3 Lessons I Learned My First Year of Running a Creative Business
They say that when you learn something new, you shouldn’t keep the information to yourself , that it’s best if you should share it with others so they can learn from you too. And that’s what I’m doing here with this post.
Many people wonder if running a business is hard or if running a business is worth & to that, I say yes it is — but not without a lot of trial and error along the way.
Today, I’m sharing with you the lessons I’ve learned (and still continue to learn!) during my first year of running a creative business. These lessons can be used for any entrepreneur during their first year but I want to give you some insight from my perspective of what I’ve experienced while running my creative design & marketing business so that if you are like me & want to venture out on your own to start a business, you’ll have a basic understanding of what you can avoid or what areas you can double down on to make your business the best that it can be during your first year of ownership.
So if you’re picking up what I’m putting down, then let’s get straight into it.
The Saying, “If You Build It, They Will Come” Means Very Little
In fact, where did that saying even come from?
Well, just because I’m curious like that, I had to Google the saying, and to my surprise, the saying actually is “if you build it, he will come”, originating from the movie “Field of Dreams”.
Okay, now that my curiosity is settled, let's dig into this one a bit further.
There’s this invisible notion I heard during my first year of business that if you have a great business, website, social media profile, amazing Pinterest graphics, or the best podcast or YouTube channel, your audience will flock to your business. So no need to worry, right?
Well, I have to be honest with you and say that although I’ve experienced good success with clients coming my way starting out my first year, I had to put in A LOTTT of work to get even 5 people to visit my website.
And that’s the hard truth.
The if you build it, they will come doesn’t account for the time, energy & effort you put in day after day to get your eyes in the direction of your business. There have been many moments where my family did not get the best of me, simply because I was working every open moment I had to do something for my business.
During your first year of business, I highly encourage you to focus on your content marketing, your search engine optimization (SEO), time management & productivity, marketing funnels & lead magnets, networking, keyword research, standard operating procedure (SOPs), target marketing & your ideal client. And dare I say that this is just the tip of the iceberg?
There truly is so much more but I will say that I wished I had focused on these areas during my first year of business rather than me focusing so much on curating my Instagram feed to look aesthetically pleasing or trying to grow my followers.
So the next time you hear the saying “if you build it, they will come”, be sure to do two things: first, make sure to tell them they quoted it incorrectly, and second, take what they say with a grain of salt because you know that there’s usually a lot more that goes into a running a successful business.
You Will Spend A Lot More Than You Make
I wish this wasn’t so true but it is. You will spend a lot of money your first year of business - I guarantee it. Just ask anyone who has or had a business and they will most likely agree alongside me.
Why you may ask?
It’s because you get caught in shiny object syndrome, you’ll think that every new template, font, course, funnel, or webinar is going to be the next big thing that saves you or, the best big thing that skyrockets your business to massive profits that you’re quitting your job within a month and you’re making six-figures in 3 months.
When I did my taxes for my first year of business, I was shocked at how much I spent versus how much I actually made.
That’s when I realized that anything I was contemplating purchasing during my first year of business had to be essential. No more was I spending it on things to later realize that I could have used the free version or, I could simply just wait until I was more established and making more consistent income before I made the investment.
Want some advice on what I recommend you can use during your first year? I’ll list a few of them for you:
Google Suite * - best for documents, spreadsheets, presentation slides, survey forms, drive folder, virtual meet calls (free).
Planoly * - the simplest & easiest way to stay consistent on Instagram & bonus: you can use their free account to post your content to Pinterest too.
Canva * - the best tool for designing & creating any marketing content needed for your business. They have thousands of templates for you to choose from & you don’t have to be a graphic designer to use it. (free).
Pexels & Unsplash *- if you’re looking for amazing photography for your business or marketing materials, I suggest you check out these sites. I wish I found out about them earlier in my business instead of paying for a stock photography membership (see what I mean about spending a lot more than needed?). These sites have some of the best high-quality photos I’ve seen that fit my business style so much better than my subscription that I’ve canceled it and won’t be going back.
Mailchimp - if you’re needing an email service provider but don’t want to break the bank, then sign up here. You get up to 1000 free email subscribers before you move on to a tiered plan. You may not think 1000 email subscribers is a lot, but trust me it is! It takes time to grow your email list and you want a provider that is not only robust but offers great start-up service too.
Zoom * - practically everyone is using this now, especially since the pandemic. If you need to hop on a call for discovery calls or to quickly chat with clients, this feature is perfect for you. And best of all, if you only ever really need to talk to one person on your call, this is…you guessed it… FREE.
The best piece of advice I can give you is to not get sucked in. Stick to the basics of what you really need to run a business and you’ll be just fine.
Social Media Was My Best Lead Source
During my first year of business, I participated in quite a few networking events. Although I found them to be enjoyable (at times) & a great way to interact face-to-face with other entrepreneurs, I found it challenging to keep up with as a self-proclaimed introvert.
One day I sat down and analyzed my lead tracking source and discovered that social media, in particular - Instagram - was my best lead source.
During my first year of business, I really wanted SEO and Pinterest to be my lead source and worked really hard to rank high for certain topics. Although I was successful in ranking high for certain keywords that I blogged about, Instagram always came out on top when I asked any potential clients how they found me (which, is something I highly encourage you to do as well for your data tracking!).
So, with that information in hand, I doubled down on my Instagram content and started posting consistently to the platform. I have a posting schedule of 3 times a week and that works great for me (as I still do work full-time as a nurse).
The takeaway point here is to lean into the place or platform where your audience is.
Even though I was really wanting Google search and Pinterest to be my main source leads, I’ve still been able to find my ideal clients through Instagram, and I am ok with that.
In Conclusion
Being a parent, working full-time, and running my business have been at times…a challenge. There have been many sleepless mornings where I’ve had discovery calls post a 12-hour night shift, I’ve spent weekends or my days off writing blog posts & social media captions, or I’ve been caught working on my client projects at 2 in the morning.
As with anything in life, if you truly love what you do, it will never feel like you’re working.
I encourage you to see the challenges in your business as an opportunity for growth. Because every obstacle I’ve faced during my first year of business has always been an opportunity in disguise to do something greater than myself as it’s helped me to see things from a different perspective that I’m able to provide you with information so you can excel.
I’m all about building a business with purpose and my purpose here is to help you create a brand that is purpose-driven from the start.
Because once you’ve adopted a purpose that’s greater than yourself, you’ve already established your brand in attracting and growing your segment of the most ideal conscious consumer for your business.
And that alone will skyrocket your business to major profits for success.
PIN THIS TO YOUR BOARD!
If you’ve resonated with what I discussed here, drop your thoughts below, and let’s start a conversation. And, if you’re looking for further support in growing or building a brand with purpose, head here to contact me for a complimentary consult and we can discuss more details of working together.
Disclosure: There are affiliate links * added to this blog post which means if you click on the link provided and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that is no charge to you but simply supports my business to provide amazing resources like this for you in the future.
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