Guest post by Laura Victoria Ospina
The Best-Kept Secrets to Running a Successful, Creative Business
Running a start-up and creative business comes with a set of challenges many people don’t seem to understand. Between the long hours, the tight budgets, and the overall confusion that sometimes shrouds your vision, getting your business to reach its full potential can sometimes seem like an impossible task.
Numerous complications in the business world can make launching your business off the ground tough. You are not alone. Many business hopefuls look to more seasoned professionals for advice. Following these five steps helps you to successfully manage your new creative endeavors, and gives you and advantage in the market.
1. Know What You’re About
Running a new creative business can be tough. There are challenges and setbacks unique to this industry, some of which are unfortunately unavoidable. The most important thing you can do to make your business successful is to maintain a clear image of what you want your company to be. Visualize what you want the company to stand for and focus on that. If this image remains clear in your mind, there is a greater chance that it will become reality.
2. The 3 C’s
Check – When a situation or complication comes your way, take a step back. Try to evaluate it in an unbiased, rational way. Think about how this situation affects you and your business and how each action you take from here on out will affect it.
Conform – Don’t think of this negatively, but rather as a healthy adjustment of your business practices to help everything run efficiently. Conforming allows you to make the necessary changes to best benefit your business. You may need a tighter budget or to limit the number of projects in your queue.
Comply – Develop new ways for your business to function so that it molds to the changes you have made. This allows your business to run efficiently and productively.
3. Organize, organize, organize!
Plan ahead. Enthusiasm is encouraged, but don’t over-commit; work quality suffers, you add stress, and morale diminishes. You must learn to prioritize tasks and projects to make your business successful. Plot out your most important projects first and be honest about how much time you will need to complete them. Prioritize!
4. Eliminate Distractions
During planning and organization, you must maintain a clear focus. Prioritizing your projects is key. The more you spread yourself out, the more you compromise work quality. When working on your biggest projects, do not concern yourself with other smaller issues. Resist the urge to watch an endless black hole of cat videos on Youtube.
5. Accountability in the Workplace
Without a reliable team, your business is destined to fail. Make sure you have hired and selected individuals who are dedicated to making the company succeed. Be clear and concise about your expectations for each team member and make deadlines absolutely clear. Keep your team accountable. Having periodic check-ins will not only keep them focused and driven but allow you to see how you can best encourage your team.
Running a creative start-up can seem daunting, but keep a clear vision of what you want your business to be. Don’t let possible complications and obstacles discourage you. Look to the pros for guidance and be sure to follow these steps towards making your business more successful. You can do it!
Laura is a graphic designer who specializes in B2B content marketing and is the owner of DO | Creative Content Marketing based out of Atlanta, GA. She is a driven creative who uses strategy, critical thinking skills, and her passion for communication and good, simple design to create promotional campaigns geared towards strategic growth for Marketing and Sales goals.
