Artist Mary Medrano opened a studio and gallery in downtown Campbell in 2007. She attended a presentation by Mike Strozza of SCORE at the Downtown Campbell Business Association meeting. The message that day was that SCORE was available to help the merchants in Campbell. Recognizing that she had no prior retail experience Mary recognized that she could use SCORE’s help.
 
After an initial meeting at the SCORE office downtown San Jose to assess her needs, SCORE counselor Mike O’Connor, with many years of retail experience was assigned to help Mary. “Mike visited my gallery and gave me very helpful feedback. He gave me tips on how to make the environment of my gallery/studio more friendly and attractive to customers.” For instance, Mike showed Mary how she could enhance the display of her paintings by rearranging the amount of space devoted to the gallery vs. her studio. Over the course of multiple counseling sessions, Mike and Mary discussed various ways to increase sales. “Mike inspired me to try proven sales tactics like ‘buy one get one free’, keeping the space inviting and new by moving the inventory around.” She estimates that her sales increased by about a third after implementing various suggestions that Mike offered. In addition she was able to increase her database of potential customers by a similar amount.
 
“After a lot of thought on my part and discussions with Mike, I realized that the retail space although helpful in the short term would not be beneficial in the long term. What I really want is to build my exposure in the art world. Mike encouraged me to focus on this effort by concentrating on marketing myself and my work,” she said. Consequently, Mary decided to give up the retail gallery in Campbell and to move into a large private studio space at The Alameda Artworks in San Jose. The private studio allows Mary to focus on her art, therefore increasing the potential for gallery and museum shows. “Being part of an artist studio complex is wonderful. In my new location I’ve made sure to implement many of the improvements Mike suggested for the retail space,” adds Mary. For instance, her new studio is light and bright, and the paintings are displayed nicely – ready for an Open Studio event or for collectors who want to buy directly from her at the studio.
 
 “The advice I’ve received from SCORE has helped me better define my goals and focus my efforts. I want to increase my marketing by making better use of my online presence. I look forward to continuing my work with SCORE as my career grows.” she concludes.