GelaSkins Mobile Art allows you to create removable covers for protecting and customizing portable devices such as cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, gaming consoles and now the new IPad.

Why is this significant? Aside from it being another outlet for your creative expression personally, more importantly it also creates another revenue source for those of you who do art and design work for others. Think of the many people who are jumping on the band wagon to buy an IPad. How many of them (that are not designers themselves) could you help by creating a personlized version of their new toy for them?

Below is a 30 second video from the folks at Gelaskin to give you a better idea:

So, do you think this is a good idea or a waste of time? Think there’s better ways for artists to make extra cash? Share your voice and post a comment:

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To help artists and designers during this challenged economy, we thought posting freelance gigs could possibly be helpful. We came across this service that would allow us to filter down to only art/design related freelance and contract work.

Please take a look and let us know if these seem helpful or not by clicking the picture to the left or the link below:

Art Lessons From God FREELANCE Jobs & GIGS

If you, our faithfull audience, find this section helpful, we’ll fully launch and maintain it. If not, we’ll move on. So please post your comments so we’ll know.

Thanks!

Tony-

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Money is especially tight for the typical Small Business owner, and it can be tighter for artists and designers.

Since art and design can often be seen as a budgetary “extra”, the artist or designer may find it harder than ever to earn an any type of income from their talent.

But this current economy provides more time to focus on existing customers and time to explore innovative ways to improve your creative business.

Here are a few top strategies that work. They are basic, yet effective:

1. CONNECT WITH CURRENT CUSTOMERS:

Your number one priority should be to stay close to those that do business with you now or have in the recent past. Research shows us two key things in this area:

• Loyal customers buy more and are likely to buy from you again.
• Gaining a new customer cost 5 times more than retaining a current one.

New business is always important, but increasing customer loyalty drives long-term profitability.

2. GET REFERRALS:

A natural result of staying close to your current customers should be asking them for leads. This is not something to be ashamed of, especially since you probably already believe in the power of “word of mouth” promotion. This just allows you to reap immediate results from it.

3. DIVERSIFY:

Diversify the services that you provide. A down market in one line can be offset by another. For example, auto dealers with challenged retail sales look to offsetting those challenges by the performance of their service departments. If full blown portrait work is down, you can start designing the t-shirts you wanted to explore. You should explore new products or services that can bring immediate profitability as a part of your long term strategy.

4. INVEST IN MARKETING:

Notice that I said “invest” rather than “spend”. Marketing and advertising, when done wisely, brings a return like any other investment that is properly used. Advertising is usually the first casualty of reducing your budget, but it is actually your lifeline to connecting with customers. Don’t cut your advertising, but now do it more effectively:

• E-mailed and printable PDF flyers cost less to create and send than printed direct mail pieces, and are just as effective.
• Use the web now more than ever. Launch a website or tweak your current one.
• Opt-in mobile texting coupons are the latest inexpensive method to reach customers that want your advertising. The response rate on this method is extremely higher than direct mail and print.

5. REMEMBER-THIS, TOO, WILL PASS:

Keeping in mind that the current challenges within the economy are cyclical and better times will eventually come around. The key is to use this as an opportunity to strengthen your current customer base, explore innovative business practices and retain good employees so that your art business can actually come out the other side of this better than it was going in.

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Big business makes it a common practice to guide their profitability based on steps taken from a written plan, but neither artists nor other entrepreneurs have a written roadmap to guide their success.

I’ve linked to a resource I use with my small business clients that you can print to help you get started in selling more and going to the next level with your Art or Design. Go here>>

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Artists are considered to be poorly paid, but with the turnaround in the media and the explosion of dotcom companies, graphic artists are fast becoming hot commodities and are earning big money. Most traditional graphic artists created print products such as packaging, promotional displays, marketing brochures or books, designed logos for products and businesses, or worked on the visual designs of annual reports and other corporate propaganda. However, modern graphic artists are steadily entering into the lucrative and fast-evolving profession of web design to earn quick riches.

According to a 2005 survey by the American Institute of Graphic Artists, entry-level designers at graphic design firms earned a median annual salary of $30,000 and a median total compensation of $32,000, while a print production artist earned $40,000 in median annual pay and total compensation. The Creative Group, a staffing firm in Menlo Park, California, also projected the annual salary ranges for designers for the year 2005. The group calculated the average annual figures for illustrators from $31,000 to $42,000, for graphic designers from $29,000 to $41,000, for production artists between $28,500 to $37,750, and so on. On the other hand, according to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage in 2002 for graphic designers across the US was $41,380.

Graphic artists often work on a freelance basis, selling their skills and pitching their designs to advertising agencies, retailers, design firms, magazines, newspapers and Internet companies. Although to become an established freelance designer might be a difficult task, successful freelance artists can earn good salaries while enjoying their freedom to work according to their choice. In-house graphic artists can also have lucrative careers and, through their hard work and creativity, can become art directors and command high salaries.

Graphic artists are gaining command in the fast-growing media industry, and a good artist with skill and talent can easily earn a comfortable living.

Graphic Artist provides detailed information on Graphic Artist, What is a Graphic Artist, Graphic Artist Salaries, Find a Graphic Artist and more. Graphic Artist is affiliated with Graphic Design Jobs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo
http://EzineArticles.com/?Graphic-Artist-Salaries&id=251580

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