Five Reasons for Art Galleries and Artists to Embrace Technology

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Painter of Pancakes on eBay

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1.    It’s Time to Break Out of Your Four Walls.  An individual or brick-and-mortar establishment has boundaries.  However, with the vast reach of the Internet, there are endless opportunities to sell your art to consumers across the globe.  Millions of consumers are embracing online art research and consumerism.  Whether you use your own website or a site like www.masterpieceonline.com to promote your artwork, it’s time to get in the game!

2.    Recession isn’t a Time to Waste Time. Inventory tracking alone can be confusing, tedious and time consuming.   Allowing software to manage your inventory process will give you back time and sanity to channel into other parts of your business.

“Masterpiece enables me to be in all of my galleries every day.  I can tell what sold and what is in inventory, out on approval, etc. at the touch of a button,” said Zelma Legendre, owner of Thornwood Gallery (two in Houston and one in Dallas). “With the Masterpiece server, all of my galleries are connected.  If we get an e-mail inquiry we can answer it immediately without calling the other galleries.  This makes us more efficient with our time and easier for our customers to get answers quickly.”

3.    It’s Time to Eliminate Operator Error. Humans are prone to error.  Have you ever forgotten to log a sale?  Do you have too many artists to manage consignments effectively?  Do you use archaic systems for ringing in sales that result in more work on the back end?  Technology is not as intimidating as many people seem to think.  Instead, it can be helpful, and will simplify tasks that often lead to mistakes.

4.    You Deserve a Business Team. Money is tight; margins are slim.  Not many galleries have business managers, marketing teams, web developers and accountants.  Paying those salaries would sink most small businesses. But the solution is simple – and affordable. 

Masterpiece provides business support at the click of a mouse.  With Masterpiece Solutions, websites can be customized to display and sell your artwork to online shoppers.  When you run into a problem, Masterpiece’s technical support team will walk you through the solution.  “Our clients constantly tell us that we have the best website and we love the technical support!  When we need them, they are there,” added Zelma. 

5.    Informed Decisions = Better Decisions. With art to sell and a business to run, there are “must haves” and “nice to haves.”  Reporting often falls in the latter category.  However, the intelligence that business reports provide can be invaluable.  Tracking trends such as customer buying history, seasonal sales and profit and loss can drastically impact your business decisions.  In fact, most insurance companies want client businesses to have a system for inventory.  With Masterpiece, the system is in place and will help to lower your costs in the long run.

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