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Best of both worlds: yes, it is possible to balance passionate creativity and no-nonsense business

Entrepreneur, July, 2003 by Nichole L. Torres

YOU STARTED YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE you were artistic and passionate and you didn't want to be bossed around. But now you realize that, even as an entrepreneur, you have to manage and boss yourself around--while still keeping those creative juices flowing.

Kevin D. Brewer, 31, founder of Creative Visions Integrated Marketing Concepts, knows how hard it can be to balance creativity and business. After 10 years in the media industry, he started his Clermont, Florida, firm in 2001 to produce everything from commercials and promotional videos to TV pilots and product demos.

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Like many right-brained folks, Brewer says creativity comes naturally to him, but his challenge has been learning the business side of things. The marketing, the profit and loss statements and the sales strategies were not as easy for him to pick up.

The key to mastering your business responsibilities is to pinpoint your learning style, says lane Pollak, the author of Soul Proprietor:101 Lessons From a Lifestyle Entrepreneur (The Crossing Press). Figure out what time of day you're most creative and what time you're best at learning. Do you prefer to learn from books or from classroom instruction? Whether you take community college classes or read the latest business book, learning and feeling confident about the business side will create the balance you seek.

Brewer also finds it challenging to balance his creative side with the demands of his business. "It's difficult when I get a business call when I'm in the middle of editing," says Brewer. "You're in the creative process, and it's like an explosion of ideas. When someone calls, you have to leave that."

Setting up a schedule can help in a situation like this, says Pollak If you feel most creative in the afternoon, try to schedule business calls in the morning. Contrary to popular belief, this type of structure can actually breed creativity. Give yourself strict time guidelines, or work toward a specific goal--like entering your artistic product into a show or contest. Says Pollak, "It's having a direction for your business."

Tony Rogers has a clear direction for RJ Studios Inc. in Newtown, Pennsylvania Rogers, 44, and his staff of 20 design toys and medical models to the tune of about $3 million in sales. "I came into this business with a creative arts degree," he says. "I attacked it [by] not looking at [the creative side and business side] as two different things." For instance, he treats his marketing duties with as much dedication and attention to detail as he does his model-making. "You have to put the same drive and creativity into everything as you. [do] into your artwork."

It's Who You Know

TALK ABOUT YOUR FIRM ATALLTIMES, AND YOU MIGHT REACH THE EARS (OR HEAD) OF A FAMOUS CLIENT.

"YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKing to or who they know," explains Genevieve Piturro, co-founder and president of Bella Luna Creations Inc., a women s hat and accessories manufacturer in New York City. Piturro, 42, and co-founder Alice Pagano, 49, a designer, managed to get one of their hats onto the head of Grammy-winning recording artist Alicia Keys.

Promoting their firm at all times is the pair's philosophy. In fact, they like to wear their hats and strike up conversations with people about their pieces--a tactic that led to the Keys connection. When Pagano shared a floor with other artists and designers, she was talking to someone in the hall one day--someone who happened to be friends with Keys. "I took the opportunity to make freebies and gifts," says Piturro. "We made three hats and delivered them to [Keys'] friend. When he came back from her tour, he said she loved them--especially the black one with the Swarovski trim."

The proof was in the photo that InStyle magazine published in its February 2003 issue of Keys wearing the black fedora during a performance. Though Piturro and Pagano hadn't pitched InStyle, and actually weren't aware of the photo until a friend pointed it out, now, says Piturro, "We're telling everybody--because we couldn't tell anybody that we made hats for her until we knew she was wearing them." Today, they get the word out via press releases and include the photo of Keys wearing their hat--a move they hope will grow their yearly sales beyond the current $200,000 mark. --N.L.T.

Make It Snappy

LEARN THE VALUABLE ART OF THE ONE-PAGE PITCH.

WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING your 45-page pitch read by an investor? Not very, considering he probably has a hundred pitches just like it on his desk already, says Patrick G. Riley, author of The One-Page Proposal (ReganBooks). Investors may not want to tackle a lengthy proposal, but, says Riley, "The person [can] read [the one-page proposal] on the spot--anybody can read for two and a half minutes."

The key to making a good one-page pitch is focusing ideas into a single vision. What do you want the pitch to accomplish? Be clear in asking for an action. Do you want to get new investors? Get people to write about your business? Entice a potential client to choose your service? Though your business is the same, you'll need to punch up different angles with different audiences, and write in the third-person voice. Venture fund executives want to know how your firm fits their needs, so research the VC's background before writing a pitch. Remember, investors want to see how you can improve their bottom line.

Business Services Industry

Best of both worlds: yes, it is possible to balance passionate creativity and no-nonsense business

Entrepreneur, July, 2003 by Nichole L. Torres

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