Art as a Business: Info Session #1

Want to earn a living as an artist or craftmaker?

These programs focus on helping creative business owners (artists, craftspeople, makers), start and grow their businesses.

Art as a Business 2022

Every couple of years the North Coast Small Business Development Center offers a special program for artists and craftmakers on the North Coast to enhance their business skills. If you are a maker in Humboldt, Del Norte & Adjacent Tribal Lands we want to help you get started or grow your sales!

Program Details

Applications will open July 1st and close August 3rd. We will invite applicants for interviews in August, and all participants will be formally welcomed into the program by Tuesday, August 23rd. The program runs Wednesday evenings starting at 5:30 pm from September 21st – November 2nd, and closes with an Arts Alive showcase and marketing panel in Old Town Eureka on Saturday, November 5th. The Art and Craftmaker cohort will help arrange home stays that night for program participants coming from distant points.

Topics range from getting a business license and photographing your work, to creating contracts and marketing yourself in the region and beyond. Sessions are taught by an array of local experts, SBDC staff, and SBDC business consultants. Workshops mix lecture, resources, discussion, and work time to help participants leave with a clear idea of next steps. These workshops will also provide time for networking with other creative business owners to share resources and knowledge.

At the end of the program you have:

• Gained knowledge of how to run a creative business
• Built community within the local arts scene and made business connections
• Learned how to diversify income, and which selling methods are right for you
• Created a strong marketing package
• Debunked the myth that you cannot be both an artist and a business owner: you can!

Want to Learn More?

• Call (707) 445-9720 x212 or email admin@northcoastsbdc.org to ask questions.

Ready to Apply?

Step (1) APPLY BY OR BEFORE August 3rd. 

Complete all of the following and email them to admin@northcoastsbdc.org or mail them to North Coast SBDC Flights Program, 520 E Street, Eureka, CA 95501.

• Sign up online as a client (if you are not already a client) * Be sure to specify you’re an Art Program candidate. This gets you into the system so you can access help no matter what.
• [COMING SOON] Flight Program Application* Download, fill out thoughtfully, and return by email, mail or in person. This form is E-fillable and E-signable with Adobe Acrobat, but can also be completed by hand. 
• Income Eligibility Scholarship Form* This scholarship form must be filled out completely or we cannot process it. All information is kept confidential. Call us any time if you need help with the questions. This form is Efillable and Esignable with Adobe Acrobat, but can also be completed by hand.

Step (2) WE CONFIRM YOUR SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY. You will get an email promptly confirming that we received your application and saying whether you qualify for this scholarship. You do not need to qualify for the scholarship to participate in the program. 

Step (3) WE CONFIRM YOUR FLIGHT ELIGIBILITY You will get a phone call and an email after your application has been reviewed letting you know whether it’s time to set up your intake interview with a business advisor. That conversation will allow us to figure out whether this Art as a Business Flight is the right program for your needs, or if our other services will suit you better. If you are a fit for this cohort, we will assign you your own business coach who will talk in depth with you about your hopes, needs, and goals. If you are a fit for the cohort but you don’t qualify for the full scholarship you can decide then if you want to pay out of pocket, or you can choose to have business advising only, which is always no-cost.