5 Tips I learned when becoming a Creative Business Owner
In September of 2016, I accidentally quit my 9-5 job in a staff meeting and quickly fell into the world of entrepreneurship. The biggest part is that running a business, as a creative-minded person, has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever tackled in my life. I have learned more about business via trial and error than any business degree could have ever taught me.
When I first started my business, I had no idea how little I would actually be designing anymore.
I didn’t start my business to become an administrative job… I wanted to create beautiful designs for the wonderful people I had the opportunity to call my clients. I immediately changed how I was running the business, so I could stop working IN the business and start designing again.
Here are five pointers that I learned to refocus, outsource, and begin to design in my business again.
1. You still need community, especially when you work from home.
I got out of my shell and began to focus on building community with like-minded, passionate entrepreneurs to be in my corner. It has changed my life. They are my cheerleaders, referral sources, and shoulders to cry on during rough patches of business. They understand. They get it. They are now some of my closest friends, my business besties.
2. No joke, it takes a village.
I love the analogy of "do what you love and hire out the rest"... yeah, that was me. When I stopped trying to do it all myself and began to create relationships with other super talented people in and outside of my field... it allowed me to start building my diverse team of contractors. Initially, it was insanely hard to release control of things in my business, but eventually, I released the control… and a TON of stress… most circling around administrative work!
3. Work with a CPA, like asap.
Sometimes, we wait too long to get the "not so fun" stuff in order, because we're too busy getting our business started. One of the biggest things I was unsure of was the taxes, income, and invoicing. I needed someone to guide me financially and legally to direct me in the right path to set my business up correctly from the start and that has made filing my taxes, bringing on team members, making a budget, and organizing the legal part of my business THAT much easier.
4. Hire a perfect fit business coach.
Unlike the classic business coaching model, focused on revenue to track the growth of my business, I found a coach that aligned with my morals and definition of success. She helped me grow my business by focusing on creating the lifestyle I wanted... then crunching numbers, setting goals, and accountability to make it happen!
5. No one is dying over graphic design.
This was one of the hardest things that I learned (and am still trying to learn) as a creative business owner. I cherish each relationship deep in my heart so I always put my clients first but I began to let that dictate my life, routine, vacations, self-care, and ability to unplug. Setting better boundaries, learning to say no, and realizing that no one is dying over graphic design has allowed me to not take my business so seriously and release a ton of the stress that I was putting on myself.
Sending hugs!
Love, Am