A couple of weeks ago I got a call from a neighbor (Tamara) who had seen my ArtBizCoach.com bumper sticker on the back of my car. She is seven months pregnant and was having a hard time finding an artist to help her put the finishing touches on the walls of her baby room. She wanted "butterflies and ladybugs and maybe a few clouds." They would complement the same butterflies and ladybugs she had on a mobile and a receiving blanket. In other words, she already had the pictures. The walls had been painted and were ready to go.

Within a few days, I had given her seven leads (which I had been able to do through my Colorado artists newsletter) and she had selected an artist. Judith Cole had many images on her Web site, which made it very easy for Tamara to review the work at her leisure and fall in love with it. The work was done in one day and Tamara can get back to more important things--like having a baby.

With all of the artists out there, why was it so hard to find someone to help her?

Apparently, Tamara had started her quest with a couple of recommendations from other neighbors who had done similar projects. I'll try to recount the scenario to the best of my recollection, and I will preface this with the fact that Tamara is professional in every way (she runs an executive search business!). She communicates well and I've n.ever had a hard time understanding what she wants or needs.

The first artist lived on the other side of the metro area, but offered to drive up and talk to Tamara about what she wanted. Once she was there, she kept talking about how difficult it was going to be for her to get up h.ere to paint. It's about a 45-minute commute and she had to get the kids off in the morning, then she had to be back by 2:00, yada yada yada. Moreover, she asked Tamara to do a great deal of work (project the images onto the wall, trace them, then take them to Kinko's and e.nlarge them)! Tamara's thinking to herself, "I'm not an artist, but, really, how hard is it to draw a butterfly?" She was also "uncharmed" by the artist's seeming disinterest in commuting for the mural.

When Tamara later called her back to tell her she had found someone else to do the work, the artist seemed shocked and was upset she wasn't given a chance to change her approach.

The second artist met with her and quoted a price that was 80% higher and would take half the time as the project she completed in a home nearby. When asked about the disparity, the artist replied that she "didn't really need the work."

Nonetheless, Tamara was getting desperate and decided to go ahead and hire her. She called and e-mailed her for ten days, but the artist never responded.

KNOW THIS----------~> People talk. Mothers-to-be-looking-for-mural-painters is a niche market. Don't think your name won't get around!

THINK ABOUT THIS---~> It's a small world. Communication travels at warp speed.

DO THIS------------~> Lessons to be learned:

1) Get a bumper sticker for your art. People read bumper stickers! I had mine made in less than a week at http://www.makestickers.com

2) Make sure you have a Web site and that you update it. If you're looking for commissions, this is the easiest way for most people to review your work.

3) If you can't fit in a job or commission, don't waste the time of the patron.

4) Make it easy on your patron. If you ask them to do half the work, why would they need to hire you in the first place?

5) Communicate openly and professionally. Return your calls and emails, even if it's to say, "no, thank you." It's the only way to build a business and get good referrals.

Portfolio reviews and website critiques are also available.

EBSQ is pleased to publish Alyson's work as a regular feature to the EBSQ Zine.