Creative entrepreneurs are all the rage right now in the business world. The thought of being able to work from home, make your schedule and still be considered with the best of the best in business– who wouldn’t want to take that offer up? However, it’s not always as easy as creating a website and hoping that people stumble across it in their Google search. Becoming a creative entrepreneur requires time, blood, sweat and lots of tears. Honestly, you might want to say goodbye to any passionate relationship with the bar or club because starting your own business is not something for the faint of heart (or the faint of dedication).
If we haven’t scared you away yet, we’ve provided you with some tips and advice for getting your start as a creative entrepreneur. How to secure your spot in the business world while still hoping you can one day move out of your parent’s basement and buy yourself a dog.
Brainstorm, like a lot
Yeah, we know. Who thought you’d still have to use your brain once you graduated with that degree/diploma/etc.? Shocker, but unfortunately, the thinking doesn’t stop when you finish your education. Whether it’s high school or eight years of medical school.
Brainstorming for creative entrepreneurship consists of a couple of different things. You not only have to think about the basic business ideas, such as what to name your company, what industry you fall under, and your ideal influencer collaboration (thank you, social media).
You also need to brainstorm what you’re going to be selling and offering (products, services), how you anticipate standing out from other creative entrepreneurs, design and promotion (you’ve got to make it good, especially if it’s what you’re promoting).
Research baby
Ah yes, it seems that everything comes around to research. It is painful for the people that despise it but highly convenient for those who are professionals at studying whatever comes to mind (AKA, every girl invested in true crime and needs to know the details about everything).
It’s important to understand that when we say research, we don’t mean spending hours on end in old, ancient libraries with oddly senile librarians that’ll kick you out if you breathe too loud. Thanks to the introduction of technology, you can now research things via Google from the comfort of your couch whilst indulging in a glass of chardonnay (#whitewineclub) and listening to the latest season of Bridgeton in the background.
Okay, in all seriousness, research doesn’t have to be anything crazy. When it comes to starting any new business venture, you should know what you’re possibly getting yourself into. This requires looking up things like the health of the industry you’re getting into, costs associated with starting a business (legal fees, business licenses, etc.), social media marketing and costs (website subscriptions, promoted ads and posts, software and apps) as well as your competition.
Our advice for tackling this rather large project? Start small. Create a list of things that you need to research and take them on one at a time. This way, you don’t get overwhelmed with knowledge, and your brain won’t explode rapidly.
Obviously, for privacy reasons, some stuff (like same wages, personal information, etc.) is kept off the internet when it comes to what the public can see, but even just getting a general idea of what to expect and first steps in creating your business plan is a great start.
Get to know your people
Networking is love; networking is life. When you become a business owner, you have to talk to people (crazy, right?) and get to know your audience. Who’s watching your Instagram stories? Who’s dueting your TikTok videos?
It’s essential that you engage with your audience and take note of things like where they’re located, why they watch or engage with your business, their gender and relative age, etc.
Tuning into your audience is a great way to dial your marketing and business strategies. It helps you figure out what’s working and what isn’t doing so well. You can also conduct research surveys and groups to learn more about what people want to see, why they purchase or invest with your business, and more general information to help you grow.
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