8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Creative Business

Maybe you have an idea but aren’t sure if you have what it takes to be a business owner? Maybe you question whether you could make it being self-employed? Or maybe you already started your business, but it’s not doing as well as you had hoped.

In coaching hundreds of creative business owners over the years, I have come up with 8 questions to consider before starting a new creative business. 

These deep questions will help really help you to determine if self employment and being a creative entrepreneur are for you?

Are you a self-starter?

Do you have the discipline to get up every morning and work your business? This is what self-starters do. They understand the work needs to done and no one else is going to do it. They motivate themselves to get the job done no matter how uncomfortable it may seem. If you are someone who needs someone to tell them what to do or prod you along, then owning your own business is going to be a tough gig! 

Do you love social media?  

In today’s world, social media can do more for your business than talent. I’m not kidding. There are many more talented painters than I am who are not as successful because they don’t know how to market themselves. They don’t know how to market, which means they don’t get as much work so they don’t make as much money. Soon they begin to feel less talented. Many will then give up. Here’s the truth of being successful: you don’t have to be the best, you just have to be better at social media marketing than your competitors.  If you develop a following, your audience will stand behind you regardless of your level of talent.

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Do you understand that owning your own business is a marathon not a sprint?

It’s hard work to get a business started. It takes time to build an online platform. Success will probably not happen overnight. If you have some money to put into the business, it may happen a little faster, but the hard truth is you probably won’t be quitting your day job right away. That’s okay. It will happen.   Smart business owners understand the long game….. they get that work early on will set them up for success long term.

 

Are you willing to invest a little bit of money?

Building a professional looking website that your followers and affiliate marketers will be interested in costs money. Good news is that you no longer have to pay $5k for a great site. It’s so much easier today to get a great looking website for a lot less money than what it used to cost. To some, Etsy may seem like a viable choice, but in reality many of your ideal customers may never shop there. I have a great podcast that you can listen to on that topic HERE.  Most of your clients will be on Facebook. Send them from Facebook to your website. There you can also make money from ad revenue and affiliate marketing because unlike Etsy, you OWN your website.  Another big plus to owning your own website is it will help you FEEL more legit, more like a real entrepreneur and customers will regard you as the same.

 

Are you a control freak?

As your business grows, there will come a time when you will need to outsource some of your duties. You have to be willing to give up some of the control to others. You just can’t do it all, nor should you. You can hire help with your social media, or writing your newsletter. Hire help for doing the prep work on that piece of furniture you just bought to refinish. This frees up your time to do other aspects of growing your business. If you are someone who feels like you need to control every aspect of your business, you will have a tough time growing it!

 

Are you somebody who over thinks things to the point you where you have trouble making a decision?

There are many important decisions that need to made in business but things like “the font style on your website” are not among them. Many people get hung up on the little decisions because they overthink. Don’t focus on the wrong things. A decision that may cost you $20/month is not a big decision that warrants overthinking. Remember, you can always change your decision down the road.

Are you willing to continue down your business path regardless of what people think and say about you?

You must have the courage to ignore what others may say. This could be competitors or even those closest to you. Not everyone is going to be supportive of your dreams, but you have to learn to pursue those dreams regardless. Your craft is often just your catalyst to bigger and better things. Don’t allow others to determine how you utilize your talents. Instead, surround yourself with people that lift you up and encourage you.

 

Are you a problem solver?

If you are someone who just complains or points out why something can’t be done, then running a business will be very difficult for you. There will always be challenges in your business, some that make you feel like quitting. You have to remember all business owners feel like throwing in the towel at some point; your job is to not stay there but rather figure out a way to solve your problem and move forward.

So once your answered those questions and know in your heart that you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur, then take action and START now! If you fall into one or more of the above groups, don’t be discouraged. They are all fixable! The only thing that can truly hold you back from your dream of being an entrepreneur is YOU. Take small steps, if necessary, but do something that moves you in the direction of realizing your business dream.

If these tips are useful at all, consider joining my Inner Circle where each month i teach you new social media strategies, technical tips and also bring you advice from experts. It’s a fantastic group of creative business owners who network and support each other! You will love it! I’d love to meet you there!

Or if you already have a creative business going and just need to know how to make money from other revenue streams so you can quit working so hard….consider joining my Creators Roadmap course when it opens again. You can join the waitlist here. This course will put you on the fast-track to learning everything about bringing in diverse revenue streams for your creative business.

Happy creating!

Jen

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