With the change to the new year, it’s time to look at the business and marketing plans and goals from last year. Time to take those goals and see how they may or may not have been met. Then to create goals for 2007.
I have taken a number of classes offered by the Central Alabama Women’s Business Center over the last several years. They helped to get my mind set on the fact that I could have and run my own business. The center and Edith Ingram have been a big help to me as I have made this trip into business. I had the opportunity to take the FastTrac New Venture class that helped me to evaluate the biz and start to work on a business plan. Other classes on marketing and advertising, money, and overviews on legal stuff have been helpful too.
My face and body art email lists, art classes, and conferences have been great, and they have added to my abilities this year. I plan to continue to take classes and attend conferences in 2007. I’ll be attending the Louisiana Living Arts Fantasy Festival March 15-18, 2007 and the Face and Body Art International Convention May 23-27, 2007. LAFFest and FABAIC are holding classes with fantastic instructors and I’m looking forward to learning more about painting from some of the masters, Mark Reid, Jackie Green, Pam Trent, Christopher Agostino, Natalie Simard, and so many more. Cory Conrad is teaching airbrushing class(es) at LAFFest and I’m going to make a concerted effort to add that to my repetoire to have an additional marketable skill for the product mix.
Henna was a profitable addition to the business last year. It helped with festivals, and there were times when henna appointments were the only thing between any money coming in for a month, or nothing. There are some really cool things you can do with henna and temporary tatto inks, or glitter tattoos!
I need to become more aggressive about marketing glitter tattoos to the Birmingham area. Most folks have no idea what a glitter tattoo is, or what it looks like. A glitter tattoo is a temporary tattoo made with medical adhesive and cosmetic glitters. It lasts for several days, but is easily removable with rubbing alcohol or with some scrubbing and warm/hot water and soap. Its fun glitz!