There are tons of books out there about how to grow your business. Most talk about how you have to transition your business from start-up to small-business to growth to maturity. Almost all say that you should take your business as far along the evolutionary chain as it can go. In general, it is a good idea. However, for creative businesses, the decision should not necessarily be automatic.
How you as an artist relate to you as a business owner is the key question. If you are fueled by having your finger on the pulse of everything that is happening and being in "control" of it all, then you might find it very difficult to diversify and expand beyond your core business. If, on the other hand, you are very happy to be the "right" brain of the enterprise, you might find it surprisingly easy to cede responsibility and authority to others, leaving yourself the final say. The key is to be honest with yourself as to which one you are. You can work hard to adopt the qualities of the other that are not your strong suit, but, at the end of the day, you will still be you.
Entrepreneurships can be very large and successful businesses and provide well for you and your employees. To move beyond it requires a corporate structure that might require too radical of a change for you. I would so much rather see a business do what it does well than risk itself on becoming something other. This is not to say that there will not be growth -- there will -- it will just likely be limited to expansion of the core business and existing client base. No shame in that if you are happy with the art you get to create.
Comments