It is important for you to think of your new venture as a business. You will become acutely aware, if you haven't already, of how quickly money seems to go out, in relation to how slowly it comes in.

As a new arts organization, you are dealing with several different areas of your venture.

A commonly overlooked area is the financial management of the organization.

The finances and accounting are just as important as marketing and programs. Many good business ventures have failed due to poor financial management.

Making sure the money's flowing in and out in an orderly fashion is as important for your business as it is for yourself. Many arts organizations struggle with accounting. But there's no reason for you to dread the process, especially since so many tools are available to you to keep your books in order.