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Run It Like a Business
Strategies for Arts Organizations to Increase Audiences, Remain Relevant, and Multiply Money--Without Losing the Art
Published by BenBella Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Featured on Publishers Weekly 2024 Announcement Issue
TEDx speaker Aubrey Bergauer—“the Steve Jobs of classical music”—reveals how to run a successful arts business in the post-pandemic era, adapting for-profit methods for not-for-profit goals.
In the US alone, the arts are a $763 billion sector whose 100,000+ organizations serve almost every community in the nation. There’s no reason arts organizations should struggle to make ends meet. And now, with arts-tested strategies from Aubrey Bergauer, they won’t. This foolproof guide shows how to reach new levels of engagement—while always putting art first.
Running your arts organization like a business is your path forward to:
Grow audiences and keep them coming back again
Make our organizations more inclusive
Get younger attendees in the seats and on the donor rolls
Generate millions more dollars in revenue
Continue to create the art we love—without the stress of figuring out how to afford it
Just because arts organizations are non-profits doesn’t mean they shouldn’t make money; it means the money they make goes back to fund the mission—whether that’s music, visual arts, theatre, dance, or one of many other mediums that enrich our lives.
The for-profit world knows how to achieve success across customer engagement, user experience, company culture, the subscription economy, technology and media, new revenue streams, and brand relevance. Run It Like a Business provides a powerful, proven framework to help all arts organizations revitalize their economic engines and ultimately serve the arts and its patrons.
TEDx speaker Aubrey Bergauer—“the Steve Jobs of classical music”—reveals how to run a successful arts business in the post-pandemic era, adapting for-profit methods for not-for-profit goals.
In the US alone, the arts are a $763 billion sector whose 100,000+ organizations serve almost every community in the nation. There’s no reason arts organizations should struggle to make ends meet. And now, with arts-tested strategies from Aubrey Bergauer, they won’t. This foolproof guide shows how to reach new levels of engagement—while always putting art first.
Running your arts organization like a business is your path forward to:
Just because arts organizations are non-profits doesn’t mean they shouldn’t make money; it means the money they make goes back to fund the mission—whether that’s music, visual arts, theatre, dance, or one of many other mediums that enrich our lives.
The for-profit world knows how to achieve success across customer engagement, user experience, company culture, the subscription economy, technology and media, new revenue streams, and brand relevance. Run It Like a Business provides a powerful, proven framework to help all arts organizations revitalize their economic engines and ultimately serve the arts and its patrons.
Product Details
- Publisher: BenBella Books (June 2, 2024)
- Length: 248 pages
- ISBN13: 9781637744383
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Raves and Reviews
"""Aubrey Bergauer's book has given arts organizations a bold and special road map to becoming successful, sustainable, relevant, and transformative.""
—Pamela Carter, board chair of the Nashville Symphony
""Run It Like a Business is a fresh and modern method for sustaining your not-for-profit. Aubrey Bergauer is an energetic, knowledgeable coach when it comes to sensible business practices for people who hate business.""
—Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and cofounder of Ellevest
""Just when arts organizations need it most, here comes an extraordinary book that brings it all together—from programming to marketing and from outreach to development. Aubrey Bergauer's passion for the arts is complemented by the mind of a brilliant CEO. Here is the playbook for the performing arts of the future.""
—Mason Bates, Grammy Award-winning composer and former composer-in-residence for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Chicago Symphony Orchestra
""Run It Like a Business captures exactly what every arts leader needs to lead their organization to success . . . Astutely weaving strategy, data, and case studies, this text is a must-read for emerging arts leaders enrolled in arts management, leadership, or entrepreneurship programs.""
—Brett Ashley Crawford, PhD, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University
""Aubrey Bergauer has brought together a well-crafted plan for how the classical music industry can flourish. Her impressive collection of data on where we are—and what needs to change—will benefit any nonprofit organization that seeks to connect with their community and remain relevant.""
—Jamie Barton, critically acclaimed mezzo-soprano
""Aubrey Bergauer promotes a critical examination of existing business strategies to help arts organizations reclaim their financial acumen and develop generations of loyal supporters.""
—Germaine Franco, Grammy Award-winning composer and music producer
""In Run It Like a Business, Aubrey Bergauer brilliantly weaves the heart's passion with strategic pragmatism . . . For every arts leader, this isn't just a guide—it's a testament to what can be achieved when mission meets meticulous planning, discipline, and creativity.""
—David Lomelí, chief artistic officer of the Santa Fe Opera"
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