Lets face it … some creative artists might be very adept at painting, sculpting or shooting photos, but they may not have a knack for the business part of their profession – the marketing aspect of their work. So the Roanoke Arts Commission and the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are putting together a free workshop for artists on October 1.
Retail consultant Marc Wilson, who has worked with the state’s small business center, will be in town to offer the workshop at the CoLab, located at 1327 Grandin Road.
The two-hour workshop (6-8PM) is preceded by a half hour informal networking session that begins at 5:30. Registration is required and Tom Tanner with the Small Business Development Center said recently that space is limited. (To inquire about registration go to roanokeva.gov/artsandculture)
Tanner, a senior business counselor with the SBDC, said the city’s arts and culture coordinator, Susan Jennings, is also a force behind the workshop. Her office is part of the economic development department in Roanoke City – which has tied its future in part to nurturing the arts and culture scene in the valley.
The Small Business Development Center at the Regional Chamber “is one of a thousand throughout the United States,” said Tanner. As for Wilson’s presentation, Tanner said it is basically this: “You’ve got this product that you’re selling – how can you actually make money at it? How do you merchandise it, how to you market it – how do you build a brand?”
Tanner said there are “a lot of talented people in this area…but some [need] to figure out how to make money.” He works with a number of artists locally, but notes that the business end is “not always their prime focus. This is where we try to help them.”
Artists may have done a great job of producing work that some might pay dearly for, “[now] let us help you figure out how to sell it or manage the business better.” It is the first workshop of this kind for artists said Tanner; if there is enough demand “we could offer it on a regular basis.” Pre-register he warns – “We’re not going to have room for people at the door if they decide to walk in [on October 1].”
– Gene Marrano
