Now if we build it will they come. . .

Well our website is up and we are about ready to load 3 more emerging artist to Cody Brown website.  Our goal is to get 10 or 15 more artist signed up by the end of next week.  One reoccurring challenge that I have experienced is how guarded our potential artist are. I don't know if our offer is too good or it sounds too good.  I feel once we explain the big picture and show how we are just not putting their paintings/photos on the web they relax a bit.  Our goal is an extension of them, which is the business side but we don't just to do it, we show them how it is done.  After they understand the business/social media aspect of it and if they decide they can do it, we achieved what we wanted, if not we will be happy to do it for them. 

No one can do everything and if they are, they have no life.  What happens to small businesses and entrepreneurs is they gamble on one aspect of business and get swallowed by them.  Weather it be accounting, marketing, technical or whatever but because of their lack of knowledge it can end up costing them.  Because of their lack of knowledge they end up spending all their revenue on one facet.  So to come full circle it is my hope that Cody Brown will approached with open arms and not arms crossed, we like to feel we have a lot to offer and want to be viewed as a teaching partner to an emerging artist. 

Up and Running on the Web . . . I hope

Well we just went live, kind of. We hope to do a soft opening by the end of the week or by the latest, Monday.  We have the consumer side up and going at www.codybrownart.com. It looks great, now comes the back end stuff.  The inventory is my next battle to figure out the correct process.  Our biggest obstacle now is making sure the shopping cart is good to go and working w/ Paypal.  Then on to phase two, the designer side.  I hope this will only take a couple of weeks.  Now I am getting the Social Network pages going, facebook, twitter, myspace and so on.  That will be a big help to drive traffic. 

One note on doing the website we did get hung up on more cosmetic things and not as much on functionality.  You need both but for instance if you think you don't like the color of something, you can always come back and fix it but make sure you make a list of things you want to come back and fix. The biggest thing on what works is having someone to run things by and to be open to constructive criticism. Jeff, Cody and I may not agreed to everything but we understood what the other was wanting.  For me it's hard to have someone tell you what they want when it's been your baby.  Well that's basically what Jeff and I did to Cody but he totally understood we are mentoring him as we go.  For myself this project has rejuvenated me from just wanting to get up and get to work, it makes me feel good that we are hoping and sharing our knowledge to others who may not know or have not experienced what Jeff and I have learned.  Lets keep our fingers crossed and I hope this is one of many.   

Our Office is Now On Top of Other Offices

Well website is almost done and one thing not to get hung up on is cosmetic things.  The old saying 100% of zero is still zero.  We started getting caught in cosmetic things and little changes.  You can always go back and update/change or remove.  Still have big picture and functionality of your website but remember it does not have to be perfect.  We are getting ready to sign our first few artist, we have meetings with them the first part of this week.  Over the weekend Cody prepared our offices, they are on top of the offices in the front.  Imagine this, open area, offices built and there is 9 feet left from ceiling of offices to actual ceiling of building, we are now on top.  It fits us well, I can't believe we are moving as fast as we are.  Website almost done, office space is going, art space to show and work on art was more or less donated space.  It's good to know friends and family can be a part of this.  It's hard not to bring emotions in any business but be careful.  You pour your heart and soul and when someone critics it, you take it to heart. You must be open to open criticism and rise above it.  This is the part you can't be too emotional about, nothing wrong with being passionate about your business, just don't become obsessed.