5 smart choices for working creatively while balancing the books

If you’re one of the growing many who’ve managed to craft a talent they love into a career they can follow – congratulations. However, as you’ll already be well aware, being creative professionally can be tough. Demanding clients, even more challenging deadlines and balancing the books can all strip back a great deal of the fun when doing what you love becomes genuine work.

Fortunately, here are some simple, smart choices you can make that could make your creative life, and costly outgoings, easier.

Make marketing simpler

Even if a good deal of your work follows a chat, handshake and conversation over a coffee, promotion in the form of print and digital marketing remains key. Whether or not this is also a forte of yours, there’s no doubt that digital and social marketing can be particularly time-consuming and bring mixed rewards.

Thankfully then, there are literally thousands of young people out there hoping to get into marketing as a career. They may even take on short-term placements for free, or on low pay – and the potential rewards for employers can be plentiful.

Make use of freelancers

Similarly, although unfortunately more expensive, by contracting out pieces of work, here and there, you can focus on the most essential jobs that need taking care of – and even take on more work in the meantime.

Naturally, this one can be a slow-burner, as you’ll need to slowly build a degree of trust with any contract staff. However, as long as you’re making a profit and the work is getting done, you’ll soon be in a stronger position yourself.

Avoid full-time working spaces

If your creative endeavors are reaching a point where an office or studio is going to be required, think very carefully before making the move. All of those extra outgoings, all at once, can bring with it a great deal of pressure – which could be at the detriments of your creativity itself.

If it’s the presence of a big office that you really need, rather than the location itself, consider the excellent alternative of a virtual office in London. This can give you the presence you need – but you only pay for it at those crucial times when it’s needed most.

Hire smart

When it comes to taking on more permanent staff, a little like above, consider placing your trust in the more inexperienced side of the job market. Many universities can organize for wages paid to be subsidized when you employ one of their graduates within a few years of them leaving their study.

Yes, you’ll be working with someone who’s not as used to working with others, but their creativity will inevitably be firing on all cylinders. If you can harness that creativity while refining it, smart hires like these could work wonders for both parties.

Rework your contracts

Finally, if you already have staff on your books, then a little creative thinking could help you to rework… how they work. The benefits of offering working conditions like unlimited holidays, condensed hours, reduced hours and remote working are proven and plentiful.

By trusting your staff to be creative with their routine, you could save a nice amount of cash while focusing on your own creative endeavors.