Are you using each of these steps to build a smooth operating creative business? In which areas do you need improvement? Marketing Define your target customer, how you will solve their problems and determine where to find them. Create a brand that will resonate with the target customers and differentiate…
Sometime last year, I shared an Instagram post about “what to do when a client ghosts you (i.e. doesn’t reply to your messages or phone calls). One person posted a comment on that post to the effect, “If they ghost me, I just block their number and block them on…
“Everyone Has a Book Inside Them” – Have You Started Writing Yours? I decided I was going to write a book in 2000. The idea struck me in 2008. The book was published in 2013. Here is the story… 2000: The Decision Early in my career, I heard the phrase, “Everyone…
Your very first interaction with a potential client should be a general conversation to qualify the opportunity. Is the project a good fit for you? Are you a good fit for the project? If you deem the opportunity as viable, the next step in your sales process should be a…
You’ve already pestered all the people you know and you still don’t have enough work. It is time to dig deep and start prospecting for a clients with people you don’t have a relationship with. A “cold sales lead” is someone who is not be familiar with you or your…
Have you been thinking about starting a freelance career? Maybe even wanting to build a creative agency? You only get one life…so go for it! But before you jump in head first, get the following things in place. Step 01: Get Good at the Services You’ll Offer Go to school…
Busy. Busy. Busy. You are so busy and you are not sure how to get out of it. I was there about a year into freelancing. I was so busy that I barely had time to breathe. My stress was at maximum. My time was at minimum. My big problem…
Everyone starts the project with good intentions. You’re excited for some income infusion into your business. Your client is excited to finally get started on the project they hope yields big returns for their business. “Let’s do this,” you all think! A few weeks later, reality sets in. You’ve been…
“Nobody knows their numbers,” I said to my wife after, yet another, coaching session with a creative entrepreneur. Truly, I’m amazed at how many entrepreneurs (not just creatives) there are out there who have no clue of the data of their business. Truth be told, I didn’t have a very…
Buy Low and Sell High? I started investing in the stock market pretty heavily 19 years ago. In the early days I tried to “time the market” which consists of trying to “buy low” and “sell high.” Well, I quickly learned that it is better to “buy good companies and…
Understanding the Target Audience is Marketing 101 Who are we trying to reach? What messages will reach them? What visual design will resonate with them? What action do we want them to take? As designers, we’ve all heard these questions and consideration of them should be part of our standard…
In the mind of some people “selling” is a bad word. I’ve seen content shared that says things like “don’t sell, serve.” Good advice, for sure, because serving someone leads to a trusting relationship and a trusting relationship can lead to a sale. But guess what? It is ok to…
