Seems like all these months of hardcore planning, working things out and hard graft have paid off! Looks like I'm close to launching! Decided to launch with a real stripped back version of Sharabang Music and then build the concept over time. It won't be launching with the big bang that I'd originally planned, but at least it's close to having a launch!

I've worked out a time-line for the full vision of Sharabang Music. There's a lot of exciting stuff happening soon, both for the business, our bands and real music and gig lovers. Keep your eyes on my FishBowl to find out more as the Sharabang Adventure unfolds! And trust me, with these new plans it really will be nothing short of an adventure for all who want to get involved!

Labels: fishbowl1, launch plans, matt

Re-doing the business plan has thrown up some pretty big issues. It’s clear that it’s going to take quite a while until I’ll be in a position to launch the business in the way I’ve pictured. The greatest concern being purchasing the bus and having it converted. The big question I’m facing now is do I launch a stripped down version of Sharabang Music as soon as it’s ready, or wait until everything’s in place and launch with a bigger impact, but it won’t be for some time?

A further issue is that I keep on coming up with more ideas of what I’d like to offer with Sharabang. Some of them are great ideas, but the more concepts I come up with, the longer it will take to put everything in place. Perhaps it will be better to launch as soon as I’ve got the basics in place and build the business over time? At least I will then have a business, not just some great ideas and I can start making an income and build the customer base gradually.

I would appreciate any thoughts or advice through Twitter. Thank you!

Labels: business plan, fishbowl1, marketing, matt

My biggest fear is damaging my ears. I already have a constant ringing and whirling noise in my left ear and it can only get worse. Yet for my business to be successful I have to attend a lot of gigs.

I now wear professional musicians ear plugs whenever I go to a gig. They are individually moulded and cost about £160. It was hard first of all, forgetting to bring them and generally not wanting to wear them, worried about putting them in and not enjoying the gig as much. There's a real nack to putting them in, once I got it, it became easy and the biggest regret in my life is not using these sooner. There's no loss of sound quality you get with the cheaper versions. If anything, the music sounds even better with them in!

My ears have taken a pounding from all the gigs I got to and the worst thing is that once you damage your hearing, it can never get better. To loose my hearing would be thew worst thing I could imagine. Wish I started using these before the damage began.

Labels: fears, fishbowl1, matt

Great week! Got loads done, feeling super motivated and excited! Been reading loads of pretty heavy books on the music industry and working out exactly what how I want Sharabang to operate. Been a bit like being back at Uni, studying the industry, making loads of notes and getting ready to completely re-do the business plan. But this is something I’m so passionate about, it never feels like a chore! As well as the added clarity on the industry, there have been so many developments and refinements to the concept that I'm scrapping the old business plan and starting afresh. Everything's coming together and I'm beginning to see the point where Sharabang will begin to operate really soon. Going to be real hard work, but I can’t wait!

Labels: business plan, fishbowl1, launch plans, matt, update

Matt discusses his ideas for creating and selling artwork specific to each individual track on the albums.

Labels: artwork, fishbowl1, matt, revenue, video diary

Busy! Super busy! Contracts almost sorted, designers working on art work, website in development, different meetings every day. Hard work, but big exciting! Starting to think about raising the money to buy the ol’ Sharabang now!

The plans have always been to buy an open-topped double decker bus to be used as our tour bus, but also a lot, lot more. The top deck will be converted so we can use it as a unique touring venue with gigs on top, the bottom deck will house a touring art gallery showcasing Sharabang’s artwork, hold PR events, launch parties and the like. We also want to help build a ‘scene’ and break down the barriers between fans and artists by offering people lifts on the bus from one date to the next. Think Cliff Richard on his Summer holidays, but perhaps not quite as polished!

Once we’ve got the bus, we’ll be making the most out of it, holding interviews and exclusive Sharabang sessions of established artists that will all be filmed and posted on Sharabang’s website to help drive traffic our way.

So...buying the bus! I will soon start looking for company’s that could be interested in having an advertisement on the side of the bus. The unique nature of what we’ll be using the bus for and the many different places the bus will be seen would make for a great place to advertise a business, especially one that is music/art related. We will soon be looking for potential advertisers who could help cover the initial cost of purchasing the bus. So, if anyone knows any businesses that could be interested or can suggest good ways to go about this, please get in touch!

Labels: brand building, bus, events, fishbowl1, marketing, matt, PR

Seems a bit odd getting back to work after the holidays! Back into the swing of things again now though and really ready for a super busy and successful year ahead! I began the year by visualising exactly what I want to achieve in the coming months. I’ve said this before, but having this written down really helps me focus on what I need to be doing and helps me to break down these goals into smaller, manageable chunks.

So….what’s Mystic Meg got in store for Sharabang Music for the beginning of 2010?

Contracts. BLIMIN’ CONTRACTS! These must be drawn up to be signed by the end of next week, the very latest. These are taking so much longer to do then I had planned. As there’s no real template for the sort of contracts I will be using, it’s very hard to know exactly what to include.

Sort out artists. I have a number of fantastic artists designing art work for Sharabang’s bands at the moment. I am meeting with these in the coming days to see how things are coming along. I hope to have the art style defined and getting moving on individual art pieces for each track as soon as possible.

Have website beta done by mid-February. This is quite a bit later then what I had originally planned. In fact, pretty much everything is taking quite a bit longer then I had hoped! I think this is firstly because I was being too optimistic with my first targets and timings. I’m trying to get things done to an outstanding quality, but spending as little as possible. This is going well as I am big pleased with what I have sorted already (logo, initial web design ideas, etc.) but to get these things sorted whilst spending as little money as possible is taking longer then expected.

Have web site fully up and running by Mid-March. This will be with the ability to stream/download songs for free, purchase collectors CD and Vinyl, T-Shirt’s etc.

Have full tour in place with two Sharabang Artists playing together for April (ish).

By mid 2010, I want to have a minimum of 4 bands music up on the site, with merchandise and extras to follow.

Lots more to add, but keep following so you can all pat me on my back when I’ve met them all!

Labels: 2010, fishbowl1, matt, new year, planning, setting targets, writing contracts

It’s important for us all to save money wherever we can. This is especially true for business start-up’s....and I’m really not one to go spending when there could be ways around getting my wallet out (bet all my mates reading this are propa chuckelin to themselves, hearing me admit this....I’m a great person to go to the pub with!). So at the early stages of creating my business, I’m looking at ways I can reduce my expenditure whenever possible.

I’ve spent a long time trying to find up and coming artists to create the art for my band T-shirts and album artwork. I’ve used Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to get in contact with artists and explain that although I cannot pay them at the moment, there would be a number of opportunities they will benefit from by designing various works for the business. Their work will be profiled and discussed through my blogs and videos on the fishbowl website, helping them raise their profile and get their work noticed. Once the money starts coming in, I will begin to pay artists to do this work, and I will always try and involve those who helped me out in the beginning.

I am also in a fairly unique position to help those designers find further work. As I am based at the Hive Enterprise Development Centre I am always meeting new people setting up businesses who are on the lookout for good designers. This word of mouth advertising I can do on their behalf, direct to their exact target market can be invaluable and I will do all I can to spread the word for them. I have already secured one of the designers I have been working with a contract with another company, so it’s already been beneficial for them!

I have also been in contact with the heads of art at Nottingham Trent Uni. They have been kind enough to forward an email to students on their courses outlining what I am looking for in the artists and the benefits I can offer them. I’ve had some great responses and have found a number of really talented artists who are beginning to create some amazing art pieces for Sharabang to use. As soon as things are ready, I will post their work up here and see what you all think of it! If anyone else fancy’s getting involved, email me at mjjstockman@gmail.com for more info. Although I can’t pay (quite yet!) there are still a load of benefits for getting involved!

Labels: design, fishbowl1, nottingham trent, students

Off to London to try to sign another band and meet the website developers.

Labels: fishbowl1, matt, new artist, video diary, website

Well...good news from the off! Met the two targets I set myself in the previous blog! So, I’ve now got the basics of the contracts sorted and have a pretty good idea of what I want on each page of the website. I now need to turn the concepts within the contracts into a legally binding document. For this I will begin by consulting my mentor and having him check it through and will then seek legal advice to ensure it will all stand up in the courtrooms! Then it will be signature time! Can’t wait until this is done and I can get really my teeth into promoting the bands. In relation to the website, I now need to decide on the general concept and aesthetics, let my developer know individual page requirements and it can then begin to be built!

Been spending a lot of time trying to find designers for band T-shirts and album art work. Been using Facebook and other social networking sites to let people know I’m on the hunt and have had some really good responses. I began by getting in contact with friends who I know are into their art and asking if they would like to help out or know anyone who could be interested. I have also joined local art networks and posted on their wall a bit of info on what I’m looking for and leaving my email address. Had a fair few responses, but if anyone reading this would like to get involved or know people who could, leave a message in the comment box below and I will be in touch!

I have also started filling in the forms to register as a business. I thought it may be quite a tricky process, but there’s lots of info on the web from HM Revenue and Customs and business link’s websites. Had it almost completed but will check a few things with my mentor tomorrow before sending the form off. So lot’s to be getting on with at the moment...keep eyes here and on Twitter for more updates soon.

Labels: brand design, company formation, fishbowl1, matt

Been a busy boy this past week! Went to London for a couple of meetings with my web designer and another band I'm trying to get on board. So....how'd it go? The meeting with the band turned into a real nice dog walk around Camden! Gave us a good chance to talk about what I've got in store for Sharabang Music and what I can do for them.

They're definitely interested, which is fantastic news! I've loved this band since I went to their first ever gig a fair few yonks ago, and have followed them massively ever since. They are truly phenomenal! Many times before, it looked like they were going to 'make it', whatever that may mean..but it never quite happened. I wholeheartedly believe this is due to not having the right people behind them, but Sharabang could really achieve something special with this band. The deal I will be entering into with these guys will be a different one to that of my other artist I'm in talks with. It's going to be slightly more complicated to sort out, but everyone keeps telling me how starting out in business would never be easy! So, once again, it's time to properly sort out these contracts.

What's making things really tricky is that as I am creating a new and unique business model, there is no 'standard' contract or template for what I'll be doing. Today is a Thursday; my aim is to have everything I want from the contracts written out in plain English by Monday. So check back on Monday to see if this target was met!

Also met Steve Lamacq and had a good chat with him about this band! He loves them and is big keen to hear their new material! Would be good getting ol' Lamacq on our side! Once again, won't be announcing who this is until contracts sorted, but may treat people to an exclusive listen to a work-in progress of Sharabang Artist 2 soon!

Web design....spent about 5 hours with our designers creating ideas for the overall look and style of the site. Really happy with what we've come up with. I had no idea about how we would go about getting started on this side of things, but Matt from the designers was excellent at drawing out what I wanted and turning these into great designs. For me, this was really important, finding a company to work with that would listen to my unstructured ramblings and thoughts and use their expertise to pick out what would work and turn my rambles into a reality. Next step is for me to work out exactly what I want each page to have on it. Want to set another target here.....going to aim to have this done by Wednesday...looks like it’s bye bye weekend this week! Hopefully I’ll report back saying both targets met. Let’s see, eh!?

Labels: deadlines, fishbowl1, matt, setting targets, website, website designer, writing contracts

Still not releasing the name of the artist yet I have almost signed.
However.......for a special exclusive listen to a work in progress demo, check out http://www.myspace.com/sharabangartist. This is real exclusive, not putting this link up anywhere else. A little treat for followers! Feel free to spread the link so others can listen, but they're remaining as a secret 'Mystery Artist' for now! Still working on the contracts but hope to have these sorted by next week and the real work will then begin!

Ideas for the website are beginning to form. I've spent what seems an age trawling through loads of websites to create a mood board of concepts. I will then go through these with rintinpindesign next week and hope to finalise the layout and aesthetics. Then its time for creation! Everything seems to be falling in to place very nicely at the moment.....let's hope things stay this way!

And.....in other news...... looks like I've got the Trademark for Sharabang! I've received an email saying that they haven't found any conflicting Trademarks already registered. The next step is that Sharabang will be added to the Trademark Journal and then there's two months for any objections to be raised, then it's officially mine!

So......Check out the link for a listen to the demo. Bear in mind that it is awork in progress, but let me know what you think in the comments below. Love you to love it!

Labels: first artist, fishbowl1, matt, trademark, website

Blimey, I hate filling in forms! They’re pretty much always proper boring, but there’s no avoiding them. Been trying to Trademark Sharabang to protect the beautiful name form being used by others in a musical context. Got in a bit of a panic because I probably should have done this before announcing the name?? I started to apply for it a few days ago….but stopped! The form got a bit complicated, and it’s £200 per application and you can’t amend the blighter once it’s been sent. Best get this right the first time then I thought and so it was time to call mentor, Phil Clarke at The Hive.

With his help we went through the form together and it’s now been sent off. Got to wait until I get official confirmation, but it looks as if no one can now get their grubby hands on my Sharabang! 

Working on the contracts today. I’ve also begun looking for web developers and designers for logos and other bits and bobs. Want to get the website up as soon as possible and start promoting the bands! Am trying to get Nottingham Trent Students involved in the design process and hope to gatecrash a seminar or two to try and lure in some recruits! Had a couple of meetings with some web designers and looks as if rintinpindesigns are on board. Will let you all know how things develop shortly!

Labels: fishbowl1, matt, mentor, The Hive, trademark

Absolute boom!! Super news! One of the two bands with which I’ve always wanted to kick off Sharabang are on board, (not sure if pun intended there or not, really!)! Not going to reveal who they are yet (especially as contracts not finalised!) but it is an amazing artist with fantastic potential! Stay closely tuned….will be putting up a work in progress demo of the secret ‘Mystery Artist’ in the next few days for you to get your lug-holes around!!

Next step is the dam contracts, then! This is going to be tricky as so much involved in music contracts and I need to strike the balance so the deals work for both Sharabang and the artists. There’s so much murkiness and hidden and overly complicated clauses within many record label contracts. Sharabang wants to avoid any confusion, with clear, uncomplicated and most importantly, extremely fair contracts.

I'm going to start by simply scribbling down in plain English what I want to establish with the contracts. I will then be seeking professional advice on how to turn my list into a fully fledged contract. Must make sure they’ll stand up to scrutiny when my bands hit the big time!

Big, big excited about this band, you all should be too! Can’t wait for things to kick off properly now! Be back in the next couple of days with the demo!!

Labels: first artist, fishbowl1, writing contracts

So why call my business Sharabang Music??  Like I said before, I wanted something to do with the bus we’ll be touring and playing in.  Spent ages looking at different names for buses, different parts of busses, pretty much anything to do with a blomin’ bus!  Then I heard Sharabang as a slang word for a bus.  Loved the sound of it, so I did some research.

Turns out that it comes from the French word char-à-banc, meaning an open topped motor coach, often used for sightseeing (thank you Wikapedia!!).  It can also be spelt Charabanc, but I thought that the spelling I’ve decided on is easier to remember and more like how it’s pronounced.

On further digging, I found that Sharabang rides could often get pretty rowdy, with lots of music and partying!  Boom!  The more I found out about the ol’ Sharabang, the more perfect it sounded!  So, let’s get these bands signed, web site up, music out there and get the Sharabang ready for the road!!

Labels: fishbowl1

Everyone loves their own ideas.  It can be pretty easy for your ideas to become overly precious to you and to become kind of blinkered to potential weaknesses.  I’m aware of this, but when you’re personally involved, it can be hard to work out if critical advice is plain wrong (perhaps they don’t quite get what your going on about), just another persons point of view, or a fault in your ideas that you had not personally recognised.

I went to see someone from Business Link on Friday (6/11/09).  Wasn’t really sure what it was they could offer, but I want to seek out all the help and advice I can get at the moment!  Not too sure how helpful it was, but it definitely got me thinking.  The adviser that I saw thinks I’ve not thought through the consequences of giving the music away for free properly.  Thinks that the music is key to the business and I should be placing a value on this, not dishing it out for free.

He believes giving it away in a lower quality form is even worse, as it won’t be doing the bands justice.  I tried to explain that the quality will be set at a level so that it will be fine to listen to, and completely satisfactory for many people.  But true fans and music lovers will see the benefit in paying for the music when the extra sound quality and the worth of the artwork are considered. 

I believe (and my research suggests) that this is the case.  That a significant proportion of my target market no longer believes they should pay for the music they consume.  Surely you should listen to what your customers’ want, especially if there are other related areas that can produce revenue streams and allow the supply of free music???  Sharabang will give the option of not paying for the music, or paying a bit and getting something superior in return.

So, should I consider his advice as just his personal opinion, simply incorrect or am I too personally involved with the concept and need to admit to a re-think??

Labels: fishbowl1

Naming a child must be hard.  It’s going to be called that name for the rest of its life, but I now believe naming a business is even harder!  I’ve been thinking about the name of my company for a while now, had quite a few ideas, but never felt completely happy with it.  Like naming a child, you must obviously like the way it sounds, but with a business it needs to be representative of your company.  I think it was this part of the naming that I had become too hang up on.  I wanted something that emphasises the touring aspect of the bands, something based around the double-decker we’ll be touring and playing in.

I then had my heart set on a few different names, but found after some research that there could later be legal implications, so they were scrapped.  Others I liked were already taken.  The whole design process of the website, logo etc is happening next week, so I had to decide pretty quick!

I asked pretty much everyone I knew for ideas, spent a long time looking on the internet, looking through books, just sitting waiting for some kind of inspiration, and then finally decided on what to name it!    Sharabang Music!  I love the way it sounds and the meaning is perfect!  Check my next blog for more on this!

Labels: fishbowl1

It’s always a bit tricky doing something for the first time!  I’ve never written a blog before, so not sure if this is a great first blog….or perhaps the worst one possible, but I want to say this and say it out in the open (God bless the joys of the internet and blogs!!)  I’ve recently reached the crunch point where the business is turning from an idea, a plan that I’ve been shaping for a long, long time, into something far more exciting….but also far more scary! It is now on the verge of becoming a reality, not just a cleverly thought out business plan in a lovely shiny folder.

This sense of reality had unexpectedly caused me to freeze in my tracks.  Not sure if this has been due to nervousness, or coming to the end of the HeadStart course at the Hive.  But I have realised that I have been pulling back from giving my absolute all, like I have been previously.  Almost as if I’ve been subconsciously worried about making the jump into the real business world.

THIS IS NOW ABOUT TO CHANGE….BIG TIME CHANGE!

From now on, it’s absolute hardcore from here.  Like it had been a few weeks ago.  I’ve begun by writing down my targets I am determined to hit in the next few months, with exact dates these will be realised by.  I’ve been told to do this many times before, and I have tried this out….ish!  But now with it all written in front of me, I feel like I’ve got real solid direction again…and a hell of a lot to be getting on with!  But it’s safe to say, I've definitely got that fire back in my belly!

Labels: fishbowl1