Where practise yous see your art business in the next year?

What well-nigh the next five years?

Does it involve growing your collector base of operations? Perhaps yous'd love to sell a certain amount of work or reach that big milestone on social media. Possibly you experience stuck creatively and you lot want to spend more than time in the studio. Or, maybe you lot're determined to finally get organized plenty to experience like yous are ahead of your business and non e'er working catch-up style.

Yet yous answered, growth is usually at the heart of where we desire to be going. Personal, professional, artistic or business organization growth—nosotros want to be improving and moving forward.

But, do you accept a method for achieving these growth goals? Growing your fine art business takes a well-rounded strategy, a healthy dose of effort, and the right tools.

At that place are so many tools available to artists these days that brand it easier than ever stay on track and get the piece of work washed (so you can get back to the studio quicker) but with so many choices it can be overwhelming to know which ones are worth putting in the fourth dimension.

We outlined our favorite tools for our own art practiceswith these viii essential tools to manage your business and optimize your creativity.

A Agenda You lot Will Actually Use

When you are your own boss, information technology tin can exist extremely like shooting fish in a barrel to get lost in the flexibility of an art career. No one else is telling you what needs to be done, afterwards all. Your time is yours to spend!

Simply, the real question is, how do yous fill information technology wisely?

A calendar, while it seems and then simple, is the first step.

Instead of deciding on the spot that you are going to piece of work on next, salve yourself time by drawing out a daily schedule for yourself. Start by blocking out chunks of time for specific tasks, and apply your work preferences to determine the gild. Then fill the infinite around your superlative creative times with other to-practice's.

While that seems simple plenty, as artists y'all know at that place is way more to keep track of than just your daily schedule. Between submission deadlines, exhibition dates, artwork driblet-off and pick-upward dates, non mention art marketing, commissions, and staying in bear on with clients, the concluding thing you want is for these deadlines to go unnoticed and take your professionalism called into question.

You lot need to observe a scheduling organization that you lot will actually use, one that's piece of cake to keep up with and suited for your lifestyle and the unique career demands of an artist.

What digital productivity tools and resources can yous use that will connect with or help you keep upwards with your online calendar?

Here are a few that we recommend:

Asana - Employ this website or mobile app to organize and program out your upcoming projects. You can assign tasks to yourself (or your on-the-ball studio assistant), set priorities and deadlines, share thoughts on important details, and visually map out your progress, then deadlines are striking on fourth dimension. And, it'due south free for individuals or small teams!

Google Calendar - This multifaceted, complimentary calendar app allows you to create calendars for unlike parts of your life, fix important reminders, add effect locations, invite other users to events, and much, much more. Plus, information technology'due south all backed up online if y'all e'er lose your phone or computer.

Calendly - Say goodbye to telephone and email tag! Calendly can connect with upward to half-dozen of your calendars to automatically cheque availability and help you connect with your best contacts, prospects and clients to find the perfect coming together time. A basic program is free, or yous can endeavor all of the features free for 14 days.

The best part? Online calendars similar GCal, iCal and Outlook can be synced with your Artwork Annal schedule, and then y'all only accept to enter all of those important exhibition dates and to-do's once to stay on top of your most of import events.

A Strong Art Portfolio Website

Confidently market yourself and brand your contact information known with a professional website. A website increases your SEO, lets viewers connect with you, showcases your piece of work, and allows you to connect your other profiles (social media, Artwork Archive, etc.) to fully represent yourself.

Some artists sell piece of work straight from their websites, others utilise websites every bit launch pads to drive potential buyers to their work and so connect with viewers before making sales.

But no artist wants to spend more time on their website than in the studio. Enquire yourself what the main purpose of your website is and then focus on making the features and blueprint of your site match those intentions. Make certain your website is working for yous if you want to stay productive.

Here are some great places to get started:

Squarespace - This is an all-in-i solution for any artist looking to create a beautiful website, offer accolade-winning templates, domains, eCommerce, hosting, galleries, analytics, and 24/seven support. Business organisation plans beginning at $xviii a month.

Artwork Annal - With the Public Page on Artwork Archive, artists can cull to publish certain works and details from their inventory in a polished, professional-looking portfolio online. And with our Web Integrations features, this online gallery (forth with all those important details) tin can be embedded into any page on your own artist website—so you can skip the double data entry and become dorsum to the studio. You can even drive sales by responding to purchase requests that viewers tin transport through your public contour. (Plans start at $8/month for artists later the costless trial)

Wix - Whether you're promoting your business, showcasing your work, opening your store or starting a blog—you can practise it all with the Wix website builder, no coding skills needed. Wix gives you 100s of templates, unlimited pages & top grades hosting Gratis, or you can upgrade to a premium plan starting at $xiii/calendar month and get fifty-fifty more.

Wordpress - Artists tin can create a costless website or build a blog with ease on WordPress.com, which offers dozens of gratuitous, customizable, mobile-ready designs and themes, not to mention free hosting and support. Premium plans tin run anywhere betwixt $4 and $45 for more than features.

Format - Format has everything photographers need to showcase their work and abound their business. Carefully-crafted portfolio designs make your work truly shine. Try it free for ii weeks and then choose the website programme that's right for you lot (starting at $12/calendar month).

Strategic Social Media Profiles

It's no secret these days that social media makes art attainable to a wide audience. Instagram and Facebook permit you to show your work, your procedure, connect with fans and express your identity equally an artist. Plus, social media has drastically changed how artists, viewers, and buyers interact with each other—and with art—in the last decade.

That's why information technology'due south important to not spread yourself too sparse when choosing your social media profiles.

Ask yourself the following questions before going all-in on any platform:

  • What platform is the easiest for yous to use?

  • Which one practise yous savour using the well-nigh?

  • Which i includes your target audience?

  • Which platform can you run into yourself checking in with daily?

  • Which platform volition I exist able to really use to be more productive, not less productive?

For some artists, that volition be Instagram and for others, it will be Facebook. They are the two big hitters at this point, and information technology doesn't seem like they are going away any fourth dimension soon. But, once yous take picked your toxicant, be honest with yourself about how much time you are spending on each platform. Social media can be a powerful tool for selling art and making connections, but can likewise easily slide into mindless scrolling that eats upward as well many productive hours without realizing it.

TIP: If yous discover yourself in the ringlet cycle, use the Instagram function of limiting your screen time on the app. This manner yous will get a observe when you are getting shut to your self-allowed time for the day.

Some apps to make engaging social media posts:

Framelapse - A full-featured app for Android™ devices, artists can record and create high-quality time-lapse videos of their works-in-progress.

Afterlight - Afterlight is an image editing app for Android, iOS and Windows Phone that gives you the tools to enhance your photos with adjustment tools and filters, purchase pre-sets from other artists, or create your ain.

Wall App - The WallApp helps art buyers to quickly visualize your artwork in different rooms by uploading an image to preset room templates.

VSCO - This photo-editing app has a cult post-obit and is the go-to app for Instagram influencers. This app comes with pre-ready filters, photo editing and a creative community and is costless to beginning and up to 19.99/yr.

Apps to remind you of your time and keep yous on runway:

Liberty: While all artists should use the benefits of social media to share and sell their artwork, social media is also designed to be addictive. Liberty app helps yous build healthier social media habits, be more productive, and be more intentional by blocking distracting websites and apps for select time frames. Freedom is free to start and upwards to $2.50 a month for all devices.

Instagram time limits: While Instagram is a great tool for artists, information technology'due south way besides like shooting fish in a barrel to go sucked into a mindless scroll of images without really doing something productive for your art business. Instagram has best-selling this behavior by implementing a way for yous to manage your time and set daily reminders when you lot go close to that time limit. To gear up your time limit, go to the summit correct-hand menu of your account and then click "your activity" to view your daily fourth dimension spent on Instagram and to set up limits and reminders for your usage.

An Engaging Newsletter

Keeping up with contacts and edifice new relationships is essential to growing your art career. Information technology doesn't thing if you are an incredible artist, what interests people about art is not just the finished product—it'south almost you and your relationships with your viewers and buyers!

A newsletter is an easy way to brand your contacts feel included in your fine art practice while keeping up relationships and reminding by buyers and collaborators about what you've been up to.

Just like on social media, content matters. Y'all don't necessarily demand to send out weekly newsletters. You lot should aim to send a newsletter out as often as y'all take something to say that your audience will (hopefully) detectinteresting. Include visual content, link to printing most your work or shows, and make it personal. Authenticity is key to generating interest.

Some of our favorite tools for sending a stellar newsletter:

Mailchimp - With this all-in-one marketing platform, y'all can create newsletters in a breeze. They offering templates with elevate-and-drop features for all types of letters—choice ane based on your goal or a look you're going for, add together your content, and choose who gets it! Elementary. Enjoy their free program or get added features for $9/month.

Campaign Monitor - You tin bring your art business organization to life with Campaign Monitor's powerful yet easy-to-use electronic mail builder and library of professionally designed templates. Yous can fifty-fifty connect your online store to drive more than art sales! Plans also start at $9 a calendar month.

Photograph Editing Software

Photographing your work is nigh as important as creating it in the starting time place. Without high-quality photographs, information technology's nearly impossible to communicate about your work, present yourself, sell your work, or apply for grants.

Unfortunately, after hours and hours in creation style, nosotros often skip over or blitz this important step of the artistic procedure.

Since artists are required to submit work digitally for exhibitions, grants, talks and your public profile folio, skilful photography offers the first impression of your art and your professionalism.

Having the right photo editing software tin also help elevate your social media game with captions and artistic images to appoint your audience.

Here are our go-to programs for getting the perfect image:

Lightroom - Beginners and pros akin yearning for high-quality photos of their piece of work for art marketing purposes will love this popular photo-editing software. Lightroom comes with step-by-step tutorials correct in the app, so yous can learn the basics or chief the newest features in no time. Plans start at $9.99/month, and be certain to check out their promos for students and teachers!

Photoshop - This amazing imaging and graphic blueprint software is at the cadre of simply about every creative project these days. Requite your photos and graphics a professional-looking upgrade for $20/calendar month, and so art buyers will take your concern more seriously.

Canva - Apply Canva'due south gratuitous and easy elevate-and-drop feature and layouts to apace design, share and print everything you lot need for your art business organization—including electronic mail headers, social media posts, business cards, logos, website graphics, and tons more.

Procreate App - With Procreate, the earth is your studio. This multi‑award winning creative app gives you the power to create cute sketches, inspiring paintings, and stunning illustrations wherever you are. Apple tree users can get those artistic juices flowing for only $9.99.

An Up-to-Date Marketing Plan

You have the calendar and time management tools, at present you need to make sure you have a plan for marketing.

If you haven't had a marketing program in the past, at present is the time to start. Institute habits that will go you lot in a marketing mindset, like reviewing your business concern program and creating a dissever art marketing calendar. This will help you lot understand your brand even if you lot are not gearing upward to advertise whatever large shows or art sales.

Finally, think almost the best channels for reaching your art audience, what's coming upward (quicker than you usually realize) for you to advertise, and whatever type of marketing goals you take and so you're staying on track.

We salvage time on social media with these handy tools:

Buffer - With Buffer Free, you tin can schedule up to 10 social media posts in advance for a specific time and twenty-four hours, and you can see which posts perform well with Buffer'southward basic analytics. Buffer Free allows you to connect ane profile on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. It's simple and very convenient.

Hootsuite - Keep your social media presence agile, even when you lot're non. With Hootsuite'south Free programme yous tin manage three dissimilar social profiles and up to 30 scheduled letters. You can even use the Hootsuite mobile app to hands edit, approve, and manage scheduled messages on the fly!

Facebook Publishing Tools - If yous haven't gotten yourself a free business account on Facebook, now'due south the time! Because it can practise so much more than for you than a regular, personal page—including scheduling unlimited posts directly on Facebook to save fourth dimension. Plus, it's a bang-up pick for when your other scheduling tools limit the number of profiles y'all can connect.

Goal & Productivity Trackers to Keep You lot Focused

How are you measuring and charting your goals?

Making sure that yous have clear and attainable goals to motivate and guide your art career will help yous go on up on all the smaller pieces of your practice.

If you accept goals, review them and brand sure they are consistent with what you are doing and where you are going. Treat goals like tasks and deadlines, build them into how you lot work and why you work.

Have a organisation for creating your goals, tracking your goals, and revisiting your goals.

Nosotros recommend these tools to assist yous stick to your goals:

Evernote - Why practise we love Evernote? It's piece of cake. When y'all accept an idea, it'south the best place to put your thoughts and brand them into actionable plans. With so many moving parts in an fine art concern, Evernote helps keeps all your notes, ideas, lists and reminders in ane place—so keep rails of those deadlines and dates.

Artwork Archive Insights These insights apply metrics to your art business so you can improve plan out your business organisation decisions. Monitor your artwork's performance by theme, gallery, buyer, location and make informed decisions about your fine art career. Track your inventory, piece of work for sale, and piece of work sold. Gain insights into what is working, and what'southward non—and make decisions with confidence.

Some tools we similar to continue us focused on those goals:

Momentum Extension is a personal dashboard designed to eliminate lark and provide inspiration, focus, and personalized productivity features. The Plus version allows you to sync task management systems like Asana, Basecamp and GitHub for $3.33/mo

Be Focused Pro App  Based on the Pomodoro Method, The Be Focused Pro App helps y'all get things done by breaking up individual tasks into intervals and short breaks. Create tasks, set timers, configure breaks and track your progress throughout the day.

Rescue Time If you've ever gotten to iv pm and asked yourself where all the time went in your twenty-four hour period, Rescue Time is for yous. This app helps you sympathise how you spend your time online by working in the groundwork of your device to analyze your behaviors and stay focused.

A Management Organization for Your Fine art Business

Y'all demand a way to proceed your fine art career organized so that even when your agenda gets busy you have the peace of mind to take on many tasks and juggle obligations with ease.

How are yous currently keeping track of your art, your contacts, your invoices, and your various loan agreements?

Hither are a few of the essential tools artists can employ to manage their inventory.

Artwork Archive —Artwork Archive provides the tools for artists to organize, manage, share and showcase their artwork. From inventory and assignment reports to sales and invoices, contacts management, and location tracking, Artwork Archive is everything you need to go organized and manage an art career.

Dropbox — Have large files or videos of your artwork? While Artwork Archive can store images upwardly to 30mb of loftier-quality photos, if you have larger images such as raw epitome files, Dropbox could work for storing these photos. However, it'south not a complete inventory arrangement with exhibition history, cataloging and artwork information recorded.

At that place are so many different ways to take on organization, marketing, connecting with your contacts, and managing your art. Part of the fun of being a professional person creative person is in discovering what works for yous and how best to ameliorate on what is and isn't working. Many of the platforms higher up offer free trials that allow you to test out how it tin can help your art career—including Artwork Annal. With no credit card required and no automatic payments, there is no take chances in trying out the platform that artists call the "greatest investment in their fine art business concern."

Try Artwork Archive's free 30-day trial to manage your inventory, grow your concern, and showcase your work online.