Do you have a pile of piece of work yous never seem to catch up on in the studio?

Even thinking about the corporeality of work you have leaves yous stressed out, with a mile-long list of to-dos looming over your caput. Not to mention how disorganized you feel. The weight of authoritative tasks  tin can impede your creative procedure and infringe on the time you take to create art.

You lot have built an empire. Yous have the art skills and the talent. Even if yous are strapped for cash, is it time to hire an assistant?

Administration can tackle everything from inventorying and organizing to bookkeeping and marketing. Releasing the reins and delegating some of these tasks tin take piece of work off your plate and allow yous to concentrate on larger tasks.

The problem is, how do you know it's fourth dimension and how do you go most hiring the right candidate?

The right person for the task is out there. And, you can get the relief you demand. Follow these 4 steps for hiring a studio assistant to get the well-nigh out of your investment and fourth dimension.

one. Think well-nigh where you lot need assistance most

Then, create a job listing around this.

Maybe yous need help updating your fine art inventory and tracking the current whereabouts of your work on Artwork Archive. Or, sending invoices or press out inventory lists for upcoming shows.

It could be helping with social media, writing newsletters, photographing new pieces, managing your agenda, updating your contact list, ordering new materials, aircraft out fresh work, organizing the studio, recording expenses, or even answering client emails.

The possibilities are endless, actually! Write down the tasks that volition make your job equally an artist—and art concern owner—easier.

What are your "must-have" skills and characteristics?

Depending on the tasks you demand help with, think virtually which characteristics your assistant would need to possess to go things done efficiently and correctly.

Do they need to be organized? A self-starter? Follow directions well? A positive attitude? Interested in fine art? A good author? Know a certain software program? Have a flexible schedule?

Not all of these traits may be necessary to become the job washed. And, some things tin can be learned on the job!

Decide which characteristics are absolute must-haves and which are negotiable. You lot tin always dig deeper come interview time.

Think about how much time these tasks take you each week.

This volition inform what blazon of time commitment you lot are looking for in a studio assistant.

Would a couple days a calendar month suffice? Will it be an ongoing arrangement or seasonal, perhaps just for the summer? Would they be required to come into the studio or could they piece of work remotely?

Your studio assistant's unique set of skills should allow you lot to free upward time to work on more profitable and desirable work for you.

Be flexible, but remember well-nigh what works best with your schedule and what will accelerate creative procedure.

Consider what this help is worth for yous and your business concern.

Later on reviewing your task listing and time requirements, decide what is fair bounty for the work. What would you be happy to accept if you were doing these tasks for someone else?

Can y'all offer an hourly rate, or possibly a monthly stipend? If you can't beget to pay much, tin can you fix an opportunity for students to get class credit? Volition the promise of insight into an artist's career be enough?

Even if you are strapped for cash, yous accept to find some way to make the offering enticing. Remember that having someone working on these tasks will ultimately permit you piece of work on larger projects and take more commissions. Accept some fourth dimension to weigh those out.

No i wants to work countless hours a week for free. Exhaustion is real, not just for artists. And, if your helper doesn't feel adequately compensated or as if the job isn't providing any value, you might be left assistant-less again with a pile of piece of work on your lap.

2. Share the opportunity

Think back to your description and what type of person fits the beak. Y'all tin can go from at that place to figure out where to all-time mail the opportunity so that those people will see it!

Information technology could exist on your social media pages, chore boards effectually your community, schools and fine art programs, Facebook groups, discussion of oral fissure, etc. You never know who might be interested, and then don't limit yourself completely.

Besides, think well-nigh the all-time time to mail the position. Holidays and weekends can get busy. If you're looking for an fine art pupil, be enlightened of the academic calendar. You don't want your opportunity to be missed simply because of timing. Proceed posting until y'all accept a worthy candidate or 2.

Hiring is often the most important aspect of your business

... especially if you brand a bad hire. A bad or good hire tin have huge furnishings on your productivity, 24-hour interval-to-twenty-four hour period civilisation, and output.

That'due south why information technology's important to master the hiring process.

Outset, look for applicants who are eager to connect and have followed the directions on your task description, whether that's simply following up with a telephone call or emailing over a resume.

If they pass that test, figure out a time and place to talk to them confront to face. You'll get the all-time feeling for them when you come across in person, but if you're in a pinch, FaceTiming or a phone call will do.

3. Get the right candidate with the right questions

You'll desire to come prepared with a few questions so you can determine whether or not they're a good fit. To go the interview started, explain the general idea of what tasks y'all need assistance with, and ask them to tell you nearly some of their similar experiences.

No demand to go full boardroom on anyone, but yous want to get a adept experience for the blazon of person they are and the quality of work they produce. Inquire behavioral questions that will assist you go the answers y'all need. For case, asking "Tell me about a fourth dimension a project you were working on didn't go according to programme. What was your part? How did you did y'all deal with this upshot?" can allow you know about a candidates leadership skills.

Then think virtually what type of person you want working by your side. Studios tin be close quarters and you don't want to dread coexisting with the person yous hired. Asking, "What are the iii things that are nearly important to you in a task? " can suss out if the candidate is a good cultural fit for your studio. Happy employees = happy studio.

Y'all wear a lot of hats as an artist and a business concern owner. You want an assistant who can exercise the aforementioned and who is adaptable and agile. Develop questions to see if your new assistant is capable of handling the many dissimilar aspects of running a studio. An example question would exist: "Tell me about a time when you were asked to practice something yous had never done before in a previous role. What was your response? What did you acquire?"

Place the pillars that you find most of import in an assistant or fine art intern. Is it communications skills, fourth dimension management, adaptability, collaboration, or independence? And then, create your own behavioral questions around these skills to encounter how they take responded in by situations. They can exist specific or wide.

Finally, don't forget to hash out their availability and make sure it works with your schedule and needs.

If they check off all the "must-have" boxes, then there'due south no need to keep searching. In the finish, you'll accept a adept feeling about the candidate y'all want to choose!

four. Cover your managing director side

You've plant "the one." Now you need to put them to work.

Call up, your studio assistant is hither to help! At that place needs to be plenty structure so they know how to fill the fourth dimension and get done what needs to be done, but also time to larn and take fun. You want this to be as much of a valuable experience for them every bit information technology is for you.

Go far the habit of developing to-dos.

Now that you take someone under your fly, brand information technology a priority to sit downward every week and think near the tasks ahead that demand doing. Where tin can y'all use assist? What tasks can you lot delegate?

Brand a list of to-dos that your new assistant tin refer to as soon as they walk in the studio. They can e'er follow up with questions when needed, but otherwise, you can both get right to work.

TIP: Don't simply pass off tasks simply because you hate doing them. Some tasks only yous can consummate.

And so don't forget to develop a way to proceed track of tasks, whether it's adding more to-dos, jotting downwardly notes nearly a certain project, staying on pinnacle of deadlines, or signaling when a task is done. Prepare expectations near quality and what needs to be run by you before completion.

Stick to a organization and communicate!

Develop your management style.

In any new position at that place's going to be a learning curve, but over time yous will be able to identify your assistant's strengths and figure out how to use them best. Don't be agape to give them a petty liberty as you see fit. A fresh pair of eyes might exist able to see a better style of doing things.

Another tip? Constantly cheque in with yourself.

Think about bosses you've had and loved. What kind of boss do yous want to be? What tools tin you lot suggest or enquire them to inquiry to make their task easier? Are your goals actually doable? Set your assistant up for success and everyone wins!

Don't ever underestimate the power of an employee who feels appreciated. Tell them ofttimes when y'all are thankful for their good work.

Get the help y'all need.

One of import tool your assistant can use to relieve fourth dimension and keep the concern side of things organized is Artwork Archive.

This easy-to-utilize art inventory software helps you manage your constantly evolving art business concern.

Tape your art inventory details, track the changing locations of your work, record all of your art sales, manage competition and bear witness dates, go along upwardly with client contact info, create reminders tied to your schedule, and generate professional reports with the click of a button.

When you link all of these moving parts to each other on Artwork Archive, the business organization side of your art career stays organized. Your assistant's life gets easier. And, you lot tin can focus on your truthful passion—making fine art.


Ready to go your fine art business organized? Give Artwork Annal a try for costless now.