All businesses start with an idea!

Remember you said you don’t know where to start with your business.

All businesses start with an idea. An idea is worth pursuing will become your passion. Your passion will give you the real purpose to do what you love. Start to do a bit of your business at a time and eventually it will shine!

Block of Marble

  Statue of David

Like Michael Angelo creating David, he first saw the end result of his masterpiece then he started chipping away at the block of marble every day. Each day his aim was for a better day than yesterday and each day the marble took form and eventually the marble block transformed into the statue of David...his renowned master piece.

Doesn’t it sound so easy and simple? For Michael Angelo it was second nature as he had found his passion and he had plans and systems in place in order for to him to achieve his work.

Once you know what your passion is, everything else seems like a piece of cake and everything sails forward.

In relation to our life and business we do need to set goals, map out where we want to be  and the process to get there too.

So start with the end in mind... Set your purpose goals, write your clear business' vision and learn how to build a great business by having a great plan & system so you have control of your time...

So do you have an idea for a business?

Have you found your passion?

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment.

Learn more about finding your DPP (Desire, Passion & Purpose)

Part 1:

http://artshineqc.blogspot.com/2010/10/find-your-desire-passion-purpose-dpp.html

Part 2:

http://artshineqc.blogspot.com/2010/10/find-your-desire-passion-purpose-dpp_20.html

What is Dream & what is goal?

“Dreams are like the paints of a great artist. Your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas. Your goals are the action of the brush that converts your dreams into a masterpiece of reality.”

I really like this quote. We can all relate to this and particularly for you as an artist or designers.

We all have dreams whether they are big or small. Dreams give us hope for our future. To achieve our dreams that is where goals will play a major role in helping us achieve our dreams.

Remember, a goal without an action plan is just a wish. And in the real world, wishes don't often come true.

But what if you had a way to eliminate all the distractions that hold you back from getting what you want?

Imagine cutting through the clutter to get to the heart of your true desires. How confident would you feel knowing you had definite goals and a plan to ensure your success in finally achieving your dreams?

Once you know what you really want, you gain clarity. With clarity, you gain focus. With focus, you get results!

Sounds like an easy thing to do, but without a concrete plan and incremental steps, it will be difficult to achieve anything worthwhile. 

Dream and Goals are two separate things and a lot of people get confused and thinking that goals are dreams and dreams are the same as goals.

So what is the difference between a Dream and a Goal?

A dream is your long-term desire and you shouldn’t be able to achieve it in a flash. If you can achieve your desire in a week, a month, three months or even six months, your dream is too small and you need to crave for bigger things. Dreams are the desires that will drive you to achieve your goals and provide you with the motivation to complete all the tasks that you’ll need to complete.

Your dreams should be things that get you excited yet perhaps infuse some fear and get you to find answers to your own questions like, "How am I going to get there?" Remember this, if your dream is truly worthy, you would do anything to achieve it, no matter what!

A goal on the other hand is a stepping stone that leads you towards your dreams. A goal is something you can achieve in a short period of time...like in an hour, days or even weeks. So set purpose goals that will help you get closer to your dreams.

Your goals should not take years to achieve. If you have one perhaps you need to portion your goal down to smaller tasks so you can achieve your goals sooner. A long term goal will more than likely discourage you from achieving your result as it keeps dragging on to the point where you start to self sabotage with your head chatter telling yourself “I am not getting anywhere, this goal is too hard, too much work”. So what do you do? You give up and start working on other things beside your goals!!!

In short, a dream is a HUGE thing that takes time to achieve whereas a goal is easier to manage and is something you can get it done in a short period of time. Goals are like a way patting yourself on the back for doing things to move your life forward in the right direction.

How do I know if my business is making money?

Create  a budget for your Art & Design Business

When we discuss with clients about their new business, the most frequent questions asked are:

"How do I know if my business is making money?"

Answer: By creating a budget for your business.

“But this is my very first time and how do I create one if I don't have any figures to work on?”

Before we answer the above questions, let's talk about what IS a budget?

A budget simply predicts your income and expense for your business in a given period. It is just a guide so you know how your business will be tracking ...actual versus estimate.

As with any estimation, your actual reality may vary too. So a budget is not something set in concrete either. However, it is a set of figures you do need to review throughout the year, making adjustments as you get the actual figures.

The best way to start filling out a budget is to begin with figures you do know such as fixed expenses or recurring costs like your monthly phone bill or rent. You should also take equipment purchases into consideration and divide their cost over their lifetime. For example if you plan to buy a computer for your business, divide its cost by 3.5 years. Your accountant will be the right person to assist you with this situation.

It is also important to make revenue projections so you can plan for income peaks and low seasons. But it can be quite difficult to project revenue when you don't have previous sales figures to base on.

If you are a new starter, for your first year of trading you will have to set your sales figures per week or month based on your expectations of your marketing, promotion, advertising, trade shows and markets activities you have scheduled for the year.

Always select numbers that are realistic, achievable and desirable so you have a real purpose to reach it. Your income does not have to be in tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for your business to make money.  Remember success comes in many different ways and sizes. So it's important to set your sales & incomes goals. Have a figure in mind what will make you happy, feeling good and successful. It's up to you to determine what success really means to you.

So have you created a Budget for your business yet? If you haven’t done one, it's not too late and what a perfect time for you to create one for the new financial year 2011-2012.

Just remember this…

Prepare Well + Plan Well + Execute Well à Business Success

Want to learn more about how to create your own buget for your art & Design?

It’s as simple as 1... 2... 3...
 

1. Like  ArtSHINE's Facebook page

2: Send an e--mail Quantum Compass: mybudget@QuantumCompass.com.au

3: Contact Vinh for a no cost, no obligation coaching session:
 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ArtShineDiscovery

 

Sole Proprietor, or Sole Trader

A Sole Trader is a person who trades as an individual, without the use of a company structure or partners.  The proprietor is the sole owner of the business and has sole control over it. Therefore, the individual bears the full responsibility for the actions of the business.  This is the simplest form of business ownership and can be started with little capital outlay.

The sole trader can trade under his or her name, or register a business name. However, registration of a business name does not make the sole trader a separate legal entity. The business belongs to the sole trader who personally responsible by law. Registration under a business name has no legal implications other than to allow that individual to use and trade under that name.

A distinguishing feature of the sole trader is the nature of any legal liability.  While the sole trader retains the profits from the venture, the liabilities with regard to claims from creditors extend to personal assets. No distinction is made between business assets and personal assets

Want to learn more about your business structure for your art & Design?

It’s as simple as 1... 2... 3...
 

1: Like  ArtSHINE's Facebook page

 

2: Send an e--mail Quantum Compass: Soletrade@QuantumCompass.com.au and receive your PDF " The Advantages and Disadvantages of being a “Sole Trader” 

 

3: Contact Vinh for a no cost, no obligation coaching session: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ArtShineDiscovery