How to find focus for your new creative business
As creative types, we tend to suffer from one particular problem… all the ideas, all the creative passions, all the artistic experiments in the works… which is great. It’s brilliant having so many ideas and feeling so inspired by what you do. I deal with this often. I have all these ideas swirling around in my head and I want to make them happen “now” but it doesn’t always make sense for me at that moment.
However, when you start the move from hobbyist to creative entrepreneur, you can’t focus on everything. You have to be a little more strategic.
I know the thought of being strategic can be a bit scary, but it actually makes things a lot simpler. Instead of trying to make all of your creative ideas marketable, you can focus your energy on one thing and get it working really well.
As you grow your business, you can add more and more to the mix, but for now, let’s keep it simple:
Step 1: What was it that made you think “I wish I could make a living doing this”?
Which craft do you love so much that you could happily do it for the rest of your life? This is going to be your general niche.
Let’s use quilting as an example.
Step 2: How can people enjoy your craft?
Think about all the different ways you could package up this passion. Write them down in a notebook dedicated to brainstorming all your ideas.
So if we’re sticking with the quilting example, this could be:
One-of-a-kind bed quilts
Quilt-covered journals
DIY quilting kits
Quilting workshops
Just pick one for now. Decide which will be the quickest and easiest to create and put out there. So, you might decide the quilt-covered journals are the best place to start.
Step 3: Who are those people and where will they be?
Continuing in your dedicated notebook, jot down all the groups of people that might be interested in what you have to offer.
For those quilted journals it might be:
Mixed-media artists
Writers
People looking for thoughtful Mother’s Day gifts
Where do those people spend their time online? Do they read blogs? Do they watch Youtube videos? This is where you should be sharing and promoting your products.
Step 4: How will you sell?
You’ve got all sorts of options when it comes to selling your creative products. You could have a booth at a craft or local church bazaar, you could use an online marketplace (such as Etsy), or you could set up your own digital shop. Another option is to sell via Instagram. Snap lovely photos of your quilted journals and post with a caption indicating it is for sale, give details, pricing, etc. and whoever comments first claims it.
If you’re just starting out, pick one of these to get you going. Keep it simple so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Step 5: Pull together Steps 1-4 to create your creative focus.
Use this as a template:
I am a [niche] and I make [product] for [audience]. You can find out more on [marketing platform] and [sales platform].
For example:
I am a quilter and I make quilt-covered journals for mixed-media artists. You can find out more on my blog and my Etsy store.
>> Having trouble staying creatively focused?<< Check out this article: How to Stay Focused When You Have Too Many Creative Ideas
There you have it! A simple framework to help you figure it out:
What to sell
Who to sell it to
How to market it
How to make sales
Have a blessed day!