Creating a Value Driven Business as a Creative Entrepreneur

How can you create a business that has focus, value to you, and operates with integrity? A value based business is the key to operating under your own rules and will help you decide on the type of projects you decide to take on and the clients you want to deal with.

Many creative entrepreneurs may not think about dealing with a certain type of client when they begin their business but having an idea of the type of projects you are willing or not wiling to do can have a big impact on your business.

I have five values that I believe have helped shape my career over the years and those values are still important in our business to this day. Those values help us determine who we will work with and what projects we take on. The five values that we work with are passion, respect, integrity, dignity, and experience. Looking at them through a basic lens may not offer you much advice on how to run your business, but when you focus on each value individually it creates a powerful business plan that can guide you to success.

We often don’t think of values when developing a business plan or operating our business but if you think of an accountant or other professional that can deal with any type of business they can work with both good and bad people. If you have been watching the Michael Cohen trial in the United States you will see evidence of this situation. Bad choices with a focus on money and covering up of information have now got one very rich lawyer going to jail because he didn’t operate his business based on proper values. Now a creative entrepreneur may not be getting into bad projects at that level but it is still possible to operate your business under handed.

Since the beginning of 2019 I have had two incidents of copyright infringement on my work because other individuals were not operating with a value system and decided that stealing other people’s work instead of developing their own was the quick way to make a buck. Operating with values will stop you from doing things like these people have done and stealing other people’s products.

I have also found that operating based on values allows you to improve your processes and cover any misunderstanding from clients. Many times client projects can go bad if both parties don’t understand project details and the processes for a project. These types of disagreements when looked at rationally often help you clarify project details and understand what you are willing to do or not do for your customers.

So create a value based business and it can help you create a successful business based on your principles eventually helping you achieve success with your personal goals and values. It did for me.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is an artist, author, podcast producer, television host, and speaker. He helps creative entrepreneurs create successful lives and businesses by creating careers using their talents. You can listen to Bruce’s podcast at the www.cashinginoncreativitypodcast.com and you can view videos on his Youtube Channel. You can learn more about Bruce and his work or book him to speak at your next event by visiting www.bruceoutridge.com