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"Keeping the Books: The How, The Why and The When" - #4 of The Art of Business and the Business of Art: Free Workshop Series

The Art of Business and the Business of Art: Free Workshop Series

This series is presented by arts marketing specialist Jesa Damora of FunnelCake Marketing and Karen Christians of Cleverwerx. The lecture series will feature experts on a variety of business concerns of particular interest to artists and makers alike.

All talks are free, created especially for Artisan’s Asylum community members, but applicable to all makers and creators that want to sell their work.


Workshop #4

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“Keeping the Books: The How, The Why and The When"

https://businessskillsforartists4accountingdecember2013.eventbrite.com/

Spark Business Consulting have opened, closed, sold, and bought businesses, there aren’t a whole lot of bridges we haven’t crossed in getting a business off the ground and running. In this presentation, they’ll be providing an overview of the typical concerns encountered by creatives when they set up as a business operation: what it takes to run, open, and grow your business as an artist or maker. You have different types of issues as a creative economy participant, and this overview will frame out how to grapple with the types of decisions you’ll be making. Talking points will include: creating budgets and forecasts; business plan brainstorming, outlining and writing; the trepidation of human resources – i.e. writing and placing help wanted ads, resume review and conducting initial interviews; employee handbook creation and implementation; inventory setup; marketing and advertising plans; real estate scouting for your process needs; develop and implement an appropriate filing system; small business start up issues; and streamlining the bookkeeping system.  

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This lecture will be presented by Kasey Thibeault and Catherine Costello of Spark Business Consulting.


The discussion will be moderated by Rich Streitfeld, CPA.


“Scrambling to find receipts hours before your taxes are due? Slogging through a shoebox of invoices, a Starbucks coffee purchase for a past business trip? Fear not, Spark Business is here to help. For years I have been trying to make sense of all my paperwork in running my business. Unfortunately, my paperwork was a mess, and so bad, I felt embarrassed to even talk to them. Learn the secrets of how to keep track of a weighty paper trail and why having a bookkeeper is an important part of your business. Whether you are just selling on Etsy, or trying to build a career, Kasey and Cathy will answer all your questions on what receipts to keep and ones you can let go. Wouldn't you rather be spending your time making art/business and concentrating on your passion? Along with Rich Streitfeld, a savvy tax guy, this is a team of professionals who will set you straight on dark arts of running a business. This lecture provides essential assistance with approachable professionals.

Come and join us for the evening. Work smarter, not harder. You will be glad you did.”

---Karen Christians, Cleverwerx http://www.cleverwerx.com/


Speaker Bios:

Kasey Thibeault, after she sold her restaurant, Bomboa, in Boston in 2006, founded Spark Business Consulting. After taking a quick, four month “nap” after the restaurant sale, Kasey decided to get back in the game. After pondering the pros and cons of opening up another restaurant, Kasey decided to focus on helping others open up their restaurants, and other businesses. From restaurants to retail, lawyers, doctors, and consultants, stylists, artists, and IT Professionals, General Contractors and “the Trades”, they all speak the same language of business and Kasey has been able to transfer her intimate knowledge of restaurants, to many other industries.

Thus far, all of Spark’s Clients have come from referrals.

Catherine Costello has over 17 years of accounting experience.  Her business journey started immediately after college. In 1995 Catherine also received her Quickbooks certification. She then began working with an ambitious internet entrepreneur. After 8 years of working in the service industry as a controller and assisting in the acquisition of that company, she went on to work for plastic and metal manufacturers as a full charge bookkeeper. Her main focus was account payables and inventory. Catherine joined the Spark team in 2010. Her current clients include healthcare companies, artists, karate studios, retail shops, general contractors, restaurants and lawyers. Catherine also volunteers her time as the treasurer for a non-profit organization.

Rich Streitfeld is a CPA with a purpose.  His practice focuses on entrepreneurs, creatives and social enterprises – helping them thrive through tax planning, financial analysis and common sense.  Nicknamed “Zen mensch accountant” because of his background, Rich speaks about Arts and Business for national webinars and live audiences, and pioneered local presentations on same-sex financial planning.  Rich is a partner with ALSD, a firm with noted expertise in non-profits, and is the “host of network whimsy” at his home’s singular “Rebel HQ” art parties. He loves to promote his clients and is also a forensic accountant who uncovered embezzlement in his first audit; he has testified as an expert witness. You can find out more than you need to know about “Taxes a B-tch, call Rich!” on his company’s website www.alscpa.com or on his lively blog, www.peaceloveandbusinessplanning.com.

Jesa Damora is an artist and an arts marketer who helps artists and other creative types focus and realize their goals, get out there, and get known. She runs FunnelCake Marketing out of Artisan’s Asylum, the vibrant community makerspace in Somerville, MA and makes art in her carriage house studio nearby. She is former Marketing Coordinator for Somerville Open Studios, for which she developed a popular lecture series on marketing she’ll reprise this year. She also does presentations for Gowanus Open Studios in Brooklyn, where she is resident marketing guru, and in both towns speaks on panels on issues related to art and the creative economy.

Karen Christians is an educator and maker in the metal arts. She developed the metals program at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, founded Metalwerx in Waltham, a non-profit school for jewelry and the metal arts, and the new jewelry section of the Hot Craft Studio at Artisan’s Asylum in Somerville. She teaches nationally, lectures around the country, and is published in many professional and technical magazines. She is the author of the book, "Making the Most of Your Flex-Shaft." Karen holds a BFA with High Honors from the Massachusetts College of Art. She is currently writing a second book, "The Jewelry of Burning Man."


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