An entrepreneur is an individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards. The process of setting up a business is known as entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as an innovator, a source of new ideas, goods, services, and business/or procedures.
Creative entrepreneurs then use their creative or intellectual knowledge and skills to earn a living, usually in a business or as a solopreneur. This differs from traditional entrepreneurship that has mainly focused on manufacturing and industrial products.
In this Slideshare, we look at nine ways graphic designers can become creative entrepreneurs
2. Over the last 16 years as a design
educator, I have witnessed the job
satisfaction of my graphic design
graduates head into severe decline.
PROBLEM
3. The prevalence of the desktop computer,
freely available fonts, digital tools and
templates, not to mention competition
from a global marketplace, has meant
that traditional graphic design roles have
been undercut and undervalued.
4. Conversely, throughout the same period, I
have witnessed the prevalence of the
internet, social media and online marketing
allowing graphic design graduates with an
entrepreneurial mindset to
fl
ourish in ways
their business school counterparts have not.
5. This combination of design skills
and entrepreneurial mindset
positions creative professionals to
fl
ourish in the future of work.
6. According to researcher Tena
Patten, the Creative Entrepreneur is
positioned theoretically at the nexus
of creativity and entrepreneurship.
7. In 2014 the Design Research Council
surveyed all graphic design studios and
solo operators in Australia. They were
asked to break down their income
streams into categories.
8. There was no mention of product design or
educational services in the results, which
form the bulk of a creative entrepreneur’s
income. This survey result suggests that in
2014, creative entrepreneurship wasn’t part
of any graphic designer’s business model.
9. The primary issue currently facing the design
industry is that most graphic designers
continue to operate under the fee-for-service
business model, even though there are clear
signs that entire chunks of their core business
can be outsourced for cheaper.
10. If the graphic design industry continues
to put all its eggs into one basket and
design education continues to supply
more eggs, I can’t see the fee-for-service
model improving any time soon.
12. CREATIVE SPARK
1. Products
2. Services
3. Content Creation.
There are three primary ways a Creative
Professional can monetise their skills and
escape the fee-for-service model
13. 1. Af
fi
liates
2. Blogging
3. Coaching
4. Digital Products
5. Physical Products
6. Podcasting
7. Teaching
8. Vlogging
9. In
fl
uencer.
Let’s break down nine
ways you can add to
your revenue stream
NINE STEPS
14. CREATIVE SPARK
Af
fi
liate marketing is an option when you
don’t have a product but have traf
fi
c to a
website. It involves recommending
product or services offered by others, and
when visitors buy through the link on your
site, you earn an af
fi
liate commission.
1. Af
fi
liate Marketing
15. CREATIVE SPARK
Blogging is a form of online publishing that
allows people to write and publish
information, news, reviews, and other content.
If a blog becomes popular, it can be
monetised through advertising, sponsored
content, af
fi
liate marketing and product sales.
2. Blogging
16. CREATIVE SPARK
A coach is someone who helps you
to get better at something or achieve
a de
fi
ned result. The most common
models are one-to-one or one-to-
many, often called group coaching.
3. Coaching
17. CREATIVE SPARK
Digital products are bought and delivered
online, usually through a digital download.
Products such as templates, software, apps,
and eBooks, can all be created once and
then sold multiple times, either from your
website or delivery service such as Amazon.
4. Digital Products
18. CREATIVE SPARK
Physical products are delivered by mail or
purchased at a physical location. They
can be made by hand, manufactured in
bulk, or produced on-demand using a
third party such as Zazzle or Printful.
5. Physical Products
19. CREATIVE SPARK
Podcasting is an audio medium that
allows you to record and distribute your
content through various channels such
as Apple and Spotify. Popular podcasts
attract sponsorship or can be used to
promote your products and services.
6. Podcasting
20. CREATIVE SPARK
Online courses have become a
popular option for students looking
to learn a new skill or hobby or
replace formal learning. Many online
learning platforms host your courses,
such as Teachable and Kajabi.
7. Teaching
21. CREATIVE SPARK
Vlogging is essentially video blogging.
Shooting and editing videos have become
a popular way for creatives to share their
ideas on Vimeo and youTube. You can
monetise them through advertising and
product/service promotion.
8. Vlogging
22. CREATIVE SPARK
In
fl
uencers are people that have built
their personal brand and a large
following, often through social media.
In
fl
uencers usually make money via paid
promotions and af
fi
liate partnerships.
9. In
fl
uencing