We know a surfer needs to keep changing the balance of the surf board to stay on top of a rolling wave. The business world can be compared to the surfer. In order to stay on top of marketing trends, customer needs, and business expenses, the business must balance the "wave" that exists in the market, and that wave constantly changes.

If the surfer does not keep himself on top of the wave, he will sink in the ocean. The same is true of business. Every business must be aware of the delicate balance of consumer demands and the economic reality for both the consumer and the business in order to "stay afloat". A business that does not respond to the needs of the consumer will soon be out of business.

Both surfers and entrepreneurs who lose their balance will sink, but those who are willing to practice over and over, constantly emerging from the tide, learning from their mistakes and willing to continue trying will be on top of the wave of success in the end.

As seasons change, good waves are not always there. The ocean will rise and fall with the seasons. There are different places and times when the waves are strong and high; there are places and times when the waves are low and weak. Surfers need to find the right place and time to hop on the best waves. For an entrepreneur, finding the right marketing targets at the right time, in the right location, is also important to success.

For example, retailers need to be prepared in advance of the Christmas buying season, which is usually the best "wave" for sales and profits each year. A great example of a business that follows their consumer's needs and marketing trends is the Singer Company. As more women went to work and fewer women had time at home to sew, Singer expanded into the aerospace and electronics business from sewing machine business to keep pace with changing market trends. Doing their research in advance of a changing market kept the company alive.

An interesting book on this subject is John Naisbitt's Megatrends.

For a business to survive today, it is important to keep up with the changes in technology, lifestyles, and the demands of our ever-changing society. A good reputation is as important to business success or failure as the right time, the right place, and the right "targets", and the right pricing.

In the past three years I have tried to adjust my business to keep up with these constantly changing trends. I have done my research, and have asked for advice from my customers, art collectors, other artists, webmasters, business people, and my family and friends. I really appreciate their assistance in helping me understand the ways I must adapt my business to meet new demands.

My biggest problem with business decisions has been in determining the price for my artwork. Pricing is the most difficult part of any artist's business. Pricing artwork is not based on the artwork and the artist's skill alone, but also on the artist's reputation. When a "fine art" artist completes a painting that he is confident is his best, he prices it based on the achievement of his artistic goals and long hours in the studio. The affluent and serious buyers may respond : "This is an excellent painting", but the next statement would be "But who are you?". When an artist is "new" and not yet well-known, the price asked for his paintings can not be very high. People who buy art are paying a price for the artist's "name", as well as for art they truly appreciate. The work of the unknown artist can not command as high a price as the work of the artist with fame and prior success in the art market. Art for the buyer is also an investment which can possibly be sold in the future to another collector for a higher price. The art buyer needs the assurance that the art they purchase is a valuable investment based on the reputation and critical acclaim of the artist.

My biggest mistake in the three years of my art business was to raise the prices of my paintings based on advice from a well-known artist after seeing my work. He is a successful artist, selling his work in a metropolitan area, for over 20 years and encouraged me to raise the asking price for my work and market my paintings through galleries. I take full responsibility for making this decision. I tried this for a short time in the spring of 2001with little success. It [did] not [work] out. I decided to [go back to lower prices] From September 2001 to June 2002 the recession effected the sale of my art on E-Bay, with prices at their lowest since I started on E-Bay in 1999. I was not making enough from the auction of my artwork to survive, averaging about $2.50 an hour for the sale of my artwork after expenses. [The same artist again critized my marketing and encouraged me to get higher asking prices. He was confident that I could be successful.] I ended my E-Bay connection in June, and tried the gallery and art show market again from July to November. Financially, this was not a successful direction for me to take. I sold very few paintings and was forced to seek financial help from my wife's family, take odd jobs, and sell property to make ends meet.

During [the month of November, I debated what prices to list.] Then I remembered that last summer I was at an art show and saw one giclee print on canvass by a successful, experienced artist at the show. We talked about what a beautiful painting the print was taken from. He explained to me that he had the original painting at home, which had been purchased by a client for $300.00 in the 1980's. When the client later had to move in the spring of 2002, he bought the artwork back from the client. The value of the work had increased to $3000.00!! The client agreed to let him buy back the painting for $800.00. That story made me re-evaluate the direction I was taking in pricing my work. This artist had been in business for 20 years; I have only been in business for three years. Over those years he has developed a reputation; I have to build my reputation over time. I came to understand that to look at the current art market without regard to the artist's experience and reputation does not work. Jack White, an artist and author for whom I have great regard, will never give me specific pricing advice. He only give an advice to set a price that can be selling. Now I understand why. I highly recommend to my artist readers Jack White's three books : The Mystery of Making It, The Magic of Selling Art, and The Mastery of Self-Promotion.

In November, I decided to "roll back" the prices for my paintings to a fee more in line with what one would expect to pay for the work of a "new artist". I also contacted customers who paid higher prices for my art and agreed to give them extra prints and paintings at no cost to make up the pricing difference. I am also selling my art on E-Bay again, and things are slowly improving. While pricing is still not at pre- summer 2001 levels, they are better than last June when I left e-bay. I will only reserve reasonable prices for complicated large paintings. This will protect my business from a big financial loss if an auction does not go as well as it should. I will let small paintings sell without reservation, to maintain a balance for my customers. Also I get to work up to increase numbers of paintings.

During a recession, people do not purchase "luxury items" as willingly as they would during economic "good times". For many new artists, the reality has to be accepted that at times it is necessary to have an alternative means of support. Artists, galleries, and other "luxury " businesses need to be prepared to cope when recession effects their customers. It takes a lot of patience and hard work to maintain a business and keep the right focus during an economic recession. When the economy recovers, which I am sure it eventually will, I will use this experience as a lesson to never "regress" into complacency with my art business. One must always be prepared to cope with new challenges.

I am glad I have had this experience on my "surfboard" of life. I will use this as part of my valuable "real-life" education as a great opportunity for positive change.