Sole Proprietor Entrepreneurship

As I’ve been gearing up to teach my Arts Entrepreneurship course at Drexel this spring, I have been talking to my students and colleagues about the field and have been reviewing (again) the literature. One particular area of confusion that keeps emerging needs clarification, that of the difference between sole proprietorship, and entity, or venture creation. #

Not that these 2 areas are opposed to each other, or that they are in opposition to each other, it’s just that some clarification is justified. Sole proprietorship is about transforming one’s talents into income-producing activity. This activity may or may not be innovative or of leadership quality. It’s intent is to provide income and a meaningful profession in one’s area of expertise. This activity may, in part, involve the creation of an entity (small ensemble), but it’s primary intent is to “employ” the individual in question. #

There have been a number of excellent books written to empower young artists in this regard. Among them are Beyond Talent, Creating a Successful Career in Music by Angela Beeching; The Savvy Musician by David Cutler; Lessons from a Street-wise Professor, What You Wont’ Learn at Most Music Schools, by Ray Ricker; The Profitable Artist, A Handbook for All Artists in the Performing, Literary, and Visual Arts, published by Artspire/New York Foundation for the Arts; and The Successful Artist’s Career Guide, Finding Your Way in the Business of Art, by Margaret Peot. #

For aspiring young artists these books provide comprehensive advice and inspiration. #

I continue to be particularly interested in empowering (and inspiring) young artists to create new ventures, ones that both rethink the basic structure of, and that challenge what now exists in the arts and culture sector. I fear that unless we motivate emerging artists to think this way, we will continue to lose market share.  I hope to direct my course content and activities toward this goal. #

I thank the many readers who weighed in on the issues I confronted in constructing the new program at Ithaca College. I will return to this topic in the near future. #