Let’s face it. Your parents will never understand what you do for a living. And sometimes even your friends will give a blank stare as you explain the ins and outs of your day-to-day work.
This is the plight of the creative entrepreneur, a talented thinker that combines business acumen with creativity and aesthetic. Whether self-employed or working in a specific industry, creative entrepreneurs use both the left and right sides of their brain to generate revenue. They’re not hobbyists… they’re innovators that make ideas happen.
In this article I will highlight 6 of the most common types of creative entrepreneurs, how they generate revenue, and what skills they possess to succeed in this increasingly competitive market.
The Freelancer trades their specific skills for an hourly rate or on a per project basis. They have become an expert in a creative field. This includes a variety of jobs like graphic design, web design, copywriting, photography, video production, social media management, public relations, and illustration. They find clients both online and in real life and offer solutions to help grow other people’s businesses and non-profits. The key to their success is honing an expertise and promoting their skillset to businesses that can afford their premium rates.
The Educator (Also known as The Thought Leader) uses information to teach their followers something specific. This can be a new skill like cooking a unique dish or a tutorial on how to grow an aspect of their business. They use the combination of blog posts, podcasts, and videos giving away free content to build interest, authority, and trust. After building a strong relationship with their audience they sell ebooks, courses, and workshops to generate revenue.
The key to their success is giving away great content to build a genuine relationship with a large group of followers.
The Coach has a magnetic personality and finds and amplifies the potential of others. They meet with clients via Skype or in-person to give inspiration and motivation. They also serve as accountability partners for their clients, providing the necessary tools to break through plateaus in personal growth.
The key to their success is empowering their clients to build their businesses.
The Retailer is known for their innate ability to find and sell merchandise that other people or companies make. They make their money by finding the balance between buying products and selling them to customers. They collect and arrange products that are cohesive and consistent with their brand’s personality.
The key to their success is their keen business saavy and ability to define and promote to a target market.
The Artist-Maker creates tangible goods that they sell to their audience. These tangible goods can take many forms: housewares, clothing, jewelry, greeting cards, candles, paintings, or perfume. They make money by wholesaling their goods to retailers or selling directly to an audience of followers.
The key to their success is creating a product that appeals to a specific target market.
The Entertainer may use a variety of media: podcasts, youTube videos, web series, music, theater, or performance. The unifying factor is that they produce engaging content that captivates their audience. They generate revenue from direct sales from tickets and live performances or some variation of advertising and promotional items.
The key to their success is building a sustainable audience of true fans that can support them financially.
