Do You Need a Project Management Platform?
Running any business these days requires the use of digital platforms. Everything from basic email, to managing finances, to marketing
Category: Management
Episode 99: Dealing With Downtime Desperation
The creative service business model is most often structured around time and materials. This means your total compensation is capped
Episode 98: Crushing the Joy Killers in Business
In the last episode of 5 Minutes on Creative Entrepreneurship I talked about the maximum earning potential for creative entrepreneurs.
Making the Most of Your Downtime
Creative entrepreneurs dread downtime. If you bill by the hour, and especially if you also have fixed staff expenses, a
Episode 94: Were You Able to Take a Break This Summer?
The summer is quickly coming to a close, I hope you were able to take some well earned time off,
When Ed Takes a Vacation*
* From the 1988 track by the Swirling Eddies It’s summertime and that means vacation. In fact, I’m heading out
Episode 87: The Dangers and Rewards of Service
The creative service business is made up of two main parts. Creativity and service. Yeah, obvious, I know. But the
Episode 86: Manage As If You’re Going To Sell Your Firm
Very few creatives launch their practices planning to cash out with a big exit down the road. This is one
How Methodology Can Deepen Your Margins
In my last article I began to describe how PinPoint Positioning can lead to highly refined processes that give even
Episode 85: Building Your Marketing Muscles
Back in episode 23 I talked about how marketing is a marathon, not a 100 yard dash. I’ve been thinking
Episode 84: Marketing Boost – Guest Authoring
The best approach for marketing a creative practice involves PinPoint Positioning followed by a consistent content strategy. The long-term benefits
Is Upwork Dragging Down Your Freelance Practice?
How in the world are you supposed to thrive as a freelancer when clients have access to global crowdsourced platforms
Putting the “Service” Back into “Creative Services”
When you think about providing service to your clients, do you ever fear that you’re being regarded as a mere
Would You, Could You, Sell Your Company?
Most creatives get into business out of a passion for their work. Unlike creatives, I’ve never met other entrepreneurs looking
Episode 80: How to Hire Team Members That Fit Your Firm
Over the past few episodes we’ve charted the course for growing a creative practice. And we’ve considered growth in the
Episode 79: Crossing the Perilous Growth Gaps
Last week I discussed the key decision about hiring your first overhead role—and whether that should be a client facing
Episode 78: Don’t Cross the Sales and Service Streams
When your creative practice takes off, delivering more work than you can handle, your most natural inclination will be to
Episode 76: The “Problem” of Growth
As creatives begin to build up a client base, and demand for their work starts to grow, we inevitably face
Building Your Team with the Help of DiSC Profiles
The last few articles have surveyed important issues creatives should consider when they contemplate growing their firm. Most importantly, you
Episode 75: Did the Lockdowns Cancel Your Creative Practice?
This past year has been tough on many small businesses. Certain sectors of the economy were entirely shut down overnight.
Don’t Get Caught in the Growth Gap
Growing a creative practice is a huge challenge. Especially when, as a creative, you lack business training. Learning on the
Episode 74: How to Avoid Toxic Clients
Delivering professional creative services involves at least two parties, the creative and the client. A successful project requires both parties
Do You Need an Account Manager or an Account Maker?
The growth of a creative practice often happens organically. As work stacks up, more resources are brought on to help.
Episode 73: Is Getting Paid Getting You Down?
Creatives work hard for their money. And not just in the studio. It takes a lot of work just to
Finding the Right Gear for Your Growth
When creatives find their opportunities increasing, they often end up getting swept up into growth rather than building a firm
Why Do You Want to Grow Your Creative Practice?
There are many reasons creatives end up climbing the ladder from part-time freelancer to full-time, from solo-practices into small firms,
When to Say “No” to a Prospective Client
If you had a magic time eraser, how many projects or clients would you edit out of your history? A
Episode 68: Are You Cut Out for Creative Entrepreneurship?
Back in my art school days I took dozens of classes in drawing, painting, and design. We studied our craft
Are You Budgeting Your Time?
Creative entrepreneurs must learn how to plan their projects. You must forecast project stages, schedules, and time requirements. Success in
Episode 66: Partnerships, Part 2: Ownership Versus Employment
Last week we evaluated some important issues when considering the formation of a business partnership. This is a common path
Are You Ready to Take the Entrepreneurial Plunge?
When a creative decides to strike out on their own, whether they realize it or not, they enter into the
Episode 65: To Partner or Not to Partner
As we’ve been running our thought experiment, imagining what it might be like to present our creative practices on Shark
How to Perfect Your Pricing
Imagine how great your creative business would be if you could go back in time and adjust all your pricing
Episode 62: Are You Ready to Scale?
Some creative entrepreneurs enjoy the freelance life. They like working alone, and know that they are not cut out to
Shark Series: Are Partnerships an Alternative to Investors?
The idea that a creative entrepreneur would ever go on “Shark Tank” is entirely an imaginary thought experiment. Venture capital
Shark Series: Is Your Creative Practice Scalable?
When a startup founder goes on Shark Tank to seek an investment in their business, the primary motivation always relates
Are you getting paid for the service part of your creative services?
Last week’s article pointed out how difficult it can be to sell a service, creative or otherwise. The service-based sales
Flexing with the times – an interview with Superfan’s Abby Downing
We’re all trying to figure out how to run our creative businesses in this new normal. Learning how to adapt—and
The danger of debt in a downturn
I recently gave a webinar for the RISD Alumni Relations department called “Managing Your Creative Practice in a Crisis.” The
How to not waste this crisis
Economic crises are no fun. Every creative entrepreneur will be affected differently by the coming downturn, but our industry as