What does it mean to have an 'anti-fragile' art business?

An anti-fragile business is one that doesn’t break when disrupted. In 2020, artists who relied solely on galleries or in-person shows had fragile businesses—they got crushed when lockdowns hit. Artists who had made the digital pivot years before—who had their own websites, email lists, and knew how to market online—had anti-fragile businesses. They saw record sales. To build an anti-fragile business, you need to own your customer data, have your own online presence, and not be dependent on any single channel or gatekeeper. Diversify how you sell and always be building your own direct-to-collector infrastructure.

---

Asked by an artist wanting a stable business · Answered by Nick Friend and Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-01-05