Music Biz Basics -2
Music Biz Basics -2
Once you have decided what you want and have gotten clear about who you are and what you are selling you need to get organized. Wrap your brain around the business of music then set up a foundation for your ongoing business. Remember, this is business, your business, and you must treat it as one if you want to succeed.
Two things you will need from the beginning are business cards and a database or spread sheet. In order to set up your business cards you will need to establish your contact information. Get a phone number and an email address that are not likely to change for at least two to three years. All you need is a cell phone and a free Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail account. If you do not have your own internet domain or web site, you can set up a Myspace page or other social network page. You can set up a P.O. Box for your physical address, but this is not as important. Once you have solidified your contact information, print out some business cards. I suggest using basic business cardstock that you can print out at home until you know your information is permanent. All too often, when they are professionally designed and printed, half of the stock goes into the trash because an email address got changed. However you decide to create your cards, make sure to do it and ALWAYS have some with you.
As you pass out business cards you should also be collecting them. Take the contact information you gather and organize it into a “database”. Technically a database program or software can be very expensive and often difficult to use. Basically, you want to have all of your information organized in one place in your computer. I use Excel spreadsheets. For all intents and purposes I am using the term “database”. For my database, I input name, phone numbers, email addresses and URLs. Then I add where each person works, what they do, where I met them, if I was referred and by whom, the date, and any other notes pertinent to our conversation for follow up. One thing that helps me is to take notes on the back of their business card so I can refer to it later when I am inputting their information. Don’t forget to add all your online friends into the same database.
Leave a Comment