Well I got to thinking about the show a few weeks ago and realized the theme song is the perfect example of an entrepreneurial attitude.  "Gonna Do it our way, yes our way, make all our dreams come true..."

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So are you a Laverne or Shirley?

Laverne is the entrepreneur who gets an idea and dives right in.  I imagine she'd be the person who takes risks, goes with her gut and is ok to learn from her mistakes.

Shirley on the other hand, would be the more cautious business person.  She might get inspired but then she'd get analytical.  Crunch numbers. Study the situation from every angle before proceeding.

Whether you are a Laverne or Shirley artist - the key is to knowing which you are and embrace it.  When ever Shirley tried to act like Laverne, things did not go well!

The show "worked" because Laverne was the "yang" to Shirley's "yin".

It would be an equally good combination in business.  So if you are Shirley to the nth degree, be sure to have a Laverne in your life to keep you moving and if you are a Laverne, find a Shirley to make sure you don't go off in so many directions that you get nothing done.

Here's to your creative and entrepreneurial success!

– Tara Reed

P.S. Here are the lyrics:

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Sclemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated.
We're gonna do it!

Give us any chance, we'll take it.
Give us any rule, we'll break it.
We're gonna make our dreams come true.
Doin' it our way.

Nothin's gonna turn us back now,
Straight ahead and on the track now.
We're gonna make our dreams come true,
Doin' it our way.

There is nothing we won't try,
Never heard the word impossible.
This time there's no stopping us.
We're gonna do it.

On your mark, get set, and go now,
Got a dream and we just know now,
We're gonna make our dream come true.
And we'll do it our way, yes our way.
Make all our dreams come true,
And do it our way, yes our way,
Make all our dreams come true
For me and you.

My final check has been mailed and cashed. So my bank account will recover from that before the NYC hotel and food bills are added to the credit card.

Here's what is next on my list to get ready to exhibit:

1. confirm hotel and flight reservations.
2. Evaluate portfolio and decide what, if any, new art I want to create between now and the show.
3. Start to plan the art for my booth  walls.
4. Order any promotional supplies, banners, etc.  Always leave time in case of error, loss in shipping, etc.
5. Review and update my website so I am putting my best virtual foot forward.
6. Be nice to my sister so she continues to help me each year in my booth... (I really do that but I added it to the list to see if you were still paying attention... )

I keep a calendar handy with due dates for different activities so I don't forget important pieces of the plan.  The day before I travel is a "me" day... I plan to do whatever I want and not spend it frantically finishing art and packing.  I like to leave rested and rejuvenated - ready for some of the most important days for my business and certainly the biggest  investment days of the year!

Each year gets easier.  Less frantic, less angst, less stress.  I have it down to a system that is modified if need be or worked if nothing is broken or in need of improvement.

Wishing you productive planning months if you are exhibiting at a show.

– Tara Reed

P.S. If you are and want some help - don't forget about the eBook & Teleseminar replay available - at www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/tradeshows.html.  Since I wrote and spoke them, I'll let Karen and Gina's testimonials speak to the value:

This is the perfect book if you’re an artist, illustrator, photographer or designer and are seeking the knowledge and practical steps in how to best utilize your time and money exhibiting in trade shows for the purpose of licensing your work. It’s also one of the most useful guides I’ve found in providing  some of the best knowledge in step-by-step techniques in setting up at the trade shows, exhibiting and following up with manufacturers after the shows.

Tara’s hands on experience exhibiting for years at many of these trade shows, her marketing savvy and her proven track record with numerous licensing deals gives her the insight necessary to share her methods of success with those of us seeking the same and how to make the most of our investment.

A sample of the variety of topics included in Tara’s  e-book include everything from deciding where to exhibit, information on the specific trade shows, portfolio basics - to one of my favorite topics – the “Elevator Speech”.  Once you learn about this so called “Elevator Speech”, you’ll find you will absolutely need one too…especially if you plan to exhibit at any trade show and sell yourself as well as your work! In addition, you’ll discover informative quotes and tips from other successful licensed artists included throughout the book.

Tara’s clarity and straightforward approach, including a little humor, presents all of this in a way that makes it an interesting and enjoyable read.

With sincerity I believe this book will benefit anyone attempting success in the licensing industry using Tara’s practical strategies, as she shares the honest truth of all of the “ins and outs” of how to truly “MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME AND INVESTMENT IN TRADE SHOWS”.

Karen Embry, Artist,Designer & Author
KarenEmbry.com

Yes, you are a very talented artist first of all, BUT....I just think that it's even more of a perfect fit for you in the coaching arena! Your personality, professionalism and social skills combine so well for this. And I really appreciate that you are speaking as a "down to earth" creative/marketing person, ....not just another unrelated, stuffy, professional as some coaches can be.

You are perfect for this and I thoroughly enjoyed the teleseminar last evening. You also have a great relationship with your sister and she's obviously a very valuable asset to your business. ( I am envious! )

With all of the in house experience that I have working with freelancers and the business, I wasn't sure that I would really get any new information from this seminar,...but sure enough, I did!!!! I am fairly new as a full-time freelancer, so all of your tactics and extra information that you gave was very, very helpful for me."

THANK YOU SO MUCH TARA, AND CHRISTINE!

- Gina L. Wilder (from an in-house Sr.Designer / Asst. Design Manager turned Freelance Artist )

Gina Linn Designs
www.simplylicensed.com

Have you noticed how many celebrity-endorsed products there are on the market? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? I believe it is because people often buy based on emotion or third party testimonials. "Well if that celebrity / athlete / artist / fill-in-the-blank likes that product or service, I might like it too!"

But the value of a third party opinion isn't limited to well known figures. Testimonials from everyday users go a long way in marketing of any product and in helping the potential consumer make a decision about the product.

People who teach, speak, write, coach or in some other way sell a product or service to others LOVE to get testimonials! (Trust me.) They can say anything about their service but potential clients are more apt to believe what people who have used the product or service have to say. Think about it - whose opinion do you put more clout in, the person selling a product or someone who has used it and has no vested interest in whether you make a purchase or not? Often it is the third party testimonial that makes the difference.

YOU can be that third party and create a WIN-WIN-WIN scenario. The product or service provider wins by getting a testimonial from you. The potential buyer wins by having the benefit of your third-party opinion. And you win by getting an external link to your website, which can help in your search engine optimization.

Alex Mandossian, one of my teachers, taught me a great method for giving testimonials that will be sure to get you some link love.

When you write a testimonial, answer these three questions:

1. What your life/business was like BEFORE you found this product or service.
2. What your life/business is like NOW as a result of this product or service.
3. How you expect using this product or service will CONTINUE to impact your life/business.

Following that format creates POWERFUL testimonials! So be proactive and send testimonials to people whose products or services you liked or found helpful. Then sign your full name and give your web address.

Here's to your creative success and creating Win-Win-Winning Testimonials!

– Tara Reed

P.S. Feel free to use my products or services as your test cases and email your testimonials whenever you like!

Let's just say I was pleased as punch!

So just WHY had I created a costume and flipped my hair out (burning my finger on the rarely used curling iron!) and dressed up like a cartoon?

Simple... Paul Brent told me to.

(Or, as I say in the video, he 'double-dog-dared me')

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I've been doing my homework he gave during the Branding teleseminar and know that others are as well.  As I prepare for SURTEX I figure it is a great time to step back and look at the big picture: my art, how I present it, what I will be saying and showing at the show... the timing couldn't be more perfect!

If you, too, want to do a brand analysis, the "Brand Yourself for Success in Art Licensing" teleseminar replay is ready for anyone wanting to to spend the time and money to get big results!

Go to www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/branding.html ... I double dog dare you!

Here's to your creative, and well-branded success!

– Tara Reed a.k.a. "Art Licensing Girl"

Mark your calendar:  Mary Engelbreit, Wednesday, March 17, 2010, Be there or Be square!

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Go to www.MaryEngelbreit.com/askME/ to submit your question and get the dial-in details.  Deadline for your question to be considered is Wednesday, March 10th.  We have so many already it is going to take a bit of time to go through them all and get them to Mary for review!

If you can't make the live call, still submit your info so you are on the list to be notified when the free replay is available.  If you have registered for an Ask Call in the past - you'll get the details!

Talk with you soon!

– Tara Reed

I decided they would be the best people to explain exactly what they do at ArtistCareerTraining.com* so here is some information from the website:

Artist Career Training can help beginner, emerging, mid-career and seasoned artists who want to:

• Stop believing myths about what it takes to be an artist.
• Become clear on where you want to go and how to get there.
• Adopt the winning success principles of prosperous art, business and career mentors.
• Market your art without selling out or betting the farm.
• Establish systems and routines that have been developed for artists who face similar issues.
• Meet or exceed goals and deadlines consistently.

Artist Career Training offers a full curriculum of programs developed since 1996, teaching artists at all career stages how to make a better living making art with and without gallery representation, in any economy. Learning is exchanged among artists and faculty across time and space by a combination of email, telephone classes, recordings and internet technologies (web site, message boards, on-line discussion groups, desktop computer conferencing).

Five Things Artists Should Consider Before Deciding to License Your Art

Description:  There are many ways to make money with art, licensing is just one.  "Licensing" means that you chose to give manufacturers the right to put your art on their product in exchange for a royalty.  You maintain the control and copyrights to your designs, and you can license the same art to several manufacturers at the same time.  But how can an artist tell if licensing would be a good fit for their art and for their lifestyle?

$29.95 includes the TeleClass Outline and recording if you can’t make it.
  Click here to save your spot. (affiliate link)

Hope to talk to you on the 10th!

– Tara Reed

Taglines were just a part of it but boy have we been having fun with it in the past two days!

On Facebook, Paul wrote:
I have been talking about tag lines recently. Currently mine is "America's best known coastal artist" but I have been thinking about updating it. It could be aggressive "Art going coastal" or Biblical "Let there beach art" maybe short and straight forward "Bathroom art" . Requirements are it must be under six words and must have some mention of art, artist, painter, etc. included. Any ideas?

Some responses from the "peanut gallery" for him included:

• "Get Brent Out of Shape"
• "Brent's Beautiful Beaches"
• "Brent's Gone Coastal"
• "Paul Brent: Arts a Beach!"

• Skip the bathroom art -- you are so much more than that! The original is still the best.

"I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning with tag line ideas running through my head and thinking about all I need to do to work on my brand. When I went to my computer to jot down my ideas, I saw your email--thanks so much for the lists to help focus on exactly what to do. I am so glad I took this seminar!"

Betty Laur

www.BettyLaur.com

"I'm amazed by not just the quality and quantity of the information; but also the genuine and friendly personality of Paul Brent. I'm fortunate to receive all this information in the early stages of my development; because I know it will give me the most solid launch possible!"

Brenda D. Baker

www.ArtAndIllumination.com

"Tara, it was powerful and I have been so busy. All my answers came like a tidal wave that night. All my answers were in pieces here and there. Right in front of my nose and did not see it. After that call in two hours of brain storming, I saw my style, subject, and created a logo and tag line. It just all fell into place. Great class and I'm looking forward to hearing the replay for things I might I missed. "

Bruce Michael

www.SeasonalArtForLicensing.com

NO, NO and—NO! There is one place, and one only, to register your works, www.copyright.gov.  Instead of sending in your registration by mail and waiting for years, the Copyright Office has come into the digital age so you can digitally upload the files.  So why wait?

Exactly why is registration so darn important? While a copyright is valid without registration, the very statement is misleading.  Copyright registration is essential to preserve key remedies for infringement.  Unless registered prior to infringement, attorney’s fees and statutory damages are not available.  It is often difficult, if not impossible, to prove actual damages or profits attributable to theft of a copyrighted work.  For example, if the work is used on a product that doesn’t sell millions of copies, how do you prove your damages?

Congress created two types of damages to recover under copyright law. In addition to “actual damages,” one can elect statutory damages without proof of out of pocket losses. This means not only will the infringer have to pay you up to $150,000 per willful act of infringement (the amount is discretionary with the court) they will need to pay your lawyer’s fees.  However, your work must have been registered prior to the theft or these remedies are lost.  Without the threat of having to pay attorney’s fees to the copyright owner, there is little, if any, chance of finding counsel to bring a costly and drawn out infringement action on a speculative basis.

Legally, you are entitled to obtain an injunction to prevent ongoing or future infringements even if you file the registration after the infringement.  A preliminary injunction in a copyright case can cost six figures and above in legal fees.  Just ask Perfect 10 who spent a fortune in litigation costs against Google for the past five years.  The company was p.o.’d at the search engine for providing thousands of its modeling images as thumbnail versions and for providing links to infringing sites.

If you don’t register, you won’t be getting any statutory damages or lawyer’s fees from the defendant. Unless you can finance the case out of your own pocket, this is one lawyer who can’t afford to help you.  Do your selves a big favor—take care of this simple but all important part of your business.  Register your works—someday you may be glad you did!

To learn more about Cheryl, visit her blog, www.BrandAideBlog.com.  Maybe you'll consider giving her a call the next time you need help with a contract, infringement or other legal issue... she knows our business which in the words of MasterCard, is PRICELESS!

Here's to your creative success (and figuring out the ever-changing online copyright registration process!) –

Tara Reed

A few weeks ago I discovered (and was discovered by) ArtsyShark.com.

I had the pleasure of talking with Carolyn Edlund, the owner and author of this blog for emerging artists.  Here is her story, as she tells it, taken from the "About" page of her blog:

Upon graduating from college with a degree in Fine Art, I had no preparation for embarking on a career other than some art skills, a lot of motivation and passion for what I was doing. It took a lot of mistakes to learn what worked – why people buy art, tricks of the trade, dealing with wholesale and retail buyers and having a profitable career that balanced with life.

After closing my business, I went on the road representing art publishing companies and card and paper lines featuring artist’s work. This experience gave me another perspective on the business of art and the realities of the marketplace.

Often I meet aspiring and emerging artists who are hungry for knowledge, opportunities and a chance to make their true passion into a career that really works.

Hopefully this blog will be helpful – it is designed to contain interviews with companies that buy from artists, educators who counsel art students, and successful artists themselves who share their best advice and encouragement to the next generation. I hope you will enjoy Artsy Shark. Subscribe, pass it on, participate and submit your ideas for discussions you would like to share.

Is Art Licensing Right for You?/Interview with Tara Reed

As well as "how-to" interviews about different aspects and types of art businesses, Artsy Shark also interviews artists, features galleries and more. It's worth taking a look and see if it is another blog to follow to keep your creative juices flowing!

Here's to your creative success!

– Tara Reed

Thank you Heidi and here's to your creative success!

Anyone who submits a video will receive a $20 coupon good towards eBooks, teleseminars (live or replays) or Ask Call Replays from ArtLicensingInfo.com as a way of saying "Thank you for sharing!"

– Tara Reed

P.S. A little “link love” for Heidi – check out her Etsy store at www.ezmeraldasboutique.etsy.com

P.P.S.  Want to know what “link love” and other ways of getting quality traffic to your art website? Go to www.AskAboutSEOforArtists.com .