Choosing the right creative business to start is a very important aspect of business ownership. If you choose the wrong business you may pay for it in disappointment and discouragement. Nothing is worse than having to do something every single day that you hate. Alternatively, you might choose something that is not profitable, and due to poor research or planning you waste a lot of time and money starting something that never had a chance in the first place.
Choosing Right Creative Business for You
Choose a Business You Understand
If you start with what you know, you will be ahead of the game. What hobbies or interests do you have today that could translate into a potential business? What topics or subjects are you passionate about that could be turned into a for profit business? Choosing a business that you already know and understand will go a long way toward creating the perfect business for you. But don't let the lack of knowledge discourage you. Every creative person has many things they need to learn to properly run a business. Don't quit on your dream just because you don't know how to create an online store or blog, there's plenty of helpful resources online.
Choose a Business That Excites You
If you know a lot about something but it bores you to death, it might not be the right business for you. However, if you can identify something that you understand and love you’re heading down the right path. Typically, if you really know something and love something, you’ve also learned how to make it better. If you’ve identified a way to improve something that already exists, and you understand it and love it, that might be the perfect business for you. For a handmade business this is very important because you don't want to be stuck creating products you don't enjoy making. That will stunt your creativity and your business.
Choose a Business Where Your Skills Shine
You might understand something, and love it – but if you’re not good at it, you won’t be successful. Sure, you can outsource your way to success in some niches, but when you’re first starting out you probably should choose a business that your skills match. Write down what skills you currently have to help determine whether the business you understand and love fit within that criteria. When it comes to a creative business like selling handmade products, already having skills puts you ahead of the game. To have something worth selling, you want it to be the model of perfection and be repeatable, otherwise customers will not buy your goods. Refine your skills using online courses. Try Craftsy Unlimited, watch everything free!
Choose a Business Where You Can Earn Money
There are lots of great ideas that are so focused that you simply won’t make enough money. Determine whether the marketplace exists for your idea. Also, can you realistically finance the beginning of your business idea for an extended time without earning any money? Can you work at your current job while you start your business so that you don’t have to get any outside money to make it work? When creating products by hand, or a related business like teaching classes, you want to make sure what your offer is able to give the right profit to live on. Consider ways you scale up your current product ideas to include a range of prices. That way you have more to offer a larger range of customers.
Choose a Business That Fits Your Lifestyle
Do you want to spend more time with your family and friends? Do you want to travel a lot? Are you okay with having to work 14-hour days, nights and weekends? Finding a business that matches the lifestyle you want to obtain will go far in helping you become not only successful but also happy with the success. Think of other ways you can earn through your creative skills. There's more out there than making products by hand to sell at craft shows or online. You could start a blog and earn money through it. You could teach classes locally or online. You could write tutorials for magazines and craft websites. You could train other crafters how to sell handmade.
Choose a Business From Which You Can Retire
Unless you want to work until you drop dead, it’s imperative that you think long and hard here about when you plan to stop working. What is your exit strategy? Do you want to build a business that you will sell to investors, take the money and run? Do you want to build a family business that your children will take over? Do you plan to build a business that disappears when you retire?
Create a life plan for your business. Where do you see it going in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years. Set goals for it to grow and evolve into something you can see doing for awhile. Maybe even part time during retirement. You may start by doing craft shows locally. Expand by doing larger shows and wholesale. Grow your online presence. Scale back to the best shows and online only. Add on teaching, patterns, or a blog. And then at pre-retirement just do your online store and a teaching blog. That's just one of many ways you could plan it.
There are no right or wrong answers here. Choosing a business that makes you happy, earns you the sort of money you need to earn, and lets you stop working at some point are essential choices that you will need to make if you are to find the perfect business for you. The answers are personal in nature and dependent upon your passions, needs and desires. The important thing is that you give it some thought before you get started.
