As creatives, we never seem to be short of ideas and things that we want to try. Unfortunately, though, this can often mean that we rush into things too quickly and get caught up in the excitement, only to wonder what in the world we were thinking a little later on. I’ve been there too. I started my first Etsy shop in 2010 and literally just created things I loved and put them online. My shop had everything, from jewellery to leather bags, artwork, scarves, fashion and printed fabric. I sat and waited for the sales to come in, but they didn’t. It was so disappointing to not have any sales and sit wondering what I’d done wrong. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, so I thought I’d give you the benefit of my initial failure and hopefully get you started on the right foot

Google processes over 40,000 searches every second, which is 3.5 billion searches a day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide.

My guess is that you can’t go very long without asking Google for an answer. Well guess what, neither can your clients. They are searching for your business right now, but the real question is, can they find you?  

If you have ever tried to search for your business by what you do, e.g. wedding photographer or what you want to be known for, e.g. natural light wedding photographer Boston, Massachusetts, and have been disappointed as to where your business ranks on the Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP), then you are probably in the market to hire an SEO consultant.

SEO consultants research and analyze the trends and best practices online to develop a strategy to improve search engine rankings.

As promised, February’s income report coming at you! Inside we’ll chat about what you don’t see (this may have something to do with our new Burrito method), our Facebook Ads experiment and a little #TeamTCC update.

Normally I’d tell you to grab a cup of coffee, but I feel like this one deserves a bag of chips and some fresh guac. Enjoy!

Do you dream of having your own shop? Do you have visions of customers oohing and aahing over your latest creations while sipping a cup of tea or free-trade coffee? There are several options for showcasing your product-based business, from a rented committed storefront, to fairs and festivals, to a booth in a co-op or antique mall.

As a bookshop owner who has pivoted through a few of these business models, let me share some pros and cons and lessons learned along the way.  

One of the most exciting milestones for any solopreneur is getting to the point where they’re ready to quit your 9 to 5 job… and work as a full-time home-based business owner. The mistake that many solopreneurs make? Quitting their 9 to 5 jobs without a strategic plan in place for doing it in the most effective way possible.

Here’s the thing: if you give your two weeks’ notice and start working from home full-time without a strategic plan in place, you’re going to run into problems.

There comes a point in every entrepreneur’s life when they realize they need a little bit of help. Or a lot a bit of help (yes, “a lot a bit” is a thing, thank you). Most of the time when someone finally admits this to themselves or out loud on social media, they don’t know where to start — they just know they’re overwhelmed. Now, I’ll say this and leave it here — there are many different types of virtual assistants and it can get cray-cray sorting through them all, but by knowing your business, you’ll be able to wade through the different types easier. But today we’re focusing on what to do before you decide to hire someone.

When you own your own business, you don't have the luxury of filling out a quick form and handing it into your boss for reimbursement. You are the boss. And there are a lot more things that all of us entrepreneurs need to take into account when filing taxes for our small business. One of the major things that gets forgotten or not taken advantage of is deductions. Today, the amazing Amy Northard, the Accountant for Creatives, is filling us in about deductions!

There are so many deductions available to small businesses that it’s easy to overlook some of them. While you’re working on your taxes, keep these deductions in mind so you don’t miss out and overpay.

We all know that it can be difficult to work for yourself and that stress and burnout are real concerns. As an entrepreneur, you often have to deal with unusual working hours, time pressures, risk of failure constantly looming, irregular money coming in, and limited social interaction.

The number of new small business owners and entrepreneurs is rising every day, and prioritizing your self care is an integral part of success. Self care is any activity that you do voluntarily which helps you maintain your physical, mental or emotional health. It can help you feel healthy, relaxed and ready to take on your work and responsibilities. Sounds like something we all need, right? But I wonder how many of you are engaging in enough self care to balance out the incredible stress that comes from running your own business.