3 Systems Every Art Business Needs

Running an art business without clear systems and workflows can lead to inefficiency, burnout, and missed opportunities. Many artists find themselves caught in repetitive tasks, ad hoc customer interactions, and constant problem-solving. But with the right systems in place, you can streamline your operations, saving time and energy for what truly matters: creating art.

The Power of Systems in Art Business

Systems are more than just technological tools; they encompass a series of steps or processes that help you run your business smoothly. By implementing systems, you create a structured way of handling repetitive tasks, reducing human error, and freeing up your mental space. Systems can be as simple as checklists for creating, documenting, and selling your art, or they can involve software solutions for automation.

Without systems, it’s common to run into problems like inefficiency and burnout, procrastination and overwhelm, lack of focus and making mistakes

Key Systems Every Art Business Needs

Art Creation and Documentation

Managing your artwork doesn’t stop when the piece is finished, but involves multiple steps that can be streamlined into a clear system:

Photographing the Artwork: Consistently photograph your work in a controlled environment to ensure high-quality images for different sources.
Inventory and Archive: Create a system for logging the artwork’s details (title, size, medium, etc.) and add it to your website inventory or online portfolio; arrange to share with printers where applicable
Sharing and marketing: Post it to your social media channels, add it to your newsletter, or submit it to galleries.

Systems like these ensures consistency and prevents details from being missed.

Marketing and Sales Automation 

Automating your marketing and sales processes can help you stay organized and reach a wider audience. Areas to consider include:

Social Media Planners: Tools like Later or Planoly can batch schedule your content, freeing you from daily posting tasks.
Email Marketing: Automated email sequences through platforms like Mailerlite or ConvertKit allow you to nurture potential customers from the moment they sign up for your newsletter, guiding them toward a purchase.

These automated systems ensure that marketing tasks are handled even when you’re busy in the studio.

Order Fulfillment and Customer Service

A well-structured order fulfillment system ensures that you efficiently handle sales, pack artwork for shipping, and communicate with your customers.

Order Processing: Once a sale is made, the system should include steps for packaging, insurance, and shipping.
Customer Updates: Use automated tools like Square or Stripe for payments and to send shipping notifications to customers, enhancing their experience.

Developing and Integrating Systems

When developing systems for your business, start by identifying areas where tasks are repetitive or inefficient.

Map out your workflows, break down each aspect of your business, from creating art to shipping orders. Look for bottlenecks or unnecessary steps that can be streamlined.
Then, decide which parts of these processes can be automated or simplified. For example, social media content planning and automated payment processing can save you significant time.

To successfully integrate these systems, be sure to choose the right tools that fit your specific needs. Once you’ve chosen the tools, create detailed workflows and ensure everyone involved in your business understands how to use them, and introduce these processes into your daily business operations. You’ll quickly see the benefits of saving time, reduced errors, increased efficiency and higher customer satisfaction. Beyond this, as your business grows, you can scale easily – for instance automated email marketing means you can handle a larger audience with minimal additional effort.

Why Are Systems Important for Your Art Business?

Simply put, systems make your business run smoothly. Without them, you can find yourself bogged down by repetitive tasks, taking too long to complete processes, or feeling like you’re always behind. Systems give you more time and energy to focus on what matters most: creating art.

With clear systems in place, you’ll feel more organized and empowered to grow your business, knowing that the operational side of things is under control.

By implementing these key systems—art creation and documentation, marketing and sales automation, and order fulfillment—you can transform your art business. Start small, automate where possible, and integrate tools that work best for your unique needs. Once your systems are up and running, you’ll find yourself spending less time on admin tasks and more time on your creative practice.

 To gain a better insight into how automations can transform your art business, watch my free 1.5 hour workshop all about creating systems and passive income streams in your art business – based on proven methodolgy in my own and my students art businesses! Watch now here

Here’s what those who watched my free masterclass went on to achieve..

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“I went from $30 in a year to $9000 in one month! I never thought it was possible to earn that much in a month” Jay

“I made my course investment back within 4 weeks and had made it back five times over, just eight weeks after the programme!” Lynsay

“I would totally refer Amanda’s course to anyone wanting help setting up or growing their art business – she has been amazing! I went from zero sales to selling a painting for £5500!” Solly

“I sold out of 2 art retreats in LESS than 24hrs!” Debs