Start as a Creative Entrepreneur
If you have decided that you want to convert your intellectual and creative assets into income, here is how to start:
- Write a Business Plan : If your idea is viable, it’s time to start planning and implementing your business. That starts with a business plan that describes what your business will offer, what is unique about your business, how your business will benefit customers, what it will charge, your current and planned financial situation, your target market and more.
- Decide on a Business Name : Depending on your business, you can use your first name or you can create a company name that describes what you offer.
- Create the Structure of your Business : Many beginner creative entrepreneurs begin as a sole proprietorship, which is quick and easy. However, if you stay true to your business, you should consider creating an LLC, which is not as expensive or expensive and offers some protection if you are sued.
- Find out What you can Offer : Make a list of things you know, love and do, such as scribbling, singing, playing an instrument, etc. Remember, your idea does not need to be artistic to be considered creative. You only need access to your knowledge base or skill set.
- Obtain a Business License : Check with your city or county government office about required licenses or permits. You should also check with the zoning department to make sure it is okay to work from home.
- Protect your Creative Assets : If you are creating something, consider protecting your intellectual property from thieves. There are three types of protection according to what you believe: 1) Patent for inventions, designs or formulas, 2) Copyright for created works, such as writing and art, and 3) Trademark usually registered for a name, logo or slogan.
- Determine how your Knowledge or Ability can Make Money: Can you create something to sell? Can you freelance your talent? Can you teach or inform people about this (for example, blogs, information products, online courses, etc.)? You may have an idea that has several ways to earn money and, in the future, it might be a good idea to develop several income around your idea. But starting, choose one and focus on that until it is up and running.
- Research your Idea to Make sure there is a Market that will want (and pay) for what it has to offer : Underwater basketry may be your passion, but if no one wants to buy underwater baskets or learn about the underwater basket, it will not be a viable business. In market research, you want to find out if there are people who are ready, willing and able to buy, as well as determine who these people are (demographics, desires, needs, interests, etc.). Keep in mind that even if you’re starting a blog and offering your ideas for free, to make money, people will have to click on ads or affiliate offers, which means they should want and be able to buy things.
- Configure your Distribution System : In your business plan, you must have described how you will deliver your products or services. If you do digital planners, will you sell them on Etsy or on your own website? If you are working independently on your services, will you market them through independent sites or through your own website? Whatever you decide, now is the time to configure it.
- Market your Business : Once you have everything in place, it’s time for your market to know it. Marketing is a place where many creative entrepreneurs struggle and yet their creativity and ingenuity can be an advantage. The key things to remember in marketing are: 1) Who is your target market? 2) Where can you find them (what do they read online, what sites do they visit, where do they congregate online and outside, etc.)? and 3) How can you put your information in front of them so they want to know more about you (articles, ads, videos, social networks, etc.)?
What is a Creative Entrepreneur?
At first, you might think that a creative entrepreneur is someone who earns a living with their creative efforts, as artists or photographers. While these types of entrepreneurs certainly fall into the category, artists are not the only creative entrepreneurs.
A creative entrepreneur is someone who uses their knowledge and creative or intellectual skills to make a living, usually in a business or as a freelancer. This differs from traditional entrepreneurship that has focused mainly on manufacturing and industrial products.
Who are some Famous Creative Entrepreneurs?
History, especially in the twentieth century, is full of people who turned their knowledge and creativity into a thriving business. Many of them started their businesses from home.
Walt Disney :Walt has many excellent quotes, but one that sums up the creative entrepreneurial spirit is: “I just hope we never lose sight of one thing: that it all began with a mouse.” From movies to theme parks, to Mickey Mouse and Disney products, all this came from the creation of Mickey Mouse by Walt on a train trip from New York after losing the rights to his most profitable caricature. Walt used his imagination and art to build an empire that started with a cartoon mouse.
Inventors including Thomas Edison : All inventors who can capitalize on their inventions and ideas can consider themselves creative entrepreneurs. This includes Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell, and even the most modern inventors, such as Joy Mangano, who started his empire with a self-draining mop. While these inventors may have created products that were mass produced, their business was based on ideas.
One of the most famous and prolific of these inventors is Thomas Edison, who invented moving images, electric light and more. He had 1,093 patents for his ideas and inventions only in the United States.
Steve Jobs : Most people do not equate art and computer programming, but most people are not Steve Jobs. Together with Steve Wozniak, Job developed technology that was accessible to ordinary people, but also considered the aesthetics of the devices he created. His creativity was truly unique in his ability to develop products and services that people did not know they needed, such as the ability to transport thousands of songs on a small device or turn a mobile phone into a computer and entertainment center.
Ree Drummond : While Ree many are not as famous to the general public as the creative entrepreneurs mentioned above, anyone who watches The Food Network, buys Wal-Mart or loves to read lifestyle blogs probably knows about it, at least because of its nickname. famous; The pioneer woman. As a wife and mother living on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma, Drummond started a blog sharing her photos and recipes in May 2006. In 2009, her blog received 13 million hits per month. Along with the income earned from his blog, Drummond has been able to turn his creative success into writing memoirs and cookbooks, a cooking show on the Food Network and a line of kitchenware sold at Wal-Mart.
Less Famous Creative Entrepreneurs : While you may have heard of the creative entrepreneurs mentioned above, today there are millions of people who have not heard of those who are converting their talents into thriving businesses. These people are bloggers, Etsy sellers, YouTubers, freelancers and more.
Creative Entrepreneurial Home Business Ideas
The hallmark of a creative entrepreneurial company is that it takes advantage of its intellectual or creative assets to earn money. There are hundreds of different ways to do this depending on your skills, knowledge and creativity. Here are some ways in which other entrepreneurs have done it:
- Art and photography
- Craft crafts
- Blogging
- training
- Digital products (applications, printables, etc.)
- Graphic design
- Information products
- Podcast
- Teaching (that is, online courses)
- Video / Vlog / YouTube
- Writing / Authorship
The list goes on and on. If you have knowledge or a skill that others will pay you for, you can become a creative entrepreneur. In fact, Fiverr has many people who sell skills such as writing or singing a jingle.
How to Become a Creative Entrepreneur
Nowadays, it is easier and more affordable than ever to turn your knowledge and talents into income. There are many good reasons to become a creative entrepreneur, including:
- They pay you to do something you love
- Control over your work.
- Flexibility
- Designing a career that fits your lifestyle goals
That said, there may be some drawbacks to becoming a creative entrepreneur, which includes:
- Business tasks can seem boring and uncreative.
- Inconsistent income
- Difficulty finding a payment market.
- Turning your creative passion into a “job” could ruin your fun
