The Creative Entrepreneur

Calling all you artists, crafters, makers and designers - you have a gift! You know what makes a great product. Now you need to turn your vision into money. The Creative Entrepreneur is the ultimate guide to building a successful creative business on your terms. It takes you step by step through the process, from the seeds of your idea, giving you the encouragement and confidence to take action and steadily grow your business with intention. It's easier than ever to start your own business, but entrepreneurs - especially creatives - can feel overwhelmed and unsure of the right steps to move their business forward. The Creative Entrepreneur sets you on the right path, taking the stress out of business planning, and offering actionable, straightforward advice that you can refer back to again and again.

The Creative Entrepreneur was voted Winner, in two categories—Craft and Business, of the 2009 IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) Benjamin Franklin Award which recognizes excellence in publishing. This book is for the large audience of artists, crafters, and creative individuals from all walks of life who desire to make a livelihood from their creative work, or who possibly have achieved some success, but don’t know how to replicate it or move to another level of accomplishment. These crafty DIY artists are everywhere--they are holding alternative craft fairs, they advertise in the pages of Bust and ReadyMade and Craft, they are selling online by the thousands at Etsy.com, and are blogging at Typepad, LiveJournal, and Whipup.com. But many of them do not have the skills needed to take their business ideas to the next level. The Creative Entrepreneur takes readers on an inner journey of creative exploration to discover how to make their dreams of creative livelihood real, as they craft their own Artist’s Business Journal. The Artist’s Business Journal is a visual, project-oriented, step-by-step approach to business development for artists from all walks of life who are mystified and possibly frustrated by how to make a business out of their creative work.

A deeply researched warning about how the digital economy threatens artists' lives and work—the music, writing, and visual art that sustain our souls and societies—from an award-winning essayist and critic There are two stories you hear about earning a living as an artist in the digital age. One comes from Silicon Valley. There's never been a better time to be an artist, it goes. If you've got a laptop, you've got a recording studio. If you've got an iPhone, you've got a movie camera. And if production is cheap, distribution is free: it's called the Internet. Everyone's an artist; just tap your creativity and put your stuff out there. The other comes from artists themselves. Sure, it goes, you can put your stuff out there, but who's going to pay you for it? Everyone is not an artist. Making art takes years of dedication, and that requires a means of support. If things don't change, a lot of art will cease to be sustainable. So which account is true? Since people are still making a living as artists today, how are they managing to do it? William Deresiewicz, a leading critic of the arts and of contemporary culture, set out to answer those questions. Based on interviews with artists of all kinds, The Death of the Artist argues that we are in the midst of an epochal transformation. If artists were artisans in the Renaissance, bohemians in the nineteenth century, and professionals in the twentieth, a new paradigm is emerging in the digital age, one that is changing our fundamental ideas about the nature of art and the role of the artist in society.

From the creator of Make It, one of Canada's largest and most successful craft fairs, comes the how-to book to help entrepreneurs turn big ideas into reality. Make It Happen is packed with hard-won insight and inspiration from Jenna Herbut, the founder of Make It. Referring to lessons learned over the course of her entrepreneurial journey, Jenna shares case studies and hot tips from creative, courageous entrepreneurs who also realized their dreams by overcoming fear and resistance. Learn how to make your own dreams come true with invaluable "Make It Real" exercises to help you practice and apply new techniques, skills, and ideas to make it happen. Discover how to: - Tap into your unique passion and let it shine - Think and act to make it happen - Figure out what to do when it's just not happening By the end of Make It Happen you'll be well on your way to becoming part of a breed of brave risk-takers who are willing to put it all on the line to make their vision a reality.

Grow a Profitable and Lasting Business on Your Terms If you’ve started a business, you know that the journey toward success can be both invigorating and confusing, so where can you find advice that is practical and focused but still as playful and passionate as you are? Look no further than this book, which combines solid business expertise with a right-brain perspective that inspires creativity and innovation. Jennifer Lee’s fresh, empowering approach emphasizes taking action and continually improving to achieve extraordinary long-term results. Building Your Business the Right-Brain Way offers real-world-tested techniques that can benefit all sorts of businesses, whether you’re a sole proprietor running a coaching practice, a crafter looking to license products, a wellness professional with a team of employees, or any creative soul making a meaningful difference with your work. You’ll discover how to: • assess your business’s unique “ecosystem” • build your brand and attract, engage, and keep ideal customers • develop new income streams that better leverage your time and resources • promote your products and services with authenticity and ease • grow your team (virtual and in-person) and manage staff and vendors • establish infrastructure and procedures to keep operations running smoothly • carve out vital white space to pause, reflect, and celebrate Includes play sheets and color illustrations to inspire action and propel your success

A practical guide to help introverts harness their natural gifts and entrepreneurial spirit Think you have to be loud and brash to be successful in business? Think again. The strengths and traits of the typical introvert lend themselves well to entrepreneurship, as well as “intrapreneurship” and a range of business roles. In The Introvert Entrepreneur, professional coach Beth Buelow shows readers how to harness their natural gifts (including curiosity, independence, and a love of research) and counteract their challenges (such as an aversion to networking and self-promotion). She addresses a wide range of topics --from managing fears and expectations and developing a growth mindset to networking, marketing, leadership skills, and community-building--informed by interviews with introverts who have created successful businesses without compromising their core personality. Filled with fresh insights and actionable advice, this essential guide will support anyone who’s striving to make a difference in a loud and chaotic world.

Become a millionaire by learning from millionaires An Eventual Millionaire is someone who knows they will be a millionaire, eventually. But they want to do it on their own terms—with an enjoyable life and an enjoyable business. Eventual Millionaires are everywhere, from the airplane pilot looking to start his own business for more freedom and money to a student looking to start her life on the right foot to a successful business owner needing inspiration and wondering how to take her business to the next level. There are many ways to become a millionaire, but research has often shown that creating your own business is one of the best ways to build wealth. The Eventual Millionaire will lay the foundation for those looking to start their own business and work their way toward financial independence and a fulfilled life. Contains the insights of more than 100 millionaires and their various experiences Written by Jaime Tardy, founder of eventualmillionaire.com and a business coach for entrepreneurs A companion website includes an "Eventual Millionaire Starter Kit" with worksheets, business plan documents, and much more We all want to be successful and enjoy financial security, but we might not know how or don’t think we can do it. The Eventual Millionaire will show you what it takes.