Keeping Records Part II

As promised, database details to make you dizzy:

Database vs. Spreadsheet

The advantage of a database over a spreadsheet, as I said last time, is the "relational" feature that links all your data and the eternal flexibility for manipulating data. The software packages that I pointed out last time are really databases that have been fancied up to make data entry and retrieval easy for everyone.

But if you don't want to fork out any bucks, have a little time on your hands and like doing your own thing, a database is really simple to set up. Most of them come with templates that can be tweaked to taste for art record keeping.

The main advantage of doing your own thing is that it suits you perfectly and you can change things over the years as you evolve or devolve or whatever.

What can you do for me?

One example of features you gain by creating a database is the ability to "query" or ask it questions like:
-How many works did I sell to NEW customers on last year's Flagstaff Festival? (should I mail postcards or are my customers mostly tourists coming to the show for the first time?)
-Who has all my "Mountain Sunrise" prints and where have they been exhibited? (provenance)
-How many contacts did I gain on my Museum Show in 2004? How many are still receiving my emails and how many have bought something since then? (is it worth doing the show again?)
-Who of my Arizona customers has not bought anything in the last 5 years? (I can clean up my database that way)

You get the picture. Invaluable information if you are in the business of selling or exhibiting artworks.

Spreadsheet data, if you recall, is flat (see the link to a sample spreadsheet last post), although for just keeping artwork records making up a simple spreadsheet is exactly what I would do.

Guts of a database (or software) 

Database data is based on table-like-spreadsheets BUT the tables are "linked" or related to each other by one of the variables. Here is what my old database looks like:

I have three main tables: WORKS, CONTACTS, and SHOWS

There are other tables in there but they are auto-generated by the BIG 3 for various reports

Notice all those joining lines that go from one table to another, they link together works through the ID field with customers through the ID field. So at any point I can get a full report of where ALL my prints are, everyone of them, sold, given away, shown in a gallery, whatever. Also, when I enter a new customer, I just have a pull-down field with all my works so I don't have to write the print's name. And when I enter that work, the database automatically subtracts one print from my "prints on hand" field. Nifty huh? A lot of tricks like that are possible that make keeping track of everything and everyone related to the art business a snap.

The main way to input and keep data in a database is through tables, although with one click you can create a fancy input form to make the task more bearable:

Here you can see an entire record for a work called 1000 Years including where it was exhibited, how big the frame should be and whether I've taken slides (how OLD is this thing?) and uploaded to my website

The other two main features of a database is the ability to query (ask complex questions) as I mentioned before and the ability to export reports, fancy or not, to other programs like Microsoft Word (to send a mailing), spreadsheet (like an inventory of prints on hand) or your favorite mail program (to send an email to your customers) or to make a print info sheet or web page, pictures and all.

Anyhow, one point of this post is that, whatever method of keeping track of works, sales and contacts one chooses, the important thing is to put in good information so that good information can be reported. Accurate data entry is crucial, whether a ready-made software program, a simple spreadsheet or any other fancy way to keep records.

I happen to like tweaking my database endlessly, I have reports, resumes, lists of galleries, who sold what to whom in what event and so on. I enjoy the brain work of querying, making my database spit out fancy reports and formatted letters and so on. And I have now tailored my database to fit my business model perfectly.

This all sounds complicated when writing it down but really databases are just like the software described in the previous post. The advantage, to me, is that I can change things as I see fit.

Any questions? quiz at 11:00!

Sample Simple Record Keeping

Sample simple...heh heh, couldn't resist!

Just a little while ago, my friends in http://barenforum.org were asking about record keeping for printmakers.
First you have to decide what sort of records you want to keep and make decisions on whether you want to keep everything integrated or just jot down information about each art work. You may want to consider keeping records on sales, gallery submissions and exhibits, works created, collector's demographics and, oh, so much more.

Here are some books to consider:

Indispensable! Constance Smith's Art Office, Second Edition: 80+ Business Forms, Charts, Sample Letters, Legal Documents & Business Plans (Art Office: 80+ Business Forms, Charts, Sample Letters, Legal)

Art Marketing 101 has pretty good info on what may be important down the road Art Marketing 101, Third Edition: A Handbook for the Fine Artist (Art Marketing 101: A Handbook for the Fine Artist)

Quite a bit of information about what galleries expect from artists in "Starving" to Successful: The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting Into Galleries and Selling More Art

Software

If you want to keep integrated records of artwork, collectors, submissions and exhibits (for example) you will need integrated software. There are various out-of-the-box choices on the web, all of them seem adequate enough, these are the ones I have looked at:

ArtWork Archive
http://www.artworkarchive.com/
Seems pretty cool with many features, great feature is online backups, drawback is "revolving" charge which I'm allergic to big time. But all in all a very complete package.

Working Artist
http://www.workingartist.com
I have not downloaded and tried this one but the features are there and the price is right. More features than the previous and really an affordable solution. Another advantage is they have been around for a while and upgrade as needed so you won't be stuck with an obsolete software (I have seen many others come and go).

Art Systems
http://www.artsystems.com/
If you can afford this dawg or if you manage a gallery or a group of artists, go for it. I don't think there is a feature that this doesn't have and I based my own database on their screenshots. I think about forking out this much money but I can always think of how much paper I could buy instead.
Still, all in all, a great software package now with cloud backup and all the bells and whistles.

But what about FREE?

Well, there's the do-it-yourself approach. At first any record keeping will do, but a spreadsheet is eternally malleable and can be exported to databases and practically any software. I started out with a simple spreadsheet based on what items I wanted to keep records for each of my prints. Here is a sample that may look familiar from Baren exchanges:

But I also want to know where my prints are located and other things, so here is a sample spreadsheet that I created in GoogleDocs based on that information:

http://tinyurl.com/sampleprintrecord

As you can see, you may want to add to the print information where you physically keep the prints and any images you have online or stored locally. Any other tidbits of info about each work can be added as you need to by adding a new column.

A simple spreadsheet is a good start for any printmaker, they are easy to use and, as I mentioned, very flexible when upgrading to something better. Not that there would be a need to upgrade. If you get handy with spreadsheets, you can filter records (for example to view only woodcuts, or only woodcuts created in 2005, or whatever). You can also merge the records with a program like MS Word and create print info sheets like the one above.

But a spreadsheet has what's called a "flat" file system. For record keeping and integrating with other spreadsheets, exporting reports such as gallery entries and artist resumes...well you really need a database. Since you're probably sleepy by now (I know I am), next post will outline a simple database, features of a database and how to create one that tells you stuff you may want to know about your art records.

More reading material for you: More books about legal aspects and business aspects of being an artist

I have most of the books that come up in that search but I just saw a new one! I better get it, can't read enough about this stuff.