost all make the same jokes... "you're not very secret, there's a big sign..."

Now I need to get posters about town. In my car I have "Have you discovered the Secret Galleries?" and a bit about the shop, which was a handy tip by a customer who revealed she ran a craft shop for 22 years. I am not sure of the legalities of putting posters up, and I intend to chat to the council's business development unit tomorrow. As I am doing my funding bid this week I may do another press release, too.

And I have a day off tomorrow, the first since May! Well, I say day off, of course I have phone calls to make, and a grant application to fill in... but it's great, it's for ME! I am liking this self-employment thing. Just wish I were making a bit more money.

What does it DO?

2009-06-08T10:17:00.001-07:00

It’s been hard going this week. The shop is gaining more visitors – I say visitors rather than customers – but at least I am getting interest now. Putting a board in the back alleyway that says “Where are the Secret Galleries” has had a huge effect. People have been used to walking past. Now they stop and come down the arcade. I was amused by one conversation between a small boy and his mother:“What are galleries?”
“They’re art. Come and look.”
They walk down.
“But,” said the child, “what do they DO?”
I didn’t hear the mother’s reply.

I have had a positive response from the gallery side of things, too. A local pub is rebranding as a bikers’ pub, and they were interested in a motorbike drawing by one of the artworks in the empty shop. I was pleased to be able to put them in touch with each other, for a hopefully mutually beneficial arrangement.

I said, a few posts ago, that I had a flexible approach and was not planning too much. I am glad I’ve taken this line, because things are cropping up that I feel able to adapt to. The shop is also my studio, and I’m doing a lot more of my own art now – which I don’t do at home, due to various distractions. This has led to me taking part, in two weeks’ time, in “Art in the Park” where I will have a stand in Happy Mount Park, Morecambe, doing portraits of people and selling my drawings. Here’s hoping for good weather!

Funding Fun

2009-06-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the month so I have totted up everything. I started with a £2000 loan from my family. £500 has gone on the bond, then there's insurance for the year, rent, shelving, stock and so on. I have £480 left which I have ear marked for rent for the next three months. My shop rent is £120 a month - I am being open about money and costs, because it infuriated me when I was trying to find this sort of thing out when I was planning. So I can swim along till the end of August, as my day job in the week will keep a roof over my head.

Speaking of the day job, I've been offered extra work and can't say no. So I am working every day for the next few weeks. And it's such beautiful weather! Still, I'm not really complaining. I feel very lucky to have this chance.

And speaking of chances... as I mentioned before, I am using the empty shops as display space for local artists. This has really taken off, and I've filled them all now. I rang the council on spec this morning, and two hours later was showing the Arts Development bod around... she loved it. Though all the funding has been pulled we are looking at where I can get £500, because I am going to apply to the Arts Council for £5000 to do this right across Morecambe. They want 10% to come from other sources, so if any philanthropic business people are reading this... hello! I want your cash!

The plan is (embryonically) to pay myself for one day a week, for six months, and to buy loads of chipboard and white paint and fixings, and get each empty unit in Morecambe to be a mini gallery. Publicise it, link artists together, encourage people who don't think they are artists, and make Morecambe look fantastic.

I also need a grant to pay for the ink and paper I used up downloading 58 pages of guidance and 41 pages of application form from the Arts Council...!

All the little details.

2009-05-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

I thought I had done a pretty comprehensive budget for starting up. But all sorts of mini expenses have cropped out, that books simply didn't warn me about.

A hoover, for example. Yes, seems obvious now, doesn't it? You'll want to vacuum your shop at the end of a day. Music is another; the PRS people are really rather insistent you have a licence if you play music, or even have a tiny radio. Bubblewrap. A heater. A sign giving your opening times. A knowledge of local parking areas, and when you can get your car up the back alley to make a delivery. Sorting a float of change. It all takes time, and eats into the budget too.

I have opened for the last three days, and made some sales - not a lot, but enough to give me hope. I need to get some banners done for the entrances, and I also want to somehow publicise it all around town - "Have you discovered the Secret Galleries?" kind of thing. A customer today, who ran a craft shop for 22 years, advised me to get a poster in my car... constant, moving advert. That seems like sound advice, and it certainly won't harm to try.

I am also diversifying, already. I am advertising myself to do pet portraits, and I intend to take on commissions for fantasy character portraits. I may as well make good use of my time!

I have really enjoyed it all so far, but I think it's just hit me today. I am achingly tired, mentally and physically, but I can take the next few days to catch up on rest, sleep, paperwork and moving admin like finding a GP and stuff.

Opening Day!

2009-05-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

I did it! I opened a shop!

I had a whole nine customers and was only actually related to three of them. Woo!

Okay, okay, so the business world is hardly quaking in their shoes. But I spent the day MAKING ART which is something I have not done for about a decade. I keep meaning to, yes, but never really getting round to it. Now, in the shop, I have nothing to do BUT create things. I know I have some talent. Now I must use it!

But I am tired and achey and cold, and need a bath and bed.

This time tomorrow...

2009-05-22T13:19:00.001-07:00

I've been rushing around like a gazelle on speed. Now a curious calm has descended. I have done everything I can do and now I just need to relax, go to bed, and see what tomorrow brings.

Yesterday was an 18-hour day and today wasn't much better. Finally though, the shelves are mirror plated to the wall (I had a sudden nightmarish vision at 3am of a small child grabbing a unit, and bringing a shelf of ceramics onto its head), the windows are washed (WHY did the previous occupant have to apparently GLUE things to the windows?), the cash box has a float of change (a till was alarmingly expensive; if things go well, I'll buy one), the stock is all on shelves (I really don't have enough), and the sign has been painted (I was terrified of making a spelling mistake).

Everyone is talking about it being my 'big day' tomorrow yet I am not expecting many customers. I think it'll be a slow start. But I am glad it finally IS starting...

Where do I buy ...

2009-05-20T12:48:00.001-07:00

...clear plastic covers for cards, more time, carrier bags, extra time, a cash register, time, oh and a few more hours in the day please.

The answers are Ebay, Booker cash and carry, and a local shop down a side street I accidentally stumbled into. Still working on the time problem though.

I am a planner. I make lists. I LIKE making lists. I get a strange warm glow when I tick things off. So, as I eat my breakfast, I tend to list the day's tasks. I allocate time slots and approach the day with a hopeful air.

But as this is all new to me, everything is taking longer than I anticipated. I returned from my few days away (my last holiday until 2014, I reckon) late last night, and laminated a few notices before falling into bed. This morning I got to the shop early, aiming to paint the sign over the door. Well, I am supposed to be an artist. But I had only managed to draw out the lettering before it was time to get home, eat, change, and shlep off to my actual job teaching in the next town. By the time I got home, gone 5pm, it was all I could do to open a can of beans. I'm sitting here writing this when I should be finishing an example pet portrait.... as soon as I log off, I promise.

Damn you, facebook. Eater of my time!

Snowballing!

2009-05-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

My god, and I thought I was tired yesterday.

By 8am I was assembling shelves. As I've also moved house I got a 10% discount card at focus and went there to buy pine shelving. It was cheaper than the proper shop shelving I've seen online. I borrowed a battery screwdriver and set to work.

Now here's a tip: if you are a small girl in a very small shop, don't construct a massive modular shelving unit on your own. Turning it over to fix the backs is... yeah. Impossible. Good job the screwdriver has a "reverse! Reverse! Unscrew it now!" setting.

At midday a local woman turned up with bags of cards, and dolls made from scourer pads and jay cloths. That sounds odd, but they are really cute so I bought the lot. She also had a friend's polymer clay items which I've taken on sale or return. Then a man phoned to ask if I wanted to see his watercolour landscapes (yes please!).

The agent's assistant popped in to let me know that everyone was very pleased about the article in the paper (I wrote a press release and apart from changing the title, it was word for word mine!)

So all was going swimmingly until the postie delivered a threatening letter from a debt collection agency asking for about £300 or they'd cut off the electric, take me to court and probably come round and spit in my fridge too. Luckily the agent calmed me down! When you're tired and stressed, little things can seem very big.

I'm away for a few days now, which will be good as it will enforce me to take a break. Though I'm taking my laptop....

So tired I can barely ty...

2009-05-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

..pe.

I spent yesterday laying carpet tiles. There isn't a sodding right angle in the place, so it was a "mutter-curse-stanley-knife" job and my knees, not the best, are killing me.

I am very lucky to have family locally. I live alone, and this means I get home and just eat rubbish or even worse, go to bed without eating. However I have taken to abusing my parents' hospitality and just "calling in" around tea time.

The upside of living alone is that I get a lot done - I'm not running around after kids, for example. The downside, of course, if that I just don't stop working. There's always just one more thing to do... I found myself laminating notices at 7am while eating my breakfast, and sorting receipts at 11pm.

It's been a long day today. I had to go and work this morning - part time teaching, and then this afternoon I went to see a local artist. This was fantastic. I'd got a press release out to the local paper, and from that, she phoned me and invited me to see her work. She's not professional and she sounded worried that the quality wasn't good, but she told me she'd sold at craft fairs.

Well, the standard of her kiln-fired fused glass jewellery was excellent. I snapped loads up. She was hesitant about pricing. Now, I am a business person but I have ethics. She was underselling herself and I found myself getting her to put her prices UP - she has to cover her costs, so that she can buy more materials... and make me more goods!

Then off to eat my mum's food, then sorting out shelving, then home to answer emails and do labels and write this blog and then later I'll do some greetings cards and at some point I'll find time to sleep.

Signing the lease!

2009-05-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I signed the lease. I've spent the last few days waking at 3am and shouting "business cards!" or "carrier bags!" or "public liability insurance!" but finally, on Monday, I became the latest new business enterprise in Morecambe.

There are so many little jobs to do. I have sorted the website, which is at www.secretgalleryshop.co.uk . I have organised insurance, and phoned the council about my business rates. I was pleased to learn I was eligible for 50% small business rate relief. I started to worry about cash tills and taking debit cards - I won't be doing this from the start, as my goods are under £10, but if I lose sales then I will need to rethink. A PDQ terminal (for debit and credit cards) looks expensive, as you pay per month and a percentage of each transaction, plus you pay for the phone line. I issued a press release to the local paper, calling for community and art groups to get in touch to use the empty shops in the arcade. I undercoated the sign so I can paint that tomorrow, and bought the wood to make an A-board on the pavement. I've been busy!

I'm doing this on the cheap. I have £2000. Internet searching took me to websites that suggested I'd need £50,000 to start a gift shop - if I'd read that before, I would have lost heart. I am lucky that I am pretty practical and artistic, so painting my own sign will not be hard, and won't look shoddy. In fact, being an art and craft shop, a unique painted sign is more in keeping with the feel of the place.

I'm getting the carpet tiles from my parent's bungalow for the flooring, and shelving from Focus. I am holding back on a till for the moment - I open in two weeks, and I need to think about whether to pay £99 for a basic, or £195 for one that prints receipts.

I'm really excited about using the other empty units as display space, though. It's more about the community art aspect now, as I know from my business plan I won't make masses of money with the shop. I am keeping flexible enough to be able to respond to where the market takes me, and with teaching 3 days a week I don't have to worry about my rent. In a sense, this is like a training ground for me. In the words of a song by Dream Disciples, "I have no fixed direction, just a general target zone." Business gurus may scoff at my lack of clear aims, but I am simply keeping my eyes open for opportunity.

The fun bits

2009-05-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

The fun bits, ah yes. Today I went to see an artist called Katie Chaplin who creates beautiful brooches and other items from recycled kimono fabric. She's at www.japancrafts.co.uk. Ihad a fantastic time looking through her goods, choosing what to stock in my shop. It's like the pleasure of shopping for presents for people. I have to keep reminding myself that I have to stock what I think my demographic will buy - not just what I find pretty!

And tomorrow, the more tedious bits. Updating the website. (without FrontPage I have to code it all bit by bit. Tiresome.) Writing a press release that doesn't make me sound like a hysterical teenager. Getting an insurance quote.

One big hurdle has been jumped...

2009-05-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

...but the next few are HUGE!

I have moved - I have almost unpacked - and I have secured myself employment for 3 and a half days a week. This means my shop will be open another 3 days a week, leaving me half a day to do tiresome things like shop, eat, sleep, housework, admin etc. I know this is crazy but it's not long term. If I find I still have to work this much in a year's time, the business needs to change.

I have quite a few potential suppliers now, but it's one thing people saying "oh yes, I make jewellery" and another thing entirely getting them to actually come up with the goods. There are a lot of people out there who spend their time bemoaning the lack of opportunity and don't get up and find the opportunities. When the opportunities knock on their door they still seem to find some way of defeating themselves so they can carry on moaning.

Next Monday morning I meet the agents and take on the keys to the shop units. I am planning for my grand opening in two and a half weeks' time - the late May Bank Holiday.

It's time to make some "things to do lists" and then to work my way through them...

Networking

2009-04-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

I am impatient to move north. I want to meet people, look at art and craft, convince people to stock in my shop. But there is a little a can do from down here, so I have tried to use my time by networking. The internet is a wonderful thing - though I am only really making links with people who are techno savvy. There are hundreds of normal, everyday people in Morecambe that I want to involve who are unaware of me... at present.

It is not really in my nature to put myself forward. This is a massive, massive failing in a potential businesswoman. But my jobs over the years have taught me how to act confident, and how to establish a rapport with people quickly. In fact, my current job is teaching in a male prison; it's my role to walk onto the wings and approach complete strangers, convicted criminals, and convince them that what they really want to do is Maths, or English. And I'm pretty successful, too. So, if I can do that, I reckon I can do anything.

Until I get myself out onto the streets of Morecambe, I've been joining groups, emailing people and telling my ideas to anyone who'll listen. I happened to be in London yesterday, delivering artworks to the Koestler Arts Awards, and turned this into a chance to tell the Executive Director all about my plans - and it turns out that they're currently looking for venues for the touring exhibitions, and he took my details.

I told a friend about my plan and it transpired she knew the founder of Heritage Crafts, and when I emailed them I found my details passed on to all their members - I've had some wonderful messages from various people from this, and a few potential suppliers.

Another contact, this one from an online forum, just happened to be interviewed by radio Lancashire last week, and found that they're looking for places to do their shows from - and she "thought of me..."

A friend who takes part in historical re-enactment with me mentioned that her partner's father had a shop in Morecambe, and passed his details to me so I could talk about the ins and outs of business up there.

Once you start asking around, it just seems to snowball! Everyone has been so helpful that I actually feel a responsibility to keep going and make this work.

Limbo

2009-04-23T12:04:00.001-07:00

It's amazing what you can do when you're motivated. I took two days off work, and headed north with the aims of:
1. Find shop premises
2. Find a part time job that pays enough to support me
3. Find somewhere to live.

All three objectives were achieved within 48 hours, though I suspect it is mainly through stubbornness and ignorance.

And now I wait. I move in 8 days' time. I need to join groups, meet people, network, convince local artists to put stock in my shop(s). But I'm stuck in the Midlands and there is only so much I can do by internet. Joining online groups has reaped some rewards - I've made contact, I've got some leads to follow up - but I have one more week of work and it's unbelievably frustrating. I've planned, re-planned, un-planned - now I need to DO!

The Premises

2009-04-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

I sat and did a business plan. I wanted to see how much it was going to cost. It was.... scary. Once I had sorted out what I needed each month, and assessed - honestly - what I thought I could sell, it looked bleak. The only shop unit I could possibly afford would be about £200 a month.

I tried searching online, but it was hard. Unlike flats to rent, retail units weren't as easy to find. By chance, I came onto the Lancashire council website and discovered that if you join their mailing list, they send a list of all vacant commercial property in their area. I signed up and within a few hours, had a very helpful list.

There were some units I could afford. In fact, there was a whole arcade of such properties. I went to visit, and discovered the reason they were all empty - it was a dark, dank, gloomy and grey passageway. I could afford one of these units, yes... but no-one would come down here.

I phoned the agents and found myself asking "Why is it so nasty down there? Has someone been murdered there? Is it haunted?"

After a pause the agent's secretary replied, "I have never, ever been asked that question before."

It sent me into turmoil for a while. If I were to do this, I could only afford one of these units. If I took on one of these units, my business would surely fail.

The answer came in a sudden flash. Take on all the units.

If I were to use them all as display space - like a big, public, social gallery - get local groups involved - local artists - craftspeople - heritage groups - it would get in the paper (free advertising!) and get people visiting.

I knocked up a one page proposal and arranged a site visit with the agent's assistant. She was convinced, and promised to take my proposal to the owner. It was a nervous few days, until I got word one evening last week - the owner said yes!

I was suddenly terrified. My idea of running a little shop had instantly exploded into an idea of social regeneration and community art in an entire shopping arcade.

The agents were in touch on Sunday when I wanted to start this project. I've said the first week of May. But I'm still living 150 miles away...

How it begins... the background

2009-04-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

In less than two weeks' time, I move 150 miles to open a shop.

Potential problems:
1. The recession.
2. I've never run a shop.
3. The recession.
4. I need to work part time to survive.
5. The recession.
6. It's to a place I don't know.
7. Complete catastrophic meltdown of the world's financial systems.

Now, there's nothing there that a bit of positive thinking, hard work, and stubborn refusal to face reality can't cure.

I'm blogging this bold new adventure for a number of reasons. Secret hopes of fame and stardom, of course, plus a bit of advertising for my business. And if it goes well, then it will build into a handy template for others to follow. If it all goes terribly, terribly wrong, then I shall simply be serving as a warning to others.

I teach adult literacy and numeracy. It's ok, as far as jobs go. Actually, compared to the rest of my job history (pork pie factory... packing salads... petrol pump attendant... ) it ranks pretty highly. I get a sense of achievement - I feel valued - I like my students and I love my colleagues. And compared to the pork pie factory, the money's not bad either. So why drop it all to open a shop?

The lure of being self employed is very strong. I don't know many who haven't felt it. Just to be my own boss, beholden to no-one. And a challenge, too; I have been kicking around the teaching world for about 6 years, in various settings. I want to do something new. Something with a thrill - the thrill, of course, comes from the possibility of failure.

My first idea was to open a craft shop in my local area. But a perfunctory glance around showed me that the area was oozing craft shops. I considered other types of shop, but craft and art is the only thing I really know about that can sell. The other thing I know about - the correct use of a semi-colon, and so on - well, there's not a great market for that. I've had my fill of tutoring.

I cast my eye further afield. If not here, in the Midlands, then where? I looked at the North West, where my family currently live. Morecambe, in fact, a place I've visited a handful of times. I travelled up to look at the retail market.

There's a big craft shop. I found it sold everything that I wanted as a hobbyist. Morecambe's not big enough to support two. I was low.

I talked at length with family and friends. My mum complained about the lack of 'gift shops'. I protested - it's a seaside town! It's wall to wall gift shops! But she pointed out that when she wanted to find a small, unique, well made gift as a birthday present, she was stuck. There were cheap plastic souvenir shops, and a handful of upmarket 'interiors' shops.

So maybe that was the answer. Except, of course, for the economic climate. But the newspapers suggest more people will holiday in the UK this year. And I thought about it; everyone still wants gifts. We still have birthdays. And the change in public attitudes towards local, sustainable, 'organic' feeling goods is still there - we just want to get them cheaper.

I had my idea. Now for the premises...