From content creators to graphic designers and musicians, the thriving digital marketplace is a haven for creatives, offering countless opportunities to monetize their talents. As companies strive to stand out on crowded online platforms, the demand for creative services has notably surged. However, succeeding in the creative industry requires more than just innate talent; it also calls for strategic skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. In this article, I will share what I’ve learned from starting my creative business, PiVoT Professional Services, to inspire you to unlock rewarding business opportunities.
1. Creative services are in high demand
If you are thinking about starting a business or forming a company, then a creative one should be on your shortlist. Creatives are penetrating nearly every sector while producing valuable impacts on the way companies operate, solve problems, and collaborate. As competition for the digital stage grows, companies are placing greater emphasis on staying visible, keeping clients informed, and gaining more customers. As such, these companies are hiring creatives to help promote their brands as the top option among their competitors. Marketing departments and freelancers must use their creative skills to produce content that suits the brand (tone/ image) and industry of their employers. According to MarketSplash in 2023, “33% of freelancers work within a creative field” and “the global population of freelancers exceeded 1.57 billion.”
2. Creatives need more than creative skills to be successful
Being able to paint a beautiful landscape or compose a soothing melody is impressive but it takes more than exercising your God-given talent to be a profitable creative. The creative industry is as diverse and unpredictable as the weather. Some days may yield rainy sales while others a drop of drought. Talent and the desire to earn an honest living are great but the modern creative must develop other skills to navigate this challenging climate. Regardless of the sector, a critical skill that creatives need is marketing. Knowing how, when, and where to present your services as solutions will help you attract customers who resonate with your brand. According to Harvard Business School, the top five non-creative skills are: 1) collaboration/networking, 2) flexibility/adaptability, 3) communication, 4) entrepreneurship, and 5) commercial awareness. These skills complement the services traded by the creative to help them succeed.
3. Embracing your creative skills can lead to rewarding opportunities
A creative needs to be a visionary, able to see solutions when others stare at problems. Great opportunities usually arise when big challenges are before us. PiVoT started as a vision to help job seekers become more knowledgeable about vacancies and better prepared to excel in the careers of their choice. In 2018 and 2021, I was one of those job seekers, so I began to devise a strategy to overcome those hurdles. In 2022, PiVoT officially started addressing the issue at hand, but in the course of service, new challenges and opportunities arose. Clients started asking for logos and flyers to be designed. Then, they began requesting printing services since no public printing service was available in the area at the time. Then, students needed stationery and devices to complete assignments. Every time clients approached me with a challenge they faced, I saw the opportunity to grow my business by offering a required solution. In 2023, a new opportunity surfaced in the form of website design, and once again, I saw the potential to solve problems that would lead to customer satisfaction and significant gains. Hence, web services have been our biggest area of development in 2024.
One key factor that led to the growth of PivoT over the last two years is the ability to work remotely. “Workplace flexibility remains essential in the creative field” according to Robert Half, 2024. Most of my customers are based in Grenada, where I am from, but I have served clients in the US, UK and Pakistan. The internet has made the world smaller in terms of finding opportunities without physically leaving one’s country. “86% of freelancers work remotely,” according to MarketSplash, 2023. Good marketing and the right approach can attract clients overseas. So if you are thinking about starting your creative business, don’t worry about your small village or country; there’s a big world out there with many people willing to pay for your unique skills to solve their problems. Bring your business idea to life today!
To learn more about PivoT, visit their website at www.pivot-pros.com.
References
410+ Freelancer Statistics: Market Size, Profile Data & Salary Rates (marketsplash.com) | 2023
5 Reasons Why Creatives Need Business Skills | HBS Online | 2018
What Is Marketing? Definition, Strategies & Best Practices – Forbes Advisor | 2023
2024 In-Demand Marketing and Creative Roles and Hiring Trends | Robert Half
PiVoT Professional Services (pivot-pros.com)