Whether you're a Chaotic, Linear, or Fusion Creative, we all need at least a little bit of "flow" in our work. Those times when things just feel effortless and time flies (in a good way). Chaotics need more time in flow than Linears do, but we all have that need. to some degree. There are probably some parts of working on your business that you love. For the creative entrepreneur, they are often the times when you get to create - your zone of genius, so to speak. They’re the reasons you got into this in the first place. The days you know you will be working on this stuff are the days you are excited to get out of bed and get started. And chances are, those are the parts of your work that you are best at. We all love doing things we do well. That's part of why Fusions struggle to pick just one thing.
These are the times that we find flow. Flow is a term from positive psychology that describes being absorbed in the task at hand. When you are intently focused, totally involved, and joyfully energized by your work, you are in flow. Losing track of time and working on something for hours at a stretch without even thinking about taking a break is often a hallmark of the state.
The great news is that as an entrepreneur, you can tailor your job to fit your strengths. That’s right! You can spend most of your time doing the things you like best. You can make ‘being in the zone’ your default state at work. It takes a little effort - particularly if you're just getting started, AND it's SO worth it!
Self-awareness is the first step to finding and protecting your flow. Take the time to think deeply about what parts of your job you enjoy. Ask your friends and your business mentors what they think your most significant strengths are. You might find some unexpected insights in their perspective.
Once you have a good sense of what tasks you like and excel at, break those tasks down to figure out what about them makes them fit you so well. It also pay dividends to invest in learn more about it. Put in the time to learn every bit of information about it. There are tons of tips, tricks and tutorials online, like that react tutorial, for instance, if your niche is coding.
Do they require interpersonal skills? Are they logistical? Are they the nuts and bolts of creating, like writing, coding, or working in the Adobe Suite? Are they aspects of marketing? The more specific you can be, the more you can tailor your schedule to play to your strengths. The Creative Freedom Entrepreneur Type quiz can also help you uncover those natural strengths that make work easier for you.
Once you have a strong sense of what you do best, what kinds of tasks will bring you into a flow state, prioritize them for yourself. Many of us feel obligated to slog away at jobs we find difficult and unpleasant because we are proving to ourselves how much grit and determination we have. Or, because we think we "need" the paycheck. If programming and data mining is your cup of tea, then you can learn about career path in analytics. It's a path that won't only fill your pockets but your heart and mind will be at ease.
The thing is, making yourself work on tasks you hate is taking time away from the things you excel at, and chances are you aren’t very good at them anyway. That’s to say nothing of how exhausting and discouraging it is to spend your time struggling just to keep with a task someone else can do quickly and easily.
To protect your flow, make it a major consideration in your hiring and outsourcing. Find people or companies that can take tasks off your plate and give you time to do what you love. Hate SEO? SEO marketing companies can do that for you. Not suited to be an accountant? Hire for that position.
By protecting your flow, you will be able to do your best work. And by hiring and outsourcing strategically, you will empower your staff to find their flow, as well. Remember, we often do our best work when we are in a flow state. Imagine how your business can soar when everyone is attaining flow regularly!
A few years ago, a client wanted to pay me in an international currency. I had no idea how it worked. I knew that, as my business grew, there might be more opportunities available to me if I was able to accept international payments and foreign currencies. Then, I learned that some currencies are valued higher than my own. For me, it made sense to begin accepting some forms of international payment as a "hedge" against the value of the dollar. It sounds complicated, but it's actually pretty easy. Right now, my PayPal account holds two currencies: US Dollar and GB Pound Sterling. Most of the time, the Pound is valued higher than the Dollar, so it makes sense and sort of acts like a savings account with a higher rate of return.
Every business needs to consider how they are going to handle their international payments. However, it is fair to say that there is a lot more to think about if you are a small business. After all, you probably don’t have the resources that big businesses do, which can make the whole process a little bit more difficult.
In order to manage your fund effectively and be competitive, you need to have a plan in place. This is something a lot of business owners don’t do, as they see it as unnecessary or a waste of time, but leading entrepreneurs like Dee Agarwal know that this is important. If you don’t put a plan together, there is no way you will be able to handle your international payments effectively, which in turn means you will be losing out on money and opportunities. It may be wise to use the services of a professional to put your plan together. You may see an accountant as an unnecessary expense, but all businesses need one, so it’s worth paying a little bit extra for this service so you can put a strategy together, especially if you don’t have a clue where to start. When putting your plan together, you will need to determine what your needs are in terms of cross-border payments, this relates to both incoming and outgoing payments. Once you have done this, you will then be able to outline your actions accordingly.
Putting a plan together is only the beginning. It will help you to get a true understanding of your company in relation to international money. However, you will find that there are many steps you can take afterwards to give your business the best chance of putting this plan into action effectively. One of the most crucial things you need to do is make sure your business has a foreign currency account. Look for an account that is step up for international transactions specifically. If there is one country where your company does a lot of business, let’s say you have several suppliers and clients in one destination, then it may be worth opening a foreign currency account if you have many transactions in that specific currency. Not only will it make your life a lot easier, but you won’t be losing out on money every time you have to exchange the currency. It is also a good idea to make sure you have cash handy in that currency. There are several reasons why this is the case. Not only can it lower the requirement for numerous cross-currency transfers, but it can reduce currency risk and help companies react more quickly.
Do you need to make a spot payment? A spot payment essentially means that you either buy or sell currency at the exchange rate that is offered at present. There is no time to waste – you have to exchange currency rapidly. A spot payment usually occurs on an irregular basis and is hard to predict. After all, for regular payments, you will have a strategy in place for securing the best exchange rates. However, with a spot payment, you don’t have the luxury of time, and thus you need to think on your feet. Although you need to exchange currency immediately, you will need to look for a provider that offers low fees and competitive spreads between the rates for buying and selling.
You should also make sure that your business is taking advantage of online money transfers. This is much more convenient and efficient. It is also beneficial in terms of payment visibility and cash management. You will be able to settle invoices with vendors located overseas in a more cost-efficient manner. There are also budgeting tools that are worth taking advantage of too. You will be able to see how much your income and outcome is from cross-border operations, which can help you to make informed decisions in the future. Remember, the only way to move forward is to have a clear picture of your operations at present.
I remember my first one-star review on Amazon like it was yesterday. It was totally irrelevant to the content of the book. It was almost like they posted a 1-star review just to be seen, but not because they actually read The Secret Watch!
No one likes to read negative reviews about their business, but they happen. Even if you provide an excellent service or great products, there is no telling when someone may simply not like what your company does! Of course, if you have gone through a bad patch in business, you may have accumulated a number of negative reviews. Despite the fact that you have recognized where you went wrong and made changes, those reviews remain, so how do you deal with them? Here are a couple of ideas:
When you notice a negative comment about your business online, try to reach out and resolve the issue. Find out why they are unhappy and see if you can come to a suitable resolution. Even if you do not agree with the customer and what they have said about your business, you need to show that you understand that they are annoyed and you want to resolve this. When you do this, it shows that you genuinely care about the experience that people have with your business.
If you are able to resolve the issue, ask the customer to update the review and note the resolution. Or add your own comment if it's on a site like Amazon. If you are unable to resolve the problem, the mere fact that you have reached out on the review page will show to others that you have at least tried to resolve things. That builds trust and helps to reduce the impact of the negative review.
Reviews make up just one area of online marketing. Search engine optimization, social media marketing, and the entirety of your online presence all matter. By ensuring that all other areas of your marketing are working in concert, you give yourself the best chance of being able to withstand a few bumps in the road when it comes to online reviews. You can also consider using paid social media advertising and other visibility tools like media appearances and PR to help your company be seen in a more positive light.
Sure, it's upsetting to see negative about your business, but if you're not selling schlock, take it with a grain of salt. If you deal with these comments in the right way, you can actually end up turning a bad situation into a good one. You can use negative reviews to show people that you care about your customers and their thoughts and feelings. People WANT to know you care!
In this week’s dose of empowerment for creative entrepreneurs, I’m keeping my word. Last time, I told you we’d dig into how to build a sustainable marketing strategy for your business. It begins with knowing your stories, so before we go any further, be sure to download your copy of the mini workbook inside the Rising Tide learning library that accompanies this episode. Think of it like a study guide that’s going to help you make your content marketing plans go a whole lot faster from here on out.
Let’s also address the elephant in the room when it comes to creating content and then marketing said content: Burnout. Decision fatigue, and the sheer volume of tasks that have to be done to create and promote that content.
Too many folks have equated consistency with frequency - myself included. But they are NOT the same thing!
So how do you develop a profitable, sustainable marketing strategy that doesn’t lead to burn out? The good news is that it’s totally possible.
This episode shares 3 sustainable business practices that help to pull you out of the content hustle and step into the creative freedom you crave.
As a friendly reminder - this month I’m leading the Cashflow Creator workshop - a small group intensive where we take a long hard look at your business model. You know: You + why + who + what + how. All things that will help bring the tips from this episode to life for your business!
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"The Content Hamster Wheel" is a parody of "Running Just To Catch Myself", originally recorded by Mark Schultz. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Being a business owner doesn’t mean you will be skilled in running every area of your company. One area managers often struggle with is marketing. Marketing is essential for any business. It’s the difference between a brand that is alive and well or one that is dying a slow and painful death. That might sound dramatic, but without the right marketing, your profits will dwindle, and slowly but surely, your business will get knocked out of the market.
Marketing can also become complicated and take up a lot of your time - to the point where it becomes your primary focus and unprofitable. While this is understandable, it’s not where you want your head to be. You need to focus on other areas too and understand how to prioritize marketing goals, perhaps by networking with your community or gathering social proof benefits. That’s why you need to look at ways to make marketing a little more simple and straightforward - and automate where it makes sense for your business. Here are a few suggestions to consider.
If you sell on Amazon, using software for amazon sellers can help you promote brand awareness as well as help you with your business finances. Automating or tracking your workflows with tools like Trello, Honeybook, or Dubsado can also make lighter work of your marketing efforts. We have used all three of those tools. We switched from Dubsado to Honeybook to handle client proposals for the Creative Freedom Incubator and Trello is how we track all the tasks required to launch each episode of Creative Freedom.
If you’re not hiring a professional team to handle your marketing, particularly on your website, you might want to think about using plugins to help with that. We use a plugin to run our quiz, and plugins for email marketing and managing our online courses. All automated and mostly pain-free once they're up and running.
How long a user stays on your site will affect your search ranking. That’s why a number of these plugins do provide a way to grade your writing on the site and ensure it is at the quality you need it to be.
You might also find you can use your plugin to correct the website structure. The structure is important, as it will determine how easily a search engine can crawl across your site. The easier this is, the more likely it will be your site ranks higher in the SERPs. Through a plugin, you can do this all in seconds.
While plugins are useful, you still need to complete a lot of work for them to be effective. If you want to keep your marketing as hands-off as possible, you need to look into automated possibilities. With automatic solutions, you can keep things firing even when you aren’t even at the computer.
There are various forms of automated marketing including Google advertisements. You can research the best automation tools for Google Ads and find the right one for your needs. You should look at various factors including price, capability, and level of management.
When you create a content marketing strategy, think about both what you're creating and when you'll publish it. Templates can help make content creation easier, and it is possible to use software that will distribute that content like clockwork. That’s crucial. If you want to remain in the spotlight, you need to make sure content is delivered regularly, but consistency and frequency are NOT the same.
Automating content delivery (or hiring help to do it for you) takes you and your personal schedule out of the loop. That means things get done even when you're off the clock! We use tools like Later, the Facebook Creator studio and SmarterQueue (FYI: that's a referral link that gives me credit when you sign up.) to make things easier for us and our clients. Find the tools that work for YOU and do what you can as you are able. This isn't about creating MORE work for yourself, but finding ways to make it easier to do the work you're already doing.
If you need support, join our Rising Tide Community to find the help you need to succeed!
Your company is growing. Maybe you're selecting your first V.A. right now, or maybe you've grown beyond that and things are getting a bit more complicated. Whatever your situation, your staff are integral to your company. You need the right people in the right roles and if they’re not performing well, this can play havoc on your business. There are right ways to manage your staff and wrong ways that could be hindering your business success. Here are some tips for managing your team as your company grows:
The right software can make all the difference when you’re trying to manage your team. Each person in your organization needs differing levels of supervision and attention. Things like enterprise architecture can also be good to implement as your company grows.
If you're just starting out, task management and communications software is a great way to track progress on work being done and monitoring where folks may be slacking. It’s not "spying", but more about ensuring everyone is working as a team and is still able to work individually too. Remember, you're the business owner and it's important that deadlines are being met and that each person on your team is working to their potential.
If you’re a company that doesn’t have staff members and perhaps works only with contractors or with virtual teams, then having online software like Asana or Slack can be useful in monitoring collaborations between you and anyone you’re working with. We've taken to using Trello for our team communications and project management. Everyone can stay on the same page, as it were, and stay in the know about what's happening at Creative Freedom HQ.
Team building exercises are a great way to bring cohesion and unity to your staff. As your company grows, you may have people that don't often interact with each other. It’s important to bring everyone together occasionally in order for them to get to know one another. This keeps cliquishness at bay and helps everyone feel included, seen, heard, and valued.
Find ways of doing team building exercises whether it be company away days or an afternoon of training in-house. For businesses who only have contractors, organizing a virtual cocktail party or ‘get to know you’ session over Zoom could be good for building that on-going relationship.
Your senior leaders are in the positions they’re in due to their knowledge and experience. But, they may not always be good at managing their teams. It’s important that these staff members learn how to delegate work properly when needed. the last thing you want it to have the wrong people in the wrong roles, doing work that's not suited to their strengths or stretched too thin trying to pick up the slack for others on the team. Try to help your senior management find the right balance wherever they are within the company.
It’s always good to be incentivized in your job. One way to make sure that your staff members are better in being managed is by offering rewards and incentives where possible. This can be great when you’re managing a workforce because ultimately you want to keep your staff members happy. Their happiness is likely just as important or if not more important than your customers. Without your staff, you wouldn’t have a business that’s growing or successful.
You may only be a team of one right now, or running with a couple of virtual assistants. As your company grows, complexity grows with it. Making some decisions now about how to handle and manage the growth of your team lays the foundations for your company culture. It's all rooted in what your company stands for, and managing your team as it grows needs to be rooted in that vision.
If you need support growing or managing your team, the Creative Freedom Incubator can help. From basic business foundations to back-end operations, marketing, and admin support, we're here to provide the resources you need to have a profitable, sustainable business doing what you love.
Being self-sustaining has obvious perks, mainly that you can always depend on yourself to get the job done. However, trying to do everything on your own can also lead to your downfall as an entrepreneur. You only have one set of hands and you can't possibly be trained in every aspect of the business (unless you've had years and years of experience). That said, you don't have to crash and burn — all you have to do is ask for help.
Entrepreneurs don't have to take it as a sign of weakness. In fact, in can only do wonders for your business.
Let's face it: There are a lot of things you don't know. Even if you have plenty of skills, there will come a time when you're faced with a problem you can't fix. This lack of knowledge is one of the most stressful parts of being an entrepreneur, but it's something you'll have to deal with. And you don't have to deal with it alone.
So, let's say you're struggling with setting up your own website. Website building is a relatively new skill that you might not have mastered yet. Instead of getting frustrated over it, consider reaching out to a professional website developer who actually knows more than you on the matter. You'll save a lot more time and energy (even money) by outsourcing a job you know nothing about.
Just because you CAN do it by yourself, doesn't mean you should. If you're like most creative entrepreneurs, you'll run the risk of burnout. To make things worse, entrepreneurs, in general, seem predisposed to deal with mental problems. A study on the matter found that 49% of entrepreneurs suffered from at least one mental health condition during their lifetime. Such conditions include ADHD, bipolar, and addictive disorders. While neurodivergence is actually a competitive advantage for entrepreneurs, this widespread issue can also stem from the unhealthy belief within the community that normalizes an entrepreneur's neglect of their wellbeing. The outdated motto "no pain, no gain" still reigns in many markets, and it's taken its toll on these aspiring business leaders.
You can avoid these problems by detaching yourself from that toxic mindset and learning to ask for help when you need it. Remember that it doesn't mean you're giving up, nor is it a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it's a sign of strength and self-awareness.
Now that you know why it's good to ask for help, let's talk about how you can go about it. First, you need to pinpoint what you need help with. If you're not sure, then you need help to figure out what you need help with. That's not unusual. You can't know everything, and it's possible that you've landed on something that you just don't know that you don't know. A good business coach can help you spot gaps in your business and help you be proactive in dealing with them. In most cases, if it's a problem inside your business, you'll need some extra hands to resolve it, so consider hiring some support to help you out with daily operations.
For instance, you might want to hire someone to help with your finances, given that more than half of all businesses fail due to cash flow issues. Your profit and the cash you currently have on hand are two different values, and this should be taken into account when running a business. Even if it might seem like your company is making money on the surface, getting a trusted professional to take a closer look might reveal that outstanding transactions and late client payments have robbed you of your month's revenue.
In many cases, you will require support. Reach out to family and friends if what you need is to feel emotionally recharged or relieved of burnout. You can also consider finding a good mentor. Every aspiring entrepreneur needs an experienced one to learn from! A good mentor is someone who owns or has owned a successful business and can give you valuable advice on how to handle yours. They've already been through it all and they have plenty of insight to pass on to the next great entrepreneur. Getting help from others assists in your professional and personal development. Plus, it can do wonders for your business and grow your network. You can also join a support community - like a mastermind group or A-Club, or hire a coach. Just remember that you have options!
Never be afraid or ashamed to ask for help, because doing so is a step in the right direction. And remember what Lisa says: Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Ask for help and lighten your load!
Written for lisarobbinyoung.com by Jennifer Birch
Being married to a Grammy-nominated graphic designer is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he's super humble and very customer focused. He WANTS you to have the best possible design for the investment you're making. On the other hand, details matter to him in ways that I wouldn't even think of. That's fine for graphic design projects, but it can be a little stressful when you're trying to decide what color to paint the living room. We left the paint store with 10 different color swatches in shades of turquoise and yellow to find just the right fit for our space.
He's not the first designer I've worked with. Tracy Lay over at Digivisual Design has been my brand guardian for years. She makes sure my marketing materials are cohesive and on-brand. Or said another way, she makes sure my brand "doesn't go out of the house looking like that!" We spent months working on the current design of my website and we're in the middle of a months-long brand update that will culminate in the release of my newest book (coming soon!). Along with that update, we needed to craft a wordpress theme page that would compliment the new branding for the book.
Why?
The new book has a more sohisticated feel than my current branding. Eventually, everything will migrate to this "upgraded" look and feel, but for now, and for my budget, getting the book page done first was the important thing.
According to a recent study by Tyton Media, 94% of customers reject or mistrust a site because of poor web design - that includes responsiveness and the way the look and feel measures up to the buyer's expectations. Your brand needs to look and feel consistent both online and offline, but how?
Most creative entrepreneurs think that getting their logo designed will solve their problems, but more often than not, it doesn't work that way. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes thinking that has to go into creating that logo. Things like your messaging, your audience, and the values of your company. If you're not clear on that stuff, slapping a pretty picture on things may only serve to confuse your audience. All of those details inform the aesthetic of your visual brand.
I currently use a bold mix red, white, and blue with some animal print thrown in to elevate the fun factor. that brand aesthetic says "fun, quirky, bold, dynamic" - all the things that I want Creative Freedom to be. But our new branding is more sophisticated, so we're making the blue a little darker, to give it a more formal, elegant feel. We're still using a script font, but it's more refined, to reflect the elevation of the brand. At some point in the future, I'll do an entire brand deconstruct with Tracy and post it on the blog for you. Here's a sneak peek:
If I tried to sell my new book (and the direction it's going) with the old branding, people wouldn't take it seriously. This brand re-fresh keeps the things that are familiar and starts to move everything into a more sophisticated place.
Let’s say you run a gym. Are you clear on who you're serving? What is your position on health and fitness? That will dictate the kind of people who show up. Different kinds of people attend a yoga studio than a Gold's Gym. If you're not clear on who you're serving, you could have a company like Performa Custom create a bunch of custom merch and you wouldn't even be able to GIVE it away to your customers!
Whether it's your website, your social media posts, or any other marketing content, it's important that your brand shows up consistently everywhere. If you're hot pink and green in one place and blue and gold in another, your audience gets confused. And a confused mind says "no".
Creating a brand bible - a set of guidelines - will help everyone in your company (and the contractors to whom you outsource) know, at a glance, exactly what your brand looks and feels like. It includes your specific colors and fonts, yes, but also messaging, ways to use (and not use) imagery in things like blog posts, social media, and other marketing. Your brand bible is a touch point that helps everyone keep your brand consistent and "on brand" at all times.
You don't have to go it alone, and if your budget doesn't allow you to hire a pro right now, you don't have to suffer in silence, either. There are templates available to get you started. Or you can step into a program that helps you build things right from the start. Tracy and I are quietly working on a great first-step branding program that we hope to launch later this year. Keep your eyes peeled for updates!
In today’s dose of empowerment for Creative Entrepreneurs, we’re getting tactical and practical. By that, I mean, we’re looking at your planning for your business. Now, I don’t mean business plans - which I believe are mostly useless for creative entrepreneurs who aren’t looking for external funding. There’s a much simpler and easier way to do them - which we’ll talk about in a future episode.
Instead, I’m talking about strategic planning and goal-setting for your business.
I know. I know. It’s March, and I hear you saying, “Lisa. Why are we talking about goal setting and planning now, when the year has already started?
Because if you’re like some creatives I know, you’re still in recovery from 2020, which was a hell of a ride in more ways than one.
The end of Q1 is hot on your heels here in March, so it's a GREAT time to reflect and re-set for the remainder of the year if you've already done your annual planning. OR, you can get your year in gear now and set yourself up to be on track for the rest of 2021.
This episode shares 5 tips to help you get your strategic business planning done for the next 12 months - whenever the year begins for you!
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Your Breakout Year" is a parody of "Breakout", originally recorded by Swing Out Sister. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We live in a world where it’s easier than ever before to launch an online business. However, just because it’s easy to do from a logistical point of view doesn’t mean that it’s easy from a mindset standpoint. It takes confidence to start any type of business, online or off.
There are plenty of folks who would happily start a company if they knew everything would work out. But that's not how business works. There's risk. you have to make educated guesses, and those guesses require a little bit of courageous action to back them up.
If you know you want to become a digital entrepreneur, but you don’t quite feel ready, here's a few ideas that can help:
You can fake it till you make it, but truthfully, that seems like too much work to me. You can’t start a business hoping that one day you’ll know your products or services inside out. It might happen, but wouldn’t it be much easier if you knew about those things before you launched? Knowledge really is power. If you’re weighing multiple ideas to launch, then remember this advice from my investment advisor: choose the one you know the best. It’s much easier to succeed when you have confidence in what you’re doing.
Sometimes, all we need is a little bit of help to get us moving in the right direction. You might have all the skills you need, but you’re just having some trouble bringing them all together and figuring out which direction to take. Fortunately, no matter what type of business you’re thinking of launching, there will be help out there. Learning important details like setting up business in singapore may also be essential in making your business fruitful.
For example, if you want to start your own marketing venture, the Local Marketing Vault method might help (here's more from ibuyireview.com). As a coach, I probably don't even need to tell you that there are zillions of courses, both online and in the real world, that can help you build an online business. But here's a tip: only take a course if it's something you know you need RIGHT NOW. Otherwise, it's too easy to get caught up in buying training and becoming a "course collector". Keep it simple, stay focused, and don't underestimate the power of a little extra learning!
You could easily give yourself a panic attack if you place too much pressure on yourself to succeed. In the early days, it’s a good idea to have modest ambitions. Just do it for fun, and see what happens! If you’re expecting your website to give you a full-time income from the first moment that you launch, then you’ll be worried every step of the way. Even if you did have success, you probably wouldn’t enjoy the process! Start small, and build up from there.
Finally, think about this: if you never try, then you’ll never know. While it’s fine to have some nerves and be a little apprehensive about starting your own company, it’s also important that you’re not letting fear rule you. You'll never feel fully ready to make the leap. And if you do, you've probably waited too long. If you’re too afraid to fail, then just think about this: what’s the worst that can happen? What’s on the other side of the fear? You’ll likely find that there’s nothing there that you can’t handle. And if you DO find something that looks impossible to handle, ask for help. You don't have to do it alone!
With everything that happened in 2020, you may not be thinking about doing an in-person event anytime soon. I get it. We had to take our annual client retreat online into a virtual format last year, and it was good, but it was definitely different than being in the same room together.
Hosting an event is a great way to attract new clients, develop your reputation, and spread the word about your brand. It can also be a heck of a lot of work that takes an enormous amount of time and money to pull off. I've shared horror stories and lessons learned from both attending and hosting live events in previous show episodes. Luckily it needn't be as difficult as you might think to organize a memorable commercial event. Here are a few things to consider for even the simplest successful event.
Choosing the right location and venue is absolutely critical. You'll need to find a large enough space that can accommodate your audience which is available for your event dates. Keep in mind your budget as well, since most hotel venues have hidden "upcharges" that aren't included in the room rental rate. You should aim to choose a venue which is in an accessible location, having main roads and train or bus stops nearby to allow for easy travel.
Your venue also needs to be accessible for your attendees in other ways - chairs, stairs, elevators, sensory needs, and other considerations that make it easier for your guests to be in and get out of your meeting location. To learn more about making your events accessible, check this out from one of our Incubator clients, Riley Dwight. They are on a mission to make everything accessible to everyone.
Your venue should have a reasonable amount of facilities, including a good lighting and fast internet. take your time to look around each potential venue and meet any staff that will be working during your event. Pictures alone aren't good enough. Take the time to read a few reviews left by previous event hosts to help you decide whether or not the venue will work for you.
Once you've decided on the perfect venue, now's the time to start sourcing the equipment and materials that you'll need. That means room decor and swag, sure, but also any audio/visual gear, brand elements, and other things you'll need in the room - like tables and chairs.
You may think that you'll just use your on equipment for your event, but that's not always possible. Some venues require that you use their in-house equipment and A/V, while others have a list of authorized vendors that you'll need to connect with to get their price lists. When you are able to use your own gear, you still might not want to do it. At one events I attended, one of the keynote speakers left right after their talk to catch a flight out of town... leaving their laptop sitting on the projection table!
If you've got the budget, it might make sense to rent equipment for your event. You can usually rent a laptop or rent an iPad for events on the cheap by the day. They'll even pre-load the device for you in some cases. All you have to do is show up and do your presentation! Tables and chairs may come with the venue rental, but they may not be suitable for your attendees. Or they may just be ugly. Most party and event rental places offer a variety of tables, chairs, linens, pipe & drape, and even stages to fit your event needs.
Unless you're hosting a small, intimate gathering, you'll probably need a few helping hands to keep things moving smoothly. Finding the right team of people to staff your event makes a big difference in you your attendees feel. It also makes a big difference in how YOU feel at the end of it all.
The right team keeps everything running on time, issues are handled quickly and efficiently, and they actually help you stay focused on what you're really there to do - be the host with the most!
If you don't have the time or skills to gather a group of talented people, you may wish to explore a staffing agency. They maintain a database of suitable candidates that they can match up with your unique project, cutting out the stress of having to read through potentially hundreds of applications.
Hosting your own live event is a big commitment. To avoid having nobody show up (been there, and it's NOT pretty) you've got to market it. Developing buzz, spreading the word, encouraging the right folks to attend takes more than a little marketing.... and the sooner, the better. The more time you have to let people know about your live event, the easier it is for them to plan to attend.
Deciding where and how to market your commercial event should depend on your target audience, becuase if the right folks don't know about it, they simply won't attend. I attempted to host a live event in my hometown - even booked a famous celebrity to attend - and sold exactly three tickets. Why? We didn't have a budget to promote the event and relied on the little bit of local press and social media posts we were making in order to fill the seats. We ended up cancelling three days before the event.
Yeah, it takes a lot to put together a killer event, but when you've done it well, the results are transformational and amazing. I'm excited about hosting the Creative Freedom Client Retreat in person again this fall. After a year off in a virtual setting, it'll be nice to see each other and be able to HUG each other again!
"Look at me!"
I'm pretty sure that was one of the first things I ever learned to say as a child. Being the middle child made me feel like I always had to compete for attention with my siblings. Especially my baby sister. She was born on Leap Year, which made her special, according to my mom. And her hair fell into ringlets just like Shirley Temple, which made her special, too - according to my grandmother.
How was I supposed to compete with that?
Yeah, I know that's not the best question in the world, but when you're six years old, all you want is to be seen and loved for who you are.
Funny thing is... that doesn't change when you're older - or when you become a business owner.
Instead of singing and dancing to "Good Shop Lollipop" (thankfully, video was not a thing back then!), let's look at a few ways you can get the attention your creative business deserves.
If you want your business to stand out from other options available in your market, then you need to uncover your USP (unique selling proposition). This is the key reason people buy from you, instead of someone else. The tricky thing about your USP is that it could be anything. It could even be something you don't realize makes you unique.
When I started coaching, I was the first (and only) certified online marketing coach for direct sales professionals. At first, that was what drew people to me - trying to figure out how to grow their business using this new-fangled Internet thing. But over time, something shifted. People started coming to me for the way I created a safe space for them to actually be themselves, want what they want, and go after their real dreams and desires in a way that worked for them.
So my USP wasn't my marketing skills... even though I thought they were. Instead, it was the way people felt safe enough with me to build their own courage muscles, set better boundaries, and make more confident decisions in a way that nobody else ever did for them!
Who knew?
Sometimes you'll find what makes you unique by looking at what other people do in your market. If you're doing something different (like telling people you DON'T need to shoe-horn yourself into someone else's blueprint or mold at a time when EVERY online marketer was selling a blueprint or formula), chances are good you've found your USP. If people actively comment about that difference, it's a pretty sure bet. Asking for assistance from professionals may be a huge difference-maker in helping you stand out from the rest of the competition.
Philanthropy and cause marketing are becoming more popular with the rise of B Corps as well as other activist and social justice efforts inside businesses. According to some advocates, it is essential for businesses to do their part to help consumers in need. As culture shifts, consumers are expecting more from the businesses they deal with. Many of today's younger consumers believe that buying from from you says something about who they are. Social responsibility is part of that. Supporting a worthy cause can also be a great way to attract attention from the media and get your business a different kind of positive exposure.
Talk about the culture behind your company and the key ideas or messages behind your business brand. Social media is a great way to tell those stories and connect more deeply with your audience. But it's only one way. Let your other marketing (email, in-person, etc.) incorporate these origin stories, too.
A lot of business owners assume that the end of the transaction is when you deliver your offer to your buyer.
WRONG ANSWER.
A little service after the sale shows them you care - and it’s easy to do! Shoot them a quick email, or a short phone message to follow up and make sure they got everything okay or if they have any questions. It also provides you with the option of asking for a quick review. Reviews are vital for your business, particularly when you consider that 80% of customers won’t buy a product online without checking out reviews first.
You can use a business mobile phone to call your customers and do a follow-up with them. This way you are almost guaranteed a positive review. Adding a personal touch can go a long way, in making customers happy. If you make it a dedicated line, then they can leave a message any time without tying up your regular business line.
No need to throw your hair up in ringlets, unless that's your thing. There are plenty of ways to help your business stand out. These are just a few that can work for almost any business. You don't need to do them all, and I encourage you to really look at how each one does or doesn't align with how you want to do business.
If social justice isn't a core value for you, don't pretend that it is. The only thing people hate more than not being socially conscious is people who pretend they are. Don't be that guy!
Instead, choose visibility options that work for who you are, what matters most to you, and how you want to be known in the world. Not everyone will agree with you, and that's okay, because they're not your right audience anyway. The people who do will love you all the more!
Want help? We've helped clients create unique marketing campaigns, build their financial accessibility statements, and align with causes that are dear to their hearts. That's just a fraction of the kinds of things we do inside our business incubator for creative entrepreneurs. The Creative Freedom Incubator is open for enrollment and we'd love to have you join us!
As we proceed through season 6 of Creative Freedom, we're going to be talking more and more about your marketing strategy. This includes both online (digital) and offline marketing tactics. Some businesses try to develop two different "strategies" - one for online and one for off. But remember, a strategy is a collection of tactics used in pursuit of a specific goal. So, having 2 strategies means you're chasing 2 different goals, and that can be pretty overwhelming for a small or micro business.
One goal. One strategy. You're going to hear me say that a LOT this season!
There are lots of tactics you could use. It's like a full-stocked toolbox. Remember, though, that you don't need to use every tool in your toolbox. And not every tool is going to bring the results you want. The right tool for the right job, as they say. There's a proliferation of digital tools available. From social media platforms to email marketing, to webinars, and more! Trying to be everywhere all the time is a stress-inducing nightmare for most solopreneurs.
It can be pretty overwhelming when you're being told every day to try hop on yet another platform. And watching guys like Gary Vee show up all over the place can make you feel like that's what you have to do if you want to be a successful creative entrepreneur, too.
But you don't. Gary's playing a much different game at a different level than you or I. He's running a media company, for crying out loud, so it's his job to know about all kinds of media. That's not YOUR job!
Here's another hard truth: that kind of #hustle isn't sustainable for a solopreneur. Gary's got a team of people cropping, slicing, dicing, and re-using his content all the time. When you have as many minions as Gary has, then feel free to be ubiquitous. For the rest of us, we need to be more judicious about where we're investing ourselves. Maximize the return on your investment of all your resources: time, energy, money, effort, and attention. You simply can't be everywhere all the time, so it makes sense to be where you get the most bounce for the ounce.
But, if you've been doing one thing for a while and it isn’t bringing the results it once did, it may be time to switch it up! Gone are the days when I could point to five figures of income that came directly from my time on Twitter. I still have a presence there, but I shifted my resources and focus on other platforms now. And I know that it will probably change again in the future.
So, how do you know when it's time to change things up in your marketing? Here's three places to look:
Your content plays a significant role in the success of your digital marketing. Your Raving Fans will consume as much as you're willing to crank out. That doesn't mean you need to be creating all the time. It DOES mean you need to be clear and consistent with what you are creating. Hiring a professional who offers an effective content generation service may be fruitful.
According to one survey about 40% of social media users admitted to unfollowing a company for posting too often, but more than 35% unfollowed because of a lack of engagement. So being consistent is important, but "consistently" does not necessarily mean "frequently". Create content on a schedule that works for you and communicate that schedule to your audience so that they know what to expect.
Remember, too, that YOU do not live in a vacuum. You care a living, breathing, changing, human being. Give yourself permission to change your content plan to continue to work for for you.
Usually, digital marketers tend to forget about the importance of customer service - and marketing is a form of customer service!
You are not just trying to keep your customers entertained; you want to give them a reason to stay too. Every interaction your customers (existing or new) have with your business are marketing moments for your brand. A satisfied customer tells their friends. A dissatisfied customer tells EVERYONE!
When you show up in email, on your blog, or your social outposts, take a personal approach. Listen, engage. Make sure your Raving Fans have the chance to be seen and heard. To a certain degree, you can even automate some of this personalization. Custom fields in your email make it easy to address a subscriber by name. You can also use tools like FAQs and Chatbots to satisfy your customers with speedy feedback on their enquiries - visit this webpage to learn more about AI for customer service. A robot isn't a suitable replacement for ALL customer service, but it can certainly help you listen to what your customers are asking and see more clearly where they need your support.
Your website, social media, advertising, podcasts, and webinars are some of the many digital marketing channels you can explore and experiment with to find what works for you. Diversifying your digital marketing strategies can help you build more web traffic and promote your brand more widely. AND, it's silly to jump into a new platform (or a new way of showing up on your existing platforms) and expect an immediate payoff. You are experimenting and it takes time to work out the bugs. Remember: Plan. Do. Evaluate. THEN Celebrate. Give yourself enough time to actually figure things out before you write off a new approach to your online tactics.
Digital marketing is useful for the creative entrepreneur, but everything has the potential to have diminishing returns over time. As a business owner, it's up to you to keep course correcting on your strategy so that you keep moving toward your dreams and goals.
Need support with your marketing strategy? The doors to the Creative Freedom Incubator are now open. We provide coaching and business support to help you grow a business doing what you love without selling your soul to do it. If you're brand new to business, be sure to register for the FREE Rising Tide learning library and start building your plan with Dreamblazing, the same tool I've used for decades to grow and navigate changes in my own business.
There will be many things running through your brain when starting a business. That's because there are a LOT of moving parts and pieces!
There's crafting your offers - the actual things you make to sell - and all the issues that go along with that. Then, there's growing an audience and selling the thing consistently so you can get profitable, streamlining and systematizing, increasing your impact and reach and leaving a legacy (at least, if you follow the Fix This Next Business Hierarchy of Needs like I recommend!).
That's a LOT to manage!
So let's breathe and remember that running your own business is exciting and a journey you should be proud of the fact that you're even THINKING about doing this. Entrepreneurship is not for the weak. There are a lot of ups and downs. Also, remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint! Do what you can as you are able.
If you're just getting started, here are five things to consider when starting your small business.
There was a time when a website was optional. Now, it's virtually an imperative. That doesn't mean it has to be expensive or flashy. A simple wordpress install - which is free on most domain hosting services - is all it takes. A place for people to learn more about you, your work, and a way to contact you for more details. Sure you can go in for more sophisticated design (I trust Tracy at Digivisual Design for almost all my branding and design work).
Your website will attract new clients, but you will also be using it to show a certain level of credibility. On your website, you can explain your experience, add testimonials as well as show past work. Can you do this on social media? Sure, but the platforms change their rules all the time! Having a place where you can have the exclusive attention of your buyers makes it easier for them and you. I don't know about you, but I'd rather drive traffic to my own site than to places where other people are also vying for my buyers' attention!
Usually, I don't recommend anyone start with advertising right away. The exception is for someone that's already clear on who their Raving Fans are and how to reach them. For example, if you want to reach folks who play double-strung harp (like my client Cindy), then it might make sense to run an ad in the folk harp journal, because that's where your Raving Fans are likely to be.
You need a budget to advertise. Whether you do it yourself or hire a PPC service or ads manager, the ads themselves aren't free (in most cases). But advertising alone will not keep your business in the black. Your marketing budget needs to be big enough to promote your business in other ways as well.
DIY, an online tool, a bookkeeper, or a full-fledged accountant. However you slice it, you've got to track and crunch the numbers. Chaotics don't want to hear this, I know, but sticking your head in the sand will only guarantee that you continue to struggle. Find an approach that works for you (I recommend finding someone that's versed in Profit First), and stick with it. The right financial pro will help you make sense of the numbers in a way that works for you.
Your branding is the first thing customers will experience - even before your website. Branding isn't just your logo. Among other things, it's how you show up, the words you use, and your communication style.
If you take the time to do the work before you jump into a logo design, you'll be in better shape. All your brand elements go together to create a full picture of who you are, what your company's about and what it stands for in the marketplace. Get it right and your Raving Fans will remember you - and may even want to adorn themselves with your logo! Get it wrong and they may remember you for all the wrong reasons. That's why it's imperative to seek the help of professionals such as logo design florida.
Have you considered any legal implications to your idea? Are there any licensing laws that you need to follow? You need a license to sell alcohol, be an attorney, or offer health care services. Are there contracts you need or other legal documents that are necessary for the work you're doing? What about your business structure? Are you going to default to a Sole Prop, or would an LLC or S-Corp be a better fit for the work you do?
Before launching, it’s always worth getting in touch with a legal adviser to talk through your idea and check if there are any laws that you may have forgotten about. If you are worried about them hearing about your idea, you can always get them to sign an NDA so that they cannot discuss the idea with anyone else. They'll probably even draft it for you!
This list is not exhaustive. these are just a few things to consider when starting your business. Try not to overwhelm yourself and be more effective with your time. Do your research before launching and try to be a thorough as possible. Save up as much as you can before you launch as the more money you have the less pressure it will be for you to earn a profit right away.
Need help? Level One of the Creative Freedom Incubator is a great place to start. Not ready to make an investment? Then sign up for the FREE Rising Tide learning library and get access to a bunch of training and tools to help you get your business off to a strong start.
We started talking about business models in our last episode. Don't let your eyes glaze over because whether you like it or not, you've already GOT a business model. So, it's important for you to have a better understanding of how they work and - more importantly - which business models are best for your creative entrepreneur type.
This week, we're taking a closer look at how each creative entrepreneur type can take advantage of these different business models. Sure, you can have any business model you want, but each creative type needs to focus on doing business in a way that's in alignment with their strengths.
That's what we're looking at in this episode.
The podcast "deep dive" this week shares an example of how a Chaotic Creative can transition from a product-based business model to one that is more profitable and capitalizes on the boutique nature of a high-touch, personalized business.
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Do What Comes Natural" is a parody of "Natural", originally recorded by Imagine Dragons. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Everyone knows that entrepreneurs need to be gutsy. How else could they face the risks inherent in starting something new? Even just the dream of starting a business is a brave endeavor that most folks can't handle.
The ups and downs of entrepreneurship can be stressful. Not knowing where your next client is coming from can be frustrating. There's a LOT of uncertainty (which is why I'm a business coach - to help people through that uncertainty!).
Being a creative entrepreneur? Well, you might as well turn the volume up to eleven! We often work alone on our projects, and that echo chamber can amplify our fears and frustrations.
But there are three fears I hear time and again from entrepreneurs that we need to deal with... because these fears are genuine realities of the day-to-day work of being an entrepreneur. Yep, you heard me. These things WILL show up in your work and you need to understand that right now. Before you jump head first into something with wild abandon.
Instead of fearing them, creative entrepreneurs, such as Andrew Defrancesco, need to embrace them. Shocker, right? Well, let's take a look at them and find a path to embracing your fears.
Knowledge gaps come in two flavors: what you know you don't know and what you don't know you don't know.
Simply put, you can't know everything, and trying to do so will only make you suffer. Okay, Fusions, you get sort of a pass here because you know a LOT of things, but even so, you still don't know EVERYTHING. There's going to come a point in your business where you're stepping away from what's comfortable and familiar into new territory.
For example, I recently had some wordpress plugin issues that were making my quiz inoperable. I know enough about wordpress to be dangerous, so there are things I know and things I don't know. Then, there are things I didn't even know I didn't know... like how the server side of my web host operates. I had to do some IT consulting, talk to my designer, and found out I'll ultimately need to do some site upgrades in order to fix the issues.
Did I panic a little? Sure. For a few minutes. Then I remembered that I can ask for help and there are plenty of people smarter than me that can solve these issues.
Knowledge gaps don't have to induce fear or panic. Instead, rest in the fact that growing your business means growing pains - and that you'll need to invest in help from time to time in order to cover your knowledge gaps.
In business, the only certainty is change, but the uncertainty of that change can be stressful and overwhelming. A solid business foundation can help keep things stable, but no one can prepare for every eventuality (the pandemic of 2020 taught us that!). All we can do is cope up with the negativity by using top-grade products such as the ones from CBD Armour.
Companies that can remain agile and accept change are the ones that come out on top. As such, being a better entrepreneur is less about facing business change as it is about embracing it. In an interview I did with Jonathan Fields a while ago, he said there is no staying still. There are no lateral moves. Because time marches on and if you move laterally or stay in the same spot, you're actually behind.
On one hand, that feels like an endorsement of hustle culture, but it's not. It's about recognizing that you have a choice to make in any moment. If forward is where you want to do, you can't stay complacent. You have to keep looking ahead, correcting your course, and moving toward your dreams and goals. I've said it before, it doesn't matter how slow you go, so long as you do not stop... unless, of course, you've changed your mind about what your goals really are.
See? Change happens. Get used to it now and it'll be your friend later.
Income and outgo fluctuate. It's a natural part of business. We have high seasons and low seasons. Planning your business around either is a recipe for disaster.
I remember my first five-figure month. I had just hosted a 2-week telesummit with over a dozen guests. My list quadrupled in size. I was over-the-moon excited and made a rookie mistake - I planned my income for the next few months based on that incredible high.
Ooops!
After decades as a creative entrepreneur, I've learned about cash flow and income projections. I've learned how to find the average monthly income and outgo of my business and that helps my planning go a lot more smoothly. BUT...
Instead of beating myself up, I use the information from those surprises to help my business improve for the next time. And there will be a next time. And when it comes, I'm better prepared to handle it.
There's an old saw: "new level, new devil". I like to think of it as new level, SAME devil. Uncertainty doesn't go away. Whether it's life or business, finances or knowledge gaps, change is inevitable. The thing that matters most is how you navigate it.
Want support? Join us in the Creative Freedom Incuabtor and get the support you need for the level you're at. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned creative, you'll find the community, accountability, coaching and business support you need to have a business making great money doing what you love - without selling your soul to do it.
As a creative business owner, there are so many things that fall on your shoulders. And yet, having a profitable, sustainable business really only boils down to a few essentials. Without these essentials, you really don't have a business. And yes, they may seem obvious, but I can't tell you the number of creative entrepreneurs who come at me without a solid understanding of one, if not all, of these things
The first thing that you are going to need is funding. That doesn't mean an investor - although, that can be helpful, depending on the amount of control they wield over your business. Most creatives don't want someone else meddling, which means you'll need other funding sources. That could be loan monies (credit cards, SBA loans, etc.), but let's not ignore the obvious: SALES.
The best source of funding is from the sales of your offers. As my colleague Mike Michalowicz likes to say, revenue is the life blood of your business. Your business simply can't survive without sales.
Luckily, there are only a couple of ways to increase sales: sell to more people, sell in larger quantities, or raise your rates. Most creatives don't charge nearly enough for their offers, so that's usually the first place I look when I'm working with a new client. As I've said before, when you charge more, you can be more generous.
Higher rates doesn't mean you have to be financially out of reach for folks, either. I regularly charge more than $1000/hr for my coaching, which allows me to be more generous inside the Creative Freedom Incubator - where most of my clients are on a pay-for-results model because they're in the early stages of establishing their business. They couldn't begin to afford my rates otherwise. I have other clients with their own financial accessibility statements providing special pricing for marginalized or low-income clients. None of that would be possible if their rates weren't high enough to subsidize that service.
Whether you're serving a handful of clients in a boutique-style business or you're working with millions of people across the breadth of your company, clients are the driving force behind your cash flow. If revenue is the life blood, then customers are the heart of your company. They keep the blood pumping! Unfortunately, there are a lot of creatives that forget this and customer care is one of the last things on their minds.
Don't be that guy!
If you need help tracking and managing your customers, there are a variety of tools to make that happen. Bigger companies can might need help going from salesforce to snowflake while small companies with only a handful of clients may do well with a tool like Honeybook or Dubsado.
But tracking is only the start. What matters most is the relationship. How are you communicating and engaging with your best clients? At the end of the day, the thing that your customers want more than anything else is to feel appreciated. Put in the effort, or lose your customers.
If you are struggling to get your customers through the door or online to your website then there may be something amiss with your marketing strategies. If this is the case then you need to sit down and rethink what you can do to entice them in. Of course, it is not just about getting customers and clients through the door. You also need them to spend some money so that it gives you something to work towards. Using something like a Google Ad Agency can improve your ROI on attracting new customers. Not only that, you'll likely have some returning customers as well from that investment.
Finally, your team matters. Whether they are contractors that work VERY part time or they're full time, fully-vested employees, your team makes your business go 'round. From data entry to customer support, from social media management to marketing, operations, or admin, your team makes your load lighter. Without them, you'd be back to doing #AllTheThings, so it's important to acknowledge their work on behalf of your company.
Each of these essentials effects the others in a business ecosystem of sorts. A quality team gets better results, which improves customer happiness and improves revenue. When all three are at their best, you've got a leg up in business. When even one of these essentials is flailing, your business struggles to survive. Track how you're doing in each of these areas and make changes as you go to keep things optimized. Need help? Join us in the free Rising Tide learning library to start laying your strong foundation today.
We have gotten such great feedback on the new season of Creative Freedom! Thank you! If you haven't seen the first episode yet, what are you waiting for?
Close your eyes for a minute and think about Katy Perry - you know, the strong-willed, powerhouse vocalist behind Roar and Firework. See her in all her glory.
Okay, now that you've got that image in your head, try to imagine her singing her edgy songs about... Jesus.
Yeah. I know. That was weird, right?
Well, Katy Perry started her singing career as a Christian artist. SERIOUSLY! She signed a record deal and released her first album in 2001 as "Katy Hudson" - her real name, btw.
It flopped. It took 7 years of trial and error before her second album made it to the airwaves and made Katy the candy-coated pop star we know today.
Whether you love her or hate her, she's got an amazing brand that's immediately recognizable in a niche that's unlike anyone else in the industry.
Wanna know how you can do the same thing?
This week, the podcast takes a deep-dive look at Katy and Shania Twain to show you how to carve out your own profitable niche in your industry. BOTH of them came from a musical world that was different than the one they ended up in. It required a little patience and courage to make the jump... and it made all the difference.
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Worse Things" is a parody of "There are worse things I could do", originally recorded by Stockard Channing for the motion picture "Grease". Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Many business owners, especially ones just getting started, typically choose a sole proprietorship, instead of an LLC (limited liability company). It makes sense. A sole proprietorship enables them to have complete control over their company, doesn't come with too many hurdles, and is often the least expensive option to legitimize your business in the eyes of Uncle Sam.
But soon enough, you're going to need more help than a sole-prop can provide... especially if you're a creative entrepreneur. I'll save insurance stuff for another day. But today, let's look at your legal structure.
I know. It's not sexy. Still, it's important. Choosing the right legal structure for your business can protect both you and your business in a variety of ways.
If something happens, you are personally responsible if you have a sole proprietorship. When I had a candlemaking company, the last thing I wanted was someone suing me for burning down their house because they left a burning candle unattended. Thankfully, that never happened. Still, an LLC kept my personal assets separate from those of the business.
So let's take a look at how an LLC could save you some headaches as your business grows. Oh, keep in mind, I'm NOT an attorney or tax pro. This is general information, and it's up to you (as always) to do your homework before deciding how to structure your business.
If you've got staff, investors, or other stakeholders in your company, an LLC can help you avoid double taxation. The LLC is a hybrid structure that can give you the benefits of a sole prop and a corporation without the hassles of filing the corporate paperwork with the government.
In this case, your company is taxed like a sole proprietorship. In the early startup phases of a company, the LLC gives you more flexibility. You can always change your taxation status later on as the business grows so that you can take advantage of the benefits of being a corporation once you've got more revenue.
If everything is structured the right way, an LLC may prevent business creditors from taking your personal assets, such as your car, house, or even personal bank account. It can even save you from some legal claims. A post at ZenBusiness explains forming an LLC in New York. While each state has different requirements, it still must be done properly to avoid risking your personal assets in a law suit. But there may still be cases when an LLC won't protect your personal assets - like liability for personal services. In those cases, your insurance may be of help.
An LLC can also be helpful when it comes to your personal estate planning. It's not the same as a trust, but it has similar advantages for your business if you plan to pass it on to someone else at your death.
You can be protected not only from creditors but from court expenses and probate solicitors as well. Assets in the LLC belong to the LLC, not to you personally. That allows you to skip probate in most cases, so long as the LLC has an owner other than you when you die.
As I mentioned earlier, an LLC can be more flexible than a traditional corporate structure. Regulations for LLCs are different. For instance, LLCs are not obligated to have a shareholder meeting or to restore a board of directors. Furthermore, LLCs can create written operating contracts, and you can make changes more easily than you can in a corporate structure. That's partly because fewer people are required to form an LLC than a corporation. An LLC only requires one member, a corporation needs a board of directors.
You may have seen "Delaware companies" that are physically located in other states. That's in part because Delaware has (as of this writing) set up their business filing fee structure to be relatively low compared to other states. But an LLC can be formed anywhere. I held my LLC in Michigan when I moved to Nashville a few years ago.
There are also plenty of online services that can help you register your LLC. Your total registration costs will vary from state to state. No matter what location you choose, however, be sure you're talking with a professional who can give you proper legal advice. And remember that whatever state you register in, you'll still need to pay taxes in the state of registration. That's one reason why most folks just register in their home state!
If you're following the Profit First approach that I recommend, you're doing quarterly profit-sharing distributions. LLCs are quite flexible when it comes to the distribution of profits to the owners. Plus, you don't have to distribute them equally if you've decided to split profit sharing differently amongst the members of the LLC.
One colleague of mine made her business manager into a partner in the business. They agreed to a profit-sharing distribution where my colleague got significantly more than her partner because of the years she'd put into the business previously. If she'd had a corporate structure, profit-sharing would have to be paid equally.
An LLC isn't right for everyone, and it may or may not be right for you. Still, it's worth considering as your business evolves. Take the free Fix This Next Assessment to get clarity on your next steps in growing your business. You'll get clarity around what your business needs next - including looking at your income goals and business structure. Armed with this information, you'll be able to make an informed decision about what the right next step is for you and your business.
We are FINALLY back with a new season of Creative Freedom!
It has been a journey to get here, but this season is shaping up to be the best so far. We've also got a new feature this season - music videos! It's something I've been wanting to play with for a while, and I'm still scared out of my mind about doing them. I think it takes the opening to a new level, though, so I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts.
If you've only been listening to the podcast or watching just the video show, you're not getting the full meal dealio. I mean, the topics are usually the same, but we also do things that are unique to each format. We go deeper on the podcast, with more examples than we can squeeze into the video show. But the video show gives us a place to have more fun with the musical elements.
And, I haven't abandoned my writing roots, either! Since our last episode aired, I've added a bunch of posts on the blog - stuff that will never appear in on the show!
Why do I do this to myself? One, I'm a Fusion creative, which means I like to do a lot of different things. But also, we have a pretty diverse audience, and I want to do what I can to reach you where you're at. SO... we do a lot to bring you insights and inspiration in a variety of ways.
I'm also looking at bringing back the live Q&A. I know. I know. I don't recommend that everyone do #AllTheThings - especially not at the start. But as long as it's still fun for me, we're going to keep at it!
We kick off this season with a look at how to build a business that's true to you. You know... a business that keeps you from selling your soul! How do we do that?
T.A.D.A. - An acronym we developed to help you listen to what's really on your heart and bring yourself and your business into alignment (or back into alignment) with what's true for you.
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
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"Be True To Yourself" is a parody of "Be Good To Yourself", originally recorded by Journey. New lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/