Running your own creative business, especially as a solopreneur, is no joke.
Sure, you have the flexibility to create your own schedule, get your hair done in the middle of the day, start work at 10am and end your day at 3pm…
But, you’re also your own boss and you’ve got to be so freaking determined to keep your business going, deal with slow months, market your business on social media, the list goes on…
Over the past 5 years (!!!) of running my own creative business, I’ve learned a hell of a lot. And I wish someone had told me these 5 things sooner.
5 things I’ve learned since running my creative business
1. The best opportunities in a creative business come from being yourself
Straight up, I wouldn’t be where I am today without being myself.
By showing up authentically and showing off my personality in interviews, I’ve landed almost every single freelancing job that I’ve interviewed for – humble brag 😉
The interviews started to feel like chatting with another creative friend rather than feeling job-interview-anxiety. (Read this blog post for more tips about freelancing!)
When I started showing up authentically on social media, I got so much more engagement on my posts and newsletter (shoutout to everyone who replies & comments ily 💖).
I pivoted to posting things like the Creative Coffee Chats because I felt passionate about it and it made me feel less alone about what I was feeling as a creative business owner. And, to my surprise, others felt the same way I did!
Instead of posting what other designers were posting because I thought that’s what I “had” to do, I leaned into posting content that felt unique to me. (Shoutout to Katie, from Katie Creative Co., for really teaching me how important my unique POV is!)
When hopping on discovery calls with potential clients, we immediately connect because I showed up as myself! From one creative to another, we basically become besties on the call 🤗 (Ready to be creative besties too? Book your free discovery call!)
2. Don’t be afraid to pivot in your creative business if something is no longer working for you
If you’ve been around since 2020 COVID times, you’d know this creative business of mine started out as an illustration business.
But after a year and half, despite having my illustrations in my favorite Atlanta store, I grew to hateeeee having a product based business.
Rather than designing prints, I wanted to spend my time updating my website, branding my business, and creating instagram posts to market it all.
I knew I had to pivot. And it’s the best damn decision I ever made. 💖
3. Be SOCIAL on social media!
Sounds pretty self explanatory and easy, right? You’d be surprised at how long I spent doom scrolling or skipping through Instagram stories and not replying…yet, I expected others to engage in my content.
By genuinely commenting (none of those boring “💖💖💖” type of comments) on people’s stories or Instagram posts, I got friends because of it! Not only did this help with the loneliness that comes with being a solopreneur, but it also encouraged others to want to engage in my content.
Growing an engaged audience allowed me to connect with other creatives (which turned into actual paying clients), sparked new ideas for social posts and made Instagram fun again. Wanna keep up with me on the ‘gram? Follow along!
4. Take in all the creative biz free resources—be a sponge!
I loveeeeee a good free resource. A workshop taught by a fellow creative business owner? Sign me up!
Since starting my business, and even still to this day, I’m joining in on all the free workshops or guides I can get. There is so much great content out there and learning from other creatives who have been through exactly the same thing as you OR are an expert in a topic I wanna learn more about is so so SO valuable.
This is also your sign if you don’t have a freebie for your own creative business, you should totally create one. 😉
5. If possible, outsource things that are not your area of expertise
Which brings me to my last and final lesson, if you have the means to, outsource! You will save sooooo many countless hours of stressing over whatever task is bogging you down. (It’s why I wrote a whole blog post about outsourcing the tasks you dread!)
For me, this is TAXES 🤡
My girl Ansley from Peach Perfect Financials is the absolute best and she loves working with creative service providers because she’s a creator too!
If posting on social media feels like an absolute drag, my friend Katie is the perfect gal for that! She truly creates a social strategy that’s unique to you, your lifestyle, and creative business. And if you need to outsource the design aspect—I gotchu 😉
If your branding feels misaligned, doesn’t feel authentic to you or your business, doesn’t have the vibe you want, or it’s not attracting your ideal clients anymore (or your ideal clients have changed!)—let’s fix that!
If your website feels outdated, is showcasing your old creative work and not capturing how great your creative services really are, or you’re heading crickets in your inquiry forms…Guess who can help with that? 😉
