All kinds of business advice emphazine a mission statement, Unique Selling Proposition (USP), Extra Value Proposition, purpose of business, business philosophy, Value Added and positioning oneself in the market. These are all focused on what makes you and your business unique and what you offer your customer that is compelling to them so that they will choose you and your business.

Sight, Collage © Diane Clancy

I have had a mission statement for quite a while that I thought worked very well. In the business class for artists last fall we spent a lot of time tweaking and refining our mission statements. Mine went through several changes as we all gave each other feedback.

But these last two weeks as I have been working on my business card, I have found another very helpful resource that gave me new insights and new ways to look at how I position and market myself, my skills and my work.

There is a site, Online Marketing for Artists, that I am finding very helpful. At this site/blog Chris O’Byrne has tons and tons of information for artists for marketing. Chris was kind enough to share with me some written materials he has about USP. If you sign up for his free newsletter, the next issue is on USP, and I know I am eager to read what he has to say!

I am trying to understand what is different about what he shared with me. It helped me make my written purpose more personal and more directed to you. His information helped me make my mission statement less abstract and impersonal. Instead of telling you what I do and how I do it, I think my USP now speaks directly to you about the benefits for you.

I encourage you to check out his site. By the way, I love this collage painting that I have showcased tonight. For one of my friends, it is his very favorite of all my work. The colors and the image give me a feeling of deep calm.

~ Diane Clancy

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