The essential guide to business for artists & designers

345 Pages·2017·18.463 MB·English

by  Alison Branagan

The Essential
Guide to Business
for Artists and
Designers
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The Essential
Guide to Business
for Artists and
Designers
2nd edition
Alison Branagan
Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
LONDON • OXFORD • NEW YORK • NEW DELHI • SYDNEY
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Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway
London New York
WC1B 3DP NY 10018
UK USA
www.bloomsbury.com
BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First edition published in 2011
This edition published in 2017
© Alison Branagan, 2011, 2017
Alison Branagan has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
to be identified as Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system,
without prior permission in writing from the publishers.
No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result
of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the Author.
Every reasonable effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their written permission for the
use of copyright material. The Author and Publishers apologize for any errors or omissions in the copyright
acknowledgements contained in this book, and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be
incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.
Please note content in regard to self-employment, legal matters and taxation is correct at the time of print.
Due to the UK exiting the European Union in 2016, if an EU or non-EU citizen is reading this book beyond
January 2019, please use the links provided to check for any revisions to the right to trade in England and its
devolved powers: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Names: Branagan, Alison, author.
Title: The essential guides to business for artists and designers / Alison Branagan.
Description: Second edition. | London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic,
an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2017. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016025278| ISBN 9781474250559 (paperback) | ISBN
9781474250566 (ePDF) | ISBN 9781474250573 (ePub)
Subjects: LCSH: Art--Vocational guidance. | New business
enterprises--Management. | BISAC: ART / Business Aspects. | BUSINESS &
ECONOMICS / Small Business.
Classification: LCC N8350 .B67 2017 | DDC 707--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016025278
ISBN: PB: 978-1-4742-5055-9
ePDF: 978-1-4742-5056-6
ePub: 978-1-4742-5057-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Typeset in 9.5 on 14pt FS Me Regular
Designed by Susan McIntyre
Illustrations © Tim Bradford 2011, 2016
www.timbradford.co.uk
Cover design: Irene Martinez Costa
Cover image © Tumanyan/Shutterstock
Typeset by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
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Contents
Foreword 6
Acknowledgements 7
Introduction 9
1. Making creativity pay 15
2. How to make a living 30
3. Overview of business start-up 45
4. Money management 65
5. Business planning 93
6. Building networks 111
7. Self-promotion 130
8. Funding and sponsorship 155
9. Creative crimes 172
10. Confidence and negotiation tactics 205
11. Records, tax and basic bookkeeping 222
12. Websites, blogs and social media 250
13. Innovation and future trends 267
14. Ideas for growth 281
Appendix 1: Business knowledge exercises 300
Appendix 2: Answers to the costing and pricing quiz
in Chapter 4 309
Glossary 313
Useful organisations 326
Quotation credits 335
Index 338
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Foreword
In 1966 I started at the Royal College of Art, London. At that point
my ambition was to become an artist. By my second year of study
I had gravitated towards industrial design, and by the third I was
developing a landing craft for Rotork, an engineering company.
Since then I’ve worked as an engineer, making things that solve
problems. Although I’m not a businessman (actually I’m not entirely
sure what a businessman is), I’ve had to learn the skills to run a
company by necessity. I’ve discovered that much of it is actually
common sense – there is certainly no need for a suit and briefcase!
Today I have an expert team helping me run the business, so I
can spend more time developing our new technology. But when I
first started out with the Ballbarrow, and then the vacuum
cleaner, I didn’t have the luxury of such support. I learned by
doing – the best way to learn. Whether that was developing an
idea through an iterative process, trying my hand at sales, or
working out how to fund the manufacture of my machines.
Despite the years of uncertainty and financial worries, going it
alone was the right thing to do. I’d encourage anyone with a good
idea to do the same and to put your skills as artists and designers
to good use. It will be hard, but just knowing where to start helps:
whether it’s securing a loan, promoting a show, or filing a patent.
In the years since this book was first published, the world has
changed. It is more connected, technology has moved at pace,
there is more competition and, I’m afraid, there is more copying.
For business, design and engineering that brings tremendous
opportunities but also new threats. It is imperative to cut through
the clatter and jargon of business, and remain steadfast in
realising your idea. That’s what we try to do every day at Dyson
and I challenge you to do the same.
Sir James Dyson
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Acknowledgements
Firstly, I wish to acknowledge the pioneering work of David Butler
and the Artists Information Company in raising awareness of
business skills within the visual arts sector.
I would like to thank my commissioning editor Linda Lambert
for commissioning this book, and also to give credit to the
photographers Karl Grupe, Warren King, Tas Kyprianou, Silvia
Lozza, Mark Nolan, John Sturrock, Jamie Trounce, Ursula Underhill
and Yeshen Venema for their huge contributions to this project.
Special thanks go to consultants Jenny Bloy, Alison Britton,
Trevor Burgess, Karl Grupe, John Foster, Alana Pryce, Tony Laws,
MediVisas UK LLP, Harley Miller, Davida Saunders, Molly Beck,
Ariadne Godwin, Frances Arnold, Clara Herberg, Nigel Rees ‘Quote
Unquote’, Silverman Sherliker LLP, Rebecca Skeels, David Stubbs,
Peter Town, Damien Borowik, and Alana Biviano of BVN Creative.
Kind thanks also to Robert Gallagher and Joan Branagan.
Further, most valued contributions came from Caterina Izzo,
Riikka Puustinen and Matthew Machin, plus photographs kindly
donated by The Freelancer Club, Crafty Fox Market, The Goldsmiths’
Centre and Company, Cockpit Arts, Central Saint Martins and
Dyson.
Further acknowledgement must go to Kensington and Chelsea
College, City University, Central Saint Martins College of Art and
Design, and the Association of Illustrators, for giving me the
opportunity to teach creative business and enterprise courses.
Finally, I am indebted to John Naylor for his advice and
consistent support.
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Introduction
‘After Beyond the Fringe had been on Broadway, my father
asked if I knew what I really wanted to do … In a sense I
still don’t.’
Jonathan Miller (1934–), artist, writer and director
Welcome to the second edition of The Essential Guide to Business
for Artists and Designers, which aims to help any artist or designer
set themselves up in business, whether as self-employed, as a
partnership or as a company. Since the last edition (and its various
revisions) the contours of the visual arts and creative industries
have significantly changed. To acknowledge this, I have combined
the original essential knowledge areas and enterprise skills
content with new chapters acknowledging future trends,
innovation and growth.
I hope that the readers who have recently started a business,
or who are in the midst of planning to do so, will find the practical
advice outlined in this book helpful.
It’s worth bearing in mind this is only a business start-up book.
To gain more in-depth knowledge about a particular industry
sector, readers should explore the recommended texts and links.
Pace of change in today’s business environment
Since the financial crash, earning a living from art and design
activities has become more uncertain. The commissioning of this
second edition is a response to the evolving challenges that are
faced by recent arts graduates, as well as those who graduated
several years ago. Innovations, especially in regard to digital
technologies, have revolutionised the ways in which people
interact, consume and trade with one another.
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