by Tatenda Kanengoni
In the past two decades, the perception of creative entrepreneurship has shifted, refreshingly so. We live in an exciting time when policy makers are starting to value how creative enterprises can contribute meaningfully to economies, and more than ever creatives have an opportunity to soar.
Admittedly, I never considered myself an entrepreneur in the traditional sense. Perhaps it’s the use of words including “financial risk” and “setting up a business” in the definition of entrepreneurship that implied a certain level of qualification I did not see fit with what I was doing.
Over a year ago, I left full time journalism in pursuit of a more flexible and creative path involving storytelling through text and visuals (photography and videography), but I hardly looked at that as entrepreneurship. I wanted to present work that would help challenge the way African stories are told and comfortably called it freelancing. Perhaps I clung onto the safety net of belonging that had been engrained in me during my days as an employee.
As I began to partner with other creatives on projects and the question of providing services came up, I realized that I needed to think seriously about issues including finances and branding. I was in fact operating a business and needed to think like one.
Here are 5 things I learnt about being a creative entrepreneur:
Be clear about your work and values
Not being clear about your services prevents you from building a credible portfolio. The idea is to learn and grow within your chosen field and for potential clients to have no doubt about who to call, when they need a particular service.
Find balance between gaining exposure and earning enough when you start out
How do you decide between pro bono work and paying work? This fine line is definitely difficult to navigate. Be patient with building a name as a creative entrepreneur, and part of this means approaching clients to take photos or consult for free. I learnt that giving yourself a time frame to build the necessary experience may be acceptable, but after, you need to start charging to cover your operating expenses and make profit.
Never stop learning
A few months into operating, I realized with each new opportunity what skills I lacked and enrolled in both an online class and crash courses to improve that skill. Be open to continuously learning and do no limit yourself to traditional institutions, take advantage of the plethora of free to affordable online classes available.
Be patient
Comparing yourself to your peers is so tempting in the social media age, where everyone appears to be thriving but you - pace yourself and keep putting in the hours. It will definitely add up and pay off one day.
Maintain an attitude of gratitude
Never lose sight of how far you’ve come and remain grateful for each milestone, no matter how small - this keeps you going during the difficult times.
Tatenda Kanengoni is a writer and visual storyteller running a media and communications consultancy called CL Media in Harare, Zimbabwe. Previously, she worked as a Journalist for the Global Press journal and founded a digital cultural magazine called ‘The Grill’. Tatenda is passionate about helping to establish sustainable creative businesses and her storytelling work is centred on telling authentic African stories through compelling text, photography and videography. She runs a concept blog called Crooked Lanes in the hopes of documenting and sharing underreported stories.
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