Last week I decided it was time to get the details of my design business out of my head and into a formal plan of action. I can see the big picture, but time and a very small budget are raining on my parade. So, welcome to my little experiment – launch a creative business, write a simple business & marketing plan, take care of my family and work full time job that I love. ( oh, don't forget about updating my status on FB) Is it possible? Yes, I believe anything is possible with a bit of dedication, organization and passion.
Mind you, I don’t have a degree in business or marketing (Fine Arts degree) but I owned and operated a clothing boutique for eight years and forced the other side of my brain to become involved. I am happy to say that the business became successful and I was able to sell it to someone who had aspirations of running a small business.
One thing I know is certain, you must write everything down. Make a plan and then follow it, tweak along the way when necessary and you will see your dreams come to reality - I forgot to mention that one of the secret ingredients to launching a business is to be VERY positive! Another thing that I always remind myself is that it is not a race.
I have read and researched countless books and articles, taken e-courses, subscribe to news feeds and sifted through a great deal of information on developing a business and marketing plan in today's world. (and wrote a couple as well) I found that it all comes down to one major tool - a list. Sounds a little too simple right? Well, since I don’t have a lot of time and I want to make this happen, I have created a series of lovely little lists to help keep me on track. The first one is the “Business Plan Checklist”. This is where I list all the essential business details and check them off one by one.
This is what is on my list.
Now if you are in the start up phase of your business you can download my free checklist here and begin to organize the necessary details. I have also included a few links that might be of help to determine your legal structure and tax information. I would love to know if this works for you, so let me know.
Click here for list number 1.
Next week I will include my “Creative Business Worksheet” - this is when the real fun begins!.
If you need further clarification about what type of legal structure is best for your business click here
For tax information the best place to visit is... drum roll please! The IRS
If you are a successful creative professional and would like to share what has worked for you, let me know and I will feature you on my blog.
