In 2010 FluteSquad.com is going to focus on an issue that is near and dear to me: Goal Setting. I personally feel this really is the key to success in any venture both business and personal. The goals you set are a barometer to gauge why some ventures win and some fail.
In this spirit I thought it would be keen to name a few of my goals for the band(s) and then revisit them around Jan 1st 2011 and see how it pans out for us.
Obtain $10,000 in revenue for all three bands
The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad, Wild Bonerz, and The Hilltop Hightops have to step up and make some money this year to keep things rolling. In years’ past, the goal has been to keep the band self-sustained. The numbers on self-sustainment have gotten quite vague, so keeping track of this income should give us all a clearer idea of what works and what doesn’t.
In 2010 I’d like to surpass the self-sustainment goal by actually making us somewhat profitable, perhaps enough so each of us can draw a (very small) retainer salary. With a new album, plenty of merch, and some paying gigs already on the schedule, $10,000 seems totally reachable.
Finish and release The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad’s Bone Slinky!
Thankfully, our follow-up to 2007′s Die Humpin! is well underway. In terms of distributing the album we have to make much wiser decisions. This includes pressing less physical copies and pushing for more digital sales. Die Humpin! was a great experiment with many successes in execution but many mistakes in distribution.
Create 30 posts specific to goal-setting for bands on this site.
This means an emphasis on informative and tactical advice as opposed to the typical band news posts. Of course there will also be book reviews, venue reviews and band news. However the almost-weekly tactical post is going to be something I seriously need to gain discipline to acheive.
As part of this theme, most posts will contain some notation about the specific purpose of doing whatever it is we are suggesting to do. For example, if a post is about downsizing your live setup, there will be a note stating how following this advice should accomodate the overall goal of helping a band become successful.
Obtain official endorsement from Party City
The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad is famous for our endorsement from Michael Guitar, a fledgling guitar distributor that seemingly went under shortly after giving us a ton of gear. To be fair, we more than delivered on our half of the bargain. For 2010, I would like to approach Party City or some other costume-outfitter with a deal to endorse their brand. Party City is our store of choice for costumes so it naturally seems like a good fit.
Significantly build our mailing list
Regrettfully, in the past, I’ve missed every opportunity to build a successful mailing list for the band. This is a HUGE mistake that I plan to fix in 2010. I’m not sure of a specific number of subscribers to reach for, I just know that our efforts need to be stepped up significantly. Oh, by the way, Please Sign Up For Our Mailing List to get free music and find our when our blog is updated.