In this post I’ll be sharing some incredibly effective habits that I have implemented to help my small biz run a bit more smoothly.
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As a small business owner (solopreneur, girlboss… whatever you want to call it!) I am in a constant state of change. It’s true we wear ALL the hats: product developer, graphic designer, accountant, customer service rep, website designer, social media manager, packing and shipping… and on and on. Although it’s extremely rewarding and I wouldn’t have it any other way, I’ll admit I have had my fair share of learning lessons (or growing pains) over the past few years.
Today I felt drawn to share a few rules or habits that I have implemented into my daily routine to help run my business a bit more smoothly and streamlined.
A bit about my business
I run my own illustration and design studio called TWG Designs. It started off as a small Etsy shop were I’d design and sell clipart, digital scrapbooking papers, snapchat geofilters, e-vites, printables, and other digital products.
It has now branched out into a more diversified lifestyle and stationery brand. While I continue to create digital artwork and custom illustration projects for clients of all kinds, I have also added a “department” of physical products to my brand. This in and of itself is a whole new monster to tackle. So I knew I needed to start buckling down on some habits that would help me stay organized, motivated, creative, and… well, SANE!
Here are 5 things I’ve started doing to help my creative small business run smoothly (or at least a bit smoother)
1- My Morning Dailies. This is a set of 10 tasks that I do every single morning as part of my routine. I typically do them while I have my cup of coffee and it’s a way to switch my brain into “productivity mode.” The key to this list and the reason it works for me, is that it is sort of mundane. A set of quick and easy tasks that I can almost do in my sleep. Click, click, type, click, type. I don’t include anything that requires a ton of critical thinking or creativity. Once the tasks are all complete, it gives me a boost of energy to continue with everything else I have on my agenda for the day. I think this is equivalent to the concept of making your bed every morning to kick start your day with a feeling of an accomplishment or small victory.
Some examples of tasks on my morning dailies are: renewing shop listings, repinning old posts or products on Pinterest, replying to simple inquiry emails/messages, checking in on my shop’s finances, etc.
2- Batch Work. I have recently started doing this and, wow, it’s helpful! Working in batches means you group together tasks that are similar in nature and dedicate a chunk of time to complete them. I find this really helps me focus and get things done much faster because I’m not jumping around between 3 or 4 things that are distracting, and in turn nothing gets done to completion.
Some examples of tasks I do in batches are: replying to emails, packing orders, taking product photos for social media and product listings, etc.
3- Organized Chaos. I’m calling it this because I do believe creative people tend to trail some chaotic energy wherever they go. Whether your desk is meticulously organized to perfection (which is a form of chaos itself), or you simply just know where everything is in your stacks of clutter… the important part is that you have some kind of streamlined system that keeps your environment “organized” enough to avoid wasting precious mental capacity on searching for things. Plus, who has the time?! From digital files on my computer, to my shipping supply closet, I try to keep things as organized as possible. It’s one less thing to stress about and frees up space in my head to think up new ideas, get inspired, and see opportunities a bit more clearly.
Some ways I keep my space organized are by dedicating specific regions of my office to different areas of my business. I have a closet for shipping supplies and materials, I have a shelving unit for physical products in acrylic bins and drawers, etc.
4- Basket & Plate. Ok, I know these titles are getting weird but stay with me. This is my theory that you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, while also making sure you’re not adding too much on to your plate. It’s TRULY a delicate balance. A few years ago, I noticed that in order to see real growth and sustainability for my business, I needed to create my own independent website. This was scary as I knew it would be SO much work, but it was the right thing to do for the long term. I also knew that this would mean I’d have to work EXTRA hard to bring traffic to my website and I’d have to learn about SEO and maybe even some online ads or marketing. But, I realized in order to avoid spreading myself so thin, I’d cut back on a few other things I was working on, and really focus my time on the things that were giving me the most ROI (return on investment.)
Some ways I’ve been able to “put my eggs in several baskets” without adding too much on my plate: I focused solely on 1-2 social media platforms and stopped trying to “do it all” with platforms that were a dead-end. I also reevaluated some digital products that were taking me forever to design but weren’t bringing in enough passive income, and simply stopped creating them. Instead I allocated that time towards new ventures (like blogging, affiliate programs, and Pinterest SEO) that would broaden the flow of traffic to my website and eventually help grow my business.
5- Accept OFF days. This one is so much easier said than done. But I’ve gotten really good at just accepting when I’m having one of those uninspired, low energy, soul sucking days. What I do instead is lean into them. I realize this is a privilege but that’s all part of owning your own business – you set your schedule, and if a “blah” Tuesday calls for a day of binge-ing a show on the couch all day, then so be it. I find that I get the most work done and feel my best the day after an “off” day. Maybe it’s the concept of recharging, or disconnecting your brain – changing frequencies for a while. But either way, it’s accepting the days without guilt that has helped tons.
If I sense an “off” day coming (this typically happens in the morning within an hour of sitting at my desk – often during a creative task where I’m hitting a wall) I take a step back, change my environment, and focus on something completely different. It helps to go outside for a while, lay down, read or listen to a Podcast about something not work related, etc. The key to this is to push all feelings of guilt out of your head and not equate your worth to your productivity. Seriously, one unproductive day will not set you back too far in the long run. In fact, it may just be the day that inspires a new project or idea that blossoms into something incredible down the line.
I plan on putting together a comprehensive list of all the tools I use to run my creative business, so check back for that soon! In the meantime, click here to check out my fave Amazon office and tech finds.
If you’re feeling a bit stressed or like you’re burning the candle on both ends, check out this post about my tips for getting through a season of burnout.
Hope you’re inspired to implement some of these habits, and keep charging forward with your creative biz!
Xx Laura
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