Wasted Opportunities #2: Music Tribute Night and Artwork Not Sold

Occasionally I’ll write up anecdotes where money making ideas were not followed through or fell by the wayside because of procrastination.

It serves as my own reminder and as a lesson for the future.

Dear Diary...

My core skills are art and design. I’ve devised a method for producing hand painted canvases based on printed templates using carbon copy techniques. I approached a few music shops with samples and was referred to a local club owner (it may interest you to know he was one of two drummers in the British band Showaddywaddy) who I intended to contact with a proposal to produce canvases related to the tribute bands playing. Sack Sabbath, Thin Lizzy UK and White Snake UK were booked for the following month and painted canvas art of Ozzy Osbourne etc would have been ideal. No licencing would be needed because the sales would take place on private property. My costs would be art materials plus commissions paid to the owner.

Raise Capital for the Big Business Idea

Funding a business venture can be complicated and time consuming if you don’t know where to begin. Over the years I have created various small income streams from virtually nothing (and minimal investment) but which one day may warrant a loan or cash injection to take things to a new level.

Bootstrapping and self finance is something most people are familiar with during the embryonic stage of a cash generating idea.

The initial testing ought to be about setting up efficient operations rather than growing an error-ridden company too fast only to see hidden problems multiplied. The best ventures start small and develop a growth strategy. Do this and you’ll know what you need money for.

Manufacture Low Cost Original Canvas Art

Each of these paintings took approx five hours to complete


I’ve written briefly about art sales in the past and more recently targeting niche subject matter. Now I’d like to present ideas for further artistic potential by at what I term “catch all” subject matter. This is the kind of art with mass appeal without the stupid price tags. I’m talking about painting life-like impressionistic depictions of famous personalities in a matter of hours using computer imagery and pencil tracing techniques.




If we look to Andy Warhol and his New York “Factory”, where art became commercialised on a large scale, it reminds us how cheaply made art can sell well.  In the 1960's affordable images of famous faces for the living room permeated a period in which pop culture loomed large. That is what I have imitated in 2012, only what I am selling has the hand painted unique selling point. It’s less sterile than a print. The canvas element automatically means it can be priced to a greater or perceived value.

What I have done and how you can do it too

The first steps to making your own “film noir” style art is to find high resolution imagery of a popular person from music, life, culture etc, and go about manipulating the picture using PhotoShop. The reason I decided to produce art in the mentioned style is because PhotoShop has some fantastic filters capable of instantly simplifying an image into a perpendicular representation. It’s the same effect spray artists use when preparing to create stencils. In this example, I am focusing on actual acrylic paints for a more distinctive USP.

Brief overview

Using Photoshop filters the image will be simplified. You will be reproducing these digital effects in acrylic paint on your canvas, so for this example let us assume you want to make an A2 (594 x 420 mm) sized canvas. The large A2 image is going to be divided into four A4 (210 x 297mm) quarters and printed out on a standard laser/inkjet.

Transferring the image from the paper print outs to your canvas utilises a primitive but effective carbon transfer method. You know those little pads that duplicate a written note, like in an invoice booklet? It’s the same as that. Lots of pencil scribble goes on the back of each A4 sheet, and a hard tipped pen on the other side will press down and trace the outline to draw the image on to the canvas surface.

Create what you anticipate will be popular. I've created these templates in response to interest expressed by people I know. Use Facebook to see what your friend are listening to on Spotify for inspiration.

• Essentially, this method of reproduction is cheating at art. But so is photography, so is screenprint and so is Tracy Emin with her unmade bed valued at £ millions! 

• I haven't used the same example painting all the way through. Different images are used to give a broader view of what I've been up to and what my plans are.

1. Choose your canvas dimensions

I order my canvases online and get them delivered by FedEx.

Decide what sized canvas to work on. Too big and you might have difficulty selling a finished piece. Too small and you won't be able to charge as much. My standard working canvas dimensions are 20 x 16" (500x400mm) and sell for at least £45. In the right circumstances I could easily get £70 - I am searching for that time and place.

Beware of discounted canvases. There is a difference between "low price" and "cheap".

2. Find a high resolution image

All my paintings begin their life as a good photo sourced from the internet. Go for high res images.

3. Manipulate the image

The purpose of applying a manipulation filter to the photo is to remove detail and create the light/shadow effect. I use "dry brush" or "cut out" within the Artistic Photoshop filters. You may wish to experiment.

You want just the right amount of detail. Too much detail will be difficult to paint. Not enough detail will make the end result look lazy.

4. Create new Photoshop file and paste in image

The below Photoshop canvas measures 500mm x 400mm and is ideal for the standard physical canvases I work on. I simply paste my image into this newly created file and resize it using Free Transform.

5. Divide the image into sections

Divide the dimensions of the Photoshop canvas by two to find the halfway points, and then create guides. It splits the overall image into four quarters. This is important if you only have a standard A4 printer as I do. I can print each section individually and cut away the excess borders, joining each quarter image with transparent sticky tape.

Using the Photoshop eraser tool I cut away much of the dark background. Why waste ink?

• Each image quarter must be copied into a new A4 document. I start a new Group and insert each of the four quarters into the respective Group.

• I always add a pale background behind each quarter section. Once printed off you need to see where to cut with the knife and ruler.

Always add a background colour to find the edges of the image. Once printed off you know where to cut.

6. Print each image section

Choose an average printer setting. The quality does not need to be fantastic. Printing costs should be factored into your turnover. Be careful not to add resizing options during the preview stage.

• Go into the advanced printer settings and increase image brightness. This saves ink. There is no need for a perfect printed image.

7. Apply pencil on reverse side of each section 

Use a window, your TV or computer monitor as a lightbox for scribbling on the back of the image. I never go higher than HB pencils because the carbon is too hard. It's important for the pencil to transfer easily onto the canvas when you trace the outline of the final image. You will be using a ball point pen or hard pencil at this later stage so bear it in mind.





Ensure you cover every outline of the image with pencil. You must not miss any important details when tracing out the final image. This sometimes still happens to me and I have to embellish the missing piece. Take your time and take care.

8. Trim and join each image

A self healing cutting mat is an investment. All your cutting should be done on one of these mats as it stops your blades from becoming blunt. If you do not have one yet, use the cardboard on the back of a sketchbook Get the cutting mat though - they are inexpensive and may be used as a mouse mat too(!)

• A good sharp knife is a prerequisite for this type of work. Have plenty of blades in reserve.

As you can see I have prepared more than one of the same image.  I also use sticky tape on both sides of the image for extra security. The last thing we want is for the image to fall apart. A ballpoint pen can also draw over the top of sellotape when you trace the outline. This simple carbon copy technique is very effective.

Do not simply cover the entire reverse side of the image in carbon as it could rub off on the clean canvas and make a mess. It makes your pencils last longer too.

9. Check and/or prime the canvas

Ensure the canvas sites flush against the wall. If there are large gaps between the canvas or it comes away from the wall, do not use it. We do not build great houses on bad foundations. Do not waste your time.




When ever I discover a bad canvas, I mark it "defective". Thankfully it is rare to get defective products and much depends on how much you pay for them. Never confuse cheap products with low priced products.

Canvases are particularly susceptible to wildly fluctuating temperature. For example, hanging a canvas over or near a radiator causes the wood to warp and bend.

Try to buy your canvases from specialist suppliers who are aware of the behaviour or wooden frame art canvases. My supplier very kindly offered to replace a couple of defective products.








Here is an example of a canvas sitting flat against the wall. This is how it should look.

10. Fasten image to the canvas

We're almost there! This stage is where you fasten the paper template image to the canvas. Masking tape does the job nicely and make sure it is high tack. Use your thumbnail to really press down the tape into the grain of the canvas. Over time you'll understand these minor nuances and forgo any hiccups along the way.

Sometimes I remove the corners of the paper template so the image can be fastened down with the tape.

11. Trace all contours with pen or pencil

Use a ballpoint pen to trace the lines of the image. If you want to check that the carbon copy is working, lift up the corners of the paper and check.

It's possible to use the same templates repeatedly too. Use red, blue and back biro respectively. Why? Because red is the lightest colour and black is the darkest. You can go over the same lines three times rather than the first and last time with the black pen.

12. Remove large image, touch up line on canvas

• Multi layers

If painting more than one colour, you will have to keep removing the image, paint a layer in, allow to dry and then repeat. Usually you would start with the lighter colours and build it up. It is something I am experimenting with and definitely the kind of work I can charge much more for.

Registration marks are the key for using any type of overlaying effect. You will be able to remove and reposition the image multiple times and continue tracing the outlines onto the canvas.

I started with the grey colour first

 

The lips were the final part

13. Carefully paint canvas and allow to dry

Fill in the canvas carefully with paint. I often work on an image for a while, then put it to one side to dry while working on another. The last thing you want to do is smudge wet paint or put your elbow in an area not yet dry. You need to have patience with these things. One false move and the entire product is ruined. Believe me, it still happens now and it is very frustrating.

14. Use eraser to remove any pencil lines

Use a gentle circular motion to remove excessive pencil lines. If you used a soft pencil (2B, B) it will be easier. Sometimes it is not necessary to remove lines because the paint completely covers it.

Blow away the "rubber crumbs" (lol) and use a dry clean brush to clean up - like an archeologist with dinosaur bones.





If you painted the canvas with a primer coat of paint, be extra careful. You do not want to rub away or smudge the paint.

In the example to left, you can clearly see the grain of the canvas meaning there is little risk of smudging or smearing the base coat. Still, be gentle and take your time.

15. Finished!

Each painting is almost identical. 
The fact they are hand-painted give a human touch.

It took a while but we got there! It is a lot of work to make these paintings, but how much longer would it take if you produced them free hand? That's what your customers will believe you did which is why you can charge more.

Whichever images prove most popular can be recreated over and over. Although it's a low priced method of production, time and care must be given to each painting.

Remember - price to value, always.

Tips

• Use good solid canvases.
• Invest in good quality paint - the cheap stuff is nasty and diluted.
• Get large brushes for filling in big spaces. Tiny brush strokes look tacky and amateurish.
• Use Facebook for research on what music your friends like - Spotify auto publishes playlists.
• Get a website and Facebook page running.
• Consider offering referral fees - you want people working for you so you can minimise advertising.
• If you can afford it, think about giving away the odd painting as a birthday or Christmas gift - good news travels fast.
• Keep a time sheet so you know how long each painting takes. Work out an hourly wage and add some profit on top to find a good price 
• These things make good Christmas presents because they're novel. 
• Everyone likes art and music to some degree and a well executed image can fetch a high price. 
• It's not pretty pictures you will be selling - it's memories, experiences, people's self image and tastes.

A Beginner's Guide to Insurance

When it comes to insurance, it’s important to know what’s what. With over half of the UK owning a smartphone, it’s clear that we value an expensive possession, and so it’s essential to know that our contents can be protected in case the unfortunate occurs. 

Of course, as the saying goes, prevention is better than the cure. Nevertheless, insurance exists to compensate us in the case of theft, loss or damage, at a manageable monthly rate to avoid forking out on large replacement fees.

As The Telegraph reported in 2011, according to studies nearly seven million British households are underinsured – totalling £200bn worth of at-risk home contents. Whether you’re a student moving into halls of residence (with costly items such as laptops, speakers and iPods), about to buy a new car or making preparations for loved ones, there are various types of insurance offered by companies for you to take out. The varying types are often associated with a particular kind of risk, be it definite or dependent on other factors.

Childhood Business Ventures: What Was Yours?

Autobiographical and anecdotal accounts of successful business people in their early days often suggest they had a keen eye for opportunities as youngsters. 

Alan Sugar and Richard Branson are two such examples where wheeling and dealing to earn pocket money was normal. I often wonder to what extent childhood schemes affect the extraordinary success they went on to achieve.

I had an interest in money making when I was about 11 or 12, (selling toys outside my house after spotting a kid in my neighbourhood doing just that) and when my family moved house, I immediately set about flogging unwanted possessions to raise money for computer games. The venture did not last because I ran out of stock and all the other children on the street copied! This was my first taste of niche market saturation and competition! Good way to make friends though.

5 Ways to Finance Importing Goods

If you intend to import goods from outside the EU to the UK you may be thinking of ways to raise capital finance from a third party.

Imports are subject to duty, VAT, freight fare and the price of obtaining an import licence (if required). Naturally, the economy of scale lowers cost per unit and you may already have established a supply chain in which you are a vital link. But where will you get the money to get your venture off the ground?

Are You Serious about Self Employment?

According to StartUpTracker the last couple of months have seen the most business start ups in the UK on record. What about the wind-downs and unsuccessful ventures? How many actually get past the first couple of hurdles and survive a good few years? Are people simply being whipped into frenzy only for their enthusiasm to fizzle out?

Having been made redundant like so many others in these tough times, buttering my own bread is the ultimate middle finger to the banks and governments who (arguably) facilitated this. As an employee I worked hard and was disappointed but not surprised to find myself having the “it’s not you it’s the economy” conversation one dreary morning. For the duration with the company I had been using my evenings and spare time to eye up business ideas and conduct research, learn the ropes, build the basics and investigate financial implications/risks. The plan was (and still is) about diversification for some degree of security. This is standard for most people.

However, the problem with the phrase "going self employed" is that self proclaimed experts or journalists are telling a naive/desperate readership anyone can do it. With so many people joining the “you can do it” chorus, the notion of building your own venture has become an easy to swallow pill. "You could always try self employment. All you need is an idea" say the media with careless abandon. These sound bites are missing the all important premise of hard work.

Changes to business: Decline in VAT registered enterprises

Some of the stats are interesting. Since entering recession VAT paying organisations have declined. What the figures do not show is how many of these were start-ups that immediately or soon thereafter ceased. Of course not all new businesses register for VAT until they hit the required threshold of £73,000 turnover a year, but many register immediately not realising they are artificially inflating their prices for no good reason. Some businesses purposely register prematurely to portray a successful image of their company. In a recession. increasing prices unnecessarily by 20% means you may struggle to be competitive in your sector.

UK businesses presently face a funding issue with banks not lending and confidence generally low. This can account for VAT de-registrations (or not registering at all) because growth is stagnated through no fault of those running the business. Some entrepreneurs are outstanding in their industry but may not be able to secure the finance to penetrate their market and trade significantly. Crowd funding and private investors can separate the wheat from the chaff, but when government sponsored funding pools become available it’s all too easy to throw good money at bad businesses for the sake of hitting targets.

“There were 2.08 million enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE in March 2011, compared with 2.10 million in March 2010, a fall of nearly 20,000 (0.9 per cent).

Between March 2010 and March 2011 there was a reduction in the number of sole proprietors and partnerships, while corporate businesses increased by 0.6 per cent.”

Source: Office for National Statistics: UK Business: Activity, Size and Location, Oct 2011

Company liquidations peaked 2009, on the rise again?

Statistics on quarterly insolvencies for the UK are published for the period from Q1 2002 up to Q1 2012 and include headline figures for England and Wales covering personal insolvencies, made up of bankruptcies, individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) and debt relief orders (DROs), and company liquidations, consisting of compulsory liquidations and creditors voluntary liquidations (CVLs) .

I’ve included details of each quarter from 2007 – 2012. The report was published in the first quarter of 2012.

Source: The Insolvency Service: Company liquidations in England & Wales

In 2009 liquidations peaked at 5,110 and dropped off over the next couple of years but since the end of 2010 up until the first quarter of 2012 there has been a slight increase in liquidations. This is likely because the UK sharply entered recession again in 2011.

So to summarise what these figures suggest: VAT (and government revenue) is in steady decline, liquidations (people who struggle to pay debt) is on the rise once more, but business start ups are off the chart. What are these new start ups doing then? Are they trading and making a turnover? Is it a half baked desire or half hearted effort from ex-employees who cannot adjust to a new work culture? I know how tough it is but I am under no illusions. I have seen businesses come and go in my town and know how easy it is to become a casualty.

Example: The NHS could publish figures showing how many people stopped smoking in a certain period, but would the same report account for relapses? This is what bothers me when the government and their sponsors bang the drum for new business but say little about the reality and survival rate.

Number of UK VAT and/or PAYE based Enterprises
	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
No. of enterprises	2,099,095	2,161,555	2,152,400	2,100,370	2,080,860
Annual % change		3.0%	-0.4%	-2.4%	-0.9%
Source: Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR), Office for National Statistics

Start-up Vs Wind-down

The data below shows, between 2001 and 2010, overall, there were more active businesses. But look at the columns “Births” and "Deaths". Up to and including 2008, business deaths were fewer than births. 2009 and onwards saw more failed business compared to start-up businesses. It’s my suspicion that this dramatic increase accounts for some of the have-a-go-heroes of the business world who found themselves in over their head. I also believe a lot of well run and previously successful ventures probably failed simply because of the economy and it was due to bad luck. But as I mentioned earlier, I cannot stop thinking about the naive phrase "anyone can do it." Clearly not everyone can.

One thing worth mentioning is that people DO lose interest in their own established business. My ex boss was heading for retirement age and it was apparent to most of my co-workers that our little rowing boat of a company was in fact a sinking ship with no captain. We were not getting orders, we were doing no web marketing or promotion, and the SEO was so bad we ranked on page 10 on Google. The competitors had us over a barrel. With the economy breathing down our collective necks it was not surprising to see a round of redundancies.

If you’re starting up, and are facing all the above challenges without even having made a profit, can you honestly say your full attention is on the task at hand, or will you sideline your responsibilities and give it all up? Because that’s exactly what it is for a large proportion of people: pipedreams and pea cocking. They overlook the hard work and sacrifice involved, paying more attention to inspirational autobiographical accounts of their business heroes.You may indeed have to work a job part time and be prepared to do a bit of unglamorous plate spinning to get things moving. Don't sulk when something gets broken.

Source: Office for National Statistics: Business births and deaths by broad industry group

According to the following data less than half of the businesses started in 2005 survived 5 years. Between 2006 and 2009 there has been a slow decline in businesses surviving one year, although at least 90% have stuck out year 1. I’m interested to know what 2010 to the present will look like for survival rates.

.

Will you put the work in? 

The data and statistics seem to indicate unfavourable trends for budding entrepreneurs although Vince Cable’s recently pledged £10 billion business support fund is (sort of) encouraging. It is prudent to remember capital investment can never take the place of hard work and effective operations. Indeed, a person who can creatively bootstrap a business is more able to maximise the use of a cash injection. They appreciate the value of money whereas a cavalier daydreamer will run up silly debts.

I have friends in my personal Facebook network broadcasting their need for money and a desire to come up with “a great business idea, like Mark Zuckerberg!” Inevitably the follow up status update tells a different story. Someone I know regularly loses money in the casinos, orders takeaway food most weeks, drinks heavily and buys expensive gadgets. He overspends and has the tenacity to complain about it having adopted a victim mentality. This person is also making terrible business decisions in his “venture” which I believe has now ceased. To him, the roulette wheel is more tempting for making money because it is "fun" and there is no work involved.

This behaviour is indicative of one who would take shortcuts to success. I don’t want those people flirting with notions of self employment because I don’t want them getting hurt and taking others with them. They shouldn’t be allowed near a business if their own emotions and finances are out of control.

Devil's advocate

I do not mean to discourage anyone from pursuing success. I am certainly not a perfect person nor do I try to be. I am interested in self improvement and learning. What I cannot STAND is self deluded bravado or arrogance from the sorts of people more interested in appearances.

Do you really want to be self-employed or a small business owner? What is your attitude like? How will you cope with failure and rejection? Can you admit and learn from mistakes? Will you remain humble whether you win or lose in the game of life? What about patience and hard work? Whatever you do, do not set yourself up for disaster. Avoid becoming one of those chest beaters whose failure we repeatedly witness on TV business programmes. They are poor examples and are there only to entertain.

The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.
― Robert Hughes, art critic

What are your thoughts? Am I being too harsh or discouraging to those who say they want to run a business but lack the passion? In some circumstances a half hearted attitude towards these important decisions might be a precursor to disaster but rash actions can just as easily bear the same consequences. I'd love to hear your views

Useful links

Start Up Britain: Start Up Tracker
Office for National Statistics: Changes to business
 Office for National Statistics: UK Business: Activity, Size and Location, Oct 2011
The Insolvency Service: Company liquidations in England & Wales
Office for National Statistics: Business births and deaths by broad industry group
Office for National Statistics: UK Business Demography 2010
Business Link: Information & Support