The Arts Business Award

Arts Business Award
(Two (2) or more employees)

Overview: The Arts Business Award will recognize the business skills of arts-based small businesses with two (2) or more employees. Businesses will be judged on their devotion and success to the entrepreneurial side of their art careers. Three (3) finalists and one (1) winner will be recognized. Both for profit and nonprofit businesses are eligible.

Award: The winner will receive $1,000, a choice of an avenue of free business support (website development, marketing, business advising, accounting, signange, etc.), a free year of COSE membership, an article in the COSE Update and an original piece of commissioned artwork.

Application/Nomination Process: Applicants and nominees will be asked to fill out a questionnaire for judging. The deadline for applications and nominations is Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 5:00 pm.

Eligibility: Any artist group or arts-based business of two (2) or more that has achieved success in the arts through using sound business practice and planning. Applicants must be devoted to professionally creating and presenting their artistic work: this includes making visual artwork, performing, writing, choreographing, and digital media.
• Applicant businesses must be located in Northeast Ohio (Cuyahoga, Medina, Lorain, Summit, Geauga, Ashtabula, Portage and Lake Counties).
• Winners of COSE ABI Awards in the past two years are not eligible.

Criteria: Applicants have made an effort to incorporate sound business practice into their profession, and can fulfill the following:
• Businesses are earning revenue from their creative enterprise. Revenue can be measured through tax records, receipts, invoices, or financial records. Other forms of income do not disqualify from the competition.
• Businesses have at least started the process of business planning – created a business plan, participated in strategy sessions with a mentor, set business goals, taken business related courses
• Artistic work is at the stage where the public or clients can view it, buy it, hire the company, attend a program, etc.
• Businesses can show marketing material such as business cards, brochures, and web presence, and plans for future development
• Businesses can show financial record keeping through use of software, or this can be verified through services of external service providers or internal staff.

Click Here to Apply for the Award

Click Here to Nominate a Business


Sponsored by:

Medical_Mutual_Logo     Cleveland Institute of Art     BioPlastics_Logo