Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Annie Lévesque, Owner of Galerie Ni Vu Ni Cornu, located in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, QC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a gallery owner. My job is to show, promote and sell the creations of Quebec artists. I represent more than 40 professional artists in Quebec's visual arts and crafts. The mission of the Gallery Ni Vu Ni Cornu is to support emerging professional artists. They are prioritized during the selection by the jury. Our clients are art lovers, collectors, and occasionally tourists.

Tell us about yourself

My job as a gallery owner is to do market development. That is to say, to sign partnership agreements with companies, make presentations to clients, or develop business projects. I also lead a career as a painter. Occasionally, I receive other artists in my workshops located at the top of my first gallery, in an old hotel.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

To still be a gallery owner after 11 years. I have seen several galleries disappear from the cultural landscape during my career. My determination, my tenacity, and my passion for my profession have made me still here today.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I own three companies in the cultural field, so I have a lot of responsibilities. I constantly have to find solutions, be creative and pass on my knowledge to my team to make my business projects grow.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be curious and determined: to know how to adapt to what is happening in your sector. Know well both its competitors and its markets, and understand your professional environment. Keep yourself constantly informed.
  2. Love numbers and management, project leadership, and organization administrative and financial. We cannot avoid having to talk about expenses and investments. Building a network is fundamental: a highly diversified network made up of business partners and expert advisors.
  3. Always return to the vision that inspired the launch of your business. Stay the course to manifest your vision in the business world.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I aim to be happy every day. One day, I decided to follow my heart to do what I love the most. And I apply this rule every day the most possible. Doing what I love the most, following my instincts to grab the opportunities and my intuition to know how to take calculated risks but bold. I don't hesitate to think outside the box.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.nivunicornu.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalerieNiVuNiCornu/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nivunicornu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ni_vu_ni_cornu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annielevesquepeintre/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.