Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am excited that I found this site - a lot of people seem eager to help with ideas and it feels like a great community filled with like-minded professionals.

Like many of you, I have been racking my brain about what type of business to start. My desk is cluttered at the moment with online articles I`ve printed out print-out about the "How To`s" of starting a business. My book shelf is about to collapse if I try to fit one more book on there about "Small Business Success" and "The Art of Starting a Small Business". Perhaps I can start a library as my business ;)

In any case,  I realized that what I really needed was a viable business idea. I have extensive experience in B2B Sales and spent the last 3 years talking to commercial artists about their art work and making suggestions about how to market themselves to potential clients. I enjoy this. But where is the `Business Idea` in these skills/passions I have?

I thought about starting a business where I can help freelance artists promote their art work to d agencies and publishers via grassroots promotions. Or to be like a Virtual Assistant. But then I get stuck and wonder if people would actually pay for those types of services - when I don`t really have any contacts set up yet. Any ideas?


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Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.
Andy Warhol

Actually, if you can make room for just one more book, I`d encourage you to buy the Sloan brother`s book. If you haven`t yet done so, spend some time on the "10 Steps to Open for Business" section on this site.

That`ll get you some real and practical help toward focused thinking. :-) That`s the hard part.

From what you`ve written, particularly your background in B2B sales, I`m wondering if you`d like to be an artist agent or manager?

One of the absolutely worst things an artist has to deal with is business. In almost all cases, artists of any kind are passionate about what they`re creating. But when it comes to selling the results, or dealing with business in some fashion, they`re hopeless.

I was a musician in my first life, spending 20 years in the entertainment business. Whether music, writing, movies, or representational art, the same was true across the board. Except for a very tiny majority.

You know there are galleries, and there are agents. There also are studios, and there are online sales sites. Your mind works well with all those aspects of art as a business.

Why not work on a commission basis, where you`re almost more of an agent or manager, but you`re helping artists whose work you enjoy to get some income happening?

The business model would likely be any talent agency. Being a manager, you`d also want to understand some basic management contracts, and do some research on the types of fees and their collection methods.

But this seems like it would bring to bear your experience and background, along with your enjoyment of art. Maybe?