“I don’t need an inventory management system, spreadsheets can do everything I need.”
Have you found yourself saying those exact same words? Spreadsheet programs like Excel seem like a safe choice. Even though they’re a bit clunky and slow, you make it work.
But, what if there was something much, much better? Something created specifically for artists to help them grow their business.
Well, there is!
Here are six reasons why an online art inventory system puts programs like Excel to shame and helps your art career.
1. Serious Convenience
Need to show a potential buyer more of your available artwork at an art fair? Want to enter their contact information then and there, so you don’t lose their business card? Need to check the location of an artwork they’re interested in?
You can do it in a snap on your cell phone, tablet, or any other device with internet access. When you have an online art inventory management system, all the information you need won’t be sitting in an Excel file on your desktop at home. It will be with you always, anywhere you go.
At a meeting with a gallerist? Show them your latest pieces on your phone or tablet.
2. Stress-Free Organization
Ever wasted time clicking through a multitude of spreadsheets trying to find the right information for a piece? It’s excruciatingly frustrating, especially when a gallerist is expecting a quick answer.
You can spare yourself these tear-out-your-hair moments by using an online inventory management system. You’ll have piece, contact, sales, and gallery information in a click of a button.
Everything is organized into visually pleasing, easily-searchable sections. It takes the time and stress out of running the business side of your art studio.
You never think it’s going to happen to you, but then it does.
3. Valuable Peace of Mind
Whether it’s a cup of spilled coffee making its way into your laptop’s keyboard or an energetic pet knocking your computer off the desk, accidents happen. Not to mention, computers can easily malfunction on their own.
When you archive your artwork and business information online, you can access everything on another device instantly and none of the data is lost.
If your whole art business is stored on the hard drive of a now deceased computer, you’ll have to spend hours inputting the information all over again—if you can even remember all the details.
Concerned about your information living solely on the internet? You can also easily download copies of your data onto your computer for double protection.
The dreaded black screen! But, if you use an online inventory management system your data is safe and sound.
4. Impressive Professional Reports
Ah, the feeling of satisfaction when a gallery asks for an inventory report and all you need to do is click a button. In seconds, you have a polished report with all the piece information you need, your contact details, and piece images. Your gallery will be impressed with your speed and professionalism.
You could painstakingly turn your spreadsheet into a report and add in each image, but that wastes precious art time. You can quickly print off consignment reports, portfolio pages, invoices, and inventory reports from your art inventory system.
5. Crucial Business Insights
Ever wondered how much your inventory is worth, where all your artwork is located across the globe, and what your production versus sales value is? Ever hoped you could see all this crucial business information without whipping out an Excel pivot table?
Use at-a-glance insights on your art inventory system, so you can stay on top of your business. You’ll see whether you need to focus on creating more art or on selling it, and which gallery is performing the best—and the worst! Then you can use these insights to inform your plan of attack.
Enjoy simple business insights—no Excel pivot tables required.
6. All-Important Promotion
While spreadsheets have their place for certain tasks (budgeting, anyone?), you can’t use Excel to promote your artwork.
Excel will never offer up a professional, beautiful public portfolio page which you can share with interested buyers and gallerists. Excel will never index on Google when someone searches for your artwork, and no one can ever contact you through your Excel spreadsheet.
Art inventory system Artwork Archive has a Public Page that helps you promote and sell your artwork, and member artist Lawrence Lee has already sold $20,000 worth of art comission free via his. Lawrence has complete control over what he makes public, and can easily pick and choose from his archived inventory.
Ready to Take the Leap and Leave Spreadsheets Behind?
Your art business and your stress levels will thank you. All that time you give to inputting details into Excel (and re-inputting them when your computer crashes), making your own reports, dealing with pivot tables, trying to find the right information, and figuring out how to promote your artwork can now be spent on doing what you love in the studio!
Give Artwork Archive a try and let us know what you think.
