Home Make Art Your Business: Creative Focus

Make Art Your Business: Creative Focus

November 4, 2013

Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center

Join us for an exciting day packed with speakers, workshops, a pop-up art show and more!

This is not your typical conference; be ready to move, create, learn and make valuable connections with area artists and artisans.

Agenda

8:15-8:30 Arrivals for Pop-Up Art Show

8:15-9:00 Registration/Coffee & Tea/Meet & Greet

9:00-9:30 Welcome: Don Taylor, MC

9:30-10:20 P. Buckley Moss, internationally acclaimed artist

10:20-10:30 Break

10:30-11:30 Concurrent Sessions

Differentiate: What Makes You Unique?
Sherri Smith

Focus on Festivals/Shows/Galleries: How & Why You Should Get In
Piper Groves

To Pin or Not to Pin . . . There is No Question!
Jay Punyanitya

Turn Your Focus to Business
Betty Hoge

11:35-1:00 Lunch/Make Business Your Art project/Visit Pop-Up Art Show

1:00 - 2:00 Marc Willson, Portfolio of Lessons Learned

2:00-2:15 Break; Visit the Pop-Up Art Show and turn in your People's Choice ballots

2:15-3:15 Concurrent Sessions

Best Displays: Merchandising Tips
Marc Willson

Building Your Brand
Ron Kline & Lou Pugliese

Diversify Your Business Focus
Peg Sheridan

Make the Customer Your Art
Don Taylor

3:15 – 3:45 Wrap-up/Awards/Evaluations

Registration includes lunch and refreshments:
Early Bird Registration discount before October 11: $59
After October 11: $75
Call Blue Ridge Community College at (540) 453-2215 to register

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Patron of the Arts
Larkin Arts

Champion of the Arts
Shenandoah Valley Art Center

Friends of the Arts
Stony Run Quilting
Ragtime Fabrics

Door Prizes
Books & Co.
Cocoa Mill Chocolates
Stony Run Quilting
L’Italia Restaurant
Studio D Beads
GCR Tire
Old Hill Cider

Blog Posts

Dinah Mitchell, of Studio D Beads attended the 2012 Make Art Your Business Conference - click here to find out what she took away from this annual event.

Artists tend to be right-brained - but for the artist entrepreneur, it's important to use both sides of your brain.

I've always had a productive experience with the SBDC. They were there for me and my business every step of the way. From the beginning, when Campus Cookies was just a twinkle in my eye, to the present—I could always count on the SBDC for dependable, non-biased, practical business advice. The SBDC gave me the confidence I needed to believe in myself and my business model, allowing me to take the risks and handle the roller coaster ride of starting a business. Not only did the SBDC give me valuable knowledge, but they also helped to connect me within the local community and Shenandoah Valley, making the transition into a chain a lot less stressful. If there is one thing I've learned in business, it's the value of dependability, and the SBDC has always been there for me.

-Scott Davidson, Owner  | Campus Cookies-
This has to be the most under-utilized free service available to a business owner. Whether you are a start-up or have been in business for 50 years, the SBDC can help you!

-Richard Halterman, CPA | Murphy Business Brokers and Appraisels-
The SBDC was instrumental in making our transition to a new business smooth and successful. If you are starting a business, start with the SBDC. They are knowledgeable, experienced, and can guide you through the business planning process. They provide you with excellent professional resources and, through effective planning, give you the confidence to achieve your dream.

-Jay and Ann Walsh-Brown, Owners | Brown & Co. Hair Design-
The SBDC helped Immerge Technologies in its founding years from QuickBooks training to general business practices. As a group of young, talented JMU graduates, we struggled with how to bring our skills and services to market. The SV SBDC helped us with business plan development and helped us connect to the Valley community. They contributed much needed advise and helped us reach the success we enjoy today. Immerge Technologies celebrated its five-year anniversary on May 17, 2010, and shortly thereafter we sold the company to McClung Printing to become their Web Division. We are still based in Harrisonburg and still actively involved with the SV SBDC.

William Roy, prior Owner & now Web Accounts Manager
Immerge Technologies, a division of McClung

-William Roy-
What a great opportunity to say thank you for what the SBDC did for me. They made the process of opening Casual Friday easier, as they know how everything is done—from registering your business to marketing it after it is open. The SV SBDC is such a great free organization that helps throughout the process. I recommend a lot of people to them because of their success rate. I went from a 600 square foot to a 1200 square foot store, and then expanded again! Great mentoring.

-Crystal Fleming, Owner | Casual Friday Ladies Fashion Boutique-
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-Jonah Pence, Commercial Lender | Farmers and Merchants Bank-
I have the pleasure of working with entrepreneurs who have great ideas for new business ventures that they want to investigate and launch in the Shenandoah Valley. Often there is a piece of the puzzle in which the entrepreneur could use some assistance. Harrisonburg is fortunate to have the staff and resources of the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center available to work with area entrepreneurs. Business plan development, marketing, and accounting are just a few of the many subject areas that I know the SV SBDC offers, with great advice and expertise to clients I have referred their way.

-Brian B. Shull, Economic Development Director | City of Harrisonburg-
The SBDC is a great partner with the Chamber of Commerce, helping small businesses grow and succeed.

-Frank Tamberrino, President & CEO | Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce-
I am very thankful for the SV SBDC. I was starting a new business and had no idea of where to begin to get things set up correctly from the very beginning. The consultant knew everything that I needed to do and went over it step by step for my specific needs. This is a valuable service... My consultant had all of the answers to my questions and gave me the resources I needed to get started. She saved me a lot of time, trouble, and money trying to figure all of this out on my own. When I had a follow-up question and called the office. I was very impressed with the way the staff went out of their way to find the answer to my question.

-Linda Trainum, Owner | Autumn Olive Farms-