I'm Val! Coach for creatives
like you who are ready to be healthier, happier and more empowered women who love the business you run, the people you serve and the life you live!
How to Know it’s Time to Uplevel your Creative Biz
At the start of the new year you probably dreamed some big dreams and set some exciting goals. You’re ready to uplevel and grow this biz dream of yours. Maybe you’re booking out months in advance, so you think it’s time to uplevel. Maybe you’re not booking quiiiiite ideal clients or you have big financial goals that require a bigger paycheck. Maybe you’re ready to take the next step in your business, but you’re not quite sure what that next step is. Regardless of where you’re at, if you’re thinking of upleveling, it’s essential to start at the foundation so you build it the right way.
So before we get to figuring out if it’s time to uplevel, we’ve got to define what success means for you and your business.
So tell me friend, do you feel like you should be ready to uplevel because of that “successful creative biz” you follow (read: stalk) on Instagram? Or do you think it’s time because you personally, your life, and your business are truly ready for the next thing?
Your definition of success will determine how you should uplevel. My friend, Jenn, shared all about defining your success and I love how she challenges us to workshop through this idea. To start, write down where you see yourself in 10, 20, and 50 years. Take some time to get down to the details: who are you with, how do you feel, what do you see and hear? The more detailed you get, the more motivated you will become. Next, decide what you should be doing now to take steps toward that vision. The decisions you make now will affect where you end up! To finish working through this with Jenn, hop over to her post.
Now that you have a clearer vision of what success looks like for you, you can decide if you’re actually ready to uplevel.
Let’s chat about our fictitious friend Nora to get a look at the different scenarios you might find yourself in. Nora is a photographer who books up a year in advance. She feels like she’s ready to uplevel and there are a few different ways she can do that.
Scenario One: She’s happy with the way things are. She’s always booked, never needs to be stressed about finding more clients or paying her bills. She is happy with the amount of work she is doing and has a great balance with her home life. In this scenario, she shouldn’t actually uplevel. The pressure she’s feeling to uplevel is coming from outside pressures, not from her business goals. Right now her business is perfectly balanced with her personal life and is serving her well. She should take some time to think about her goals and remember that it’s okay to stay the course if you are happy with where you’re at!
Scenario Two: She’s happy with the amount she’s working but she would like to make more income in order to squash her student loans. She doesn’t mind having more demand than she has time for, it allows her to be a little pickier about who she works with. This leads to a better client experience because she only works with people she aligns well with. In this situation, it might be time to uplevel by raising her prices. This will allow her to make more money without increasing the hours she works each week. It might turn a few potential customers away, but she has a long waiting list.
Scenario Three: Nora doesn’t like turning people away and she wants to increase her income, but doesn’t want to work more hours. Actually, she really wants to work less hours in order to have more time with her family. She likes the idea of managing a team and would like to start outsourcing some of the day-to-day work. In this case, it’s probably time to uplevel by building an associate team and/or bringing on a VA. Her days may look a bit different, but she’s okay with spending less time photographing and more time leading a team.
As you can see, upleveling can look totally different in the same business depending on what you want your life to look like and the long term goals you’re working toward. In the world of entrepreneurship, there is so much perceived pressure to be continually increasing and upleveling, so it’s easy to *think* you want “more” when in all actuality, you might not actually want “that life.”
Every time I have this conversation I think of that scene in the old Spider Man movies where Uncle Ben says to Peter, “With great power comes great responsibility.” We may not be superheroes, but I think the idea relates SO well and it’s not a new concept either. Luke 12:48 in the Bible says “To whom much is given, much is expected” and I think we would do well to let this idea permeate our business strategy. Before we set our sights on the next industry growth trend, we need to assess our life goals and if we’re ready to take on the responsibility that comes with that growth.
So before you jump into upleveling your business, I’d encourage you to ask yourself these questions:
Your Quick Win:
Define what success looks like in your life and let that influence whether it’s time to uplevel.
I'm Val! Coach for creatives
like you who are ready to be healthier, happier and more empowered women who love the business you run, the people you serve and the life you live!
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