You are dreaming of being your own boss, or have extra income from a creative business. But you are have a ton of ideas, and you don’t know what to do next. As a creative business coach I generally get two types of clients. There are the ones who already have a creative small business and now feel stuck in terms of scaling. The other ones are those who don’t have a business yet, but have too many ideas and need help choosing. I help both. Today I discuss the second group of clients; the budding entrepreneurs who need help choosing the best idea for their creative business.
What is the best idea for your creative business?
That is a complex question, and very much depends on a number of factors. First of all: where lies the joy? We can look at what brings in the most money…but this is not always the best option. If you get all the clients but then start hating your business in a year’s time, you are back to square one.
I believe in building sustainable businesses, meaning that together we look at the idea that is fully aligned with your core values. Because your business is yours, and no one else’s. Only then will you still feel excited and motivated to keep growing your creative business in years to come.
I usually do an exercise with my clients to figure out their core values. This worksheet will already give them very valuable insights. It also shows them which one of their ideas may be a great fit.
Need help making a decision?
Too many ideas, which one to focus on?
Still, there may be a number of ideas that all match your core values. What do you do then? Another powerful exercise I often do with clients, is the one I call my ‘Traffic Light Exercise’. This is a great worksheet which helps you create an overview of all your ideas, projects, and offers, and see which one gets the green light. By ranking them, and giving them traffic light colours based on joy, effort, potential and whether you could launch this relatively easily, you quickly figure out what to keep, and what to ditch.
So what is the best idea for your creative business? I would say it is the one that has the best combination of your core values, level of excitement, financial (growth) potential, and ease in terms of launching it.
“I loved working with Nina. I was stuck for a couple of years in a spiral of bouncing ideas that haven’t made it to fruition. She provided me with the support, accountability, and clarity that I needed to get out of that rut and actually take tangible actions to progress towards my goal. I recommend anyone who feels lost, stuck, or just wants guidance or someone to bounce ideas with to work with Nina. Her approach is practical, motivating, and ‘real’. It’s money well-spent, honestly.“
Shaima Behbehani, Photographer, Kuwait
How I can help you launch your creative business
If you are looking for a business coach for creatives, then I am so glad you found me! I have worked with hundreds of creatives like you over the past 3.5 years as a coach. Before that, I worked for 20+ years in the creative industries as a marketing professionals and consultant. Besides that, I also started up my own businesses from scratch, both online and offline. So I am not just a creative business advisor, I am also a creative entrepreneur myself with hands-on experience. Oh, and I am a rock star at copywriting, and can help you write a sales page to die for.
If you are at the stage of researching the possibility of launching your own business, my Light Bulb Session is a great option. Rather than signing up for my Signature 3-months 1:1 coaching programme, this one-off session is perfect at this stage. Together we will dive deep into your ideas, and give you a lot of clarity. You will get homework assignments beforehand, and during our 90 minutes together on Zoom, we will really dig up the diamonds and decide on your next steps.
Book a 90-minute Light Bulb session for instant clarity
