Creative Business Lessons Learned in My First Year

Here are a few thoughts and lessons I’ve learned this year.

 

I once read that it takes two years to know whether a creative business will be successful. For me, year one has meant laying the groundwork to enable me to run an efficient business in year two. Lots of time and energy has been spent researching and experimenting with different bookkeeping systems, web hosting platforms, marketing strategies, booth designs, pricing systems—you name it. This may have taken up a lot of my time this year, but it will save me time and money in the long run.

I’m very goal oriented, and often this means I’m so focused on what’s next that I don’t stop be be grateful for what has already been accomplished. I think psychologically it is important to feel like you’re moving forward, and a great way to do this is to take time recognize the minor accomplishments. They may not seem like much on their own, but together they equal big ground gained.

I know it’s easier said than done, but burnout is a business killer. I had to learn this lesson the hard way—there was a period last spring where I got really sick from overwork and it forced me to slow down because I literally could not get out of bed. This was back in April when my loving husband worked the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash without me. I was so disappointed to miss the event, and I felt like I was missing so many opportunities since I could not be there to sell in person. It was a tough lesson to learn, but a necessary one. Since then, I’ve had to be fiercely protective of my time, and I do my best to work in breaks where I can. It is still a huge struggle, though, and is sure to remain on my list of 2017 goals.