Getting Started – Page 10 – Business Plus Baby

June 25, 2010July 1, 2010

Turn Your Creative Skill Into a Business (Part 2)

This is the part two of an article by artist and workshop leader Amelia Critchlow. You can read How to turn your creative skill into a business (part 1) here.

11. Be visible: once you are up and running you need to be visible: on the net, in magazines, via business cards, by adverts in local shops, libraries, centres, tell people. You won’t sell or get work if people don’t know you are there. So tell the world in whatever format you feel comfortable! Network like crazy on the net, leaving comments on other blogs, guest posting, doing give-aways and so on.

12. Once you have a web presence, get a business card printed up stating clearly what you do (or even what you intend to do!;), with an image that speaks volumes about the nature of your work and contact/web details on. Carry them with you at ALL TIMES ready to give out appropriately

13. Create a signature email so that all emails you send have a link straight back to your website or any url’s, and state what you do ie. jewellery designer, writer, tutor etc.

14. Have a single name that you use consistently for all web url’s so people get to know who you are and make the link. for example same name for; website, blog, twitter, facebook, linkedin etc

15. On any web spaces make it clear and easy to contact you ie. name and email address at the top/front (avoid making it hard for people work to find out how to contact you)

16. Ask! Ask for help, support, babysitting, write ups, ask questions, ask for freebies, for tips and strategie.

17. Swap skills: for example, if you need some-one to read over or edit the text you’ve written for your site (or you want them to write it in the first place) and you can’t afford to pay then swap skills. I do this frequently and people are normally flattered to be asked.

18. Talk: talk to everyone you meet about what you do. Be excited, say it confidently, often I find speaking positively and passionately about what you do leads to offers of work, commissions, workshops, sales, interest etc

19. Ideas-storm with yourself. Once you are up and running and out there or once you hit an obstacle, or maybe before you have even started, I find one of my best and most helpful techniques is to ‘ideas storm’ with my self. Sit quietly, get a note-book and write out the question you want an answer to – frame it as a ‘how’ question, rather than a ‘why’ question. Then quietly let ideas come, and however ludicrous they may seem jot them down. Or go to sleep with your trusty notebook nearby and when you wake up jot down any ideas fresh in your mind. I can honestly say that some of my best and most helpful ideas – that I have then implemented – came to me like this.

20. Last of all I would say just GO FOR IT! There is nothing more fulfilling than earning money from what you love, it gives working a whole new dimension and fulfils parts of you that money never can. I live by the motto that a winner never quits and a quitter never wins, but only you can define what your definition of winning or success is – often it’s not about the money, but being able to live each day fulfilled and content doing what we love .

Oh and by the way I am still learning too and am in the thick of it right now – I am continuously picking up tips and ideas and know I still have a way to go, but the main thing is I love what I am doing and it balances out the things I find tough at times.

You can find out more about Amelia here:

Her website: www.ameliacritchlow.co.uk

Her blog: 101 Bird Tales

Her Experimental Art E-Course

June 21, 2010November 8, 2010

Turn Your Creative Skill into A Business (Part 1)

Artist and workshop leader Amelia Critchlow has turned her art into a business. She has very kindly agreed to share the ideas and strategies that have worked for her, so over to you, Amelia!

Returning to art a few years back – I always had a yearning to study art – and finally honouring that calling has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am mother to two children: one teenager and one seven year old who has special needs and only myself at home working and parenting. I have a lovely partner, but we don’t live together.

This year I have fully committed to making my passions my income streams too.

Whilst doing my degree in art, I also took a teaching qualification to become an art tutor and workshop leader, and after having spent time teaching, finally decided to write and run my own on-line art course, geared toward those desiring to fulfil their creativity or reach their creative potential, and parents who can’t always afford to go ‘out’ to art classes because of childcare or financial constraints (or those who lack of confidence artistically).

The experimental art e-course was launched this year as an accompaniment to my already existing art practice and website. I added a blog to my website last year too which I feel has been key to creating a successful on-line creative business.

You might benefit from sitting back with a nice glass or cup of something and a notebook to hand – I am always one for ‘capturing’ ideas when they pop into my head!

Here goes with my ‘top 20’ list:

Confidence: confidence is key. How you get that confidence will be down to you. It may be studying a little more to get that level of confidence you need, or develop your skill. It may be having a show, or just telling some-one your idea, but only you will know when you ‘feel’ ready.
Write out or collage your dream work scenario, and how a working day would look like and feel – revel in that feeling. Clear intentions are crucial
Step past the fear and make a personal commitment to your art
Take it seriously – if you don’t take you and your creative business idea seriously, no-one else will either (they will forever think it’s a whimsical ‘easy’ hobby – it isn’t!)
Carve out time dedicated to pursuing your dream job – an hour an evening/week, an afternoon when kids are at nursery/school. LEAVE the housework whilst you get going on this
Buy yourself some time: if money is an issue save up enough money to live on for a few months without having to do any other work and ‘buy’ yourself some time to launch your business (I did this by saving up, getting some-one to cover my other job, and taking a cut in income). Or work part time and cultivate your own business in the evenings (I no longer watch TV as I prefer to do my own art related work)
Research: research those who are making it ‘work’ in your eyes. look at their websites, research their CV’s and/or ask them out to lunch to pick their brains – I did this and it was the best research and fun day out too! I grabbed ideas from this book: The Four Hour Work Week.
Keep an ‘ideas’ book with you at all times, starting from NOW. I sleep with a notebook next to my bed, and I carry a notebook in my handbag, you never know when you will read, see, hear or get an idea for your art or business
List out your current resources: think of all the things you have right now that you can use to start up that cost you nothing: the web (website, blog or network forums), people, your own hands/voice/personality, printer, phone, computer, camera, knowledge, skill, pen, paper, ideas etc
Action: action is so key to starting off. One action always leads to another one. The minute I graduated from my art degree I applied to do an open house art show (at home) with my local borough. I didn’t think. I filled in the form, paid the cheque and made art for a few months. I was so nervous, but so glad I did it. Doing leads to new ‘happenings’: I met people, got invited to participate in shows, sold work and more. Other actions: start a blog or website. (My art website is with www.clikpic.com and my blog with www.blogspot.com the first is cheap, the other is free). Have a launch party at home, send an editorial to a magazine, make enough stock for an etsy shop: www.etsy.com

Amelia continues with Turn Your Creative Skill Into a Business in Part 2.

June 15, 2010June 2, 2011

Home business phone line: do I need one?

Some home-based businesses use the same phone line for business and personal calls. Personally, I wouldn’t be happy with this and here’s why:

You need to be able to ignore your business phone (OK, switch on your voicemail…) after office hours or you’ll be on duty 24 hours a day.
You need to answer the business line in a professional manner, which is far easier to control on a dedicated phone line than on one that’s shared by the whole family.
Your business phone number will be spread far and wide on your marketing materials, including your website. The chances are you don’t want your home phone number to be so widely available.

The last time I started out as a freelancer in 2000, business phone line options for people who worked from home were limited to say the least. Most got a second home phone number from BT and didn’t tell BT it was for business use, so avoiding paying the full business fee. This is still an option (shh, don’t say I mentioned it!), but technology has moved on and there is more choice now, including:

Mobile phone. I asked some mums in business if they felt that having a mobile number as your only business phone number would be seen as unprofessional. Most said that these days their clients couldn’t care less whether they were given a mobile number or a landline, but some said they felt it might give a bad impression. It depends on the kind of business you’re in and the only sure way to find out is to do some market research.

Telephone redirection service. You can ‘rent’ a phone number so that when clients phone it, it looks like an ordinary landline number but the call is received at the phone of your choice. You could direct the call to your landline or mobile. A free option if you’re just starting out and have only a few calls is a service like YAC. This gives you a number for free and you can direct calls to your mobile, landline or email (you get a voice message as an attachment). The only snag is that the call charges are rather high for anyone phoning you, so not great for customer service in the long run. Still, it’s preferable to putting your home phone number up on your website for the world to see, plus you can use it for voicemail only and then call back.

Or you can pay a small fee and use a service like www.voipfone.co.uk which charges your callers the cost of a local call.

Internet phone (VOIP). Instead of having a phone line coming into your home, make your calls over the internet. With Vonage, for example, you plug a normal phone into your computer’s modem or router using the adapter provided. Alternatively, you could use Skype’s Online Number service so that people dial a number on their phone and you receive the call on your computer.

Try: www.vonage.co.uk, Skype Online Number www.voipfone.co.uk

Virtual receptionist service. If a client phones and you’re busy, a receptionist (i.e. a real human being) takes a message and passes it on to you. And it’s not as expensive as you might think. It could make a big difference if there are big chunks of the day that you don’t want to be answering the phone with screaming children in the background.

photo credit: Lars Plougmann

(Updated 2 June 2011)

March 23, 2010April 15, 2012

How Long Until I Get Paid?

Photo: HowardLake

This is a sponsored post (what does this mean?)

Starting a business when you’re on maternity leave is tough on your finances. Your maternity pay is about to run out, your savings are a distant memory and your credit card is feeling the strain.

So when deciding on your business, it pays to think about how long it will take before you make some money. (By ‘make some money’ I mean your pay cheque.) Then you can start paying off that credit card bill!

Freelancing is generally the fastest way to get a pay cheque if you work for yourself. But there are a few ‘ifs’.

If you have a skill that’s in demand

The trick is to offer people a skill that they need now. Maybe they have a big project and need extra help. Perhaps you have a skill that they don’t. Freelancing isn’t going to be a fast earner if you go back to college for a couple of years to get the right skills.

If you market yourself

You’ll have to go and find the work because it won’t find you. (Unless you’re very lucky or already have a good network of contacts.)

If your clients pay up on time.

This one is difficult to control. The best you can do is to have a clear set of terms and conditions and make an educated guess about the reliability of your client.

Don’t be put off though, as you might already have a skill you can turn to freelancing.

The types of work that spring to mind when you think of the word ‘freelance’ may be web design, graphic design, writing, public relations and other skills you might offer to companies. But it could also include office admin, dog walking, alternative therapies and gardening. You could also help out your ex-employer with a project if they need an extra pair of hands.

The down side of freelancing is that you’re exchanging each hour of your time for a sum of money. There’s a limit to how much you can earn as there are only twenty-four hours in a day. The smart way around this is to build up a steady income (well, as steady as freelancing can ever be) then start another income stream that doesn’t involve a direct exchange of time for money.

At the other end of the ‘how long until I get paid?’ scale is inventing a new product.

Why? Well, you’ll need to have a good idea, do extensive market research, build a prototype and test it, possibly get a patent, get a loan or invest your own money (or both), research manufacturers and materials, get the product made, market it and sell enough of it to pay back your loan or investment. Then you can start to make a profit. You’d be lucky to see a pay cheque in less than a year.

The big advantage of the new product is that you’re not exchanging time for money, as you are with freelancing. So you could make a lot more money. But the risk is greater and you could lose money too.

Somewhere in between these extremes are the other business types.

So if you’ve got a great business idea, don’t forget to check if it’s a good match for your family finances. You don’t want to run out of money before you start to see an income from your business.

March 18, 2010May 22, 2010

Starting up as a business mum: don’t miss the Start Up Donut blog

If you need to know about being a mumpreneur, check out last week's Start Up Donut blog. And I'm not just saying that because I was one of the contributors! (My post is 'What's my greatest challenge as an aspiring mumpreneur?')

All last week, Start Up Donut had a mumpreneur theme, with blog posts ranging from tax tips by Business Plus Baby guest blogger Amy Taylor (Amy is rapidly becoming the business mums' accountant) to Zoe Brown explaining how having four children focused her mind on business (yes, really!). My personal favourite was Rachael Dunseath's 'Not for the houseproud'. Like Rachael I'm starting a business with two pre-schoolers at home – something has got to give and guess what, it's the housework!

Start Up Donut is a seriously useful website for anyone starting up a business. I especially liked 'how I started up on a shoestring' as I think most of us start-up mumpreneurs can relate to that. Plus it has some creative ideas for getting what you need to get your business of the ground if you have very little capital. And as the article says, the less you spend, the less you have to lose.