Small Creative Business Hacks - 10 things that have helped me and my business
It can feel like you need to invest loads of money into making your business operate more smoothly or be more successful. That isn’t always the case. Here are 10 things I’ve found to be super helpful, varying in cost, but some are totally free!
1. Coaching
I’m a coach so of course I’ll start with this one, right? Self promotion aside, I really do think this one is key to working out where my priorities lie, where I might be getting in my own way and what needs to be done, in which order. Loads of examples from my business have originated in a coaching session. For example, my weekly planner was born from a desire to have a simple way of reflecting on the week past and planning the week ahead without getting bogged down in a complex planner. Coaching has also been fundamental for me in finding acceptance (and maybe even a super power) in my hair loss. Without having the safe, imaginative space that coaching provides, I wouldn’t have been able to work through the grief, shame, acceptance and ultimately love for my beautiful baldy bonce.
2. Mentoring
Similar to coaching but it works on a less deep level. I usually describe it as a mentor is someone who shares their opinion on what you should do, a coach is someone who helps you find your own answers without being directive. Still, having both a coach and a mentor can be incredibly useful. I've worked with a mentor on and off over the years, usually when I'm adding in new offers or shaking things up a bit. It's so useful to chat through the plans and get a trusted opinion on them. Check out Digital Boost to access business mentoring for free.
3. Setting personalised success criteria
This is such a simple activity, but often unearths so many presumptions you are making about your own success. What is successful to you might not be the same as anyone else and that is totally fine. When I realised that one of my criteria is to be able to dictate when I work so that it fits around being a parent (rather than the other way around), a lightbulb pinged in my head. It was something I built my business to accommodate but I had no idea I was achieving such a vitally important thing until I focused on it and that success, broadly, can be found in small ways all the time rather than being some huge hard-to-achieve mythical place that is always somewhere in the future that you have to keep chasing.
4. Imperfection
Being good enough, aiming for the minimal viable product and giving things a go so I can tweak and improve as I learn by doing is utterly, completely valuable to my business and to my own wellbeing. There is a line with imperfection that you have to watch out for when something slips from good enough to a bit sloppy, but that line is usually far down the road for most of us. Practicing imperfection daily helps me work faster, avoid overwhelm and feel proud of my achievements which are all key to running a thriving business without burnout.
5. Seeking inspiration
It doesn’t matter where you find it, but taking some time out to daydream, be inspired by nature, art, people's ideas, good food, cool sounds or whatever can radically adjust your own motivation and sense of purpose. I find my inspiration in good books, in art galleries, in people watching and in my constant search for fabulous role models (you can’t have enough of those). It’s stories, colours, humour and interesting ways people have connected the metaphorical dots that excite me, yet it’s all too easy to go weeks without seeking them, so it needs to be practically planned in with intention, as an essential business tool.
6. Collaboration and support
Although I’m constantly working with lovely clients and course participants, the majority of running my business, the development and the behind the scenes is solo. This can be lonely and sometimes I can get stuck in my own head, overthinking silly things and ignoring important ones. Therefore, finding people I can collaborate with on elements of my business (most recently graphic design and strategic planning) can make a huge difference. Also, as soon as it was financially viable, I knew I wanted to bring on some VA (Virtual Assistant) support which has been great. Neither of these are as onerous as the responsibility of taking on a staff team and can be occasional when suited. Both, however, make a big difference in helping me take meaningful action.
7. Rewards
There are some downloadable sticker charts in my free OOMPH course which focus just on this. If you, like me, are motivated by a reward at the end of a task or project, then you should absolutely build it into your business. Forgive yourself immediately for being childish (often, I’ve found, the best way to be as a creative entrepreneur) and get ordering some fabulous stickers and create a visual aid to help you keep on track. I’m currently trying to eat more healthily and move more (when are we not, right?) but the current plan has a fixed timetable (next 10 weeks) and every time I get 5 bingo days* I can book myself half a day off. I’ll probably spend that time seeking inspiration, so it will benefit my business too, but the thought of a bit of spacious free time feels like such a win so I’m more likely to achieve it.
*A bingo day in my current plan is a day that involves no snacking between meals (except fruit when desperate), a salady lunch and at least one yoga class, long walk or strength training session. As I type I’m currently 2/3rds of the way through a potential bingo day… Wish me luck!
8. Excellent stationery
Some of you might roll your eyes at this one, but it’s a hill I’m prepared to die on. Good stationery (especially notebooks and pens) are essential to running a thriving business for me. Get the stationery right and it all falls into place!
9. Doing it my way
One of the biggest perks of running your own business is that you get to decide why you’re doing it, what you do and how you do it. Still, despite knowing this it is so easy to fall into a trap of forgetting and feeling like you have to obey some imagined set of rules. For example, you can work the hours that suit you, which might not be Mon-Fri 9-5. However, taking Monday morning off can so easily feel like I’m cheating. Reminding myself that it is not cheating and that I’ve built this business so I can, absolutely, do it my way is a glorious thing. (Maybe my next reward for 5 bingo days will be a Monday morning, just to remind myself that it’s a brilliant thing to do.
10. Creating the strategy in brief form
For most creative sole traders the only business plan we need is one that is purely for our eyes only. Unless you’re applying for big grants or investment, no one else needs a strategy from you. But having one is essential. Again, as with several other points above, what that plan looks like is up to you. That is why I have my business plan hanging from my desk lamp on a luggage tag. It is brief, to the point and utterly brilliant at helping me make decisions and get back on track when the mojo starts to flag. If you’d like that too, check out the Luggage Tag Business Plan course - a short, affordable way to get crystal clear on the Why of your business.