6 Huge Lessons Learned Growing My Creative Biz
Lately I’ve been reflecting on how much my business has grown, and thinking about where I want the future to take me. I’ve been thinking back on the huge lessons I learned on this journey. Today I shared them on a recent Facebook Live and it really hit home for lots of other creativepreneurs and I wanted to share it here with you. And to just let you know you’re not alone if you’re scared to make changes and evolve. This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to watch the Facebook Live replay.
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6 Huge Lessons Learned Growing My Creative Biz
Give God the Glory
God is the one who gave me the drive, desire and talent. In essence, it’s not my talent that I’m sharing with the world, it is His talent.
So, when I started my business I knew it would always be a faith based business, sharing the Good News with others, glorifying Him with my business and trying to be a servant to Him. That’s why occasionally you will see me, sharing scripture on social media, praying for you and trying to be giving and helpful to others.
Don’t worry about people judging you for including your faith into your business model. If they don’t like it, they will just move on, no biggie.
It’s fulfilling to me as a Christian woman to post scripture and have it effect and resonate with my followers. This helps to keep my business positive and inspirational…who can’t love that in a job! Am I Right?
Work as If You Have a Boss
There have been days, especially when first starting out, that I did not want to work. Instead of working, I would procrastinate and do housework, laundry, volunteer at my child’s school…and yes, even sneak in Facebook and Pinterest during my work days. I sucked at managing time when I was first learning.
And when you run a business out of the house, there is more opportunity for distractions. I mean, I will be trying to work in one room and crazy, loud kid stuff is happening in the next room. So when working from home, you have to be more structured with your time to fit it all in.
When I finally started focusing and working my biz as if I was reporting to a boss, my business grew immediately. Now, I have set hours of when I work and when I don’t work. This gives me the freedom of not feeling guilty about not working when I’m hanging out with family. And when I know I have X number of hours in the day to fit everything in, I work much more efficiently.
Give your creative biz the dedication and respect it deserves by having structure in your day.
Where do you feel you waste time? Here is a practice for you…write down everything you do in 15 minute increments for two business days. You will start to see a pattern in where your time is spent.
Do What Needs to be Done, Not What Feels Comfortable
We all struggle with fear, including me. Fear of failure…fear of success…fear of being judged…of not being good enough… a fear that we’re too old…too young…not pretty enough, blah, blah blah. I seriously hate fear.
When you know you need to do a task to help your business grow but are afraid to put yourself out there, then you end up killing your dream before it reaches it’s full potential.
If you take a leap of faith (lots of pray helps) and do it anyway, it may be a #hotmess the first time. But you’ll feel so proud of yourself for overcoming the fear. It will make you more confident, I promise. Will it be scary the next time? Of course, but not as much and the more you do it, the easier it is to get over the fear of it.
Remember, if you’re not reaching slightly out of your comfort zone at least 2-3 times a week in your biz, then you’re not taking enough chances that will help your biz grow.
Plus when you step out in faith, God can take that small task and turn it into huge opportunities for you.
You Don’t Have to do Everything
When growing a business by yourself, it can be overwhelming. There is marketing, product creation, shipping, client care, website design and upkeep, etc. My biggest mistake at first in growing my biz was trying to do it all myself. There’s plenty of people capable of helping you.
When you trust others to help you, you’re actually blessing them and their families with your money. You become a blessing to somebody else.
God will not frown on us making more money, and blessing someone else by hiring them.
Also, when you outsource, it frees up your mind to be more creative in launching more product, therefore making more money.
Why don’t you make a list right now of things you hate to do in your business and find ways to outsource them. It could be shipping, your taxes, accounting, website design, listing items on Etsy, etc.
Those Who Persevere are the Winners
There are days when I feel like throwing in the towel. Days when I fantasize of having a 9-5 job. When this happens, I pull out my binder of big successes. For example, when I had a wreath featured on Good Housekeeping, when I helped Mary start her business on Etsy and make her first sale, when I give confidence to others in their creations and businesses. These little things add up, help me stay motivated and make me feel like I have a purpose for my business and life.
I also consider the benefits of my home based job…For example, I look at my freedoms of being able to work a flexible work schedule.
Keep in mind that when we make our creations and send it to someone, we are changing their lives for just that moment and this helps me to stay the course and keep plugging away when I feel like quitting.
Get a Support Group or Person
I want to tell you that you were never meant to work your business alone. If you want to grow your business you WILL need help. Even those big wigs who are “making it” have business coaches, attend mastermind classes (where owners get together to bounce ideas around), and attend classes.
You need help because it can be overwhelming and help because there just isn’t any way you can know everything there is to run a business. Plus it just takes too long to learn it all on your own, believe me I’ve tried.
My Success Circle group is online “help” for your business. I give you tips, techniques and resources to help make this business journey easier and more profitable for you. I want to see you make more money at your creative passion so that you don’t end up quitting and robbing the world of your gift.
You know, there is something powerful that happens when you get in a group of like-minded individuals. My coaching group is full of women all committed to seeing their creative businesses grow and all coming from different places in their business.
- Some are just starting out and trying to make their first sale.
- Some are still working 9-5 with hopes of quitting one day.
- Some are well on their way of mastering email list.
- Some are ready to publish their first digital product like an ebook.
It’s a wide variety of women all in different seasons of their business, which is a beautiful thing. These women are cheerleaders of other women and if you need a safe place to ask questions about your creative business…. this is it.
Click here now to learn more about my Success Circle Group.
Video – 6 Huge Lessons Learned Growing My Creative Biz
Happy Wreathing,
Julie
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This is great..thank you for posting! I’m a floral designer of 15 years & I was starting to have great success branching out ony own back in Texas. 2 years ago I moved to a smaller town in Montana. I’m making a name for myself, I get tons of likes & compliments ony work, but very few actually make purchases.
My question is, how do you create a market where there seems to be no market?