Artist File

Episodes

1. 10

   010 What are the cons of incorporating yourself as a business?

   Hey everybody, welcome back. Remember Joshua? Last episode, we explored the first part of his question: what are the pros of incorporating yourself as a business? (In case you missed that episode, I highly recommend going back and listening to it.) This time around, we’ll look at the flipside…

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   Mar 15, 2016

   10m
2. 9

   009 What are the pros of incorporating yourself as a business?

   Like it or not, all artists are businesses. From the moment we try to make a living from our art, we become entrepreneurs who must market ourselves, run operations and manage finances. So if we behave as businesses, shouldn’t we be businesses? Would literally incorporating ourselves help us…

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   Mar 1, 2016

   9m
3. 8

   008 Should I pursue any and all work opportunities?

   We feel the need to create, and we want to earn a living from our art – not to rely on survival jobs. And to accomplish that goal, we may choose to pursue multiple projects at once. But is it wise to accept everything that comes our way? Or should we be selective?

   Feb 15, 2016

   11m
4. 7

   007 What is the most effective way to book gigs?

   Exposure. Everyone wants it. Of course, it’s not easy to get – especially in the arts. There’re barriers to overcome, and it seems as if everybody’s trying to walk through the same door at once. So what do we do? How can we convince others to give us a platform to share our art with the world?

   Feb 6, 2016

   10m
5. 6

   006 When are agents and managers worth it?

   Ah, yes, the classic question: should I get an agent or manager? We all arrive at a point when we wonder if we could get better contracts or more work if somebody else represented us. But when should we do this? Too early, and we may needlessly fork over money to somebody else. Too late, and we…

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   Jan 20, 2016

   8m
6. 5

   005 How do I approach negotiations?

   We all want better contracts so that we can make more money and get better perks. Most of us don’t have agents or managers, though, so we have to negotiate for ourselves. Unfortunately, that makes most of us uncomfortable. We often lack experience doing it and rarely share tips with each other.…

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   Jan 5, 2016

   11m
7. 4

   004 What is the best way to demand a contract?

   Most of us don’t have agents or managers handling our contracts, so that responsibility falls on our shoulders. Obviously, we want to ensure that we’ll be treated fairly, and relying on the honor system can be risky. But nobody wants to be that person who’s difficult to work with, and we fear…

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   Dec 16, 2015

   9m
8. 3

   003 How should we document what we write off?

   As artists, we write off many things for taxes. Many things. And we have to record it all – which can be a major drain on our time. So what can we do to be as efficient as possible when documenting our write-offs?

   Dec 5, 2015

   10m
9. 2

   002 What is the most important thing to do when filing taxes?

   Many of us feel lost when filing taxes. The forms are complicated, and we hear contradictory advice from colleagues and friends. Add in the ebb and flow of life, and no wonder we become hopeless. So how can we gain more confidence? What one habit can help us get better at doing taxes?

   Nov 15, 2015

   6m
10. 1

    001 Should I pay quarterly taxes on my income?

    Many of us feel that we’re messing up taxes. Between W-2s from day jobs and 1099s from artistic work, managing all of that paperwork is complicated. We assume that the rules between these forms are different. But how? Most of us are unsure, and Lord knows that the last thing we want to do is to…

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    Nov 3, 2015

    9m