Running a business as an artist is a bit different than running a traditional business, but the core principles to building a solid foundation are exactly the same. Learning these principles will not only change your business but can change your life in ways you have been dreaming about.

It’s really not just about having all of your ducks in line, but having the RIGHT ducks in line for your specific business and phase of development.

There are three cornerstone sections (aka: DUCKS)  to make sure you have in place in order to give yourself a foundation that will enable you to achieve guaranteed results:

1. YOUR PHASE:

Identifying which phase of business development you are in.

This is a crucial first step to take, no matter where you are in your business life, as there five phases of development to a business. Most people mis-construe which one they are really in, which causes them to spend time and money in the wrong places. It also invariably stunts the growth of their business because the actions they are taking are holding them back instead of enabling them to move forward. The good news is that once you have this clearly identified, you can adjust your actions to fit into your correct phase to make big progress by spending less and making more  in shorter amounts of time.

2. YOUR ACTIONS:

Knowing what corresponding actions that stage requires you to take to move to the next level.

Each phase of business development has a corresponding set of actions that it needs in order for it to grow into the next phase. These sets of actions are the same no matter what industry you are in, and for artists is especially crucial in crafting your business while working on your art. Once you can see what needs to happen in order for you to see this progress take place, there is no holding you back from mapping out a plan that will bring you guaranteed results. And yes, I said guaranteed.

3. YOUR ORGANIZATION:

How to organize yourself around these actions.

Once you have this set of actions clear for yourself, it’s important to know how to create a system for yourself that fits the work you need to do with your lifestyle. This can be one of the most underestimated, yet most important pieces to consider, and there is a simple tool to help you to work this out, even if organization is not your strong point.

Having these three sections established for yourself will enable you to build your business with the flexibility you need to make it thrive, any way you want.

I’d like to know which areas of your business are giving you the most grief right now. Let me know what areas you find yourself struggling with most in your business as an artist by sharing in the comments below!