Since starting my business last year, I’ve really made it a point to be disciplined with documenting my expenses and making sure all my financials are in order.  Although, I think there’s still room for improvement, my accountant tells me, I’m one of his best clients :)

So how did I get such praise? Although a few accounting and excel classes in college I’m sure helped, my experience as an admin assistant processing expense reports, reallly helped me in the long run.

One of the main things I feel have helped me stay on track is my “expense notebook”, a place to keep track of all my receipts!  It’s a bit time consuming, but I tape each receipt to the notebook in chronological order.

I also utilize my google calendar, by adding mileage, toll, and any expenses I incurred for a meeting or event, in the notes area. It’s an easy way to keep information organized.

Last but not least, I created a spreadsheet that makes all the information easy to read and calculate come tax time.

Another best biz practice is to check in quarterly with your accountant to assess whether or not you need to file taxes. Breaking up the year into quarters to evaluate your financial statements, and pay taxes, definitely helps ease the stress of a cutting a big check to the IRS the following year. By filing quarterly you can break up the payments, and hopefully end up with a nice return instead.

If you don’t have an accountant, check out California Lawyers for the Arts (www.calawyersforthearts.org) as a resource, they offer workshops year round. You can also call my guy! Jotham Ty at jotham@tyacpa.com :)

For those of you who know me from baaack in the day (2006), when I started a monthly event  in downtown SF, “The Natoma St Open Mic”, you know the band Kapakahi as the band that layed down dope, live beats, for the performers that came through.

Kapakahi setting up at Zebulon, home of the Natoma St Open Mic (2006-2007)

Over the years Kapakahi has released a few albums, toured throughout the West Coast and Hawaii, and basically produced really great reggae/rock/hip hop inspired music.  They are easily one of my favorite bands… and now they’re one of my clients! Well, not Kapakahi… but rather the band they have transformed into, My Peoples.

Yes, a band name change…!

Kapakahi > My Peoples + 2 upcoming albums to be released = a Papa Lo Down challenge!

I’m really honored to represent a band that I believe is dope, but I can also say that we’ve both come a long way, and have supported each other since day one.  It was only a matter of time before we combined our powers again, buahaha!

Be on the look out for My Peoples, and seriously listen to the music! You will need some refreshing tunes to bring in the summer, it’s right around the corner…

*my favorite track “Tell Me” off the “Back2Roots EP”

www.mypeoplesmusic.com

A few weeks ago, the seminar in LA I had been (mentally) planning since last year, finally came to fruition with the help of Event Coordinator Vanessa Beard, and Fashion Stylist Keisa Sullivan.

workshop located in downtown LA

Coordinating from another city was challenging, but with weekly conference calls, and tons of google docs, we pulled it off!

We even got some press from FashionablyMarketing.Me (READ HERE)

Although I never worked with Vanessa and Keisa before, keeping constant communication about updates, weekly meetings, and organziation is what allowed the event to go off smoothly (with only a few minor bumps!).

Looking forward to more planning in the future :)

It’s been quiet on the blog front, but I’ve been building up the clientele and the workload, and I am truly busy and blessed.  It’s been a long time on the road doing all this work by myself, and there comes a time that each business owner makes to hire on more help… so, I did.

Meet Catherine!

Catherine Judge was born and raised in San Francisco and has coordinated programs and chapters with youth, political, community, and labor organizations in the Bay Area, and New York City. Catherine graduated from Queens College, with a B.A. in Urban Studies, and she has given presentations and workshops on campaigns and organizing strategies at universities throughout the country. Catherine is currently an apprentice with Papa Lo Down (www.papalodown.com), a  Bay Area based Public Relations and Marketing Consulting service founded by Paloma Belara. She also represents Bay Area based visual artist Ozi Magana (www.feodome.artworkfolio.com).

Catherine specializes in research and publicity for independent artists, and works with clients to help devise and execute their marketing and promotional plans. Catherine’s social justice work prompted the desire to represent artists whose work reflects their commitment to raising consciousness and pushing boundaries. She approaches each project with a worker’s rights perspective, and prides herself in providing a qualitative service grounded with integrity.

You can contact her at catherine@papalodown.com

Wow, it’s been over a month since my last post!  I’m sad that I haven’t been able to write as often as I’d like to… but, if I’m not writing, it’s due to the fact that I’m juggling many projects! And writing in the Papa Lo Down blog falls last on the priority list. womp womp!

But, I happened to find the time this evening, because I’m going to LA next week!! Why do you care? Well, first off I’ll finally be able to check out Devil’s Pie LA on Wednesday, 3/17 (more info here www.devilspiesoul.com), and party with my Southern Cali folks! come through!

The big news though, is that I’ll be speaking at an entrepreneur seminar, tailored for both the fashion and entertainment industry, that I’ve been planning for months!! Thanks to the wonderfully efficient and detailed Vanessa Beard, the idea has come to fruition. Joining me at the seminar is Fashion Consultant, Keisa Sullivan, who happens to have grown up in the same town I did! (707 stand up!!)

See all the wonderful details below, and be sure to check out the registration page on eventbrite.  If you or your homies are interested in attending hurry up and register, there’s only ELEVEN days left! eek!

MORE INFO AND REGISTRATION HERE

This seminar provides information on starting and promoting your business independently. The seminar will begin with the basics of building a business, as explained by Fashion Consultant, Keisa Sullivan, founder of KS Consulting, Inc., and will end with the importance of developing promotional tools, as told by publicist, Paloma Belara, owner of Papa Lo Down, a PR & marketing consulting service. With the guidance of these two talented and experienced entrepreneurs, attendees will gain a wealth of knowledge about creating, maintaining, and expanding their business.

This seminar is ideal for the recent college graduate still developing their individual business plan, and the unconventional artist or designer looking to understand the basics of promotion.

ALL AGES WELCOME!

Advanced tickets – $20

or 2 tix for $30 (discount code 32010)

At the Door – $25

Doors open at 12pm / Seminar from 1pm-3pm

*Refreshments provided by Cupcake Vixen

Sponsored by:

Purple Room Studios
Ekqualyte Apparel
MADE Jewelry
Head2Toe Photography
Wakeupstar Media
Anike Jewels

Featuring Speakers:

Publicist, Paloma Belara
www.papalodown.com

Fashion Consultant, Keisa Sullivan
KS Consulting, Inc.

www.aheadofthepack.eventbrite.com

How many of you send out newsletters, promotional emails, etc?

How many of you know if your emails are actually effective?

Do you have to scroll down the screen several times to read the entire message?

Did you spend over 2 hours crafting the message?

Do you email people that are going to consider your message spam?

———————————————————————————————————————————

Yesterday I attended an “email marketing” workshop provided free of charge by the company Constant Contact (if you don’t know what service they provide, google them!).  It was very informative, and made me realize that not very many people know what they’re doing when they send out newsletters, and promotional emails.

A few things I learned:

• You should not spend more than 2 hrs crafting a message
• Reusing a template builds recognition
• Build readership habits by sending out email on same day/time
• In general, people take 3 seconds to read an email before deciding what to do with it (delete, archive, respond, etc)
• It’s illegal to send emails to people that have not subscribed to your newsletter

Although I would love to tell you errrything I learned at the workshop, I don’t have the time for all that, so I encourage all of you to attend when you get a chance.  Constant Contact offers workshops all across the United States, and are scheduled every month, so you have no excuses.  After the workshop, you walk away with a workbook, a copy of the presentation emailed to you, and the tools to confidently send emails to your contact list. Check this link for info on a workshop near you: http://www.constantcontact.com/local/index.jsp

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your customer, so DO take the time to make sure you’re doing it right… time is money.  Educating yourself on some basics in email marketing may be exactly what you need to increase the attendance at a show, or get better sales results.

Perhaps I’ll finally start a Papa Lo Down newsletter this year…

Homemade New Year’s Day Brunch, yummm!

2010.

New year, new decade… I’ve decided that one of the areas of my life I’d like to put more energy into is my financial health.

The first step in my plan is to pay with cash ONLY!  I know I’m not the only one tired of seeing overdraft fees appear unexpectedly like a bad rash.  By paying with cash, it forces you to manage your money more closely and doesn’t give the banks a reason to ping you a large amount over small accounting mistakes.

The next thing is to adjust my outlook on how I spend money.  Having a small business has made me realize I need to also approach my personal life like I would a small business.

income = revenue
spending = expenses
savings = profit
monthly bills (rent, phone, gas, insurance) = overhead

If you can begin managing your money like a small business, you might think twice about how and where you spend your money, and time.

There’s a lot more work involved in getting to a level of financial fitness that I feel good about, but having the intention, purpose, and setting goals, is exactly what needs to happen first.

First of the year, the decade, the beginning of financial success…!

(SF, Union Square)

UPDATE,  1/3/09 – I just came across this article from the LA Times, “Money Resolutions to make in 2010″, that has some very helpful advice about the topic of financial health.  Read it when you get a chance, it may save you $100 this year.

LINK: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cover3-2010jan03,0,7066429,full.story

2009 is coming to an end… it’s been a beautiful year for growth and change, and risk taking.  As you may know by now graffiti living legend, Estria, is a client I’ve been working with this past year, and he also happens to be one of the key players in supporting my career move of starting my PR business. THANK YOU E!!

I wanted to share with you what he’s worked on and his accomplishments from 2009, which in turn is also a reflection of the work I’ve done this year.  I really feel blessed to be part of his team, and fortunate that I can work with a client who is responsible, ambitious, organized, and respectful, amongst other qualities, like an amazing artist, and business person, (who’s also become a mentor).

Estria worked on a total of 14 Murals this year! Lots of paint, lots of beautiful work, check out Estria’s top picks: *click on link to view full size

4 Guardians (Oakland)

Estria also traveled to Hawaii, Chicago, and Harlem, in search of the nation’s top graffiti artist. Finals were held in Oakland, CA, and the results were amazing! TDK’s very own Vogue took home the championship. Watch the official video recap:

Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle – Oakland 2009 Finals from Estria Battle on Vimeo.

A few weeks after the battle we had an in-store event at Shoe Biz on Haight St. in SF, where 20 pairs of Adidas Shelltoes and Stan-Smith kicks painted on by this year’s graffiti writers were displayed for an auction to help youth in Oakland and orphans in Africa. Shoebiz donated all proceeds to: YouthSpeaks.org and YouthAgainstPoverty.com. Watch the official video:

ShoeBizSF / Adidas x Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle from Estria Battle on Vimeo.

The year ended with the book release of “Mission Muralismo” which features work by Estria.

Birthed in the early 1970s, a provocative newstreet art scene transformed San Francisco’s legendary Mission District into an art epicenter that crosses popular culture, fine art and political audiences. “Mission Muralismo,” is an ever-growing movement of accomplished street art combining elements of Mexican mural painting, surrealism, pop art, urban punk, eco-warrior, cartoon, and guerilla graffiti that has catapulted many San Francisco artists into the international spotlight.

Featuring over 500 full-color photographs and 30 essays, including artistsEstria, R. Crumb, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Barry McGee (TWIST), Rigo, and Spain Rodriguez, Street Art San Francisco comprehensively exposes more than three decades of this expansive and vibrant public art movement. www.missionmuralismo.com

So what’s next??

We’re working on it… you’ll hear back from me soon!  Thanks to everyone for their continued support! Also, you can catch the Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle on FUEL TV in a few weeks!

Show will air – Monday, January 11th at 6pm PST/9pm EST and later again that evening at 9pm PST/12am EST. www.fueltv.com

I’m gonna test out a new segment on the Papa Lo Down blog, for folks to ask me questions, advice, etc. entitled “Dear Abby”.  Please email me paloma@papalodown.com and I will answer you to the best of my ability, so holla atcha girl!  (fun fact – I was in a movie called LUMPIA and played a character named “Abby”.)

So, a few weeks ago someone hit me up with questions surrounding her role and responsibilities as a manager to a new group.  Her main question:

“I feel like for the most part, they can manage themselves. But for them to be brought to another level, I believe that’s where I come in. For now, we’ve discussed my role as manager which includes taking up the tasks of: setting up a calendar of deadlines, gigs and what not; being their representative and liaison when someone wants to book them; and promoting them in any way I can (facebook, twitter, youtube, one-sheets, etc.). I think I’ve got that down, but here’s my question:

To what extent should I be there with them? Like is it necessary that I’m with them at all meetings they attend with other people and also, should I know EVERYTHING that is going on with them as a group? Say, if someone decides to make shirts for them, should I be there in the process of it all? Like really… to what extent should I be there for them? ‘Cause there goes that fine line. I don’t want to barge in or intrude if they don’t want me to be there, but at the same time, it feels like I should.”

Well… It depends. How invested are both parties? Do you want to be involved in every detail?  As a manager, you should be at all meetings, and part of every decision making process.  And yes, even at rehearsals and recording sessions.  One of the reasons for this is so that you’re all on the same page.  This is also your research, you have to know your client inside and out, because this will help you make the best decisions for them in the long run. And make sure they’re getting work done, that other people involved are being productive.

BUT, if your gut feeling is saying you’re wasting your time, and your stressing yourself out, you can step back and become a “project manager” or maybe you’re the “booking manager” or “PR manager”.  Breaking up the responsibilities in smaller sections is easier to handle, and defines what it is you are supposed to do, so everyone is clear.

Here are my tips:

- define your role and responsibility like you would a job description. Leave no room for confusion.
- Schedule monthly meetings, to re-evaluate progress, etc.
- Write out a contract/agreement!! This is IMPORTANT!! I don’t care if they are your family or bff’s. Having a written and signed agreement, makes everything that much more real, and holds folks accountable.

As a manager, you are the leader, and you’re on call 24/7, 365/year. And your client needs to respect that, they need to feel confident in giving up some power to you, that you’re making decisions and giving feedback with their best interest in mind.  If they can’t respect you, if they give you grief, then move on, or don’t give yourself that title.

In conclusion, I think this particular manager needs to change her role to a booking manager, and keep it simple. She is still learning the ropes herself, and without any industry background, you will find it frustrating to take on the full role of manager. Take on small roles little by little. Research everything you can about booking, then licensing, and touring, and publicity, and publishing, and networking, etc. It’s a lot!!

Also, if you don’t see this line of work in your future, if you don’t see the entertainment industry as a long term career choice, you might want to reconsider all the time, money, and energy you have to invest.  Supporting your homies can still happen without managing them, and driving yourself crazy…

Lately I’ve been writing a lot of bio’s, so I decided to share my process…

First thing I do is ask the client to write up their bio in their own words.  Nobody knows you better than yourself, and I can’t make things up out of thin air.  Next, I edit the information and construct it to be concise, informative, and captivating.

Media and industry professionals do not have a lot of time to waste reading someone’s entire life story in the bio, that’s what interviews and FAQ’s are for, so you want to capture their attention and give the key points quickly.

The main points to remember are: