Getting Your Creative Biz Ready for 2020
EPISODE 71
2020 in nearly upon us, are you ready? Have you thought about your vision for next year, set yourself goals, decided on your social media strategy, pulled out your planner?
Before you panic, don’t worry we haven’t either but we are starting to think about it.
Want to join us? Grab a pen and paper, make yourself a cup of tea and let’s dream and scheme together. We’ve got 10 questions to help you bring more clarity and direction to your creative business in 2020.
If you want to dive straight into the questions, here they are:
What is the vision for your business?
Think about how you want to feel, what the essence of your business is and how you can best serve your audience. See if you can get this down to a short sentence or paragraph.How can you simplify and bring more consistency to what you do?
Many of us fall in the trap of trying to be all things to all people rather than focusing on what we enjoy and can do well. What can you let go of - it could be a style of art, an online platform, a personal commitment and so on?What goals do you have for 2020 and are they specific and measurable? Around 5 overarching goals for your creative business is manageable. Aim to set a variety of goals e.g. a sales goal, audience growth goal, process/system goal, big amazing dream goal and a lifestyle goal.
How are you going to use social media this year?
What platforms are you going to focus on, what type of posts will you share and how often you will post? This doesn’t need to be set in stone - think of it more as a gentle guideline that takes into account what is good for your business and your well-being.How will you allow your audience to get to know you in 2020? This one flows on from the previous question - social media is a fantastic tool for connecting with your audience. Instagram Stories, IGTV, YouTube videos, Facebook Lives - these are plenty of options. Just remember you don’t have to use them all. I am also a big fan of sending out a regular email newsletter. You might find it helpful to brainstorm a list of topics that you could connect with your audience over.
What will you invest in this year? I know it can be hard when you are starting out but investing in yourself and your business is key. Things like professional photography, website platforms and design, computer applications, accounting services, a good smartphone for taking your own photographs and education in the areas where you need further skills are all going to help your business over the long term. While you may not be able to invest in these all at once, take a look at your goals and your budget and choose 1 or 2 to prioritise this year.
Have you thought about the year ahead as a whole? This is where you get your yearly planner out (could be a wall planner, diary or online tool) and you look at the year in its entirety, marking in key dates and planning times for rest in-between creative projects. I like to plan out the whole year roughly and then the quarter ahead in more detail.
What dates and deadlines can you commit to now? Once you have a rough plan down, see if you can add some more dates to it. E.g. if you can confirm an exhibition or workshop date now - do it! You’ll be amazed at what you can do when you have a deadline to work to. If you don’t have external deadlines to work to, set your own! Even if they change down the track it is better to at least have an estimated date in there.
Have you allowed fluidity in the year? There’s a balance to be struck when it comes to planning. Things inevitably change, other commitments crop up which is why it’s important to make sure that there is space in your days, weeks and year. Projects also tend to take longer than expected so give yourself some grace and allow for the unexpected.
How will you celebrate key milestones? So often we bounce from one thing to the next without taking the time to celebrate the successes along the way. Think about ways that you can honour your creative efforts throughout the year. It can be something as simple as having lunch with a friend right through to booking a holiday. Celebrating provides you with the opportunity to savour and enjoy what you have created while also replenishing your energy for what lies ahead.
LINKS MENTIONED
Planning Tools
The Makers Yearbook (the planner I used in 2019)
Milligram Planner (the planner I am using in 2020)
Trello (the online planning tool I use)
Related Podcast Episodes
Podcast #20 - Lessons Learned from 2018
Podcast #21 - Planning for 2019
Related Vlog Episode
Season 2, Episode 3 - Can Creativity Be Scheduled
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While the podcast this week is about planning for 2020, over on the vlog I am chatting about what I want to get finished before the end of 2019. From listing artwork on my website to hanging a few bigger pieces in the local cafe where I show my work - these are the things that will bring a lovely sense of completion to the year - well that’s the theory!
Want to catch up on the vlog? Watch previous episodes here.
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