A: There are several ways to get your data (inventory, mailing list, sales, etc.) onto the computer. The method that is right for you depends on your budget and the type of data you want to store. [I'm going to begin by warning you that I own a software company specializing in database systems for art galleries - so I might be somewhat biased.]

[Last month, I got up on my soapbox and argued that, rather than making a gallery less personal, a computer actually HELPS you to form relationships with your clients. One way it does this is by allowing you to find detailed information about each client to refresh your memory (when they phone you, for example) about what they've purchased, how much they have spent, and any special interests they have. It also helps you to do your mailings. There are lots more compelling reasons to use a computer in your gallery as well.]

Now that you've made the decision to use a computer to help manage your gallery, you'll have to decide what software to use. There are many great programs on the market today that help you to get organized. Some of these are free and may even come preinstalled on your computer! There are three functional areas that are most useful to galleries: Client Management, Inventory Management, and Point of Sale (POS).

For Client Management, your first option is to use a simple word processor, such as Microsoft Word. Word processors are great programs, and these days they do far more than simply printing letters and envelopes. For example, you can use Word to enter and track a mailing list that can later be merged into a letter or invitation. Lots of computers come with either Microsoft Office, which includes Word, or the Lotus Suite, already loaded on them. This is probably the easiest option to use to enter your names and addresses. Unfortunately, it's not a very good option for breaking up the information into categories later on.

A better option for sorting your clients is to use a contact manager such as Symantec's ACT. And it is possible your computer came with a free contact manager as well. Check your system for an address book type program. The nice thing about a contact manager like ACT is the ability to enter your own notes, and sorting criteria, for each client. So if you want to know all the people who purchased a particular artist’s work, you can do that (so long as you manually associate the artist’s name with the contact’s data fields.) These products are also good for merging into letters and mailings, and can remind you to follow up at a later date.

Neither of the options above are good for taking care of your inventory or managing your POS. To do inventory, you might want to use a spreadsheet. Again, both Microsoft Office, and Lotus Suite include great spreadsheet programs. A spreadsheet has lots of rows and columns. You set up each column for the bit of information (like an item title, medium, cost, asking price, etc.) and then each row represents an individual piece. If you want to sort your inventory by title, cost, price, or other attribute, you simply select the column to use for the sort process. Spreadsheets are also great for doing math, like totaling up a column of prices. Using a spreadsheet is still a pretty manual process but WAY better than index cards.

POS systems don't come free with any of the computers you buy in stores. But there are some really good POS systems out there that are pretty inexpensive. You might even get one off the Internet. On the plus side, many of these systems will handle your inventory and client issues, as well as doing the important POS tasks like totaling your cash, credit cards, sales taxes, etc. The major problem faced by galleries is that most of these POS systems simply won't handle consignments, artists, mediums, and the other issues faced by this industry.

So, are there any systems that handle all three areas? YES.

It is my opinion that the only real long-term solution is to use a relational database system capable of managing all three of these important aspects simultaneously. "RELATIONAL DATABASE SYSTEM?" you ask. "WHAT THE DEVIL IS THAT?" A database is a file on your computer that holds a particular type of information. For example, you could have a file full of mailing list records (a database), which includes the client's name, address, phone, and notes. This file could RELATE to an inventory file (another database) which included the title, subject, medium, and price. These two files could also RELATE to a sales file that included the taxes, discounts, payment details, and other data for a transaction. "OH," you say, "is that all?"

One benefit is that important information doesn't have to be repeated lots of times. You enter a client's name once, and then each of that client's sales automatically relates all the inventory pieces to that one client record. This also means that one client can be related to several artist, mediums, or pieces. If you want to pull all the clients that like a particular artist, the system will do that for you. Even better, because of the relations, the system can automatically enter the client's name into your mailing list and update your inventory, when you make a sale, without you having to do it all manually.

The cheapest option is to develop your own system. This will cost about $500.00 for the development software (i.e. Filemaker Pro or Access) - and it will take two years - minimum. This is only a good option if want to learn a lot about how computers work (and why they crash).

You can have a system written for you but that's like being the general contractor to build your own house. It always takes longer and costs more than you think. You pay the money and STILL end up responsible for design faults. This is NOT a cheap option. Expect to pay $10,000 to $30,000 to have a system custom written for you.

Purchasing a gallery management system will cost between $1,000 and $3,000. You're not running a hardware store and a generic bookkeeping system such as Quickbooks, as good as it is, will not handle art, artists, consignments, or commissions (it is fantastic for paying your rent and utilities!)

If you're going to purchase a system, look for three things: first, the ability to handle your style of inventory (consignments, pottery, glass, framed pieces, giftware, etc.) and second the focus on helping you sell. This includes the POS features mentioned above, as well as the ability to generate mailing lists. "What's the third thing?" you ask. You want it to be SIMPLE. You may have years to learn every intricate detail about how the software works. Your new staff member has to be able to sell something NOW.

So, here's my recommendation. If you can afford to purchase a system, that's the best option. DO NOT write your own or have one custom designed. If you can't afford to buy a system now, wait - and use the free alternatives mentioned above. It's a little more work for now but, when you're ready, the data from a spreadsheet or word processor can be imported into a relational database.

Congratulations on your decision to use a computer. It will make a big difference in the information you keep about your clients and inventory. And this will help with your client, artist, and staff relationships!

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James Archer has been a gallery owner himself, and developed The Masterpiece Art Gallery Manager, a software system designed specifically for the art and related industries.
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