Business Marketing for Creative Entrepreneurs with Jean Skipper

With a fifteen year career in banking and financial services, fourteen years as a full time working Artist, six years as a gallery owner, and five years as the owner and host of ReMe Retreats; my background gives me a unique perspective on the business side of art, retail, and marketing.  In  many ways I'm self-taught by years of trial-and-error, and I've also benefited by the generous nature of others along the way.  I've learned from my mistakes...and I make them frequently and with abandon!  I love sharing my experiences with others, and I'm passionate about helping them reach their full potential as artists and as business people.

This casual *helping* through the years has evolved into a more formalized method of delivering my unique brand of assistance.  Officially titled as "Marketing for Creative Entrepreneurs with Jean Skipper", a few of the ways in which you can participate in this process follow.

Art Marketing Sessions at ARTworks Vass

Several times each month we gather in a group setting to discuss creatively marketing our businesses.  Participants in these groups act as a sounding board for each other as we discuss our progress, challenges, and successes.  We serve as each other's Board of Directors, and the most amazing things happen when we connect and harness the combined power, knowledge, and experience in the room.  Each week's meeting also includes a goal setting component and a relevant marketing lesson, based on the current needs of participants.

You can live the life that you're imagining!

We meet from 3:00 until 5:00 on Tuesdays.  Cost to join us is $20 per week, and I request that folks plan to attend regularly... be it weekly, every two weeks, or monthly.  Please visit the ARTworks Vass Website to view our current schedule and reserve your space. 

If you're a professional artist, a small business owner, or if you're longing to be one, the other or both...  Marketing needs to become a part of your daily routine.  There's no easy fix.  It's a process, and the goal of our weekly meetings is for each of us to develop a regular marketing practice.  

Guests with all levels of experience and interest are welcome to join our group.  

You may register for these sessions online here, or if you have questions about participation, please email me at jeanskipper@jeanskipper.com or call me at 910-528-1109.

Seminars and Group Work Sessions

By special engagement, I'm available to travel to your location to work with your group.  Past sessions have been conducted with community groups (Small Business Owners ARE Creative Entrepreneurs, and many of the practices that we discuss with artists apply to them too.), arts organizations, and educational institutions.

The possibilities are endless.

During our time together, the format of my presentations is extremely interactive.  No lectures here!  I enjoy working in small group sessions so that each participant's individual needs are sure to be addressed.  These small group sessions also lay the groundwork for an ongoing marketing practice for individual participants and for the group's members collectively.

The topics that we address in these sessions cover a wide range of timely marketing concerns, and each session is tailored to address the unique needs of the participants and the community in which they live and work.

Cost for these sessions is based on the location of the event and the number of participants.  I'm happy to discuss scheduling and your group's unique needs, and I may be reached at jeanskipper@jeanskipper.com or 910-528-1109. 

One-on-One Private Marketing Sessions

Now is the time to pursue your dreams!

For those who desire a more intensive approach to their marketing efforts, I'm available to conduct One-on-One Private Marketing Sessions.  These will be designed to address your most pressing needs, and past topics have included intensives on Product Photography, Establishing an Online Presence, Social Media Marketing, Show Participation, and Designing Printed Marketing Materials.

Private Marketing Sessions are available at a cost of $50 per hour, with a three hour minimum commitment, and they may be scheduled by contacting me at jeanskipper@jeanskipper.com or 910-245-4129.

Design Service

Do you need product photos, a head-shot, business cards, brochures, banners, or other online or print design work AND do you have absolutely no desire to do it yourself?   If so, then this may be the service for you.  

After an initial meeting to set the course for your project, I'll proceed with designing and even ordering these items for you.  Cost is based on the scope of your project.  Please contact me at jeanskipper@jeanskipper.com or 910-528-1109 to discuss your specific needs.   

I am thankful.

In Gratitude

I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to be a full time working artist.  

I'm humbled daily by the love and support that I receive from family, friends, and so often from the most unexpected of people.  

And I'm grateful to be able to help others to achieve the satisfaction that comes from making their living doing what they love. 

Photos of the mixed media hearts in this post are part of the 

"When Hearts Take Flight" collection of collaborative artwork created with the talented, Jodi Ohl.

Jean Skipper's Creative Marketing - July 2016 at MATTIE Arts Center in Swan Quarter, North Carolina

MATTIE Arts Center in Swan Quarter, North Carolina is one of my favorite hidden art gems.  It's hidden in that Swan Quarter itself is off-the-beaten-path in the best possible way.  It's convenient in that it's located in the center of town, beside The Hyde County Government Center, and anyone lucky enough to be arriving or departing The Swan Quarter Ferry to or from Ocracoke Island will reach its front doors with little to no extra effort at all.

MATTIE is an acronym for Mattamuskeet Artisans - Teaching, Training, Instructing, and Educating, and MATTIE Arts Center lives its mission one class, event, artist, and student at a time.  At Mattie Arts you'll find a gallery, classroom, and a passion for art, artisans, and the community that can barely be contained in its walls.  Today I'm exceedingly grateful to announce that I've been invited to contribute to MATTIE Arts' economic development efforts by leading my Business Marketing for Creative Entrepreneurs Workshop on July 30, 2016 from 9:00 until 12:00.

Please call or email MATTIE Arts to register for this free event!

   

To register for this event, please call MATTIE Arts at 

252-943-8991 or email MATTIEArtsCenter@Hyde1854Courthouse.org.  

Space is limited, and early registration is recommended.   

The cost of Business Marketing for Creative Entrepreneurs is being funded by The Beaufort Community College Small Business Center.  As a result, there will be no cost to individual participants. 

The Small Business Center Network (SBCN) now has over 60 sites throughout the State.  Its known as the most expansive state funded technical assistance program in the United States, having locations within a 30 minute drive of virtually every North Carolinian.  The objective of the SBCN is to increase the success rate and the number of viable small businesses in North Carolina by providing high quality, readily accessible assistance to prospective and existing small business owners which will lead to job creation and retention. 

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I'll also be leading a metalsmithing class during my time in Swan Quarter.

Details to follow soon!

Business Marketing for Creative Entrepreneurs with Jean Skipper

I'm beyond excited to be traveling to Ocracoke Island next week! 

Thanks to Beaufort Community College's Small Business Center, Hyde County North Carolina, and Open Source Ocracoke, I'll have the pleasure of working with a group of Creative Entrepreneurs there.  

The fliers shown below provide basic information.  This post will provide more details about our time together, and a description of my business background. 

Part I - Small Group Sessions

Part I of our program will consist of a series of small group work sessions.  These will be held at The Magic Bean; each participant will select one session to attend; and a maximum of eight participants will participate in each session.  

In this part of our program, we'll begin with the basics, asses each business' current level of expertise, and set realistic measurable goals for each participant.  We've strive to identify ways in which participants can support each other in achieving success, and an underlying theme of increasing year-round income will be woven throughout our time together..

Please Note: Because we've had an unexpected interest in meeting in the evenings, we'll be adding one additional small work group on either Monday or Wednesday from 5:00 until 8:00.  If you're interested in attending this session, please contact Kim Meacham at 252-588-2205 or milkstreetsoap@gmail.com with your preference.

Part II - Collaborative Group Session For All Participants

On Thursday, from 12:30 until 3:00, all of those who participated in the Small Group Sessions will gather at The Ocracoke Community Center.  Lunch will be provided, and newly developed marketing plans will be discussed, as will the the manner in which collaborations can be developed for the benefit of all involved.  

Cost

The all inclusive cost for attending one Small Group Session AND The Collaborative Group Session For All Participants is just $35, and this includes lunch on Thursday!  

Registration

To register, please call Kim Meacham at 252-588-2205 or email her at milkstreetsoap@gmail.com with your preferences.  Space will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis, and several of the Small Group Sessions have already reached capacity.

Personally- A Bit About Me

Beginning at thirteen years old, I held one to three jobs at a time at various restaurants and retail establishments.  At the ripe old age of twenty-three, I applied for a job as a bank teller.  My biggest goal at the time was to be off from my job on weekends.  This single step led to that and so much more,

I was hired by a community bank on a part time basis, which led to a full time teller position, and then a customer service position.  Simultaneously, as a benefit of my employment, I began to attend Westminster College in pursuit of an accounting degree.  

I entered the banking industry at exactly the right time; I worked hard; and my hard work was rewarded.  As the years progressed, the bank was acquired numerous times, and my career developed and grew along with it.  This led to positions as a Product Development Manager, Marketing Manager, and eventually a Corporate Cash Management Officer.  

When I moved to North Carolina in 2004, I worked for a single year in the financial service industry.  Then I jumped into a career as an Entrepreneur and Artist.  It was the single best career decision of my life, and I'm grateful for it every day.

As an artist and entrepreneur, I owned and operated a teaching studio.  I've sold the work of my hands online, at retail shows, on a consignment basis at galleries, and as a wholesale provider to boutiques and stores.  For five years I owned and managed Artist Alley, voted to be Moore County North Carolina's Top Art Gallery.  Today I market my work as Jean Skipper Originals.  My studio is located at Creative Studios, NC, and I also co-own and operate ReMe Retreats.    

My career has taken many twists and turns through the years to bring me to exactly this place.  My background is unique in its combination of Business, Art, Entrepreneurship, and Community.  I've learned from the best and the worst of my experiences, and some of my greatest joy comes in sharing all of this with others to help them further their own businesses and careers.  

I'm passionate about what I do.

I love to help others.

And I hope that you'll consider joining us on Ocracoke.