Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 18, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 27 40 T H I NG S I know about . . . ... Arts & business By Juliet Feibel To celebrate the nonprofit's 40th anniversary, Arts Worcester Executive Director Juliet Feibel will write four business advice columns related to the arts community throughout the year. Ways artists are great entrepreneurs When one painting bears a price of $5,000 but a similar one only commands $500, chances are the more expensive artist absorbed lessons from the world of business. 40) There is no such thing as a solitary genius. Artists network all the time. Renowned Worcester artist Howard Johnson shows up to everything. 39) Smart artists know their market. StART on the Street and Paradise City Arts Festivals attract very different audiences, with different interests and pocketbooks. 38) Artists need a brand. Madge Evers's mush- room spore prints are at the nexus of printmaking, antique photography, and environmental studies. The sleekness and environmental consciousness of her minimalist style are carried through her website, social media feeds, and artist statements. 37) Pricing is its own art form. Artists have to figure in their material expenses, their time, and look at similar artworks. 36) Management is key. Keeping records of art sales and expenses, staying on top of grant and submission deadlines, and responding to emails and phone calls makes all the difference. 35) Elevator pitches matter. Carrie Crane, who produces intellectually complex, abstract artwork, can explain in the simplest of terms how it engages with ideas of science, measurements and truthi- ness to any audience, in less than three sentences. 34) A command of bureaucracy can be better than brilliance. Massachusetts' fine art laws benefit everyone, but not every artist knows those laws exist, much less what they cover. 33) Embrace rejection. If 99 percent of an entre- preneur's attempts to raise money fail, the artist's percentage is even higher. Thousands of people will walk by an artwork before one even considers buying it. 32) Ask for feedback, and use it. Teresa Lamac- chia started exhibiting work in our group members exhibitions. When her proposal for a solo was de- clined, she asked for the committee's responses. The next proposal she made was approved – and funded. 31) Stay optimistic. ArtsWorcester's sales reve- nue has increased steadily since 2014, as people increasingly appreciate one-of-a-kind artworks. For the next feature in Feibel's series about the future of the Worcester creative economy, check out the June 24 issue of WBJ. K N O W H O W Pulling back the curtain of your business 10 1: E M P L O Y E E F E E D B A C K M uch like the theater, your business is com- prised of both a front stage and a backstage. e front stage of your business is everything your clients or customers see and experience. e backstage, while not as obvious at first, is comprised of the people, systems and technologies keeping your business consistently delivering the front stage results for your customers. While the performance of a show occurs in full display on the front stage, the backstage is where much of the hard work and preparation is done, in support of the front-stage performers delivering the ultimate experience for the audience. e front-stage performance is certainly critical, as presenting a compelling, unique and valuable experience is what sells tickets and fills the seats. While a tight front stage initially attracts the customers, having an exceptional backstage to ensure results are consistently delivered is what will keep them coming back and telling their friends. Are you taking the time to pull back the curtain periodically and evaluate the backstage of your business to make sure it's properly supporting your front stage operations? To start this process, you should engage your team in an audit of your front stage by asking them to take on the role of a prospective customer or vendor. What impression does your company's website make? Does it nav- igate smoothly to convey the message and information intended? From there, assess the entrance and parking to your business with a fresh perspective, and imagine the experience of coming into your business for the first time. How are customers greeted when they call in or walk into your space? Does it create an impression that you are proud of? Every detail from how your team members dress and greet clients, to the cleanliness of your bathrooms and the quality of your marketing materials, make a state- ment about your attention to detail and how you conduct business. Make sure they reflect positively. Discuss with your team what is already working especially well, then brainstorm ideas on what aspects might be improved, or where there might be a disconnect between the experience you wish to create and the vibe that currently exists. Next, evaluate your backstage operations by evaluating the people, systems and technologies in place to deliver your goods or service to your customers. It's crucial for a growing business to periodically reassess these items over time, as what is best will naturally evolve, and prior processes may no longer be useful. Is there an opportunity to utilize technology better to systematize and more effectively execute a particular task? Are the cur- rent people you have in the right roles best utilizing their unique talents and strengths? Could it be time to invest in more human capital? It is important backstage staff understand how their contributions are making an impact on the clients your business serves, even if they don't typically have direct custom- er interaction. As the leader of your business, it is critical you carve out the neces- sary time to work on the business (as opposed to working in the business) so you may consistently identify process enhancements to keep your machine well-oiled. When the front stage and backstage of your business are in alignment and working together in a unified, mission-driven focus, incred- ible things are possible. Your business should not only become more profit- able, but also a lot more fun! BY RYAN KITTREDGE Special to the Worcester Business Journal BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal W e're all busy, so putting one's head down and plowing through various tasks of the day is an easy habit to fall into. But experts say managers need to solicit reg- ular feedback from employees. Building trust and morale; improving productiv- ity and retention; and getting the ability to act on complaints before they worsen are some of the many benefits. Not getting complaints? Don't assume that is a good thing. Employees should feel comfortable pushing back and objecting occasionally, writes Ron Carucci of Harvard Business Review. "If you don't have people routinely offering dissenting ideas, or raising concerns about actions you are contemplating or have taken, you should worry," he writes. Carucci likes the practice of an executive he knows who routinely asks co-work- ers, especially aer particularly difficult issues are discussed in a meeting, "How do you feel that went, and what could I have done differently?" Don't make it a one-and-done exer- cise. Gathering regular feedback from employees on the work experience – in different phases of their tenure, not just when they are leaving – is important. "Some [companies] have committed to listening to employees as oen as once a month. Amazon solicits feedback from its employees every day in service of improving workplace culture," writes Jim Barnett at Management-Issues.com. He warns against disconnected and quickly outdated annual surveys, suggesting regular engagement surveys, exit and onboarding feedback, and manager and team effectiveness surveys. Ask the right questions, such as, "If you were in my shoes, what would you change tomorrow? What are you hearing clients … say about our business? How can I help you be more successful?" Where an open-door policy is great, these open-ended questions will yield more honest, actionable feedback, than yes or no questions will, says Andre Lavoie at Entrepreneur.com. Ryan Kittredge is a partner and financial planner with Carr Financial Group in Worcester. He can be reached at ryan@ carrfinancial.net. W W W

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