When I went to college to learn graphic design, I was excited about the opportunity to do creative things. Sure, there's important guidelines to follow when having things printed and estimating the time it takes to do a job and so on, but I was looking for a creative job. Originally, I planned to find a job working for a more traditional company or firm, but I ended up freelancing. And what could be better than working for myself and choosing exactly what kinds of things I would create?
In the process of freelancing, I started a blog. And that led to creating new sorts of things. And that led to new streams of income for projects that seem to be even more creative than what I expected back in my college days. I still do freelance graphic design, but slowly, I've felt that God has been creating the perfect work for me. I love it.
But all that I do is a business.
This blog is crafty and personal, but it connects to my business. There's a whole lot that I could go into here about that, and someday, maybe I will. But this post is about a book that I wish I had a while back. You see, running a business, even a dream job, blogging, stitching, playing with felt, personal sort of business, is still business. And that requires some different kinds of thinking.
When Talent Isn't Enough is a book for people like me, and quite possibly people like you. It's an overview of the things to bear in mind when you're running a creative business. It covers topics like legal matters, finances, advertising, working with clients, setting boundaries (oh, how I need this one!), and starting your business while you're still working a regular job.
There's so much good information here. It's the kind of book that you can read start to finish, or look at a chapter or two that address what you're struggling with at the moment. The author, Kristin Fischer, has compiled findings from many excellent sources, plus shared the knowledge she's gained in years of working on her own. There's questions and answers with creative folks and "must reads" through the eleven chapters.
Not everything will apply to every creative business. For example, if you're an Etsy seller, you aren't likely to need contracts for your work, unless you do a lot of bigger custom jobs. But things like tracking expenses, filing taxes, and tips and resources to do that? Those of us who are spreadsheet-impaired can learn a lot!
If you have a small business and are still trying to figure it out,
When Talent Isn't Enough is a great place to get a good range of information. And if you are just thinking about jumping in to working for yourself, know that it won't always be easy and not every part of the work is fun, but there are books and websites and more that will help you get it all going!
To help get you started, I have the pleasure of giving away an extra copy of When Talent Isn't Enough! Enter with Rafflecopter below, and you could be the lucky winner! This giveaway is open to international readers, but be aware that some information in the book may not apply to all countries.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: I received two copies of When Talent Isn't Enough (one to keep and one to share) in exchange for a blog post. All opinions are my own.
