Creativity/Business- Face/Off

It’s a question that has plagued business owners for a long time, can creativity and business work together properly? It’s very much the square peg in a round hole scenario, and for creativity to thrive properly, it means not having a strict timetable because it may “hamper” the creativity, but time is money, so where is the line in the sand? The creativity versus business debate needs to be put to rest once and for all.

The Business Side…

It can be extremely testing for someone running a business to deal with a creative type. But the best managers can effectively use their time wisely and apply the pressure without making it feel like pressure. The importance of communication skills in this arena works wonders when it comes to deadlines, and the effectivity of understanding the whole picture is the key to moving the pieces at the right time so they can all align. Metaphors aside, a manager is able to inspire and move creativity along, and this is what should be done to get the project moving at a good pace. The best managers are the ones that can empathize and motivate at the same time. Much like a movie producer has the final say on the product but does not have a handle on the inner creative workings of the project; this is the best way to understand what a good manager does for their workers. The manager has the final say, and it is important to remember this, because anything that you don’t like, you need to be able to guide the creative in the right direction. In essence, you need to know what you want the final product to be before it has even been created! That way, you can do the task of guiding the creative in the directions you need them to.

The Creative Side…

Running a business with a creative streak can appear like a conflict of interests. Understanding when you need to outsource to a contractor or someone who can handle the finances properly is a sign of weakness in some creatives who run their own business. But it’s important to realize when to let go of something, or when you are doing your business some harm. Paintings are never finished, they are just abandoned. And this says a lot about the artistic temperament. If you have this flair, you need to know when to let it go. It is also imperative to actually get a sense of how to run a business. As the 90% of startups that fail are likely down to a lack of preparation, this should ring alarm bells in your mind. Running a shop with a creative angle, such as screen printers or something with design, there is embroidery and screen print shop info online. So those that feel like they may be out of their depth on the business side can get inspiration in how other people have run companies with a creative flair. The fact of the matter is that the line between creativity and business are blurred. Being creative successfully means you need a business head on your shoulders so you can earn a wage, and the best business leaders are creative thinkers. Take from that what you will!

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