Spring is that time of year when we focus on generating new, fresh, and light energy in various aspects of our lives – and our creative businesses are no different. Below, we share 5 clear steps to help you Spring Clean your creative business and get things moving in the right direction again
or for the first time. Let’s get started!
1. Rethink Things
The first step to revamping your creative business or career and pointing it in a new and more prosperous direction is to look – really look – at what matters to you the most, what it is you want to achieve, and what you can realistically DO. Becoming clear in this regard is what will create the focus you need in your creative career and business. Some helpful questions to ask yourself (and perhaps in the order here) include:
- What am I passionate about? (hint: it is the one thing that you would do if money weren’t an option)
- What are my natural (or learned) interests/abilities/talents/skills? (i.e. what are you good at?)
- In what ways can/does my particular interests/abilities/talents/skills hep/benefit others? (i.e. are they saleable)
- Who are the kinds of persons who may best benefit from what I have to offer? (i.e. what are their characteristics)
2. Evaluate
Once you’re clear on what you value, what your interests/abilities/talents/skills are and how they can be of value to others, then you can begin to look at how you package and make them saleable to those who will benefit from them the most. In other words, you begin to look closely at the resources you have in hand. Here’s how you do that:
- You remember that resources are ALWAYS scarce and as such, you will hardly ever have all the resources you need
- You make note of the gap between where you are and where you are trying to be
- Take stock/inventory of the resources you have and how they can help you realistically bridge that gap
3. Strategize
After carefully evaluating your resources, the next step is to put strategies in place that can help you use those resources to get from where you are in your business and career to where to you would like to be. Any strategies you employ must be practical and realistic in order to be effective. As you plan your strategy, here’s what you should remember:
- Think big picture so that you plan your strategy with a central focus in mind
- Take small steps. Even though you are focused on achieving the ‘big’ goals, never forget that it is the little steps and structures that will help you get there
4. Execute
Now, you’ve done all the planning, preparation, and restructuring demanded by the first three steps, it’s time to get to the fun part – execution. Let’s face it, even the best-laid plans for the most innovative ideas are absolutely useless without implementation. Still, implementation cannot be haphazard. Strategies must be executed in a somewhat sequential way. Therefore, remember to:
- Prioritise tasks so that you can systematically implement your strategy and put first things first
- Develop a schedule that helps you visually represent your priorities and that will serve as a guide for when certain tasks will be carried out
5. Tweak Things
As you begin to execute your strategy, life will happen. When life happens, even the best-laid plans have to be revised. This step is what will help you to be flexible when you’re presented with changes. As curveballs are thrown your way, it will suit you to do the following:
- Accept what is. Yes, you may have planned for A, however, since B has happened you need to accept that reality and take a closer look at the variables involved
- Look at how the variables have affected your plans or strategies and consider ways these impact can be accounted for as you move forward