Happy Monday! I’m excited to write this post announcing that I am officially offering editing services once again!
If you’ve been around for a while, I used to offer copyediting and proofreading services. In early 2021 though, I stopped editing to focus on my social media management business, which is now on its way to becoming a book marketing business for authors. (I’ll have a post explaining what’s up with that business once I’m done re-designing my website!)
I love editing, and I’ve been missing it a lot lately, so I decided to re-launch a proofreading business. I don’t have the time or energy to dedicate to copyediting. However, I do have the time and energy to proofread. So, I compromised.
Now, I offer proofreading services for short stories and fiction novels. However, I am open to non-fiction and other forms of content if you email me.
A creative entrepreneur is someone who uses their creative skills to make money such as vlogging, freelancing, writing, etc.
Since I freelance write and edit, and am always doing side projects for some cash, I am what you consider a creative entrepreneur. Are you? Or is a creative entrepreneur the type of job you aspire towards? Whatever the answer is, I will be sharing crucial tips and advice for new creative entrepreneurs, experienced entrepreneurs, and those of you who want to become a creative entrepreneur and make money doing what you LOVE.
DETERMINE YOUR REGIONS OF CREATIVITY
It is important to determine the creative regions that you want to focus on and grow into a successful business. The wonderful thing about being a creative entrepreneur is that you do not have to stick to one creative pursuit…you can be known for many! For example, Kristen Martin is a vlogger, business coach, writer, and I am sure there are a couple other titles thrown in there too. When you are a creative entrepreneur, you have the freedom to be creative and aspire to the careers you want.
If you are just starting out, write down 1-3 creative careers you want to work on. For me, that would be freelance writing and editing. Those are still my two main ones that I am constantly growing and spending time on. It helps to keep my “eyes on the prize” so to say.
5 TIPS FOR CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
1. WRITE DOWN SHORT-TERM & LONG-TERM GOALS
One of the first things you must determine about your business is what are your short-term and long-term goals. What do you want achieve? Whether it is something small like reach 10 clients by the end of my first month or something big, like collaborate with Nike by the end of my second year (I don’t know, something crazy like that!), you must carve some sort of path you want to take your business down.
When creating these goals, include DEADLINES and STEPS THAT OUTLINE HOW YOU WILL REACH THEM. Otherwise, your goals might not go anywhere.
2. CREATE A FUND & BUDGET
Drop everything right NOW and set up some sort of system (bank account, jar, etc) that allows you to put money towards your business every week, month, or whatever works best for you. It is also crucial to curate some sort of budget. It doesn’t have to be 100% accurate, but make a list of possible fees and expenses you might come across in your business journey. This is especially helpful in the beginning of your business.
If you find that you are able to launch your business for only a small cost, use whatever is in your fund for a cushion or emergency funds for your business.
Do not think that you have to pour bucketloads of money into your business fund every month. Look at everything you have to pay for like bills, food, utilities, transportation, etc and figure out what you have left to spare. For me, I only work 2 times a week so I only contribute $40-50 a month. However much I end up putting into this account, it is nice to have money that is specifically for my freelance business to use if I want to run ads or update my WordPress plan.
3. BE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media will be the best place for you to share and grow your creative business. Depending on your business, different social medias will be the best choice for you but try to focus on no more than 2. If you attempt to be active on more than 2, you will stretch yourself thin and quickly burnout. You want to create new and fun content for your followers and the less accounts you must do this for, the easier it will be.
What Social Media is Best for YOU?
Writer – Instagram, Twitter
Artist – Instagram, Pinterest
Crafter, DIYer – Pinterest, Instagram
Vlogger – Instagram, YouTube
Blogger – Instagram, Twitter, WordPress/Wix/etc,
Business Coach – Instagram, WordPress/Wix/etc, Twitter
However, you choose where you think your platform will flourish! These are just suggestions.
4. LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT NOW
Whether you are a part-time creative entrepreneur who still has a job, or a full-time creative entrepreneur, your time management skills will make or break your business.
When you are working another job, it is important to not let your creative side hustle take over the job that makes you money! Starting out, your profit as a creative entrepreneur will be small and slow. That is why having a main source of income is necessary. Ensure you don’t get too caught up in the excitement of starting a new business and forget to focus on the job that pays the bills.
Excellent time management is also important for full-time creative entrepreneurs because you need to define the line between work and life. I know for me, when I am working on projects I love such as freelance writing and editing, I get so caught up in it that I forget to take breaks and live my life. At the beginning of your business, this isn’t the worst thing, but as your business settles into a steady rhythm, you have to know what hours of the day are spent on your business and what hours are spent enjoying life.
5. TOOLS FOR THE SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR
There is a LOT of behind-the-scenes work that goes into being a creative entrepreneur. From posting on social media, keeping track of your goals to creating content, there are so many tools at your fingertips that will make your life so much easier. Here is a list of my favourites!
Hootsuite – This is a tool for scheduling social media posts. The free plan allows you to connect up to 3 social media accounts to the site and create posts through there.
Trello– Keeping all your content ideas, goals, and notes in one place saves SO much time when you are doing everything for your business which is why I love Trello. You can create boards for different projects and add to-do lists, notes, pictures, etc all in one easy-to-access place.
Colorpick Eyedropper – If you are creating content on Canva, Photoshop, or some other application, this tool is super helpful. If you want to know what colour something is when browsing online or admiring the profile of another creative entrepreneur, Colorpick Eyedropper allows you to find out what the colour is. It’s super easy. You just click it (it is a chrome extension so you have to download it) and hover the cursor over what colour you want to receive the code for.
Wordtracker – This is for SEO and finding out what words/phrases are being searched up. If you write blog posts, captions, bios, etc, this will help drive traffic to whatever you create. There is a free version, however it is pretty limited. This is something that would be a great business investment!
Canva – If you want to create your own ads, social media posts, Instagram stories, etc, Canva is a MUST. It offers you a user-friendly place to create eye-catching graphics…and it’s FREE!
Those are all my tips and pieces of advice for starting and developing your creative business. I hope they were helpful and inspiring! If you have any others, share them in the comments and spread the knowledge.
Don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts which are all linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂
Being a writer is tough, and sometimes getting good pay is difficult. Because of this, I came up with a list of different ways to get paid by writing (aside from being a published author)!
Freelance Writer – Being a freelance writer is a great way to get paid for writing. You can have the opportunity to write for magazine’s and so many other things. This is just a great way to pay the bills while you are trying to become a published other, or if you want another job that isn’t being a published author.
Writing Competitions – I personally love writing competitions! They are a great way to make some pocket cash for doing what you love, writing. There are writing competitions for short stories, novels, novellas, etc, etc, and a lot of the time the prizes are a good chunk of money. I try to steer towards contests with no entry fee because some writing contests that have an entry fee may be a scam.
Editor or Proofreader – You aren’t exactly a writer, but you are fixing up somebody else’s work, and are still making some money. If you are a good editor I highly recommend doing this part time!
Those are a few ways to get paid besides becoming a published author and I hope you liked it!
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