It’s been just over a month – it feels like six – in a good way

Submitted by: Carmen Milenkovic, SCC Executive Director

 Carmen Milenkovic, Executive Director, Saskatchewan Craft Council; 

Photo by Ljubisa Spasic

There’s a certain irony regarding my joining the Saskatchewan Craft Council as the Executive Director. I used to be part of the adjudication process, back in the days of PCOs and SaskCulture. I, along with other colleagues, would diligently read the contents of the 4” binder outlining the programs and hopes and dreams for the organization. And now, here I am, in the Executive Director chair, trying to figure it all out.

Daniel J Kirk works on She Dreams of Color at EMMA International Collaboration 2014 

(Collaborators on the piece: Daniel J Kirk, Asherah Cinnamon, Katie Green)

Photo by Ian Preston

I must say that when I agreed to a July 2^nd start date I thought that meant I would have the summer to immerse myself – at a somewhat leisurely pace – in the nuts and bolts of the organization. I have been immersed, but forget the leisurely pace. In six short weeks, I’ve:

• Wandered among the booths at Waterfront;
• Visited the exhibit, Art of the Book, numerous times;
• Observed an exhibition change over;
• Witnessed the erection of A Show About Nothing (and continue to visit it daily);
• Attended a very busy and fun opening reception where I met EMMA artists, members and even some friends that I hadn't seen for a long time;
• Had over twenty meetings with stakeholders and supporters;
• Was apprised of the process of the Saskatchewan Handcraft Festival and the Toronto Gift Show;
• Met with the SCC Board of Directors;
• Wandered through the Boutique on numerous occasions;
• Attended the auction on the final day of the WoodTurners Symposium;
• Submitted a grant application (on my first day if you can imagine - got the results - it was successful!);
• Started to learn a new accounting program and get a handle on the financials;
• Became updated on the direction and strategic initiatives of the Canadian Craft Federation;
• Had numerous conversations with members and supporters of the SCC; and
• Tried my hand at blogging.

The highlight to date was my deep water dive into the EMMA International Collaboration 2014. I visited for a couple of days – wandered around the site at Ness Creek, watched the pieces take shape, listened to the interaction between artists; I took advantage of their generosity to answer my questions and give me insight into their process and what EMMA meant to them. I come from the film world, which is always collaborative, and wandering around EMMA reminded me of that spirit, that industriousness and the need to troubleshoot and come up with new ideas when the planned ones don't work and you're going to camera in five. I loved that rush, and that building of community, which in real time can be short, but in "feelings" time is forever.

    June Jacobs works on Buoh Doctor at EMMA International Collaboration 2014 

(Collaborators on the piece: Te Rangitu Netana, Nadine Jaggi, Michel Boutin, June Jacobs, John Wirth, Katie Green, Cassie Rosteski & Kjelti Anderson); Photo by Ian Preston

The experience was capped by the EMMA Auction. On a hot sultry night in August - probably our hottest day of the summer - we witnessed the transformation from work site to gallery exhibit. It was glorious. Thanks to all who attended and loved the excitement of the purchase. The heat and tight fit couldn't supplant our euphoria.

   Control Flabula in Wood by Tod Emel at EMMA International Collaboration 2014

Photo by Ian Preston

It makes me wonder what I’ll be able to say after my first year.

The Saskatchewan Craft Council is a treasure, worth savouring, protecting and enriching. 
2015 is a big year for us. We’ll celebrate our 40^th Anniversary and are part of a national celebration, Craft Year 2015. At the heart of it all is the impulse that drives the creation of art. It’s beating loudly at the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

Thanks for welcoming me into the thicket. I’m looking forward to finding my way.

Craft Market Tips and Tricks

Submitted by: Maia Stark, Gallery Assistant

As someone who has only recently begun to be a vendor at local craft markets, I scoured the internet for ideas and tips for my first market experience! I was terrified of forgetting something simple but crucial. In this post, I’d like to list some of the valuable advice I’ve discovered!

Tip #1: Emphasize the hand-made quality of your work.

The first time I bought handmade goods online I was struck and charmed by the special touches the merchant had added: a handwritten “thank you!” note, a cute sticker, colourful string around the interior package. It may be worth thinking about some kind of unique wrapping or nice packaging. When customers feel special and take their purchase home in a way that’s markedly different from a typical retail purchase, they remember that experience. Buying local and handmade products is a special moment in a mass produced retail world—help people remember why buying local is great!

Tip #2: Have works that reflect a range of prices.

Though it doesn’t work for every craftsperson, this is a tip that I’m slowly becoming convinced is very useful. Not only does this mean that everyone who attends the market can afford to buy something at your stall, but shoppers tend to look at prices and objects comparatively. When a browser sees something small and simply made for $10.00, and then looks around the table to see a large complex piece for $65.00, and the even more complex, absolutely stunning piece for $200.00, math is happening. The customer will quickly relate and compare the price to the handiwork, size, and labour which is reflected. Shoppers will (hopefully) understand that your prices are not arbitrary numbers, but each price reflects time, experience, skill, and materials. Shoppers new to craft and new to markets may quickly dismiss items as “too expensive.” By finding a way to have a range of prices which reflect the quality and breadth of your skill, you are assuring customers that you are pricing considerately and according to quality.

Tip #3: Price everything visibly.

This seems like a simple act, but this small tip will keep people looking longer. Shy customers or ones that are reluctant to get involved with the merchant right away will leave preemptively if they are faced with the choice of asking “how much is that? … and that? and this one?” Not only should everything be priced but have the price visible. Pricing with stickers on the bottom of pieces is fine, but if you have delicate or large works, customers will hesitate to pick objects up to check the price themselves. If you think that lots of price tags will make for a messy display, try having small signs set up in sections that say “20-30 dollars” or “50 and up,” so that customers know your price range and you get to keep a minimalist display.

Tip #4: Be present.

At my first craft market my feet were killing me. My partner-in-crime and I had to sit down several times. However, while I sat, I noticed that people didn't seem to talk to us as much. Perhaps the height hierarchy made people feel uncomfortable. Perhaps they think “Oh, she’s taking a break, I’ll come back.” There is something about sitting a lot which I think can prevent people from spending time at your table. Similarly, I think that if a vendor looks bored or tired, people are less likely to approach. This makes for an exhausting day, of course. Smiling and interacting all day, for hours, all while trying not to seem to pander for attention! As well, I fully support that if someone wants to be a crabcake, they should be a crabcake without judgement! Sometimes you just need to humor a bad mood and let yourself feel what you feel. Nevertheless, during a craft market a friendly and open atmosphere could easily increase your sales.

Tip #5: Offer different payment options.

Many people just don’t carry cash anymore! This can certainly be frustrating for vendors. Perhaps you or someone else you know has been in the situation when a customer is really excited by your product and then they say,  dunn dunn dunnnnn: “Do you take visa?” Your face falls. You want to say, “Are you kidding? I made my display out of old lumber, nails, and discount gold spray paint. I don’t have a debit/credit machine!” Luckily there have been developments in the last few years— new ways of accepting cards which don’t let credit card companies charge you extraordinary percentages after you spend upwards of $400.00 on a wireless machine! One such new method is “Square Up,” which is a system that only requires an account (free to sign up for), and a small card reader (also free). All that you require is a smart phone with access to the internet. Square Up takes only 2.75% of each swiped sale, and you have free access to their entire digital inventory system which can also help you track your sales. Being able to take credit cards will certainly increase your sales—customers who don’t make the trip to the ATM will be able to buy product from you!

Square Up lets multiple users access inventory and make sales, depositing sales overnight directly into your bank account. Customers can even request an emailed or texted receipt (Squareup).

For more tips and lots of display ideas, check out these other blogs and websites!

Creative Income

Carosello

Festival Net

Catshy Crafts

Stumbles and Stitches

UK Craft Blog

Craft in America - Messages

Submitted by: Vivian Orr, Communications and Publications Coordinator

Part two of a glimpse of one of the videos in the Craft in America Series. 

For those of you who do not subscribe to cable PBS channels, or if you are like me, you don't even have rabbit ears on your TV, these wonderful videos are available through the public library. 

Craft in America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the exploration, preservation and celebration of craft and its impact on America's cultural heritage.

Messages: Explore how artists go beyond skill to personal and political expression
copyright 2011

Beth Lipman is a glass artist working in Wisconsin. Her work explores the symbolism of 17th century still life paintings through glimmering creations made of clear glass, symbolizing wealth and consumerism. 

Charles M. Carrillo is an artist, author, and archeologist known particularly for creating art using Spanish colonial techniques that reflect 18th century Spanish New Mexico. Carrillo has blended craft, conservation, and innovation throughout his career as a santero, a carver and painter of images of saints.

Joyce J. Scott is a versatile artist from Baltimore, Maryland. She is a printmaker, weaver, sculptor, performance artist, and educator, but she is probably most well known for her work in jewelry, beadwork, and glass. Her art, in whatever form, reflects her take on all aspects of American popular culture, her ancestry, and the immediate world of her neighborhood.

"It's important to imbue the work with something that will resonate and follow someone home."

"Art can be a tool that can change peoples' lives."

"I'm listening to my Mom tell me stories, and they are not just stories that talk about my family history but they are primers on how to start making artwork that matters."

Thomas Mann is an artist who works in the mediums of jewelry and sculpture. The primary design vocabulary which he employs in the making of jewelry objects combines industrial aesthetics and materials and with evocative romantic themes and imagery. He calls this design system Techno Romantic. Though it is not the only design mode in which he works, it is the one for which he and his work is best known.

"When you have a successful professional career as a craft artist there will come a moment where you making the thing becomes less important than you imagineering the thing. In order for it to benefit other people around you, you kinda have to move on to the point where you train people to make things the way you make them."

"I hardly ever use the word craft artist to describe myself. I just use the word artist. To me being an artist is about expressing yourself and manifesting objects out of your creativity that other people acknowledge as being important to them in some form or fashion and are willing to support your efforts to continue making them."

"Business Beginnings" with the Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.

Submitted by: Vivian Orr, SCC Communications & Publications Coordinator

I attended “Business Beginnings”, a FREE one-hour session that introduced me to Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WES) and their services. WES is a non-profit membership organization which works with women who are considering starting a business, purchasing a business, or operating an existing business.

Programs and services offered by Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WES) include business advisory and support services, start-up and expansion lending, networking and mentoring opportunities, and business development seminars which focus on entrepreneurial skill development.

 I left “Business Beginnings” with quite a few interesting resources which I want to share:

·        24 page Start-Up Guide that includes:

o   Step-by-step guide to starting a business

o   Entrepreneurial self-assessment

o   10 Essentials of a business plan

o   7 Point checklist for your business plan

o   Forms of business organizations

o   and – the part that I really want to mention – three pages of contact information ranging from federal, provincial and municipal government contacts to Canada-Saskatchewan Business Service Centre, BizPal (licenses and permits), BizLaunch (free webinars for small business) to Western Economic Diversification Canada.

·        WES hosts a Lunch Hour Series which includes topics such as:

o   Selling & Buying Business

o   Is Your Website Mobile Ready? and

o   Image Matters! You can attend in either Regina or Saskatoon.

·        WES also has interesting webinars both live and previously recorded ones:

o   In the Green (How to ‘Green’ Your Business)

o   Keep Calm & Lead On and

o   To Incorporate or Not to Incorporate?

·        WES has educational seminars:

o   Business Planning Seminar, useful for those who are at the very beginning stages. Lending institutions want to see a business plan as part of their lending process.

o   Financial Series

o   Marketing Series

o   Human Resources Series

·     WES highly recommends the On-line Business Plan Development Seminar for those who cannot attend their seminars in person. It consists of 4 modules and is presented by the WECM Entrepreneurship Centre of Excellence.

·     Another on-line seminar they mentioned is 100 Essential Small Business Skills presented by the GoForth Institute

·      One more tidbit: Information Services Corporation (ISC) and the Government of Saskatchewan have partnered together to provide a website to complete the business registration process in Saskatchewan on-line.

WES staff were helpful, friendly and informative. If you are looking for education, support, advice, mentorship or a clear-eyed assessment of your business, consider contacting Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.

Tips on Pricing Your Craft - Part Two: An Equation for Pricing for Profit

Submitted by: Amanda Bosiak, Former Member Services Coordinator

This is Part Two of our "Tips on Pricing Your Craft" series.  This week looks at Pricing for Profit.

Realistically, how do you place a dollar figure on your work? And how do you make it a profitable figure? Many craft people use a Material Cost + Profit equation that all too often falls way short of the mark. How do you know how much “profit” is enough? And how much of that is really profit? Remember that you have costs related to selling your work that cut into that profit. If you sell your own work at markets, those expenses (booth fees, travel and meals, accommodations and time lost from your studio) all eat into your profit by 30% - 50%. If you sell your work by wholesale or commission, you also lose up to 50% off the retail price.

Well, there is a tried and true method known as “Cost Plus Pricing”. Here is the basic formula:

MATERIALS + WAGE + OVERHEAD = COST

COST X 2 = RETAIL PRICE

Here is a brief breakdown of that formula:

MATERIALS: This is pretty self-explanatory – the cost of materials for each piece.

WAGE: This is the really important part! If you aren't paying yourself a wage, you should really start now! Be reasonable and fair with yourself – start at minimum wage and add to it based on your experience, education etc. You can also think of the wage part of the equation as the minimum profit you will make on each sale – so if you are uncomfortable with working out a wage for yourself, put the minimum profit amount in its place. Now, whether you sell the work yourself, through wholesale or commission, you KNOW that you will profit at least that much!

OVERHEAD: This is the pro-rated amount of your annual utility bills (for studio and office space), packaging and office supplies, equipment and professional fees, etc. Even if you work out of a corner of your basement, living room or garage, you still have overhead.

COST: Now you see the real cost of your work, beyond the cost of materials!

X2 = RETAIL: Now you see what the retail value of your work really is!

After you apply the Cost Plus formula to your work, you will probably still have to do some adjustment for your customer base, competitive advantage, and tiered pricing levels. Adjustments can be made to round figures up or down to more “attractive” price points (amounts ending in 0, 5 or 9 for example: round an item that is $27.86 up to $30 or down to $25) or to allow for consistency in pricing between different sizes of similar products.

In addition, you may find that some products will require the application of “Added Value” strategies. Branding and packaging are two ways to do this. Also, offering “limited edition” work and including support material with your work such as a biography on yourself, and care instructions for your product, all add to the perceived value of your work.

MAKING CHANGES GRADUALLY

If after all this you find that you have in fact been vastly under pricing your work, you will be in a position where you need to decide on a strategy for gradually increasing your prices. Should you find that you have been selling your work for half of what you need to in order to make a profit, it can be difficult to suddenly double all of your prices. It will be a shock to your customers, and a hard thing for you to confidently stand behind.

There are two times of the year when price increases are the easiest to apply, and these tend to fall during craft market and retail sales lulls; that is September (after summer sales, before Christmas sales) and January/February (after Christmas sales, before spring sales). So rather than doubling your prices at one time, try going up roughly 20% in the fall, and another 20% or so in the new year, or the next fall. New customers won’t know the difference, and your regular customers will take it in stride when you apply larger increases slowly over a set period of time.

A FINAL NOTE ON PRICING

Pricing your craft work – for profit and sales – is an ongoing process. Evaluating your prices every year or two should be a part of your business practice. There are a few other things to keep in mind:

Your costs will change (usually becoming higher) and so will your access to the materials you use for your work.

Your customer base will change – regular customer will age and experience income changes over time. New customers will require new products, and lower priced items to introduce them to your work.

The economy is in constant flux, with customers having varying amounts of disposable income from year to year. Even over the course of the year, as noted above, there are ebbs and flows in the annual spending cycle of the typical consumer.

Sometimes, it isn't the price of your work that keeps people from buying it. It could be that you are selling in the wrong markets (craft markets and/or stores/galleries with the wrong customer base). OR, the harder thing to admit to (on your ego and artistic soul), is it could be the product itself is not attractive to consumers, either in style or functionality. Consider your market and your product as you work towards successful sales, and good luck!

Tips on Pricing Your Craft

Submitted by: Amanda Bosiak, Former Member Services Coordinator

This two-part article is a summary of information provided in the SCC’s “Pricing your craft” workshop. The workshop is offered once or twice a year by the SCC in both Saskatoon and Regina. Groups or guilds can also request a presentation of the workshop by emailing scc.memberservices@sasktel.net.

PART ONE

Pricing can be one of the most difficult aspects of a craft artist’s practice. Unlike the creative process, pricing is part of the business side of craft – the side that a) takes time away from the studio and b) forces an artist to consider the worth of their work. Simply put, pricing can be both annoying and scary. It is however, essential to the success of a craft artist’s career. Getting money for your work is one thing – making a profit from your work is an entirely different matter.

In my experience more often than not, craft artists under price their work. This happens for various reasons, but the most common are

• The artist undervalues their own skill and experience: they are too humble to ask what they should be asking for their work
• The artist worries that if they price their work at what it is worth, it will not sell
• The artist has work they feel is similar to items available at big box and chain retail outlets, and they feel that in order to compete they need to have lower prices

Regardless of the reason for under pricing, the end result is the same. For one thing, under pricing because you don’t value your work can also lead to your customers undervaluing your work and you, as a creator. For another, it can mean that you are not making the money (profit) you should be making from your craft business. Under pricing can lead to financial loss. If you are hoping to make a living off of selling your craft, then you simply can’t afford to ask for less than what your product is worth.

As for competing with big box stores and the like – you aren’t. Craft purchasers are a distinct group of consumers, often separate from the group of consumers that frequent discount retailers and chain stores. Yes, there is some cross-over but generally speaking, your customer base is a group of people with discerning taste, who chose to shop locally and shop handmade as often as possible.

It is easy to forget this, because the odd person who comes to your booth at a market and gasps that the price is too high, are the people that stick in your mind. Forget them. They are not a part of your customer base.

Still worried about competing with big retail? Have a look at this mug from Anthropologie for $38 USD.  Or this handwoven scarf from Browns Fashion for $335 CAD.

Once you get over all the reasons (excuses!) you have for under pricing your work, there are a few Golden Rules to keep in mind about pricing.

1. Always stand behind your price: Don’t undervalue yourself or your work by haggling with your customer.
2. NEVER lower the price if an item isn’t selling. Instead you may need to look at ways to Add Value (make it more attractive to the customer). Alternately, you may need to assess the product: the price may not be the reason it isn’t selling. Does the product function in a way that fits your customer’s needs? Does the style speak to your current customer base while also attracting new customers?
3. BE CONSISTENT. Whether you sell your work out of your studio, at a market or in a gift shop or gallery, the price should be the same at all locations. This is a basic professional practice.
4. Provide a quality product! Whether it is a new product, or one you have been selling for years; make it well.

In the second part of this series on pricing, I will introduce you to the Cost Plus method for pricing for profit!  Stay tuned!

The Craft Factor - Marketing in Cyberspace

Vol 20, No 2 Summer/Fall 1995

In the mid 90s, Karen Schoonover addressed issues around artists using the Internet - still a very new thing in most households, workplaces and schools at the time - to market them self. The internet was - and still is - a low-cost option for artists to use for self promotion, and as an inherently visual medium, offered much potential to boost awareness about an artist and their work.

Excerpt from "Marketing in Cyberspace"

If you need to be reminded: What radio did was bring music into people's homes for free, giving them a sample of what the musician had to offer, and encouraging album sales. The hope was that artists could offer sample images of their work online, and this exposure would lead to sales.

Unlike the music industry however, sales in art and craft aren't charted via tools like Billboards Top 20 (which is based on hard figures from album sales). So the direct connection between online exposure and eventual sales can't be measured.

But if you consider how often a potential customer or gallery owner asks you if they can view images of your work online, then you can begin to understand just how close to the mark Karen was almost 20 years ago.

Read the complete article ...

Getting Things Done

Submitted by: Amanda Bosiak, Member Services

I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan: he's the creative genius behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog and more recently, The Avengers movie. He also works on comic books, writes musicals and oh yeah, he scripted the first Toy Story movie. Joss Whedon is one busy guy and has been for a very long time. One of the reasons I admire him is because he seems to get so much high quality stuff done! I am always in awe of that type of person; How? How do they do it?

Recently, Whedon was asked that very question in an article for Co.Create and he admitted that it isn't easy (and that he's burnt himself out a time or two). One of the things he found useful, both for time management and remaining relatively stress-free, was a book by David Allen called "Getting Things Done". Well, if it was good enough for Joss Whedon, I figured it was worth the read.

Confession: It took me over a month to get the book done. This isn't because it's a difficult read, nor is it particularly long. I just happen to have an incredible aptitude for procrastination. I definitely needed this book.

The Craft Factor - Winning and Losing

Vol 20, No 2 Summer/Fall 1995

Paula Gustafson tackled an issue artists of many mediums (not just craft) face over the course of their career: Am I an artist, or a producer? Does it have to be one or the other? Can I be both? Gustafson explores this issue with thoughtfulness and some very good examples of life on both sides of the craft (and art) career spectrum. Much of the article takes direction from the experiences of potter Robin Hopper, and glass artist Robert Held. Both agreed that to some extent, their experiences with production work led to a better understanding of their craft, and contributed to their skill building process.

So maybe it doesn't have to be one or the other, if the artist allows each aspect of their practice to enhance the other.

Read the full article

The Craft Factor - Better Booths

Vol 13, No 3 Fall 1988

Submitted in the Fall of 1988, the article "Better Booths" from set designer Michael Bantjes came at an oportune time, just before the Christmas craft show season. The article succinctly covers a variety of topics in respect to booth design and product display.

Read the full article

Craft artists face many challenges when selling at craft markets, not the least of which is that every venue is different - lighting, booth size, drape colour, market size and booth layout etc. Marketers need to be able to adjust to the pros and cons of each venue.

September 6th at the SCC building in Saskatoon, Susan Robertson will be leading a workshop on Booth Design. Susan will present a number of ideas about how to go about designing your booth for craft shows, some of the Do's and Dont's of booth display, and share some economical solutions for craft display! Friday September 6th 2-4pm at the SCC Boardroom, 3rd Floor 813 Broadway Ave
SCC Members $10
Non Members $15
Space is limited!
Attendees are encouraged to bring pictures of their own past displays/booths for feedback and advice on improvement.
DEADLINE to register AUGUST 26th email scc.memberservices@sasktel.net

To Wholesale or Not?

Submitted by: Susan Robertson, Ceramic Artist

People often ask me about the why/how I ended up focusing on wholesale. Early in my career I followed the traditional methods of flogging my wares, weekend after weekend at craft sales. At the time, my three children were very young and I arrived home after the ninth weekend in a row away from home, to find my kids clinging to their father's pant leg in fear, not knowing who I was. It broke my heart. I decided then and there to find another way to continue practicing my craft and selling my work that would not require me to travel so much.

I started looking at wholesale as a viable alternative. Firstly and most importantly, it would allow me to stay at home more. It also had the added benefit of decreased speculation. I didn't have to make dozens of items and hope they would sell. I just had to make samples and produce them if and when they were ordered. The down side was that I had to sell my work to stores at half of my normal selling price.

I was fortunate in my timing to be able to take part in a program, the name of which escapes me at the moment, which was designed to help new wholesalers attend the Alberta Gift Show, for a minimal cash investment. It also provided me with guidance on promotional material. It was a great success and my venture into wholesaling was launched.

Over the years I have acquired and lost agents, ventured into the US market, survived the downturn in the economy and now find myself no longer needing to do retail craft markets, for which I am eternally grateful. I'm getting too old to haul, pack and unpack pots. 

Looking back, it was the right choice for me. Looking forward, with the diminishing returns of today's craft sales, I believe that this may be a good choice for others. Crunch the numbers, you may be as surprised as

I was to discover that your wholesale net income, when you include all of the costs, is not so different from retail.

The views in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

Grant Writing Tips

... Or what the SCC staff wished they had known!

Submitted by: Vivian Orr, Communications & Publications Coordinator

SCC office personnel stepped up to the plate and with grim determination and their eyes fixed on potential money have researched, written and submitted six grant proposals in the last few months. Most of us have never written a grant proposal before. It was our desire to fund new projects, reach out to a larger community and create more opportunities for Saskatchewan fine craft artists that drove us on.

So far we have succeeded in getting a grant from the Creative Industries Transition Fund to establish a sales Boutique area (gallery gift shop) at Affinity Gallery. Needless to say competition for grant money is brutal so what follows is useful stuff to help all of us write better grants in the future.

Ontario Arts Council Grant Application Survival Guide (available online)

CARFAC Mentorship Program

Submitted by: Amanda Bosiak, Member Services

The CARFAC Saskatchewan Mentorship Program is the only program of its kind in Saskatchewan. Quite simply, the program partners experienced artists with new, emerging or mid-career artists. The goal of the program is to help build the skills and knowledge required for an artist to make art their full-time career. Post-secondary arts programs and art workshops, residencies and other educational opportunities for opportunities for artists tend to focus on the making of art, but not on the making of an artist.

The CARFAC Saskatchewan Mentorship Program at a glance

I won't go into a detailed description of the program, because CARFAC already does a very good job of explaining what it's all about. It is an excellent program, for both the mentors and mentees. Instead, I'd like to go over some things about the program that you may not know.

You can apply as an individual - either as a mentor or mentee - and CARFAC will do the matching for you. You CAN apply together as mentor/mentee and CARFAC will honour that match. Being "partnerless" is not an obstacle to applying.

• There is no application form - You submit a Letter of Application and the deadline for 2013 is JUNE 17 (a little over a week and a half from now!)
• You are matched based on the skills you can offer/want to learn rather than by medium. For example; you are a fibre artist and want to work on the conceptual approach to your work, and your art focuses on environmental sustainability, the best match for you may not be another fibre artist. Rather, you could be partnered with a photographer with a history of environmentally conscious body of work.
• You and your match meet before the program goes into full swing. If you feel for whatever reason that it isn't the right match, CARFAC will re-match you.
• The program is Mentee driven - meaning that the program is meant to meet the needs of the student. This also means that successful Mentee applicants are those that have a very clear idea of what they want to learn, and are demonstrably committed to a career in art.
• Travel money is available to both the Mentor and the Mentee for group and regional meetings, as well as meeting with each other if the matched pair live in different communities. This is available above and beyond the core funding to both the Mentor and Mentee.
• The program lasts for 10 months and requires a minimum of 7 hours a month for both the Mentor and Mentee to meet (primarily face to face, but also includes Skype or video conference, phone and email). In addition, there are 3 province wide group meetings with all Mentor/Mentee pairs. These include workshops and other professional building activities. Another 2 regional meetings (North Sask and South Sask) take place for things such as group critiques and studio visits.
• CARFAC follows up with the Mentees three years after their participation in the program to help keep track of both the program's success and the participants success!

Professional art practices and knowledge of how to become self-sustaining as an artist are not the kind of things taught in a classroom. The CARFAC Mentorship Program is one of the most comprehensive mentorship programs of its kind. (CARFAC Saskatchewan actually mentored with other mentorship programs across Canada during its development!) An incredible number of SCC members have participated in the program over the past 10 years, including June Jacobs, Ken Wilkinson, Cindy Obuck, Rowan Pantel, Anita Rocamora, Paul La Pointe and many others.

Have you participated in the CARFAC Saskatchewan Mentorship Program (or any mentorship program)? How did it help you?

Writing a Craft Business Plan

Submitted by: Vivian Orr, Communications & Publications Coordinator

“To be prepared is half the victory.”

Miguel De Cervantes

Let's face it - professional craftspeople are small business entrepreneurs. To make a living creating fine craft the products have to generate income. To do this efficiently, effectively and economically you need to be prepared – you need a business plan.

Don't let your eyes glaze over or start tensing your shoulders up to your ears. I do not advocate creating 3-inch thick business plans document (unless you are approaching a bank for a major financial investment/loan).

What I suggest is do the planning you need to run your craft business better. Planning is a powerful tool for driving your business. A road map that keeps you going in the right direction towards your goal but is flexible enough that you can explore opportunities that may appear along the way.

 "…plans are useless, but planning is indispensable"

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Questions to answer for yourself:

1) Who you are. Do you identify yourself as a ceramic artist, a blacksmith, a jeweller, a fibre artist? What do you do well, differently, better? What do you like to do? What do you want to do? What sets you apart from the crowd? Think about the other side of the coin: who you are not, what you do not do well, what you do not want to do.

2) Whom you reach. Who is your target market? Can you refine your target so you can answer: how is your target different from the rest? Again think about the flip side: whom do you not reach and why? Do not try to be all things for all people.

3) What you do for your target market. Put yourself in your clients' shoes and answer the age old customer question: what's in it for me? This question is not about you as the artist, crafts person, creator - it is all about the people who purchase your pieces with their hard earned dollars.

Now that you have given some thought to: what, why, how and who? You need to deal with: how much... How much capital do you need? What is your budget and cash flow? Learn the math involved in setting a price. Consider attending a SCC Pricing your Craft workshop.

Did this wet your appetite for business planning? Then explore some of these links:

Small Business Accelerator – Art, Craft andHandicrafts

Women Unlimited Worldwide – Running a CraftBusiness

StartUp Owl – The Craft Business

Canada Business Network – Business Planning FAQs

Tim Berry: author of "The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan"

Accepting Credit Cards at Craft Markets

Submitted by: Amanda Bosiak, Member Services

Do you accept credit cards at craft markets?

If not, I strongly recommend that you reconsider. The many benefits to you and most importantly, for your customer, far outweigh the few negatives. Those negatives are: 1) credit card fees 2) initial investment in hardware to accept payments.

So let’s put credit card fees in perspective. Say you have a $500 item for sale and you have a very interested buyer. This person doesn’t have $500 cash on them, they don’t carry cheques, but are willing to pay by credit which you don’t accept. You take their contact info and discuss getting in touch after the market. They thank you and move on ... and when you call them a week later they say, “Thanks for getting in touch with me but I found something else at the market and that person took credit. Sorry, I spent my money with them.”

If you accepted credit, you would have lost around 3% of the sale in credit card fees. But you don’t accept credit, so you lost the whole sale.

The other problem can be investment in hardware. The big news: unless you also want to accept debit cards, you don’t need to buy/lease a card machine from companies such as Moneris. However, if you already own a smart phone your start up cost is a whopping $0 as most credit card payment apps will provide you with the app and card reader for FREE.

If you don’t own a smart phone, it is worth looking into. You can phone, text, check email and do other business related tasks on a smart phone or tablet while you are on the road or at markets.

Worried about adding another thing to your already busy schedule? Never be afraid to learn something new every day. It will take much less time than you think.