In the Business of Art

@Doug88888 via Compfight

Two years ago, I was 'forced' to register for a business number when I was hired to work as a contractor for a major transportation company. I remember feeling trepidation at the time. This was going to be complicated and a bit of a hassle. I was going to have to keep much better track of my receipts and bill for things like HST. Ugh, taxes and the man, am I right?

Two years later and I now realize that this was a major stepping stone in my growth as an artist-entrepreneur. That little 9 digit number is opening up a world of possibilities for me; possibilities that include this new little thing called payroll.

I had a meeting today with my local Employer Services Bureau to discuss Youth Employment funding. This meeting would not be possible if I wasn't already registered as a business. The fund, offered by the Government of Ontario, will help subsidize my new staff, enabling me to offer more hours and a higher rate of pay.

I am beyond excited!

During my meeting, I was asked when I first decided to start my own business. I wouldn't say it was an active decision, more something that just organically happened over the years, but it's exciting and it feels right. I am both in control and letting things go. I'm creating work opportunities in my community and helping future artpreneurs (Is that a word? Can I make it a real word?) develop and grow.

Well, shit. Ain't that something?

Join the Team?

Wow, I am simply floored right now with the response to my request for help from yesterday! I hadn't even created the job description or given out any kind of salary information and yet I received a slew of offers, all from very talented individuals, telling me they want to work with me. Gosh, I wish I had the money to hire every single one of them. I would create an unstoppable ûber team!

This response forced me to sit down and immediately start typing out what I need... which proved to be a tad more difficult than I expected. You see, I find it very difficult to let go of things that I have been working on forever, no matter how much more efficient it would be to do so. I'm also trying to picture where I want my little company, Broken Turtle Productions, to go next.

Since this is an incredibly new thing for me to do, I've decided to take a somewhat unorthodox step. Basically, the person who is selected for the job will help create the position they will be working in. Which is why I have decided to meet with every serious candidate in person over coffee to figure out who I would like to work with. And if they are not in town, we will Skype.

A lot of coffee will be ingested, but I am prepared to make that sacrifice.

What will we talk about? You, mostly. Who you are, where you're from, why you got involved in theatre, where you see yourself in a few years, what you bring to the table, ect. And me; as in why do you want to work with me?

And just so you're not working in a complete void, a little bit of information about the year to come: My main show, Roller Derby Saved My Soul will be going on an 8-city tour this summer, possibly more, and I will be producing a feature-length documentary of the tour. I am also looking at producing my other show, the site-specific, French, Dolores in Montreal and I'm in talks to turn Dolores into a short-film. With all this, I would also like to start creating again.

Things I know I will need help with for sure include marketing & media relations, newsletter management (I'd like to finally get that up and running), translation (so excellent skills in French would be a definite asset, but don't be scared as it is not the be-all end-all), general admin, tour management, grant writing, sponsorship & fundraising, community relations, production management, web updates... Again, I don't expect to find one person who can do ALL these things (though if you exist, where have you been all my life?), but one person who could do SOME of these things. And this list isn't exhaustive. If you have skills and abilities I haven't considered, please let me know! Perhaps what I really need in my life is someone who can juggle.

The job would mostly start in the new year. Hours will be random, so I'm looking for someone flexible who can multitask; someone who can work in high-stress environments without losing their head or their positive attitude; someone passionate, driven, who likes to have fun, because, after all, this should be fun. We're making art!

Salary to be discussed with the successful applicant.

So, if after reading all this you are still interested, please send a resume to info at nancykenny dot ca by Sunday, December 8th. For those of you who have already informed me of your interest, I will be in touch.

Asking for Help

Maritè Toledo via Compfight

I've been on the road a lot. This year, I've been across the country twice, with a few treks down to New York City for good measure. I haven't had a permanent home since May and it looks like I won't be needing one until at least October of next year. And that's very exciting. I've got some really great projects coming up and I can't wait to share them with all of you.

But all this traveling has also made me very tired and I need to take better care of myself. Which is why I have come to the realization that I need help. During the Magnetic North Theatre Festival this past June, Industry Series participants took part in informal discussion groups. The one that struck a chord with me the most was about Work-Life Balance.

Ever since that group, I've been toying with the idea of hiring an assistant and I've finally decided to put it out there. I'll post a full job description in the next few days, but I'm looking for a student or an emerging artist who is interested in working with me and acquiring skills in production and marketing. It will require excellent writing skills and fluency in French would be a definite asset. Since I travel a lot, there is no need to be living in the same city, though preference would be given to someone in either Ottawa, Toronto or Montreal. This will be a paid position.

Like I said, I'll be posting an official job description in the next few days, but if you or someone you know is already interested, please send an email to info at nancykenny dot ca for additional information.