Focusing on the Right Services as a Creative Entrepreneur

When you’re building a business as a creative entrepreneur it can be a struggle at times to get business. Even though I believe in having a business plan and planning out how your business will grow I also believe we miss some real opportunities that are right under our nose if we are too focused. Are people asking you for certain services even though they aren’t on your services list? Are you not looking at opportunities for your business because you don’t think it’s what you want for your business? This is common for many entrepreneurs myself included.

When I started my art business my focus was on creating editorial illustration for magazines in the trucking industry. Although there were some opportunities for business the payment was limiting and photos were becoming the main media used. Once I launched my comic book series teaching cartooning became more prevalent and parents would ask me about doing caricatures for parties. The problem is I didn’t do caricatures and comics was the line I was focusing on. As the requests kept coming I began to look into the service of live caricature entertainment. Today one of the main services for our business is live caricature entertainment for weddings and corporate events.

The same thing happened recently in our business with video. I have been doing video for some clients, my television show, and my podcasts but never really thought of it as a specific service. If someone asked me we I would do it, but I never advertised it. The business has been built up through word of mouth and people seeing me online. We are now moving this into one of our core services for the company along with our social media services, writing services, and a host of other projects.

If you listen to the guests on the podcast you will see that similar pattern. Robert Stevens Jr created a sportswear line after his football career ended and is now a novelist gaining much of his experience from his travels as a truck driver across the Country.

Paul Houle is an award winning musician who has created a speaking business based on his talent and message he has created through his career on team building and communication.

Vanessa Greenblatt has a talent for telling if people are trying to pull the wool over someones eyes and created her business as a profile analyst to help corporate clients hire successful candidates. We talk with all of these guests on the Cashing in on Creativity Podcast this month so have a listen.

If you have been struggling with growing your business maybe you need to take a look at what people are asking for as you meet them. We all have the habit of only looking for the business that we added to our business plan but there are a multitude of bi-products and services that you may not be noticing that people are requesting. I have built a business up over a decade and when I look back the services I offer today many are not the services I started with. In fact most of the services I offered in the beginning I don’t even offer in our business today. Listen to the people you talk to and listen to their requests, it may be your next profitable service.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is an artist, author, speaker, and creative entrepreneur helping people have successful careers and businesses. He is the author of five books, hosts two podcast, and co-produces and host the Inspiring Youth Television show on YourTV. You can learn more about Bruce and his work at www.bruceoutridge.com