ASLU 108: Tools To Help Grow Your Creative Business

overhead view of a fashion designer's desk with sketches, tape measure, fabric and colour swatches and a laptop. There is a small text overlay box in pink with white text that says "the business of creating - tools for your creative business"

Editor’s Note: Some links in this article may be affiliate links. Full disclosure is located at the end of the article.

This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

In this week's episode, Melissa looks at some of the must have tools that will help grow your creative business - and a few that you don't need to worry about when you're in the early stages of your business.

After selling my last business and starting again from almost scratch, I had a pretty good idea of which tools I absolutely had to have - even in the early days of a new business when money is tight. I also took the question to the women in my mastermind group and they share a few more. And we talked about a few of the things that were a waste of time in those early days. I hope you'll find this helpful!

This Episode Is For…

This is a great episode for creatives who:

  • are in the early stages of their business

  • have a hobby they'd like to turn into a side business

  • have a side business they want to take full time

  • have no idea what they really need and what would be a "nice to have"

  • don't know which tools really turn the growth levers

If you just want the links to the resources mentioned in this episode, scroll down to the bottom.

Listen To the Episode

Here’s a link to this week’s episode. You can also listen via the player below or on your favourite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and more). Just search for And She Looked Up!

in this episode we discuss:

  • different tools that can help you ramp your creative business up - especially if you are in the early stages of your business like:

    • an email marketing list and some of the free tools that can help you with that

    • graphic design tools like Canva

    • a social media platform that you can focus on (you don’t have to do them all - just pick one you like)

    • get a good web host!

    • an SEO class! SEO is the biggest building block for online business

    • a stock photo or music resource

    • a good product photographer or a course on product photography so you can improve your photos

    • Video Leap App

    • a bookkeeper

    • coaching or continuing education - these can fast forward your business big time!

    • a mastermind group

  • some important and surprising stats regarding email

  • the importance of protecting your social media accounts with 2 factor authentication

  • tips for getting people to sign up for your email list at markets and on Etsy

  • some of the things you don’t need in your first year of business

    • a professionally designed logo and branding package

    • social media schedulers

Mentioned In This Episode:

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Podcast EpisodeMelissa HartfielS3, creative enterpreneurshp, creative mindset, business mindset, closing your businessComment