Episodes

  • S2E6 | When to Use Exposure for Your Creative Business | Elizabeth

    S2E6 | When to Use Exposure for Your Creative Business | Elizabeth
    Nov 18 2019
    Welcome to Season 2 Episode 6 of the Creative Business Success Podcast! I'm psyched about today's episode because we're going to be talking about something you don't hear a lot in creative business circles: how working for exposure can be GOOD for your business! Elizabeth, the artist behind By Elizabeth Hope, is joining me today to share how and when exposure can be truly beneficial for your business's bottom line and how to figure out when it's okay to work for exposure.Here's a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Elizabeth's intro, 1:03"Exposure is the bad guy!" 2:05Elizabeth's experiences with working for exposure, 2:45How to find the right opportunities to work for exposure, 5:29Know your audience before working for exposure, 6:57Working for exposure when starting your creative business, 10:13Working for exposure as practice for working with clients, 11:06Should you get paid for other work before working for exposure? 12:41One of the most effective digital marketing methods, 15:17NEVER PAY TO WORK FOR EXPOSURE, 15:53Get creative with the value from working for exposure, 17:51How to use working for exposure as marketing, 18:26How to use working for exposure as business networking, 21:02Presenting yourself professionally while working for exposure, 21:41Improving your creative business through working for exposure, 22:23Choosing when and who to work for exposure, 24:22Finding GREEN flags before working for exposure, 25:53Other times to work for exposure, 27:01Vetting someone before working for exposure, 28:47Elizabeth's closing thoughts on working for exposure, 31:34Where to connect with Elizabeth, 33:15Let's dive deeper into a few of these key takeaways...1 | Know your value when working for exposureIf you're working for exposure simply because you don't think anyone will pay you for your creative work - STOP. That is the worst time to work for exposure and it'll only degrade your confidence as a creative entrepreneur. We mentioned this several times in this episode because it's such an important point.Some folks are confident enough in their creative work before they make a sale that it's okay for them to work for exposure before that. If that's not you, though, wait until you make a few sales before you seek out or accept exposure work. Knowing your own value will help you communicate that to your work-for-exposure clients and keep you from getting suckered into a bad experience.Working for exposure can be good for creative entrepreneurs, but you have to know yourself. Give yourself a self-evaluation to determine if you're mentally ready to work for exposure or if you should wait.2 | Vet your clients before working for exposureYou may have heard Elizabeth mention that SHE sought out her work-for-exposure clients, not the other way around. This is the opposite of most work-for-exposure stories. By seeking out her clients, Elizabeth was able to validate the opportunity before accepting it.One of Elizabeth's key criteria for accepting a work-for-exposure project was the charities the project would support. When she and her client have a mutual goal for the project, it helps Elizabeth know they share some of the same values and that they aren't in it to take advantage of her.Another good way to vet a client before working for exposure is to ask if they have a plan for marketing. If you can create a marketing plan with them before starting the project, you'll both be more likely to get good returns from the project. If they aren't willing to create a marketing plan with you, you may need to re-evaluate the project to make sure the client is in it for the right reasons.By vetting your clients before working for exposure, you're setting yourself up to be a success story instead of a horror story! Look for the green flags just as much as the red flags, like we talked about in this episode, before accepting a work-for-exposure project.3 | Find other value in working for exposureWhile we've all heard horror stories about other creative entrepreneurs who worked for exposure, it doesn't mean that's the case for everyone. Elizabeth is a great example of this! At the time of this recording, she was working on two projects that she was doing for exposure.The key difference in Elizabeth's story is that she knows exactly what value SHE is getting from these projects. Yes, she's giving value to the businesses she's working with, but she also has a solid plan to get a monetary return for her investment of time. If you go into a work-for-exposure project with a plan in place to get a financial return, you'll be in a much better place than many creative entrepreneurs.Whenever you work for exposure, there should be a solid plan in place for you to get a monetary gain in the end. It may not be directly from the project, but it could be from referrals or marketing opportunities that you receive from the project. Regardless, you need to get something out of the project in the end!Want to connect with Elizabeth?...
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    35 mins
  • S2E5 | How to Improve Your Product Photography | Crystal

    S2E5 | How to Improve Your Product Photography | Crystal
    Nov 11 2019
    Welcome to Season 2 Episode 5 of the Creative Business Success Podcast! Crystal over at Crystal Clear Photography is a killer product photographer. If you're a product-based creative entrepreneur and you haven't checked out her work, you definitely should! I invited her onto the podcast today to share her best tips to help YOU improve your product photography. It doesn't have to be as hard as it may seem!Here's a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Crystal's intro, 0:59How to improve your product photography lighting, 1:56How to handle product photography shadows, 3:12Should you use ring lights in product photography? 4:20What to use instead of ring lights, 4:39How to style your art photography or product photography, 7:03Know your branding! Listen to Episode 2 of Season 2, 7:34Why knowing your ideal audience is important for product photography, 7:57How to use your ideal audience to style your product photography, 9:05Tips for lifestyle product photography, 10:39Taking photographs of your art, 12:08Get even more product photography tips and tools! 12:27Creating a story with your product photography and brand photography, 15:19How to edit your product photographs, 16:21Color temperature in product photography, 17:46Should you use Lightroom on your phone? 19:07Lightroom Mobile vs. desktop, 20:18Storing your product photographs, 21:48Make time to practice your product photography! 22:45Check out Crystal's product photography course and presets, 23:32Where to connect with Crystal, 24:59Let's dive deeper into a few of these key takeaways...1 | Lighting is key to product photographyA lot can be forgiven in product photography if you have good lighting. After all, if you can't see the product in the photo, you're probably going to ignore it! Crystal recommends using natural light as much as possible, but if you don't have access to a location with good natural light for your product photography, there are alternatives.Crystal recommends avoiding ring lights unless you're doing beauty photography or something along those lines. However, softbox lighting kits are a great alternative that won't break the bank. I finally bought a softbox kit after Crystal and I recorded this episode and it's crazy how much of a difference it can make!If all you can control is the lighting for your product photography, DO IT. It's the first step toward professional-looking product photos and can be the difference between someone buying your product or ignoring it.2 | Keep your audience in mind when styling your product photographyKnowing who your ideal audience is can be an important factor when it comes to styling your product photography. Your ideal audience may be different than the audience of another creative entrepreneur and because of that, you may need to style your product photography differently than they do. If you style your product photography for the wrong audience, they won't connect with it and you could lose sales!If you don't know your ideal audience's tastes very well, check out Episode 2 of this season and soak up Britt and Kelsey's tips. Establishing a solid brand, including knowing your ideal audience, can have a big impact on your product photography!If you don't know who your ideal audience is right now, take the time to figure it out. Use what you know of your ideal audience to fit their style in your product photography!3 | Consider investing in LightroomNow, I know as creative entrepreneurs, the business wallet is often a bit tighter than we'd like, especially when starting a creative business. Sometimes you really do have to invest money into your creative business to make more money, though. If you sell products, whether it's art on your own site or handmade items on Etsy or what have you, Lightroom may be one of those necessary investments.While Lightroom's mobile version is free, as Crystal pointed out in this episode, using the mobile app can drastically reduce the quality of your product photography. If you can use the Lightroom desktop version, your product photography will retain its resolution and quality and look better on all platforms. If you can't afford the monthly cost of Lightroom just yet, give it a try on your phone and see if it makes enough of a difference to justify the cost.If you're able to use the Lightroom desktop version, it's worth it! If not, just remember that the quality of your product photography will be decreased by the mobile Lightroom app, so bear that in mind when using it.Want to connect with Crystal?You can find her on her website, and on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest @crystalclearphotographyaz. Don't forget to subscribe to the Creative Business Success Podcast for more episodes and share your biggest takeaways in the comments! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    26 mins
  • S2E4 | How to Grow Your Creative Business with Referrals | Laura

    S2E4 | How to Grow Your Creative Business with Referrals | Laura
    Nov 4 2019
    Welcome to Season 2 Episode 4 of the Creative Business Success Podcast! I'm super excited to introduce you to Laura today. In case you missed the Accelerate Your Creative Biz Summit in spring 2019, Laura was one of the speakers and she had so many fantastic nuggets of wisdom that I knew I needed to have her on the podcast as well. Today, she's going to be giving you her best tips for increasing referrals - aka essentially free advertising! - to get new clients in your creative business. It may not be what you immediately think of, either, so don't miss this one!Here's a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Laura's intro, 1:04Get access to Laura's summit session, 2:12Laura's secret to increasing referrals, 2:59Laura's story of increasing photography referrals, 4:27How client experience helps increase referrals, 7:12Can a neutral client experience decrease referrals? 9:08Client communication is key! 10:32Why you need a standardized client experience, 11:58Do you use your clients' first names? 14:55Do you struggle with email marketing? 16:19Why managing your energy is crucial for referrals, 16:54You can transfer your energy to your clients! 20:23You need to create a referral program, 22:14Be proactive and not reactive in your creative business, 25:20Give memorable client gifts after a project, 27:35Laura's closing thoughts on increasing referrals, 29:42Where to connect with Laura, 33:15Let's dive deeper into a few of these key takeaways...1 | Client experience is crucial to referrals!No matter what kind of creative business you run, a good client experience can make or break when it comes to getting referrals. If someone has a bad client experience, you'll get negative word of mouth, but if they have a so-so client experience, they just won't talk about it at all! As Laura's experience shows, having a stellar client experience can net you dozens or even hundreds of additional referrals than you would get otherwise.You can start with something as simple as addressing your potential clients by name. Do this in email, in person, and when referring to them on social media or to other people. That little bit of personalization can go a long way!Do you provide a fantastic client experience for your customers? If it's not the kind of experience that they HAVE to tell their friends about (and thus send you referrals!), it's time to step up your game and make it outstanding!2 | You need a standardized workflowAgain, no matter what kind of creative business you have, this is key. Without a standardized workflow, it's a lot harder to provide a stellar client experience! You end up scrambling, forgetting things, and letting your clients down. And no one wants that!If you don't have a workflow in place (and hopefully at least partially automated!), Laura and I strongly encourage you to get that set up. If you're a photographer, Laura has workflow guides, email templates, and more in her shop.Bonus tip: if you're an artist, photographer, or designer, I highly recommend Dubsado to help you automate your workflows. It's a tool created for creative entrepreneurs by creative entrepreneurs that helps you with everything from lead capture to invoicing and workflow management. It can be a serious sanity saver!Take a moment to create or update your creative business workflows today! Taking that time now can increase your referrals tenfold down the road.3 | Get a referral program set up!It's easy to think that referrals will be organic and 'just happen.' That's not always how it goes, though! It's always best to JUST ASK. If you don't ask, it's easy for your clients to forget to send you referrals. After all, how often do you remember to leave a review for something you love? Yeah, I usually forget too.By creating an official referral program, you're reminding people to do it and giving them an extra incentive to remember and intentionally send you referrals. Giving great client gifts that they'll use regularly is a great way to build on this, too.If you sell products online, you can even set up an affiliate program, making it even easier for customers to refer new business to you! Here at The Creative Entrepreneurs L.A.B., I use the AffiliateWP plugin to manage my affiliate program for the Thriving Creatives LAB and shop. If you want to create your own affiliate program for your creative business but aren't sure where to start, email me at hello@thecelab.com and I'll share my tips!Simply asking for referrals from happy customers and setting up an official referral program or affiliate program can make a huge difference in increasing your referrals!Want to connect with Laura?You can find her on her website, and on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest @lauraleecreative. Don't forget to subscribe to the Creative Business Success Podcast for more episodes and share your biggest takeaways in the comments! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    34 mins
  • S2E3 | Using Business Systems as a Creative | Sarah H

    S2E3 | Using Business Systems as a Creative | Sarah H
    Oct 28 2019
    Welcome to Season 2 Episode 3 of the Creative Business Success Podcast! In this episode, I talked with Sarah from Love and Spreadsheets, who's here to show you how creating a system can help you do more in your business - without melting your brain. The best part is that the tool she uses and recommends is 100% free!Here's a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Sarah's intro, 1:01How Trello works, 1:46How to use Trello in your business, 2:40The two Trello boards to start with, 3:40How to organize your business with Trello, 4:38Keeping your business moving, 9:21Start simple with Trello, 11:41Start small with Trello, 12:41Is Trello really for you, 13:54Keep everything straight with a client portal! 14:18Documenting your business processes, 16:02'Secret' Trello tips! 17:31Using Trello as an editorial calendar, 18:27Using Trello PowerUps, 18:49Using Trello if you're visual or kinesthetic, 23:30Who Trello ISN'T great for, 25:43Where to connect with Sarah, 28:45Let's dive deeper into a few of these key takeaways...1 | You should use Trello if...If you're a visual or kinesthetic person (i.e. you learn best when you can see something or when you can interact with something), Trello could be a great fit for you. But here's the thing: no tool is the perfect fit for every person on the planet. And Trello is no exception.If you're a list-oriented person who loves crossing off your to-do list, Trello might not be for you. If you need have more complex needs, like Gantt charts (oh man, I love me some good Gantt charts! *nerd alert* 🥰), Trello may not work for your either. Trello is a very straightforward, simple tool, which is FANTASTIC in many situations, especially if you need to reduce overwhelm.Not sure if Trello is right for you? Just give it a try! You can sign up for a free account or trial of any of the productivity tools you're considering and see which one works best for you.2 | Your first two Trello boardsSarah recommends creating an All Things Business board and an Operations Manual board. That means that you have your All Things Business (ATB) board to use as your 'brain dump,' catching all the things that don't fit anywhere else or that you just want to keep in one place. Sarah suggests using the ATB board for routine tasks, organizing things like courses you're taking, content management, etc.The Operations Manual board can be used for things like answers to commonly asked business questions, brand info, affiliate links, etc. It gives you a place to refer to when you need to quickly grab something related to your business so you don't have to search through three different tools to find it.Pick one of these Trello boards to create and start from there!3 | How Trello can keep your creative business movingThere can be a lot of moving pieces in a creative business. The cool thing about Trello is that it's visual and interactive, so you can see exactly where different pieces are in a process. If you're onboarding clients, you can have a board where you move cards for each client along the process, for example.Being able to see what pieces need to move forward to keep everything flowing can make a huge difference in your business!Want to connect with Sarah?You can find her on her website, and on Instagram and Pinterest @loveandspreadsheets. You should also check out Sarah's Trello resources page to learn more about Trello. Don't forget to subscribe to the Creative Business Success Podcast for more episodes and share your biggest takeaways in the comments! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    30 mins
  • S2E2 | How to Stand Out as a Creative Entrepreneur | Britt + Kelsey

    S2E2 | How to Stand Out as a Creative Entrepreneur | Britt + Kelsey
    Oct 21 2019
    Welcome to Season 2 Episode 2 of the Creative Business Success Podcast! In this episode, I talked with the amazing Britt and Kelsey from Launch Your Daydream, where they provide branding and web design for photographers. These ladies are pros at helping creative entrepreneurs master their branding and stand out in a crowded market. After they spoke at the Accelerate Your Creative Biz Summit, I knew this dynamic duo would be perfect for the podcast too. I can't wait to dive into branding with them, so let's get started!Here's a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Britt + Kelsey's intro, 0:57Branding foundations, 6:14The Brand Pizza, 6:59Establishing your niche, 9:28Fears and the importance of niching down, 12:09-Take some things off your business plate!-, 14:00How to niche down as an artist or maker, 14:38Finding your differentiator, 19:30Helping customers remember you, 22:44A branding exercise for you! 26:20Where to find Britt + Kelsey online, 26:32Let's dive deeper into a few of these key takeaways...1 | Branding is more than just a logoBritt and Kelsey talked about their Brand PIzza framework and it's a great reminder that there's SO much more to branding for creative entrepreneurs (and really anyone!) than just having a good logo. Building a solid brand foundation is crucial to your branding success. Without a good foundation, your creative business 'house' is going to crumble eventually.Don't rely on your logo or any single piece of your branding to carry you! Make sure to establish your brand foundation to make the most of your creative business.Have you established your brand foundation? If not, it's not too late! Use the strategies and exercises Britt and Kelsey shared in this episode to create your own creative business brand foundation.2 | Having a niche you love is important!Do you take every client that comes your way or sell to every Joe Schmo that shows up to your booth at a craft fair? While that's fine at the beginning of a creative business, you don't want to do that forever. Finding a specific audience that you LOVE to serve can make or break your business!When someone looks for a specific solution to their problem, whether it's finding a photographer for a special occasion or looking for the perfect art for their home, they want to find someone who's GREAT at that specific thing. Specializing in a particular area can actually help you get MORE clients, not less! When you're the go-to person in your creative business niche, it's easier for folks to refer you to new customers.Have you figured out who your favorite customers are? If not, keep experimenting until you find them! Once you know who you want to work with or make your creative product for, focus on them.3 | Find your differentiator as a creative entrepreneurEveryone has something that makes them different, even if you don't think that's the case. (I promise, it's true!) Britt and Kelsey shared some fantastic ways to find your own differentiator to help set your creative business apart from the crowd. If you're not sure what makes your creative business unique, it's time to dive in and figure it out!If you haven't found your differentiator, grab a friend and find THEIR differentiators while they find yours. It's a great way to get an outside perspective on you and your creative business!4 | Create a stellar client experienceWe've all had bad customer experiences, right? That's why having a fantastic client experience is so important as a creative entrepreneur! I loved Britt's story about her customer experience with an Etsy candle shop. If you take a moment to make customers feel special and noticed, it can go a long way towards your creative business success!What do you do right now and what could you do in the future to make your customers or clients feel special?Want to connect with Britt + Kelsey and Launch Your Daydream?You can find them at their website, Launch Your Daydream, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest @launchyourdaydream. Don't forget to subscribe to the Creative Business Success Podcast for more episodes and share your biggest takeaways in the comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    28 mins
  • S2E1 | Transitioning to Full-time Creative Entrepreneur | Joyce

    S2E1 | Transitioning to Full-time Creative Entrepreneur | Joyce
    Oct 14 2019
    If you want to take your creative side hustle full-time, you know it's a lot of work. Today's guest, Joyce from Modern Creative Pursuits, did just that, taking her calligraphy business from a side hustle to her thriving full-time career, and she's here to share her tips on how to make the transition to full-time. And even if you're not ready to go full-time, these tips can help you improve your side hustle, too!Here's a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Joyce's intro, 0:59Taking All The Jobs, 4:20Giving yourself grace, 5:40When and how to educate yourself, 7:25When Joyce hired a business coach, 9:08What to do if you fall out of love with your business, 10:53Outsourcing to boost business growth, 13:18Automating to boost business growth, 15:20Why community is key to business success, 17:40It's going to be okay! 19:24Where to connect with Joyce online, 19:55Let's dive deeper into a few of these key takeaways...1 | Give yourself graceIt's really easy as creative entrepreneurs to get inside our own heads and feel like we have to do everything right - and get it right the very first time! The truth is, businesses change, sometimes on a daily basis. What you did last year likely won't be what or how you do it this year.That's a good thing!Without exploring your business and giving yourself grace when things don't go as expected, you won't be able to grow quite as well. Both Joyce and I have changed our business trajectories and we wouldn't exchange those 'failures' for the world!Learn how to reframe your 'failures' into learning experiences. This isn't just a cliche - it's a way of life as a creative entrepreneur! Give yourself grace when things don't go to plan and roll with the punches.2 | Educate yourself - within reasonHave you ever listened to one podcast episode or read one blog post... only to realize two hours later that you just kept going? That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you aren't implementing what you learned, you've wasted that time.Joyce talked about how she used to consume, consume, consume other peoples' content. Even if she wasn't at a point in her business where she was ready to implement it, she consumed it for 'later, just in case.' If she had waited to consume that content until she was ready to implement, she could have implemented other strategies that might have gotten her to that point sooner.If you find yourself consuming a lot of content (even this podcast), STOP. Take a moment to reflect on whether you can implement the education within the next quarter and if not, start a list (in Google Drive, Evernote, or wherever you take notes) of content you want to come back to. Categorize it so it's easy to find when you know you need advice on a particular topic, too!3 | Community and accountabilityWhen you're running your business by yourself, you can quickly end up feeling isolated. That isolation can in turn lead to despondency and eventually you just stop following through on business tasks because "hey, what does it really matter? No one's watching anyway." That's why community and accountability are so important for creative entrepreneurs!If you aren't already plugged into a creative community, I invite you to join me over in The LAB for Creative Entrepreneurs Facebook group or join Joyce over in the Creative Biz Society Facebook group! Getting to know other creative entrepreneurs who will understand this crazy business journey can light a fire for your creative business.Accountability is crucial to your creative business success too! Finding an accountability partner or creative business coach can be a gamechanger for your creative business. You can find business friends to become accountability partners with through creative business Facebook groups or other communities, or you can hire a creative business coach or strategist like Joyce or me to help you get - and STAY - on track with your business growth.Are you plugged into a creative business community yet? If not, don't forget to join The LAB and the Creative Biz Society! We'd love to see you in there.Want to connect with Joyce?You can find Joyce at her website, moderncreativepursuits.com and on Instagram! You should also listen to the podcast Joyce co-hosts, The Modern Creative, too! Don't forget to subscribe to the Creative Business Success Podcast for more episodes and share your biggest takeaways in the comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    21 mins
  • S1E9 | Creating Systems for Your Creative Business | Mariah

    S1E9 | Creating Systems for Your Creative Business | Mariah
    Dec 22 2017
    Welcome to Season 1 Episode 9 of the Creative Business Success Podcast! Today I'm chatting with Mariah from Mariah Magazine. She's a web strategist and designer who helps entrepreneurs optimize their websites. Her business systems are a bit scattered, so she wants to get them whipped back into shape, both for her own sanity and so that she can confidently hire an assistant. We're going to talk about both the technical side and the personal side of creating systems and preparing to hire a VA.Here is a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Mariah's intro, 0:26Mariah's current systems and client process, 1:27A new workflow - start with a lead capture form, 2:48Splitting workflows for different target audiences, 3:28Triggering workflows, 6:42Systemizing the project process, 7:52Getting content from clients! 11:20Canned emails to improve processes, 12:11Automatically creating tasks for you and clients in Dubsado, 12:56Splitting and pausing workflows, 13:25-Link to the Dubsado Facebook group we mentioned-Getting processes and systems ready for a VA, 14:58Managing a virtual assistant- email newsletters, 15:35Prep your VA for your own brand of crazy! 16:40Creating a system to assign and monitor VA tasks, 18:04Give a new hire some adjustment time, 20:36Document specific tasks for your new VA, 21:07Don't be afraid to trial a few VA's, 22:08Where to connect with Mariah! 24:57Don't forget to grab your free trial of Dubsado to help you manage your clients and workflows!Let’s dive a little deeper into a few solutions to help you expand your local marketing and clients, though!1 | Automated workflows to the rescue!If you feel like you're going to pull your hair out when you think about all the moving parts in your client and project processes... it's time for an automated workflow. In this episode, I talked with Mariah about how she can turn her go-with-the-flow processes into a streamlined system. The tool I suggested was Dubsado because you can automate your entire workflow from start to finish!For Mariah, that means she can embed a lead capture form on her website that allows the lead to select a field that will trigger a specific workflow within Dubsado. It then automatically takes the client through the proposal (based on what they selected in the lead capture form) to the contract and down payment on their invoice. Mariah can also build in some delay so that she can check in and make sure they're suited for the package they've selected. If not, she can pause the workflow, adjust things, and restart it.Once they've paid the down payment, the client will move through the rest of the workflow. Dubsado can automatically create tasks for Mariah and her clients, enabling the clients to watch Mariah's process as she checks off tasks as well as get reminders to upload necessary content to their personal client portal. This can save Mariah HOURS of time that she would normally spend fielding emails about where she is in the process and trying to hunt down the content she needs to move forward with a project!In other words, if you want more time to relax and enjoy NOT babysitting clients (hey, we've all been there), you need to automate your systems.2 | Getting processes and systems ready for a virtual assistantOkay, so you're ready to get some things off your plate, eh? That's where Mariah was, but she didn't know where to start to prepare for that new hire. Since her systems and processes were so scattered, she didn't feel adequately put together to bring someone else in.Don't worry - she can do it and so can you!To start with, keep a running list of the tasks you do on a recurring basis. Decide which ones you'll outsource and then run a screen capture program and narrate what you're doing. That gives you a visual tool to send your new VA so they can jump right in and all they have to do is ask any questions that your tutorial doesn't answer.After the podcast recording, I remembered another resource that I'd forgotten to mention, though! I sent Mariah a link to an article which will help you get a handle on creating an operation manual for your business and I wanted to share it with you too. Creating an operations manual is great for not only a new hire but for you too!If you want a more in-depth guide to help you prepare to outsource your business tasks, check out the 5-day Outsourcing for Success Bootcamp!3 | Don't be afraid to test several optionsFinding the right fit is CRUCIAL when hiring, especially as a solopreneur! If your new VA doesn't mesh well with your personality, it's going to be tough going, my friend.Since Mariah was preparing to interview potential VAs shortly after we recorded this episode, I suggested that she give each of them a trial run. That way, she can give each person a 2-4 week trial, make note of how well they worked, and make an educated decision as to who she wants to officially hire. She would pay them all their regular rates for the trial period, of course, and she would be ...
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    27 mins
  • S1E8 | Expanding Your Local Market | Lyssy

    S1E8 | Expanding Your Local Market | Lyssy
    Dec 19 2017
    Welcome to Season 1 Episode 8 of the Creative Business Success Podcast! In today's episode, I talked to Lyssy, a wonderful hand-letterer and calligrapher from Singapore. She has a great online following, but she wants to expand her local clients. We brainstormed ways that Lyssy can reach more of her local target market and grow her business!Here is a cheat sheet of some of the episode highlights:Lyssy's intro, 0:54The problem of marketing yourself, 0:20Promoting yourself authentically! 1:44Lyssy's current promotion and marketing efforts, 1:58Who is your target audience? 4:10Honing on on ideal corporate clients, 5:03Client outreach funnel for introverts, 5:42Creating passive online income as a creative, 6:12Setting your courses apart from the rest, 9:00-Grab the secret weapon to more time in your business!- 12:35Promoting yourself authentically over email, 13:20Getting clients rather than just sales, 16:11Finding complimentary service providers, 17:05Connecting with business resource centers, 19:30Thinking outside the box with partnerships, 20:22Keep the wheels turning for new partnerships! 22:36Where to connect with Lyssy! 23:35Don't forget to grab your free trial of Dubsado to help you manage your clients and workflows!Let’s dive a little deeper into a few solutions to help you expand your local marketing and clients, though!1 | Promoting and marketing yourself authenticallyDo you hate the term "selling yourself" as much as Lyssy and I do? It seems to be a buzzword in some circles, but it just feels icky. Rather than feeling sleazy while marketing your services, let's talk about promoting yourself authentically!Approach your marketing efforts from a place of giving and connection. While you do need to make sales to pay the bills and all that, I'm betting that's not the only reason you're in business. You love what you do and you want to help your clients, right? That's where marketing starts. You're filling a need - in Lyssy's case, she's teaching people how to reach their own hand-lettering and calligraphy goals, as well as providing hand-lettering services to entrepreneurs and local businesses.When Lyssy talks to these local businesses, she doesn't need to go in trumpeting her lettering prowess. That will speak for itself when she shows them her work! Instead, she can humbly approach the business owners and show them how her services can help them improve their client experience and grow their own business.If you approach marketing from a place of giving and connection, you'll be able to promote yourself authentically.2 | Client outreach funnel for introverts!If you're an introverted entrepreneur, you're not alone! One of the great things about working for yourself is... well, working for yourself. Your social reservoir doesn't have to be depleted just by doing your work and that's great. However, you do still have to find and connect with new clients to keep your business going and that can be a huge challenge for introverts.In this episode, I introduced Lyssy to my own client outreach 'funnel.' That's the best term I've come up with for it, but it's essentially just an organic form of outreach that makes connections easier. To get started, you can send a simple letter or postcard, introducing the business owner to your services. They may or may not read it; that's okay either way. The point is that you sent it and maybe they at least glanced at it.A few days after you expect your note was delivered, you can follow up by phone or email. Just tell them you're following up on the note you sent a few days ago; have they had a chance to look at it? Even if they haven't, it still gives you a connection point to tell them a bit about your services or products and how it can benefit them.From there, you can set up a meeting with them or, if you don't get hold of them during the follow-up phase, you can go to their business in person. It's much harder to ignore an actual person than it is a phone call or email! You may even decide to skip the second phase if the business is somewhere you frequent. Regardless of which steps you take, sending the first point of contact gives you something to talk about right away. This eliminates the awkward tension that can arise from a cold call. Hooray!Give the client outreach 'funnel' a try and see how it goes. You might be surprised!3 | Keep the business partnership wheels turningDon't stop with the ideas you come up with yourself. Ask your friends, family, and business acquaintances where your services might be helpful. Having a referral can be huge, and even if it's just a suggestion of somewhere that your friend or family member knows of, it's still a starting point.Asking for suggestions also keeps the wheels in your head turning. By the time we wrapped up this episode, Lyssy was excited and coming up with even more ideas for potential clients! Her sister had sparked one of those ideas and it snowballed from there.Don't discount suggestions from those you know. ...
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    25 mins