Business Plan Development

During these past 4 weeks in this course Business Plan Development I have really learn how I can get my business going in the right direction. My goal I had set to get out of this class was to create a strong business plan, one that would lead my business to very successful. As I begin to get into the course and learn more about how I can strive to take my business into great place of success from reading the material. I began to see that most of my original ideas were going to need some mass tuning up and would have to start all over with executing everything I needed to have a great plan.  In the course I have learned that I should have been growing my brand by selling myself. Selling myself by using all my talents with displaying it on a resume or a CD.  With learning how to sell myself, I have found a huge underserved market in my specific field. I know where to place my advertisements and who to direct them at now. This course has also taught me that my business plan must be airtight with no mistakes anything that’s not close to being perfect could get my plan tossed to the side. Learning the structure of a business plan I found out real quick that it is very important. The financial aspect of a business plan is really the closing deal to getting everything going. However After learning these things of how important a business plan is very important, my whole fame of mind changed. I really started to look at thing different with getting my entertainment business off the ground. Now since I have learned some important information in this course.I will apply what I’ve learned to my last project due next month great. Once I have graduated, I’m really planning on revising my business plan again before presenting it. I also intend to give people some of my knowledge about what I have learned to those who are wanting go in the same direct as I.

Digital Marketing

As I’m starting to look back at my goal for this course which was to learn how to emphasis on the development of effective marketing plans that promote entertainment within a dynamic digital environment. I have started to learn how to use social media to promote or advertise a business or a brand.

 In my first week in this course I have learned what KPLs (Key Performance Indicators) are. KPLs are simply the metrics that can be monitored during a campaign to determine if the marketing goals are meeting the marketing objective. I have also learned how to install and use Google Analytics. However after learning about Google Analytics from the first week I have also learned about two-keyword classification: Broad and Long Tail. Learning that Broad is a 1-2 word in length and they are generic meaning less specific. Long Tail is 3-5 or more words in length and they are much more focused meaning the result is much more specific.  I have also learned about some demographic research tools and websites, which will help me with my new skills such as Doubleclick ad planner, Quantcast and Alexa. I have learned how to upload my sitemap to Google Webmaster tools. After researching companies in the entertainment industry, I realized how much social media plays a big part in their overall marketing efforts. How it helps the companies meet their marketing objectives. As of now I am learning how to create a digital marketing canvas for my business.

 “At this point I’m saying you should market in the day you live in since marketing is changing so fast.”(Vaynerchuk 2012) This is why I would use this material I learned in this class a few different ways. By using Instagram and Twitter for advertisements for my artists music. Facebook and Youtube to promote their music vidoes and upcoming shows. These tools are great because if one of my clients has a concert in a specific area, their fans can utilize the feature and promote the artists show.

GARY VAYNERCHUK

https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/how-to-market-your-business/

Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution

    During these past 3 weeks in this course Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution I have really learned a lot about how things work with getting your product released world wide in the entertainment business. I learned several distribution models and through the assignments that were given I gain a better understanding. Working on assignment such as creating a press kit, pitch/query letter and business strategy. These assignments helped me choose the best distribution model and publishing for my own creative content. I also learned about distribution, publishing, piracy, social media, digital rights management, and legislation. Through theses topic I really gained a great understanding of this side of the business. The discussion boards also help me gain knowledge and understand on why having an agent is important, how to obtain agent, what makes a good press kit, and how media habits affect they way you distribute creative content. However in this class I have really learned how to analyze how things are changing in this new generation with how technology has advanced with getting things out worldwide. Social media platform are a very big key, with using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or a combination of them all and more server as great ways to connect to people all over the world. Learning about other combination platforms and other server such as Cd Baby and TuneCore. I gain the knowledge of how to publish my own music and gain my overall profit less annual fees through these great platforms with music. This course has really been informative and I would recommend for everyone that going or thinking of going in this industry to take it in order to gain more knowledge on how to publish and distribute their. This course really is a great start up with the tools they provide to gain the most out of your desired field to be successful.

Advance Entertainment Law

During these past 4 weeks in this course Advance Entertainment Law I have really learned a lot about how things work on the legal side of entertainment business. Learning about how important is to make sure all liabilities are covered by getting insurance or using other legal documents to keep from being involved in a lawsuit. I have also learned more about how copyrights work and how registering your work can help play a big factor with making sure you keep ownership of your work. Just in case someone feels like they are the creator and think they actually have proof to show that the tangible item is theirs. Tangible items I learn that can be register are letters, speeches, and fictional characters. Non tangible items that can’t be register are ideas, plots, concepts, facts, names, titles, short phrases, scenes-a-faire, stock characters, procedures, processes and Pre-1972 sound recordings. I also learned with copyrights that they can last as long as the author is a live plus70 years after. However trademarks and patents are some other things I have learned out of this course. Learning how to register my logo, name, number, design and slogans at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect my brand was very beneficial. This course has also helped my learn how to fill out the legal documents to register my business, trademark and copyrights. After learning and understanding all these things that I would need to know to be knowledgeable about what is legal and what is not. I have gained a great understanding of how to cover myself and my business. I now see the right legal path that I would need to follow in order to become great in this industry without any legal problems. This was a really informative course and I would really recommend for everyone that going or that is in this industry to take it in order to gain more knowledge on the legal side of it all.

Product and Artist Management

During these past 4 weeks this course Product and Artist Management has really taught and helped see how to build a relationship with consumer. I learned how plan and come up with strategies I would need to help sell my product to a target market that can relate to my product. Learning how to manage the relationship between consumers, to gain the best results in the market to come out on top. I have also learn how to be a great manager for an artist with making sure I can meet their need to help with making the best decisions to guide their career in the right direction. This course has really been a great guide with helping me understand the entertainment industry. Especially from these videos I have watched: FastCompany Article, 6 Leadership Styles and When You Should Use Them, Business News Daily, What Kind of Leader Are You?, The American Customer - Targeting Your Niche, and The Future of Social Commerce & Direct Distribution,”. The assignments and projects have also helped me understand as well with making a market strategy animation to explain my plans to market an artist, analyzing artist manager’s decision with their artist, and knowing who are the major players in the entertainment industry. After learning and understanding all these things that I would need to know in order to manage and help gain great success with consumers. I now see the right path I need follow to become great in this industry. Just watching the video “The Future of Social Commerce & Direct Distribution,” I feel served as the best example of this course on behalf of the relationship with artist and their fans. The video really explained the different tools that artist could use to build relationships, which really open my eyes to want to use all the tools I can to be successful in my career. However I am very thankful for this course and really feel it would be a great help for everyone in this industry.

Negotiation & Deal-Making

During these past 4 weeks in this course Negotiation and Deal-Making I have learned how to negotiate the correct way. Learning techniques and different tools to help me in a negotiation. This course has really given me the confidence to go into any negotiation well prepared if I follow the simple steps I have learned. Steps such as researching and getting all of my information about the other party that I would be going against. I learned by following those steps it would put me in a place in knowing about the other party and would keep me a step ahead. However not only did I learn how to from the steps that would help me be well prepared into going in a negotiation. I also learned how not to get too emotional when a negotiation starts to heat up between myself and the other party. The video that was provided in this course between the two realtors really provided a good example of how not let your emotions take over when trying make a deal with potential buyers to close a deal. I learned going off your emotions most of the time could really make a negotiation have a negative outcome for both sides, if both side cant stay in a clam space to handle things in a more professional way. When things get to that point one person at least has to what is more important and bring everything back together to come up with a solution to handle that issue. In this course that’s where I learn how to use the techniques to handle issues like that to help a negotiation run smooth and back on track. Nevertheless after working through the three different assignments in this course to actually see how things would be today if I was going into a major negotiation and deal making meeting. I have incorporated different ways of how to going into a meeting to get a very positive outcome for myself in the future.

Entertainment Business Finance

During these past 4 weeks this course Entertainment Business Finance has been one of the most challenging but very helpful in opening my eyes to see how much work I would have to put into my business plan to be successful. I learned so much in this course, especially how to breakdown everything I would need into managing a business that would bring a great amount of revenue. Learning how to develop an income statement, balance sheet and cash flow really helped me to identify where all my money would go. After learning how to develop by identifying how everything was broken down I have learn the next important key to a business, which was the breaking even method. The Breaking even method severs as a big insight to show a company how much money it would take to the point where a company can start receiving all the money that has been put into the business. It also helped as an overview to see if the business is moving in the right direction. This course has really help me realize that in order for me to achieve my goals ahead of starting my own record label I would have to make sure I have funds and ways to bring in other revenue into my company to keep me heading in the right direction, which after during my research on crowdfunding I learn other ways. Learn what was crowdfunding and how it works in ways to help a business with bringing in funds was very helpful for me. Nevertheless working through the four different case studies in course to actually see how things would be today if I had my own company was a very helpful insight as well because I learned so much from just working through the case to figure out how thing are done. This course really served as a great insight and I wouldn’t mind taking it again.

Business Storytelling and Brand Development Discussion

During these past 4 weeks this course has taught and helped me to bring my brand to life. I learned how plan and come up with ideas to build my company from scratch. Learning how to develop my company overview, a brand identity to create brand experiences for my customers/clients, an entertainment business plan, researching the market, creating my company’s buyer persona, brand strategy, creating a protectable and relevant brand name, developing a tagline, creating a business model canvas, building my corporate culture, and cre­ating my mantra or mission statement. This course really made me focus on everything that I would like to achieve with my brand and company by making sure I build a strong foundation to do so. After learning all these things to develop my brand, this course also helped me to create my company’s buyer persona and aim for the right target audience with the guidance of the PEST analysis. This course also gave me developmental tools to help me later on the future with my company that consisted of Claritas, BMFiddle, brand identity prism and USPTO.gov. However after doing all the assignments for this course I started to see how simple things were because at first everything seemed hard with trying to put everything on the right track to succeed. Taking this course I have also learned more about how to develop my own label, branding myself and developing a strong foundation to have a successful company.  For example with the assignment entertainment industry research I learned the steps that I would need to take in order to guide my company and brand down the right path. I also learned how create a market overview and position statement to help me in developing a great background about my companies brand. This course really helped me see how important it is to develop a great brand with great story behind it to achieve success in my company

Project and Team Management Discussion

During these past 6 weeks this course has taught and helped me bring out more of my creative side. I learned how plan and come up with ideas I would need to finish a project from scratch. Learning how to develop my first album in the industry research assignment really gave me a really good in-site of how much work I would have to put in to have a success album. After learning the things I would need to develop an album this course help to come up with a successful budget and timeline to see every step, one by one in details of how long it would take to finish the project with a well mapped out budget. However after doing those things the course really made everything seem very simple to me because the way I was visualizing everything before was not good. Nevertheless this course really gave me the tool to help guide me in mastering everything I need to develop a successful project. Taking this course I have also learned more about myself and have developed more in some areas I was very weak in.  For example with the assignment in the course about conflict resolution I learned some steps that I can take in order to prevent conflicts in my role as a leader. I also learned how to understand different personalities and how to adapt to other when working in a team from the character study assignment. The assignments in this course really help me see how important it to get to know people personally. Also by using the DISC assessment it really served as a very helpful and informative tool to help me learn people’s personality better. So In this course I feel that my audience will learn all tools I have learn from this experience of how to work with people and understand their personality very well.

My Leadership Style

After readings and discussion this month from these books The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell. I believe I would use both leadership styles with going into the entertainment industry. Although I know I am much more of a Maxwell type of a leader but I would need Greene to help me fight in this industry. Greene’s laws would give me the tools I would need to making through the industry to be on top. For example Greene’s Law number thirty-five Mastering the Art of Timing which consist of three basic time frames long, forced and end time. Being able to master this Law I want only be able to just secure myself in the industry but surpass further then I ever imagine with using my wits at the right time to out shine the others. However using Maxwell leadership style would be my base because of my personality and showing some sense of care for others to see them succeed like myself. For example Maxwell’s principle influence, which is base off of five different levels position, permission, production, people development and personhood. I feel that by me being able to influence someone to succeed in the industry from my leadership would be a great accomplishment for not only the person but for me as well. Going into the entrainment industry focused on becoming an artist manager many scenarios will occur where I will have to be able play within the game of industry to help make through all road blocks to clear up a great path to the top. Being able to use both leadership like an on and off switch would keep me in a ready state of mind to take on anything that comes my way in order to gain respect. I feel that in this industry respect is not just given to you because of the title you have in front of your name. Respect is earned by your work ethics and things your have achieved to make you stand out. So by being able to use both styles I feel that I will be able to have a long successful career in this industry with secure path greatness ahead. 

References:

Greene, R. (1998). The 48 Laws Of Power. New York: Vital Source Bookshelf.

Maxwell, J. C. (1993). In Developing the leader within you Nashville: T. Nelson.