Thinking of Starting Your Own Art Gallery?

So you are an art collector at the moment, with several pieces of art in your collection, and have noticed just how profitable the world of art can be for individuals looking to get into it in terms of business rather than as a hobby.


It may seem like a romantic notion to have your own art gallery and be able to influence the world of art in a small way, but that is often not the reality.


Starting any business of your own is extremely difficult, but starting an art gallery can be one of the most difficult of business tasks. You not only have to have a measure of artistic talent, as such, but you have to have a great deal of business sense.


However, there are several tips that can help you on your way if that is really what you want to do.

1. Never open your own art gallery if it is only for the money - If you are in the gallery business for the money then look elsewhere because most galleries only make enough to cover the bills for the first few years. Until your business is established, you have next to no chance of making enough money to call your business a success.


You should open the gallery because you love art and not to make a profit. If you do make a profit then that is a bonus.


2. If you have no knowledge of art collecting then do your homework beforehand - If you know nothing about art collecting then running an art gallery is not for you, but if you are determined then you need to learn all of the ins and outs of art collecting before you can own a gallery. This will take you at least six months if not longer so be prepared to be in it for the long haul.


3. Tap into your passion for art - A passion for art is a must and is necessary if you really want to attract both artists and sponsors alike. It is also necessary when trying to advertise any events that you have in your calendar. Beware of letting your love of art get in the way of your business head.


4. Know exactly what it is that you plan to do - You should have an aim, a goal, before setting up any business. If you want to own an art gallery then you should have a target for sales and a target for your involvement in the community too.


5. Find out where the best location would be before renting premises - Of course, if you are planning to set up business in a village with 250 working class inhabitants then it is to be expected that business will not be booming.


However, if you have a good location in the centre of a town with little competition and middle class demographics then you will do far better. Check out rents and your audience before you actually put a deposit down on your potential gallery.


6. Have a business background - You must have business skills in order to make your art gallery work. Without business acumen, the likelihood is that you will be one of the businesses that do not see two years, and there are way too many of those around at the moment!


7. Brush up on your people skills - You need people skills to be able to attract artists, sponsors and press attention and should be able to make all of those feel comfortable in your gallery. Attracting customers is also a big part of any business so make sure that you are well prepared!

There is so much more to opening a gallery than meets the eye. You have all of the mundane tasks like hanging promotional materials, publicizing events, making sure that artists want to trust you to sell their work, courting the press and any number of other tasks that get tiresome and boring after the first few weeks.


If you are prepared to do that and dedicate yourself to the pursuit of the fine arts for the rest of your life then it may be for you. You must certainly be prepared to work hard. Just make sure that you are getting into art gallery owning for the right reasons instead of the romantic image that you have in your head.


Until next time...



Cynthia Goranson
http://www.getpaidtodrawtoday.com/

P.S. Consider opening an online gallery to get started. To see an example visit http://budurl.com/RandyPattonArt