Being A Creative In A Business Role
It turns out that when you combine that situation with someone who’s a right-brain creative (hiiii, that’s me!) and you have recipe for major overload, and a brain that juuuust won’t quit. Like, ever. Sleep-planning is a thing, right?
I’ll be suuper honest — when I started my business, I didn’t know anything about running an actual business. I knew I could style the heck out of anything, but when it came to things like money, taxes, or business growth, I was pretty clueless.
I’d love to say that being at the helm of Re:Creative for a few years has completely reformed me into a savvy business-minded lady, but I’m human, and I certainly don’t have all the answers. That said, I am ALL about learning new things, and I’ve absorbed tons of valuable tips and lessons along the way. Here are a few that I would love to share with you:
Charge what you are worth
This is the number-one area where I see creative entrepreneurs struggling! Creative work isn’t analytical, which means it isn’t tangible, which means ROI can be a b*itch, and determining our worth becomes trickier when we can’t really monetize the return – even though the return is substantial, in other ways. Do your research to see what your competition is charging, calculate the amount of time (and recognize that YOUR time IS money!) and how much it costs to run your business. Factor in your desired cost of living, and bam! Price structure.
Surround yourself with smart people
We’ve all heard the quote “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” It’s a message that I have held with me every step of the way as my business grows and changes. Be modest, be open minded, and never stop learning. Allow yourself to make shifts in friends + colleagues in the name of enriching yourself and your business.
Know your numbers
I am a huge advocate for hiring HELP, but even with a bookkeeper or an accountant on board to organize your finances, make sure that you don’t have your head in the sand (I’m still working on it!). Take time to ask them questions that help you understand your financial situation and processes, every step of the way. Profit and loss is key to growing your business — this is an area that I’m working on understanding every day, but it’s so worth it!
Do not become complacent
It’s easy to get comfortable in the day-to-day and doing what you love most (hellooo, you’ve landed the dream job!), but don’t forget that in order to grow your business you always need to be moving forward. Set new goals, schedule time each week to work on business development and strategy, attend conferences, and do your best to think a few steps ahead of your competitors.
