Being an artist - with an art business - is not all about making art!
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Real life as an artist with an art business involves:
  • a lot of activities and practices which mean you can continue to make and share and sell your art.
  • a lot of routines which you need to make time for and which need to be followed if you aren't going to be wasting your time and living and working and storing your art in a complete mess.
  • laws which MUST be observed
Plus professional practices which can make a difference between being a successful artist and an "also ran".
This section is both ambitious and under development!
It covers:
  • Law for Artists - The Fundamentals
  • Business Administration and Contract Management
  • Financial Administration
  • Commissions, Project Proposals and Project Management

See the Art Business Information Index (site index) for where other topics of art business interest can be found

What this site does NOT do....
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The information on this site can be found elsewhere online. I've just pulled it all together so people can find it!
​Any advice provided comes with absolutely NO LIABILITY !​
This site does NOT provide:
  • Definitive answers on matters relating to legislation and regulation on the law and legal matters and records that artists and/or art organisations need to maintain and keep. 
  • "Professional advice" available from somebody with a legal qualification, membership of a relevant professional institute and CURRENT expertise in legal requirements anywhere in the world. ​
I RECOMMEND you pay a properly accredited professional for the relevant area of specialist legal advice IF:
  • your legal affairs or queries are complicated 
  • you have a specific query which you can't find an answer to from official information that is available online.
I expect those who write to me to have searched this site first for an answer to a query or a link to relevant and reputable information ( e..g. from governments)
I have no legal liability to you because
I have posted this disclaimer
I have no obligation to remain up to date with relevant legislation and professional standards etc.
​and to keep this website up to date (I do my best - but I am retired)
​- and YOU are NOT a client.

Law for Artists - The Fundamentals

You need to know about both legal rights and legal obligations under all laws relating to you as an individual and your art business.
a resource about the General Data Protection Regulation and data protection generally - for all art businesses collecting personal data of and doing business with EU residents, wherever they are located
This UK ONLY page reviews what trading legislation, regulations and consumer protection standards apply to ALL artists trading with UK consumers in terms of:
  • what goods and services you sell
  • how you describe and price your 
    • goods (e.g. art);
    • services (e.g. art tuition)
  • how you market your goods and services
  • where and when you sell 
  • how you sell - face to face or online
  • trading when insolvent, bankruptcy and insolvency
E-commerce is about
  • buying and selling goods online
  • i.e. commercial transactions conducted electronically via the internet.
THE RULES about selling art online - This site helps you with the law and regulations in the UK and USA relating to selling online
Covers:
  • Gallery Agreements
  • Consignment Agreements (for sale or return of artwork left with a gallery)
Covers:
  • Information and guidance for Art Market Participants
  • about the Anti Money Laundering (AML) Law and Regulations and
  • proper practices relating to anti Money Laundering practices.
IN DEVELOPMENT: 
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  • ​Why you need a contract (for commissions etc.)
  • ​Work Visas

Business Administration & Contact Management
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Guide for artists on how to to identify, assess, address, manage, reduce and mitigate their art business risks
IN DEVELOPMENT:
Contact Management - people and organisations
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  • Contacts Management - maintaining details of all those people you need to know and all those you have met
  • Client Management - how to keep your clients happy; how to avoid them taking advantage of you
  • Gallery Management - records of galleries you have dealings with, including contracts, management of correspondence (who said what and when)
ADVERT

Financial Administration
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IN DEVELOPMENT: Financial Administration

  • Annual & Quarterly Returns - tax returns for self-employed and those who employ assistants; plus VAT returns for those exceeding the mandatory threshold
  • Travel & Expenses: What you can and cannot claim against tax - and the documentation you need to make or retain
  • Records and receipts: the sort of things you need to keep records and receipts of - for doing your accounts and completing your tax returns​

In the Money & Tax section
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PLUS elsewhere on this site

Commissions, Project Proposals and Project Management

IN DEVELOPMENT:

  • Commissions Practice for Artists - how an artist should work to commission - and keep their sanity
  • Projects & Proposals - for those submitting proposals for competitions for artwork (usually for public art)​
If you need legal advice from a professional, I suggest you might like to take a look at the website / Facebook Page / Instagram account of Suzanne Dibble who is very experienced at providing online advice on small (and not so small!) but important matters to small business owners.

She is NOT oriented towards artists as such and I have NOT used her services. However I've been impressed by the way she shares a lot of information for free and makes the rest of her advice very accessible.