I have been aware of the necessity of understanding the business side of the creative industries for two years now. I am fortunate to have a people close to me that have been able to help me when it comes to some of the elements I don’t understand. For example, I struggle to understand legal terms, but my sister is a solicitor and can help me when necessary (I source out for contracts as she is not a contract lawyer). I have found the most beneficial source of help to be others in the industry after I figure out what exactly I need help on.
I was made aware of copyright and trademarks in more detail back when I started needing to market myself in the industry. As someone in the creative industries I take copyright seriously as I also want the protection that it can provide (despite the headaches it can cause). When it came to trademarks, I didn’t quite understand why I would ever need to trademark my artist name. I understood it was to help with the confusion of products, but I also never plan on making merchandise. Though with further research it became clear that it is easier to claim trademark infringement than copyright infringement (Schlackman, n.d.). When I search up the name CERYS for international trademark using WIPO there were two active trademarks. The first is in France for pharmaceuticals and advertising and the second is in Spain for travel ("WIPO Global Brand Database", 2020). Neither of these encroach areas that I am currently thinking that I may want to protect. I use the name CERYS due to the anonymity it provides me as well as the gender neutrality of it. This has always been important to me as someone who grew up with social media everywhere and the stalking of celebrities. I made this decision at the beginning of my identity creation and marketing. I have no idea if I will ever need this, but I prefer the security it gives me.
I knew I needed to get an ABN as soon as I started working in audio. I saw that I can get an ABN myself but due to other investments I want to consult a professional to ensure that I fill out the paperwork correctly. I struggle with finance and accounting more than any other parts of business. It was told to me by someone that creating a business bank account and savings account is a good idea. I have always had a savings account as budgeting and saving has always been instilled in me by my parents. They had small businesses while I grew up. The main one was when I was incredibly young and so I don’t have much knowledge of it. However, their other small business was when I was older and so I understand a little bit more. I knew that MYOB is an official invoicing and accounting program however, I don’t enjoy bookkeeping enough for that. I definitely need to consult someone with more financial knowledge. Once I get an ABN then I will open a business bank account with my current bank as I have all my accounts with them. I will also consult with their financial consultants as they can explain the differences with accounts. It is important to me to make sure I have a good account as I found with my savings account that another type was better and so I transferred my account to the other type. This is definitely an area that I need to get more comfortable with and I am slowly learning.
I have also updated my CV as I have been looking at internships and have been in contact with the Industry Liaison Consultant. Currently we are looking at Folklore for it and are getting details on their internship. I am also trying to continue to network. This has always been difficult for me as I am incredibly introverted and struggle to talk to people I’ve never met before. I find creating an image is important and I make sure that my website, CV, and Cover Letter (if needed) all match in style. I do this through the consistency of using the same filter on all my blog post cover images, I use the same header image on them all and I always use black and white style. I also have been working with a graphic designer Tori Keegan to design a logo for my marketing. It was difficult as I knew I wanted something minimalistic but also inspired by the Victorian Era. I enjoy the look of the font from that time as it is decorative but still readable. In the end we settled on the design below.
I will continue to create a strong and consistent image for my brand. I am slowly creating a good freelancer base; however, I have not ruled out working for an organisation. I would prefer to have the stability of a company though I still want to be able to take on jobs that interest me as a freelancer. I don’t think I will fully feel comfortable with the uncertainty of the audio industry but, the understanding of business that I have now definitely helps.
References
Schlackman, S. Should An Artist Trademark Their Name? [Blog]. Retrieved 22 December 2020, from https://alj.artrepreneur.com/trademark-name/.
WIPO Global Brand Database. Www3.wipo.int. (2020). Retrieved 22 December 2020, from https://www3.wipo.int/branddb/en/.
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