Are You A Creative Or A Business Type? You're Probably Both!

This week, I've got innovation and entrepreneurship on the brain. I think it's a blog hangover from last week when I wrote about Jeff Bezos and how he started Amazon in his freaking garage. When I first launched my own business (in a garage of sorts, so we totally have that in common), I wasn't sure where I was headed, I just knew that with my energy and determination, it would be great! I wanted to call the shots. I was the one with the amazing vision and awesome plan, dammit! I decided which projects and clients to take on, which ideas to present. And I decided how to execute those amazing ideas. My vision, my creation, my destiny! "Oh and by the way, I am an artiste. Please don't bother me with your boring business-y stuff! My brain is busy creating."

Yeah, so that's how I operated for while. A long while actually, till reality knocked me over and I finally realized that as busy as I was — as much as I was working my dang bootie off — my bank account (oddly) didn't seem to reflect that. In fact, I had no idea how much money I was making and whether or not I was even profitable. Was I broke... breaking even... breaking the bank... breaking bad...? Who the hell knew?!! I sure didn't. To say that my 'come to Jesus' epiphany was kind of a bummer is an understatement. Holy crap, it was super depressing! So that's the fun recap of my early days as a rookie entrepreneur and the lightbulb moment that led me to change my ways.

Innovation And Entrepreneurship From A "Creative's" Perspective!

I really thought I was solely a creative type working in a creative field — that as long as I was busy and had jobs on the books, the money would follow. The "If you build it, they will come" philosophy. And I did build it, and clients did come. But that didn't mean that enough money followed. So I spent dedicated time and effort learning about the "business-y" side of my business. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong, it was a game changer. I finally realized... accepted... embraced!... the fact that creativity and savvy business acumen are both essential to running a successful business.

As a reformed "right brain only" creative, I didn't just completely alter how I worked. I proselytized. I told everyone I knew about my method for tracking every dollar and cent that came in and went out, probably as if I was the first person to ever discover this. I'm sure I became very tiresome and a royal pain at happy hour. I think my friends who'd already figured out how to properly run a business smiled and said something like "Bless your heart Marley." But the ones who were still struggling with cash flow, like I'd been, turned out to be an eager audience. I figured there must be more entrepreneurs like that out there, so I wrote a book (naturally).

Left Brain, Right Brain? Turns Out, It Takes A Full Brain to Run A Business!

I think lots of small business owners don't start out knowing that they're actually REALLY good at BOTH the left-brain and right-brain stuff. Some people think their specialty is creating. Unique, new, desired is their thing. That was me. Others are attracted to the specific challenges of running a business, managing funds, staff, growth, etc. But they don't think of themselves as creative. The truth is, in order to survive and thrive in the world of small business ownership, you do have to be good at both. This is why innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. You have to be an innovator, at least on some level, in order to differentiate your business from others. And you have to possess the traits of an entrepreneur — risk taker, driven, insightful, flexible, endless energy, need I go on? — to get the job done.

So there you have it: successful entrepreneurs described in a nutshell. Give yourself a pat on the back for being an innovator and a creative! Yeah for you! You've got it goin' on!

So all that dedication to figuring out the "business-y" stuff that I talked about? I can totally help you do the same! Do you want to eliminate frustration and increase cash? Discover 8 simple ideas to get clients, identify the three types of clients and create your sales system. Get Our Top 5 Strategies right here for FREE!

Be Oh So Quotable This Week!

I always say running a business means the work never ends! Ain't that the truth? I bet your to-do list is a mile long! Make sure that the items at the top of your list are the things that relate to being more profitable. Everyone is so proud of being so "busy"...But Are You Making Any Money? Don't be too busy to focus!

Check out the summary of last week's business tips and motivational quotes from my Instagram page which you hopefully got to see in real time! If not, let's make sure we're following each other on Instagram!! So...here is this week's roundup of Instagram images of My Top Business Tips and Motivational Quotes.

Innovation And Entrepreneurship – Tip #1:

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"It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them." – Steve Jobs

Innovation And Entrepreneurship – Tip #2:

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"It's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen." – Scott Belsky

Innovation And Entrepreneurship – Tip #3:

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"There's lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there's only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it's to change the world." – Phil Libin

Innovation And Entrepreneurship – Tip #4:

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"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." – Babe Ruth

Innovation And Entrepreneurship – Tip #5:

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"Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice." – Peter Drucker

Let's talk! I'd love to hear your thoughts on innovation and entrepreneurship!

Do you think of yourself as a left- or right-brain operator? Have you combined both to develop your innovation and entrepreneurship skills? I would LOVE to hear from you! Anyhoo...I publish these business tips and motivational quotes to get you fired up for your work week!

Oh by the way, in case you're looking for something to help with pricing, keep more money in your pocket and take your business to the next level, we've got it right here! And it's FREE!

And, if you want more business tips, get my book, But Are You Making Any Money? or contact me to really take your business to the next level!

xoxo M