How to Treat your Creative Business Like a Real Business

As creative people, sometimes, it is easy to think that it is okay to treat our passions like hobbies.

We can treat our passions like hobbies but that means our passions might do the same as well.

Just because your business hasn’t grown to the heights you want, doesn’t mean you should only think about it in its present state. Why not start thinking about it the way you want to see it?

A creative business is a real business, it isn’t a hobby, even though it may have come up as a result of your hobby.

Once you have started any form of transaction with your customers; you are running a business already.

And so, here are ways you can start treating your creative business as a real business:

Clearly state your overall business goals: We all have different reasons we go into businesses. And so, you need to understand why you are in business and what you aim to achieve in business. These goals will help to drive other goals for your business like your social media goals, branding goals, marketing goals, etc.
Write your business plan: This is an important document most people ignore. A business plan will help you know the profitability of your business, it will also help you know in advance some of the risks you need to take care of, and so on.
Register your business: When you register your business, you make it easy for yourself to do other things for your business. E.g., paying your tax, opening a business account, and so on.
Set a daily schedule: Whether you are side hustling or you are in it full time, you need to set a daily business schedule for yourself. You need to know the time you start work and the time you close. This will help you be more disciplined and also have time for other important things.
Set up important documents e.g contracts: You also need to start using contracts for your business; this will make your business more organized and your payments system organized.
Have a dedicated work space: If you work from home; this applies to you. A dedicated workspace will help you be more disciplined and easily be able to ‘leave work at work’ when you need to.
Have a separate account for your business: do not combine your business account with your personal account; separate them. This will help your tax payment and record keeping easier to do.
Keep track of your expenses: always record your expenses and transactions you make. This makes your tax filing and accounting easy to do.
Learn about accounting or get help: Accounting is an important part of every business. Without getting your accounting in order, you don’t really know how to make financial decisions based on facts.
Use invoices: Using invoices will also make your accounting and tax payment easy.
Have an elevator pitch: If you attend a networking event, and someone asks you what you do, what will you say? How will you convince your target audience you can help them with your products/services?
Invest in yourself: Learn more, attend relevant seminars and workshops, ask questions, take a course, etc.
Invest in your business: It is also important to invest in your business. Hire an accountant if you need to, outsource some part of your business so you can have time for things you are good at doing for your business, etc.
Be intentional about marketing: Market your business both online and offline, create marketing goals, etc.