How To Be Business Like Without Losing Your Creative Flair
You’re offered some choices; half a day ring-fenced to work on a new crafting venture or the same time to work on your business accounts; a day at a crafting event or art gallery to be freshly inspired in your own creativity or a day catching up with admin. Most of us would choose the first option. However, as owners of crafting businesses, there are many management tasks which need to be kept in order and finding an approach to this which works for each of us will save time and trouble in the longer term.
We are each wonderful and completely unique; no other person in the world has your special blend of talent, personality, character traits, strengths and way of seeing things. Each of our brains and bodies work differently so while there is good general advice we can give to help with the running of the business side of your venture, why not think through what your own challenges are in this area and how best to meet them? For example, some of us are early birds and some are night owls; acknowledging this will help set the rhythm of our days. Some of us thrive off order and routines while for some these are anathema. Some concentrate best with music playing in the background and bright lights while others prefer complete silence and a calming candle. Taking some time to figure out how we function at our best is worth the investment of time.
Most business owners would cite managing finances as their number one stress. As small business owners ourselves we can only say that we understand, but in our decades of running a successful business have found ways to navigate this. We are living in an especially challenging time economically for which each business owner needs wisdom to navigate. Make sure you have good advisors when mulling over business decisions, those who will challenge you, not just agree with your plans. Take time to weigh up decisions which will have financial implications. Find a good way to chart your budgeting, whether that be spreadsheets or an app; use whatever works best for you. Try to keep some margin in your finances, so that when difficult times come, which they will, you have a little leeway.
Closely associated with this is filling in tax returns. Depending on the size of your business you may be able to afford to pay someone to do this, and if so, you could well be saving money as you receive advice from them. If your budget doesn’t stretch to this, check out the many apps and other resources available online and ask fellow crafters what they use.
Managing staff is a big responsibility and can be a significant cause of stress. Hiring new staff requires wisdom and insight as you try to assess both character and personality as well as the more obvious experience and expertise they would bring. However big or small your team, keeping good communication flowing is the bedrock to a happy, productive team. Try to nurture your staff, making sure you have regular staff meet-ups and letting them know you have an open-door policy if they need to talk over any concerns. Team meetings could involve tea and cake, and a Christmas meal is always good for staff morale. You do not need to have a large budget to make your staff feel valued; the ability to listen and show concern, to be understanding around work hours and family commitments and the occasional thoughtful gesture such as a thank you card or team cakes to celebrate a success will go a long way to good staff relationships.
Most of us do not enjoy the multitude of general admin tasks involved in running a business, but they have to be done and allocate regular time for them, settling down with a warm drink of your choice in an environment which suits you (lighting, music etc.) can all help. We all tend to delay tasks we don’t enjoy or which feel overwhelming, but putting things off in this way increases our stress levels, so it’s better to tackle whatever situation it is as soon as possible. One task which can often seem daunting if you’re establishing a new artistic venture is to find the appropriate artistic venture cover. Artistic venture cover will usually include both public and product liability insurance, which are required by most craft market organisers. They cover you for any claims of damage or injury caused by you, your staff or your products. Even if it is not your fault, the insurance covers the legal costs or compensation. As a family business ourselves we communicate directly with our customers, so pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Sam or Naomi will be here to talk you through artistic venture cover and help you get an admin task ticked off your list!
Other tasks mentioned as stressful are often to do with juggling your many roles as a small business owner; none of them are overwhelming in themselves but which occur periodically such as dealing with customer complaints, keeping up with relevant regulations or managing unexpected change. Looking after your general well-being is probably a large factor in how you cope when curveballs are thrown your way. Try to ensure you make time to exercise as well as eating a nutritious, balanced diet. Ensure you have some good confidantes and advisors, be they family, friends or other crafters with whom you can bounce ideas around, offload concerns and seek advice. None of us have it all together, so don’t be afraid of being honest! And finally, take time to celebrate your wins and nurture your own creativity. You could start by taking some restorative time out this weekend even if it’s only half an hour, or by penning in a coffee with a friend, a day out in the countryside with your family or an afternoon set aside to spend in whatever way restores you best. Enjoy!