Scheduling in the tasks you want to accomplish over a 12-month period can be a daunting task. But it’s essential to plan if you want your creative business to succeed.
Beatrice Mayfield, Maker Development Manager at The Crafts Council and Textile designer Zeena Shah from Heart Zeena offer ten pieces of advice on how maker/designers should approach their year.
1. Schedule your business year
The ingredients for a successful plan will be similar for most designer-makers. These should include:
- your overall goals for the year
- dates for shows you want to exhibit
- deadline for applications
- research and design
- marketing, pr and networking.
Printed Textile designer Zeena Shah has been trading for nearly two years and plans her year around her collections.
"There was no rest for us over the holidays."
"In January we take stock over what we’ve sold over Christmas. This year we did a trade show in January too, so there was no rest for us over the holidays.
"The next collection is scheduled for June. The making for that takes place throughout February, so that the publicity images can be taken by the end of March.
"The summer months are all about making and stockpiling for Christmas.
"Then, in September, I contact stockists who may be interested in the Christmas range. Then it’s various markets and fairs until the end of the year.’
2. Value your research
Good research creates opportunities, so make time to understand the benefits of different research.
Beatrice Mayfield works with and advises crafts people across the UK,
"When it comes to shows, there are so many, it’s tempting to say yes to all of them. But you should only apply for ones that are suitable for your product, which you’ll only know by visiting them.
"Cash flow also presents implications. For fairs you need to pay fees up front and you won’t receive any money until you make sales on the day.
"Similarly cash flow is important when it comes to the stock you make. Some crafts have high outlay costs (like buying precious metals) and if you choose to stock in galleries, you may be waiting 30 days before any payment comes through."
3. Understand your timelines
Being aware of timelines is incredibly important.
If your product is being manufactured (i.e. being woven at a mill), remember they will have other clients and you don’t want to end up with a schedule that doesn’t match yours.
Being aware of timelines is incredibly important. Depending on your product, you need to know what time of year buyers make their decisions and whether there are events specific to your discipline or geographic location.
For example, being part of London Jewellery Week (June) Galavize (March-April) or the Oxford Ceramic Fair (October) will expose your work to people genuinely interested in buying from you.
4. Learn to juggle your workload
Maker-designers often have a main discipline and several smaller strands. Each of these needs to be managed properly.
Beatrice explains, "There may be months where you’re spending lots of money and not making any. Times when you are juggling too many tasks and other periods that are quiet. If you don’t foresee the implications that may arise, you will get into trouble.
"Eventually you will get into a rhythm that works for you. Don’t worry if it takes a bit of time. Just keep your business plan live so that you can adapt it when necessary."
5. Observe and record
Throughout the year, record your sales, your activities and your observations:
- what colours and materials sell?
- what kind of people visit particular fairs?
- how much stock do you need to take?
- when are your quiet and busy periods?
- what has worked well and what hasn’t?
This helps you focus. Zeena confesses, "I have a huge wall chart in the office and I also have a calendar at home, on my computer and phone that all sync up so I can keep regular track of my progress."
"I have a huge wall chart in the office, a calendar at home, on my computer and phone."
Sales are especially important. Beatrice suggests, ‘If you find yourself spending a long time making ten products that are low value, but you’re more likely to sell one at a higher value, it could be time to change your tactics and concentrate on these bigger pieces of work."
6. Get help and delegate tasks
There are always some tasks that can be delegated to other people. Doing so allows you to get on with other parts of the business.
Some makers outsource a portion of the making, while others get help at certain times of the year. Zeena reveals, "I have a couple of helpers and interns, though long term I would like to get a member of staff. At the moment I am happy to train up people to do the printing."
7. Identify where you need training
As your practice develops, you’ll start to identify barriers, things that may not be going as well as you expected.
Most designer-makers are sole traders, and there’s no one encouraging them to go on a course.
There are courses specifically for maker-designers, and it’s just as beneficial to embark on generic ones.
Beatrice advises, "It’s useful to go on general courses like time-management training where as well as getting advice on how to plan your time better.
"You’ll meet people who work in other industries who can often give suggestions that you may not get from other creatives."
Most designer-makers are sole traders and there’s no one encouraging them to go on a course or give them permission to do so. It’s something you need to motivate yourself to do to.
Zeena admits, "So far I’ve done courses in Photoshop and Illustrator to help with my designs and photography. As an alumni of the University of Arts I can still use their resources too."
If you hear about a course you’ve missed, sign up to an organisation’s newsletter and keep an eye on their website in case it’s repeated.
8. Stick to your 'to-do' list
Tasks that commonly fall to the bottom of the ‘to do’ pile may be the most important. Beatrice explains, "Maker-designers can feel guilty about spending time visiting exhibitions or going on research trips. Yet the act of making lies at the heart of their practice."
In order to keep your lines fresh and buyers interested, you need to spend quality time on designing. As well as designing, allow enough time to make.
You also need to know what each task on your 'to do' list entails. What does ‘updating your website’ actually mean? You need to know what content needs to be amended, who is physically going to do the work and how long will it take.
9. Keep an eye on the future
Approach the future by having short, medium and long-term goals.
In the short-term, have a main focus for each year. One year this may be to get a new product into the UK market, while the next year could be focussing on it going international.
Approach the future by having short, medium and long-term goals.
Although Zeena has only been trading for a couple of years, she’s already achieved phenomenal success. Two years into her original three-year business plan, she is now focussing on her five year goals.
"In the first year aspects like marketing and PR didn’t get enough attention. But in order to grow the business, I need to put that first."
Having exhibited at Home London, a home and interiors trade fair and part of the Top Drawer event, earlier this month, she is now sending out catalogues of her work to the potential clients she met during the show, as the first stage of her marketing plan.
Thinking ahead to long-term goals, remember to factor in your private life. Although you may want to keep it separate, changes in your personal life will affect your business, no more so than if you have children.
Unlike working for a private company or organisation that will give your entitlement to maternity or paternity leave, when you are self-employed, you make your own choices for how much time you take off from working. Such things may not fit into your business plan, but they will have an impact, so don’t neglect them.
10. Stay true to yourself
Remember that success can come at a price and while you may find saying 'yes' to every opportunity that benefits your bank balance, or raises your profile, it may not make you happy.
Making, designing and being a business person should be regarded as a whole. You’re not one or the other – you are a creative business, but don’t lose sight of what you enjoy doing.
Beatrice recalls, "I’ve met maker-designers who, to the outside world, are perceived as the epitome of success. Their work is popular, their business is thriving, they own several properties, but they aren’t actually happy."
Delegating the designing and subcontracting the making, so that all you’re left to do is oversee the work is possibly not what you signed up for.
So if you ever feel like you’re no longer being creative (maybe you’ve stopped doing any physical making, even though deep down, that is your passion), then it’s time to reassess your plans.
Growing your creative business
Business support for makers
5 tips for trade fairs
