Why you need to invest in your creative business
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Investing in your creative business can seem unnecessary, or even scary. After all, as a creative business owner you’re used to doing things on your own, and what if end up wasting money?
In today’s episode we’re diving into why it’s important to sometimes put aside the DIY attitude in order to level up your business.
This season’s experts
Quinn Tempest is a business strategist and coach who helps females founders create more purpose + profit in their business *without* burning out. She’s the founder of Create Your Purpose®, a community of global entrepreneurs dedicated to building impactful businesses with intention. Her professional expertise is in branding and holistic digital marketing strategy and she is a frequent speaker at events and organizations around the country.
Visit Quinn: Website | Instagram
Alisha Robertson is an author, business coach and the founder of Living Over Existing; a podcast, newsletter and community for women entrepreneurs who want to run a successful business without sacrificing the life she desires.
After experiencing severe burnout, Alisha tore down everything she thought she knew about becoming a successful entrepreneur and decided to build a brand that helped women to focus on building their business and life with intention. Through her work, Alisha strives to not only help women entrepreneurs to launch, grow and scale their brands but also help them to prioritize themselves in the process.
Visit Alisha: Website | LOE Collective | LOE Instagram
Jordan Gill, operations consultant and founder of Systems Saved Me, helps overworked one-woman shows become streamlined solopreneurs. Her jam is creating a cohesive operating system for managing your tasks, files and inbox. She’s been on podcasts like What Works and CEO Vibes sharing her love of replacing monthly retainers with one day virtual intensives. She currently lives in Dallas TX with her cavapoo Vivienne and collection of 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles.
Visit Jordan: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Katelyn began her career in marketing and public relations in Nashville, Tennessee. After working in the agency world for six years, she decided to pursue the entrepreneurship route to create more freedom and flexibility in her life. Now, Katelyn works as an Online Business Manager where she helps entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize the backend of their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front. A Georgia grad, she bleeds red and black and is a diehard Georgia football fan, dog mom and outdoor enthusiast.
Visit Katelyn: Website | Instagram
Megan is a Life and Business Coach that specializes in helping online course creators, coaches, and service providers build a scalable, sustainable, and enjoyable business… without sacrificing their personal life!
She does this through her coaching program, Empowered CEO™, and her weekly live show, The Productive Life.
Megan has a Master’s Degree in Organizational and Human Resource Development, corporate Human Resources and Recruiting experience, and has been helping online business owners streamline and systemize their businesses since 2015.
Visit Megan: Website | Empowered CEO |Facebook Group
Transcript
Erin Flynn:
Hey there, Erin here. And today, I want to talk about why investing in our businesses is so important. I know it can be really a struggle sometimes to reinvest back into our businesses because we feel like we’re not making enough money. Today, I wanted to talk to our experts about why it’s important for them to invest back in their business and what ways they’ve invested. So we can get some ideas on what others are doing, what they’re spending their money on and decide if that’s maybe somewhere we should consider spending our money as well. Let’s dive in and hear what they have to say.
Quinn Tempest:
Hi, this is Quinn Tempest. I am the founder of Create Your Purpose and the Create Your Purpose collective, which is a community of female founders. And here’s the question for today? Why is investing in your business important? And in what ways have I invested? Well, to be honest, I didn’t invest in my business or in myself for the longest time. Maybe it’s because I’m super frugal. I’m going to blame my Scottish father on that one. But I just didn’t feel like it was worth it to spend a lot of money on stuff that I didn’t know would produce results. But that changed probably about four years ago. It was when I got fed up, which getting fed up in your business is usually a really good clue that something needs to change. And I got fed up with having nightmare clients. I got fed up with feeling disorganized, with feeling like I was dreading my own business and I just got sick of it. And so I asked myself what would help me the most? And what came up out of some experiences was I needed a system.
I needed a process. I needed a repeatable, scalable step by step guide so that I wasn’t expending so much energy on every single project. And I could assure the quality. Also that process was going to help me screen out bad clients, nightmare clients. I just didn’t want to work with them anymore. I wanted to actually enjoy the people that I work with and to enjoy myself, to be honest as well. The first thing that I invested in was a course. It was a specific course about web design processes. But what I learned in that course taught me so much about systemizing or systematizing. I’m not sure what the word is, my whole life and my whole business. And I even remember how I was the night I ended up buying it. I think it was only the, maybe like five, $600, which now compared to the investments I’ve made more recently, it just sounds like nothing.
But I remember that first big investment. I sat down with my husband and I said, “Should I do this? It’s a lot of money. I’m not sure it’s going to be worth it.” And he immediately said, “Quinn, you’re worth it. So invest in yourself because this is going to help you grow. This is going to help you reach your goals. And honestly, this is going to help you be less stressed.” Which I think he wanted me to be as well. So I bought that course. I remember still pressing the button being a little worried, and that was the first best thing I did on my business. And I started getting more comfortable with the idea of spending money in order to grow or in order to learn something. And since then I made even bigger investments.
I hired a contractor who assists me regularly. So I can send her little tasks here and there that I don’t need to be doing, but I can use the help with. I also invested in a Facebook ad strategist to really help me wrap my brain around how do I reach my target audience with paid ads and how do I not spend a million dollars doing it? And then the best investment I ever made was hiring a community strategist. She ended up helping me create a strategy that has now extended throughout my entire business. Not just the collective that I run, which is the community that came out of our work together. But my entire business. I ended up coming up with a trademark out of our work and renamed my whole company. For me, what I have found is that when I invest in myself and in the growth of my business, that is when my growth accelerates. It goes three, four, five, 10 times what I could have done on my own.
And yes, it’s a lot of money sometimes, or it could even be something little, but it’s important if you want to keep moving forward to not just invest in your business, but to invest in yourself. Because that’s how you grow that’s how you move forward, and that is how you stay sustainable over the long run. If you want to keep talking about this, I am all about it. I’m happy to share a little bit more about my process of deciding who to invest in and what. Feel free to come over to my Instagram. I am @quinn.tempus. You’re going to see lots of colorful photos, feel free to DM me and let’s chat.
Alisha Robertson:
I’m Alisha Robertson and founder of livingoverexisting.com. Where I serve as a business coach who helps women entrepreneurs to launch and create their business with intention. Investing in your business is so incredibly important. Over the past few years, I have invested in coaches. I have invested in courses. I have invested in masterminds and communities. To really helped me to propel my business forward. And these investments have so important for me because it takes money to make money.
Google is free. YouTube is free. Pinterest is free, but there is literally nothing like investing in help that’s going to give you advice that is tailored towards your specific pain point or your specific business. And I was someone who was very scrappy at the beginning of their business, meaning I didn’t spend money on anything until I absolutely needed to. But the problem was I found myself spending hours on Google, trying to find the answers or hours on YouTube, trying to find the answers when that time could have been spent in growing my business. When I hired a marketing coach, when I invested in a community that would help me to grow my business model, or when I bought a course that really taught me how to run the systems and things that I needed in my business. That’s when I started to see real growth, because all that time I was spent, Googling was now spent actually implementing and putting in different systems and taking different steps in my business that would help me to see that continued growth, that would help me to bring in more income.
My biggest takeaway is invest. Of course, do your research. Of course, take your time if you’re unable to financially right now. But even small investments, you can start to see like a lot of forward momentum from. I started off just purchasing like small hundred dollar courses and then kind of worked my way up as I needed them. But there’s really nothing like getting tailored advice from someone who has been where you are and who is where you want to be. And being able to get that advice and being able to get those strategies and implement that into your business instead of spending all your time searching for it online. So that’s my biggest takeaway for you. It takes money to make money, so you can’t be afraid to put it out there. All right, you guys, I am Alisha Robertson. I would love to chat with you more. You can follow me over @thealicianicole, over on Instagram.
Jordan Gill:
Hi, I’m Jordan Gill of System Saved Me. So for me, investing is muy importante, very important because it really comes down to finding ways… I find most opportunities or most decisions are very cyclical and the more that I invest, the more other people invest in me. And so I’ve kept that kind of mindset in deciding if I should all in on something or if I should say no to that opportunity. It really comes down to if it’s something that I need or think is going to help me with my business goals and I’m not really going to question it. If it’s a $20 book, I’m not going to question it, I’m just going to buy it. Because it then allows for way less time to be spent on a decision fatigue when it doesn’t really need to be. I encourage you to really look at investing in your business differently than just, oh, it’s money going out.
And if you think that way, then it’s going to be a very long road in your business. But I think that in general, most people make mistakes or regret investment decisions because they aren’t all in on their decisions. It’s important that you look into that. And in what ways I’ve invested have been team and it’s been a lot of VIP days, honestly. It’s been trainings for myself and my team. It’s been in courses or programs to learn or to connect with other like-minded business owners. Again, there’s no shortage of ways that I have invested by any means. And I think the more that we stop investing, then the less people are going to invest in us. That’s something that I truly believe at the core of my being. And I encourage you to continue to invest. And if you want to connect or chit chat, or you can go to our website systemsavedme.com or go on Instagram to DM me @systemsavedme.
Katelyn Hamilton:
Hi, this is Katelyn Hamilton. And I’m an OBM and marketing strategist. Investing in your business is so important. I truly believe that as you invest in yourself and your business, you grow exponentially. Whether you grow in knowledge or you grow in your ability to be able to serve more people. Hands down always been something that has worked out for me. And I know it’s worked out for all of my clients as well. I’ve invested in a business coach as well as a mentor, as well as courses. I’ve also invested in a team. I have a team of five that are niched in different things that I need support around in my business. So for example, I have a more of a social media focused virtual assistant, a virtual assistant that supports me in my client work as well as a publicity manager and a project manager as well.
So I think if you look at where you need support in your business, investing is one of those ways and support to do that because they’re hands down going to be able to allow you to do more or create more space for yourself. I mean, you can’t leave that out and think that that’s not worthy of hiring support. If it gives you the time to be creative and maybe it’s more time to be with your children or your husband, so that you’re not hustling. I mean, we all started businesses to create a little bit more flexibility in our lives, and you’re not meant to be working 24/7. So can look different in so many ways in terms of what it gives you back. And you have to figure out what that means to you, why did you start a business and what are you looking for?
Because that… Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in, oh, well, if I just work more, I just have this client, or I just do this. I’ll make more money. And it’s not always about that. Or I should be further along by now. You kind of have to put in perspective, okay, this is why I started a business and these are my priorities and hiring support was going to allow me to do that in XYZ way. Same with investing in a coach, for me, that coaches somebody to help you see those blind spots that you don’t see and to help guide you into that next level version of you and next level of success, because they’ve been there, they’ve done it and they can give you the tools and the mindset support to help get you there. And that’s what I love about having a coach. Is it’s really just somebody else that you can bounce ideas off of pic, can pick their brain.
They can give you the guidance needed to kind of get where you want to be or tell you, “Hey, like, I don’t know if that’s the best option too.” Right? They challenge you. And it’s just amazing what can come from that. I mean, I’ve grown my business exponentially just by hiring support. I scaled over 30%, year over year for the last three years, in terms of growth, by hiring support, through coaching and a team in my business. You don’t have to do it all at once. You can do it slowly, but I do still believe that support is critical to the longevity of your success. If you want to stay connected with me, you can follow me on Instagram @katelynehamilton, or go to my website, www.katelynehamilton.com.
Megan Minns:
Hey, this is Megan from meganminns.com. And I am a life and business coach for online business owners. And I specialize in helping them run their business in a way that is scalable, sustainable, and enjoyable. And when it comes to investing in your business, it is absolutely one of the biggest game-changers you can do. Because I have found this very interesting trend, both in my life and in the lives of my clients and friends. That as soon as you make an investment in your business, especially one that feels scary, which those are the hardest to make, right? But especially when you make one that feels scary, those are when you have an instant uplevel. And if you don’t know what I mean by that, I’ll try my best to explain it. But there is this higher level commitment that happens when you are making an investment, especially one that feels like a big investment to you at the time. That as soon as you actually put your dollars, like where it is, you actually make the investment.
You are making a commitment to yourself that you’re going to follow through on those dreams. You’re actually going to do the thing you’ve been wanting to do. You’re going to show up in the bigger way you’re going to make those dreams happen. You’re going to do the thing and you actually put money towards it and invest in your business and do it. You are making that commitment, so tangible and so real that it instantly helps you start showing up as that next level version of you. You have this instant up level where you’re like, we’re doing the thing. I’m not going to back down. I’m not going to chicken out. I’m going to take advantage of these resources. I’m going to follow through on why I’m investing. I’m going to get this result that I want. And it can be so powerful. Even for the people who are the most scared before an investment.
Even for me, when I’m freaking out before I make an investment. As soon as I do it, I feel so powerful and inspired and excited and I know this thing’s going to happen. We’re going to do this thing. And it’s really, really exciting. Of course, there are so many other practical reasons why investing in your business is important. But I have found that the biggest unexpected benefit is that instant uplevel that happens internally, that can truly change everything. Because what you learn and the resources you get, all of those practical things are very, very beneficial, don’t get me wrong. But nothing is as impactful to your overall success as your mindset and your approach to what you were working on. For me, I am investing at this stage in my business in coaches and high level expensive group coaching programs. That allows me to get the biggest bang for my buck.
The highest level of attention I can from the mentors I’m looking for, build a really meaningful relationships with entrepreneurs. I want to have relationships with. And I just personally love being in groups coaching programs since I run a group coaching program. Being able to be a part of masterminds and group experiences helps me be better at running those. Helps me see, other ways people do things, get really exciting ideas. And so in a meadow way, and also helps me run a better program by being in other programs. And then besides investing in coaching and coaching programs, I also spend our largest investment on my team. Paying my team, increasing their hours, hiring new team members. It’s absolutely my other big investment and it is game-changing, life-changing, every dollar is worth it. And an area that I’m continuing to increase my investment in as I go forward, because we are growing a big business over here.
And so I’m excited to see that investment grow and being able to pay other people and know that you’re providing for other families is so incredibly meaningful and powerful. Wherever you’re at in your business. If you’re debating making an investment, if you’re afraid to hire your first VA or that coach or join that program, I would love to encourage you to consider the benefits of investing in your business. Even if it doesn’t feel like that ultimate investment, any investment will still help you start to see that momentum and that internal shift. I think it’s worth every single dollar. And hopefully this is helpful. I would love to connect with you on Instagram. My handle is @megan_minns, and I will see you over there.
Erin Flynn:
Hey, it’s Erin again. And today’s episode was so interesting to me. And not every investment that somebody else makes in their business is going to be a good choice for you or for me. But I loved hearing about why it worked and how it was a good investment for our experts. And I hope it’s gotten the wheels turning for you on why investing in your business, even if none of these investments are the right choice for you. But why investing back into your business can help you grow and can help you see the kinds of results that you want from your business. But now we want to hear from you. So find us @successfullysimple on Instagram and let us know why investing into your business is important and what ways have really worked for you. Can’t wait to hear your expert opinion and I will see you on Instagram.
Thank you so much for tuning in. Now, any links mentioned in this episode will be included in the show notes at outofofficeentrepreneur.com. Find us at @successfullysimple on Instagram and tell us what you think on this topic. And if you really love this episode, please take two minutes to leave us a review. It really helps us out and it helps others find the show. Thank you so much and we’ll see you in the next episode.
