SOME SIMPLE (praclical) STEPS

JUST SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS WHILE YOU NAVIGATE THIS NEW MUSIC BUSINESS. NOT LAWYER TALK (WE'LL DO THAT LATER), JUST SOME OF MY EVERYDAY VIEWS & TOOLS

1.START COLLECTING AS MANY EMAILS AS POSSIBLE. THIS HABIT WILL BE USEFUL WHEN YOU START MAILING LISTS AND WHEN YOU DECIDE TO MASS PROMOTE ONLINE.

2.SET UP AN EMAIL ACCOUNT ( I PERSONALLY PREFER GMAIL BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF FILES THAT CAN BE ATTACHED TO AN EMAIL). KEEP NOTHING IN THIS ACCOUNT BUT THE EMAIL ADDRESSES OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS OR CLIENTS. YOU CAN GROUP CERTAIN PEOPLE (AGE GROUPS, REGIONS, JOB SECTORS , ETC), TO MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HIT YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.

3.SIT WITH AN ATTORNEY. ONE WHO KNOWS CORPORATE LAW. ONE WHO KNOWS THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF DOING BUSINESS IN YOUR PARTICULAR STATE/CITY/COUNTY. A LAWYER WITH TAX KNOWLEDGE WOULD REALLY COME IN HANDY. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR LAWYER CAN HANDLE YOUR TRADEMARK/TRADE NAME. NOW THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE COME TO ENJOY USING "LEGALZOOM.COM". YES I HAVE LAWYERS. YES THEY ARE VERY QUALIFIED TO HANDLE ALL MY LEGAL MATTERS, BUT SOME OF MY INTERESTS ARE STILL IN THE TOOLING STAGE, AND BECAUSE I DO HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE LEGAL SIDE OF DOING BUSINESS, I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, SOMETIMES GETTING SMALL STUFF HANDLED THIS WAY. THEIR PRICES ARE REASONABLE, AND THEIR TURN AROUND FOR GETTING THINGS DONE IS FAIRLY QUICK. 

NICHE - A FOCUSED, PORTION OF A MARKET SECTOR.

4. DECIDE ON A NICHE. ACTUALLY IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF SETTING UP YOUR OPERATION, SETTLING ON YOUR NICHE  BEFORE YOU NAME YOUR BUSINESS WOULD PROBABLY WORK OUT BETTER FOR YOU. DOING THIS OUT OF ORDER; YOU COULD COME UP WITH A JAZZY NAME THEN FIND OUT YOU DON'T WANT TO WORK IN A PARTICULAR STYLE OF MUSIC. NOW YOU HAVE A NAME AND LOGO THAT DOESN'T FIT THE NEW NICHE YOU'VE DECIDED TO GO INTO. I MEET VERY AMBITIOUS PEOPLE WITH VERY GRAND DREAMS ALL THE TIME. PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY DON'T WANT A LABEL THAT ONLY DOES ONE TYPE OF MUSIC. ADMIRABLE BUT NOT PRACTICAL. DIFFERENT FORMS OF MUSIC REQUIRE DIFFERENT SOUNDS, RECORDING FACILITIES, DIFFERENT MARKETING, ETC.

  USUALLY WHEN SOMETHING LIKE AN INDIE RECORD LABEL IS LAUNCHED, IT'S USUALLY A SMALL OR MICRO BUSINESS; WHICH MEANS YOU DON'T HAVE THE MAN POWER OR THE MONEY NEEDED TO MOUNT A MULTI-TIER, MULTIPLE GENRE MARKETING CAMPAIGN. SO, FOCUSING YOUR NEW COMPANY IS NECESSARY. IT KEEPS IT ALL MANAGEABLE. IT KEEPS IT SMALL ENOUGH IN THE BEGINNING AND HELPS YOU RESPOND TO CHANGES IN THE MARKET. MORE IMPORTANT FOR A NEW BUSINESS; IT KEEPS IT AFFORDABLE.