Tag: hobby

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Do You Treat Your Art Business Like a Business?

You can run an art business as a hobby or as a small business (or even a large business).

business checks catalog
Business Checks

If it generates any income at all, not necessarily a profit, but receipts or commissions for sales – then you need to keep your business finance separate from you personal finances. That is one of the IRS guidelines that many hobbyists or small business owners seem to put off or totally neglect.

The easiest way to avoid the problem of co-mingled monies is to open a new checking account and use your business checks, especially the register part, to keep track of income and expenses. Simple? Yes, it is. Unless your small business really grows, that may be all you need for your bookkeeping. Be sure to keep track, in the check register, of all money you receive and expenses and keep receipts for expenses paid by cash check or credit card.

Please note that I am not an accountant or a lawyer but I do keep records this way. It has worked well for me and allows my accountant to accurately complete the “Schedule C” for small business when she completes our personal tax return each year.

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Art Sales as a Hobby or a Business

Selling art online can and should be a business.

There is a lot of belly-aching and complaining among artists at just about any online art sales site. Usually the gripes are about something the “site” is not doing that hurts the artists’ chances of sales success – or – something the site should be doing to help the artists achieve sales success.

There was recently a long thread about how poorly the site’s internal search is set up. The is always (these threads crop up periodically) griping and finger-pointing and very little in the way of constructive ideas. There was a detailed response by a moderator and this is likely the most salient sentence in the entire thread over at the Fine Art America forum/discussion group. (Originally stated by Abbie…)

If you’re in the business of selling art, then you have to treat it like a business…”

A breakfast of blueberries and shredded wheat in whole milk can provide energy to give you a great start to your day.

To that I am adding important concepts to help achieve that goal. Like having a good breakfast is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle, having a foundation in “the basics” provides a healthy start to your online art business.

Do these. Seriously!

  • Read the Terms of Service (TOS).
  • Become familiar with everything in the admin interface (at Fine Art America the admin area is called Behind the Scenes). If you do not understand something there, THEN ask questions, usually in the forum.
  • Accept responsibility for your own actions.
  • Act and present yourself and your work professionally. (Grammar, spelling, punctuation are important.*) To do less hurts your credibility.
  • etc…etc…etc…

Let me repeat: Accept responsibility for your own actions.

* If language skills are not your forte, do not be afraid to ask for help. A friend, neighbor, and even online sources can be of assistance.