Expert offers business basics for artists to retail shop owners

  Wednesday, October 21, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Artists, restaurateurs and retail shop owners can all learn how to be better businesspersons through two workshops offered by the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Pittsburg State University on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Marc Willson, a consultant with the Virginia SBDC and a retail and restaurant expert, will conduct two workshops in the Center for Innovation and Business Development Conference Room on the first floor of the Shirk Annex on the PSU campus.

The first workshop, “Art as a business,” runs from 9 a.m. until noon. Willson will talk about the business of art, including how to sell art without selling one’s soul, embracing and understanding the business side of selling art, marketing and advertising, building a brand and creating a business plan.

At 6 p.m. that same day, Willson will lead a workshop on “Staying relevant to a changed customer.” In that workshop, Willson will give an overview of today’s economic climate, share information from a Harvard Business School study on how consumers change their buying habits in a deep recession, how to differentiate and define one’s customers, marketing and the use of social media and the basics of owning and operating a restaurant.

The cost of each workshop is $35 per person and registration is requested at least two days before the event. PSU students with a valid ID may attend at no charge.

During the day, Willson will do walk-throughs at a couple of downtown businesses and will give owners feedback, based on first impressions, traffic, fixtures, lighting and displays.

Willson will give similar KSBDC presentations in Chanute on Wednesday and in Fort Scott on Friday.

For more information, call the KSBDC at PSU at 620-235-4921.