Anticipation and excitement are at an all time high as events are slowly returning and businesses are beginning to reopen. Yet after more than a year of uncertainty, you may be feeling lost in your creativity. You are not alone—many artists, crafters, and tradesmen are unsure of how to navigate “the new normal” our society is embracing.
Instead of seeing this time of change and adaptation as limiting, see it as your opportunity to rediscover, reconnect, rebuild, and refocus as an artist.
Rediscover: Ignite Your Inspiration
Creating is what you do, so when you lack inspiration it can feel devastating. Even the best artists and crafters hit roadblocks in their creativity. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture of your business. Setting goals can often inspire you to start working toward them. You can also create a mood board for your business or an upcoming project. Gather images, color swatches, graphics, quotes, and more that inspire and speak to the bigger picture.
Making a change in your creative process can help you discover new ways to bring your vision to life. Try learning a different technique or working with a new medium. You may be surprised at where your creativity takes you when you are given a different set of tools to work with.
Inspiration and new perspective often comes from working with another person. Phone a friend and plan a time to collaborate on projects together. Come prepared with some ideas or projects you need help with. Share your goals for the piece and be open to any new ideas they may have.
Reconnect: Find a Show
With summer in full swing and the holiday season approaching, now is the time to start signing up for events. However, the way you operate may be slightly different than years past due to COVID-19. Fewer spots may be available to accommodate social distancing, products may be unavailable to sample, and contactless payment (no cash or check transactions) may be required. It is important to read all of the guidelines when signing up for an event, or double checking with the show managers.
In order to attend an event, you will need to purchase artist insurance. Whether you are an artist, crafter, or tradesman, show managers will require a Certificate of Insurance before you can participate. Consider ACT Insurance, who offers top-rated coverage for both annual and show policy insurance for artists.
- General Liability Insurance
- Product Liability Insurance
- Business Personal Property Insurance (equipment, supplies, & inventory)
- Personal & Advertising Injury
- Coverage options including 1-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or up to 90 days
- General Liability Insurance
Already purchased an Annual Policy? Be sure to renew your policy each year to ensure you stay eligible to attend events!
Some events may require you to have additional certification or permits, such as a sales tax license or a permit to sell in that particular area. These requirements most likely are listed on your application to register. If you are traveling to an event, make sure you are complying with local, county, and state laws.
Another important part of event insurance is having additional insureds. Many event organizers will require they be added as an additional insured, meaning they are added to your policy. In the case of accidental bodily injury or property damage caused by you, your booth, products, or employees, both your business and the show organizers may be protected from claims.
Consider attending an event with another artist. This allows you to reach a new audience and make connections with other businesses in your area or field of expertise. It also gives you the chance to attend a distant event and cut down on travel costs.
Rebuild: Try a New Look
If you feel like your business needs some refreshing, try a rebrand. This could be refreshing your logo, updating your branding color, or changing your packaging. Sometimes a small change can have a big impact on how your business is perceived.
Before attending an event, take a moment to reevaluate your booth display. Maybe you have new products to share or you want to guide a customer through in a certain way. How you set up a display influences how likely someone is to make a purchase. Do you have clear signage? Is your brand well-represented? Is there something enticing that draws a potential customer in? Try having a friend or family member look at your display and give you feedback.
Take a look at some of your favorite pieces or best selling items. They resonate with you and your customers for a reason! Try redesigning a popular product in a new way. This gives previous customers a reason to buy from you again, increasing your sales. Consider adapting a piece for a holiday, season, sports team, or major event.
Refocus: Make Your Business More Social
Is your business on social media? If not, there is a huge market and opportunity for you to do sales in a new way. Instagram is a great platform to start on because of the visual aspect. If you focus more on local sales, Facebook Marketplace is valuable in connecting you with your community. Both offer unique sellers tools available to allow individuals to communicate with and buy from you directly through the app. This could extend your reach to individuals before, during, and after your event.
Growing your following on social media can sometimes be tricky. Just posting photos or links is not enough to engage most users online. Video content is growing in popularity and peaks interest in your brand. Try taking a behind the scenes video of your workspace or sharing a timelapse of your work process. Instagram Stories has engagement features that allow viewers to vote on polls, submit questions to you, and react to posts. These allow you to better connect with your audience and offer the chance to cross promote your work with other businesses.
Looking to increase foot traffic at an upcoming event? Share that you will be there on your social media. This informs followers of the event and inspires them to attend. You can even have customers mention a social media post to receive a discount.
Take Time to Reflect
Even if your business never “closed,” this time of reopening allows you to reassess where your business is at. Will you take the opportunity to return to in-person business transactions? Or maybe you want to start taking your previously all online business to in-person events. Regardless of how you currently operate, riding the waves of change has likely impacted your business and the way you create.
So go ahead and ask yourself, “How am I going to reopen?”
Planning on attending an upcoming event? ACT Insurance offers insurance for artists and crafters, as well as a wide variety of other trades. Find the right insurance for festivals today.
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