Last Updated on October 13, 2022 by Hollie Giglietti
Welcome to DAY 13 of our Reignite Your Creative Life and Business Challenge! In yesterday’s post we talked about how to turn your creative genius into your creative business.
Today I wanted to share 25 tips to actually get your creative business started!
And if you haven’t joined the challenge yet, click the image below to receive one small challenge a day, for 15 days, that will help you reignite your creative life and business!
Starting your own creative business is a great way to turn your passion into a sustainable source of income. And, with the power of the internet, it’s easier than ever to get your business off the ground!
So, where do you start?
Below, I’ve outlined a few basics on starting your own creative business.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to turning your passion into a thriving business.
AND if you already have a creative business started – you may still learn some new things!
1. Know your purpose
We talked about this quite a bit in yesterday’s challenge post… But what do you want to achieve through your creative business? What’s your big “Why” that’s driving you to build this business? Define these from the beginning and keep them at the forefront of your mind as you move forward.
Without a clear purpose, it’s hard to get motivated or be consistent.
2. Believe in your creative genius
Remember that you have something special to offer the world, so don’t be afraid to share it! Focus on what you love to do, the things that you’re naturally good at.
This will help you get into a creative flow state more easily and be more creative overall. Do what you love, and the creativity will follow.
3. Find your niche
What is it that makes your creative business unique? Focus on this and make it your selling point. When you know who you want to serve, it’s easier to market to them and find new customers.
4. Do Your Research
Know who your target audience is and what they’re looking for. This will help you hone in on what they want and how to reach them effectively.
5. Set some goals
Having specific goals in mind will help you stay on track and measure your success.
Create a plan using a business planner. Keeping a journal will help you stay on track with your goals and success as well.
6. Set up your creative working space
Set up a system that works for you so you can focus on being creative instead of wasting time looking for things. Set up a workspace and make sure it’s a comfortable, inspiring and conducive space to create in, so you can feel inspired every day.
7. Get organized
Set up a clear business plan and structure for your creative business. This will help you stay on track and avoid getting overwhelmed as you move forward.
If you need some instructions on how to create a business plan if you’re a right-brain, unorganized, messy Creative (like myself) I found a couple of books on Amazon that are amazing! The Right-Brain Business Plan and Building Your Business The Right-Brain Way are both by Jennifer Lee and they are great!
8. Start Creating Your Brand
After you have your business plan in place, it’s time to start building your brand. This includes everything from your business name and logo to your website and social media accounts.
Your brand should reflect your unique selling proposition and be consistent across all of your marketing materials.
9. Launch Your Business.
This includes creating a website, setting up social media accounts, and starting to market your business. Only choose one or two social media platforms at first to start with and focus your energy on.
I think having your own website and blog to host your Creative Business is a great idea! I wrote a step by step guide on starting a blog/website, specifically for Creative Entrepreneurs here. Check it out!
10. Start Your Email List
Getting lots of traffic on social media is great, but you don’t own your social media channels. Any of them could shut down without notice or even shut down your account for any reason.
Having an email list will be important because it’s something you will own. A great way to get email subscribers is to offer them a quick win, something that’s valuable to them.
An example would be to create an exclusive club they could join through your email where you maybe also add a 25% discount off their first purchase.
11. Take care of yourself
Creativity requires energy, so make sure you’re taking care of yourself physically and mentally. Go back and read our post from DAY 5 to learn Simple Tips to Create a Self Care Ritual, you’ll love!
12. Get inspired
Sometimes you just need a little push to get the creative juices flowing again. Try listening to music, going for walks, go see some live music, visit your local library or art museum or read some books in your field. Revisit DAY 4 to reignite your creativity!
13. Start Your Pinterest Business Account
Most any Creative Entrepreneur will benefit from having a business account on Pinterest!
If you are in the design, arts or crafts industry, Pinterest can be a great place to build your brand. Create optimized boards and pin design ideas, photos of your products or idea pins to attract your ideal customer.
14. Commit to a price point and product/service line
Each creative industry has its price point for certain services. Decide on a price point for your services or products before launching your business. This will help you to set boundaries for the work you do and keep you from under selling your creative work.
It may be easier to Just start out with a few products or services when you’re just getting started. You can learn how to grow your community and brand and grow from there.
15. Keep things fresh
Continually come up with new ideas, products, or services to keep people interested in what you have to offer. Create a club for your customers or limited-edition drops!
16. Create social media assets on Canva
It’s the easiest way to create your social media assets and brand; videos, photos, stories. I use it for everything and absolutely love Canva! 🙂
17. Be professional
While creativity is key, remember that this is still a business! Make sure everything from your branding to your customer service represents you in the best light possible.
18. Get feedback
Constantly solicit feedback from customers, clients, or anyone else who interacts with your creative business. This will help you improve and grow over time. (But don’t feel like you need to get advice from family or friends! If that makes you nervous you can totally skip it – don’t even tell them about it if you don’t want to, until you feel confident in what you’re doing.)
19. Stay positive
Running a creative business can be challenging at times, but it’s important to maintain a positive attitude if you want to succeed.
20. Find the right people to help you succeed
One of the best ways to ensure that your creative business is successful is to bring other like-minded individuals on board with the same goals and values as you.
Perhaps you know other artists or creatives in your area, who you would like to work with or have your work edited by. Maybe you would like to have someone help you create a logo or design a website.
If you can’t find a community in your area, you should join our Discord Server called The Lonely Artist’s Guild! It’s a free community of Artist’s all over the world that share their work, get feedback if they want it and work together to figure out challenges in our Creative Business’s.
21. Don’t give up
Even if things get tough, remember why you started down this path in the first place and keep moving forward towards your goals.
There will be ups and downs in any business venture, but the key is to stick with it even when things get tough. Remember that success seldom comes overnight – it’s usually the result of hard work, determination, and perseverance. So don’t give up!
22. Embrace change
As an entrepreneur, one thing you can always expect is change! Learn to roll with the punches and adapt as necessary – it’ll help you stay afloat when things get rocky.
23. Be passionate
If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, it’ll be very difficult to succeed over the long haul. Choose something you’re truly enthusiastic about so that even when times are tough, you’ll still be excited about working on your creative business each day.
24. Don’t neglect your own creativity – or sanity
Ensure that you have time for your own creativity, whatever form that may take.
Creativity is a very necessary part of humanity; we need creative outlets in order for our minds to grow and evolve. If you don’t have time for your own creativity, you won’t have any creative juices for your business, and it could struggle to succeed.
25. Have fun!
At the end of the day, running a creative business should be enjoyable! If it’s not, then something needs to change. Make sure you’re taking time to savor the journey as well as the destination.
I’d love to know in the comments what business you’re going to be working on and if any of these tips were helpful!
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