Who’s afraid of BIG BAD BUSINESS? Creatives?
| Schellevis trade stand 4* award Chelsea Flower Show 2016 Rachel Ducker sculpture.
WHY ARE CREATIVE PEOPLE SO TERRIFIED OF BUSINESS?
As a creative you will be bursting with ideas, but what about when it comes to getting down to business?
Creatives often get so absorbed in the process of making that they shy away from turning their creativity towards the business side of things.
Sound familiar? Perhaps you don’t know where to start or the word business fills you with boredom, or even dread.
Yet as a creative, you already think outside the box, which is something you can utilise in business too. Creative minds often have a dynamic approach to business, which is why some designers are already successful. So if they are, then you can be too.
Are you muddling through?
| Simone Mantovani - Architects Brazil
YOU CAN’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING UNTIL YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE….
One problem is that creatives often start out with no clear or realistic goals. You may have a vision for your art, but not for your business. You may have big ideas, but no idea about how to achieve them.
Being honest with yourself about your life as well as work is crucial to setting real and achievable goals and knowing how to get there.
Creatives who end up running successful design businesses tend to:
Know their mission and purpose and what they want to create. Often this transcends just making money.
Know their definition of success and what they are aiming for
Know their own strengths and weaknesses and how to overcome challenges.
Know the steps they need to take to in the next 2 – 5 years to achieve their goal.
Invest time and money learning new skills. Including marketing and business skills!
Know their market and tailor their services accordingly.
Do you know what goals to set?
| Scout. My Dachshund
WHO AM I SELLING TO?
As a creative self-employed business owner you cannot afford to forget about marketing.
Marketing is about effectively reaching your audience, without wasting time and money.
Understanding who your clients are and what they aspire to will help you reach them effectively and sell them an appropriate product.
Are the clients you work with in the early years going to be the same as the ones you will work with in 5 years time? Pitching the right product at the right people is key.
You also need to know WHAT YOU ARE WORTH…..
(That is a whole other subject that I will discuss in a separate BLOG about self-worth when your product is you)
Who are your target audience?
| Trade stand for David harber Sculptures. CFS 2015. Excerpt from Sanskrit Poem.
STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
Negative mindset: ‘I am not a business person. I am a creative.’
Positive mindset: ‘I am a creative business person’
You can learn. You learnt how to be a Garden Designer after all.
If you view business as a dull non-creative activity and avoid doing it, you will only ever have a hobby.
Be honest with yourself about what you do not know. Muddling your way through is ignoring a problem. Get training, Get savvy.
What are your real weaknesses?
| Huf Haus garden design by Sarah Naybour Design Ltd.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
Small creative businesses often fail due to financial ignorance. They overestimate how much they will make and underestimate the costs.
They pitch their prices to the wrong audience, under value themselves and their product.
To make £50K do you sell £2K to 25 people or £10K to 5 ? Those that can afford the first will be very different clients to those that can afford the latter. Know your market and know the value of your services.
Does the £50K cover your overheads? What are they?..... The questions go on.
Finances can be scary, but it have to be faced head on. Getting professional advice is a must.
What don’t you know about your business finances?
| Private garden by Sarah Naybour
BIG THINKERS
As a Garden Designer you are constantly finding innovative solutions to real life problems, so why not turn this talent towards your business? Don’t be afraid of it. It is just another creative challenge.
Think BIG. Create a future VISION. Have a clear PLAN.
It’s like connecting dots.
I offer a range of mentoring options: 1-2-1 bespoke programme, online group mentoring: THE BUSINESS PROPAGATOR, and quarterly sessions to keep you on track: THE PANIC ROOM.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this BLOG. Do message me with any questions or comments or if you would like to find out more about Mentoring with Sarah Naybour.