« Earlier Posts | Main | Later Posts » Creativity versus Business?"Some people regard creativity and business as being like oil and water - they just don't mix. They think it's a question of choosing creativity or business. I disagree." The above is an excerpt from the book 'T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity' by David Parrish. Download Chapter 1: Creativity and Business (PDF, 92KB) You can download this file and distribute it freely (subject to a Creative Commons licence). The Magic of Marketing - book extract"Marketing is not just a posh word for 'selling'. It's much more radical than that. Marketing in its widest and best sense is about aligning your whole business to the changing needs of your customers." The above is an extract from 'The Magic of Marketing', chapter 4 from the book 'T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity' by David Parrish. Download The Magic of Marketing (PDF, 92KB) You can download this file and distribute it freely (subject to a Creative Commons licence). Creative Commons licenceCopyright Information. David Parrish's works Most copyright work has the phrase "All Rights Reserved" attached to the copyright notice, for example: "Copyright © David Parrish. 2007. All Rights Reserved." But this is too restrictive for many circumstances. I often want you to copy, share and distribute my ideas, articles and publications. I ask only that you keep my name attached, don't change anything, and don't make money from them without getting me involved. So instead of always having an "All Rights Reserved" policy, I often have a policy of "Some Rights Reserved" and use the Creative Commons licence known as "Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivativeWorks", which states that: 1. Attribution. You can copy and distribute the work so long as I am attributed as the author of the work. NB: If you want to make a profit from my work, please contact me for permission. When republishing my work, please add the following copyright notice:
T-Shirts and Suits. Download chapters from the bookDownload chapters in PDF format from the book 'T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity' Creativity and Business (PDF, 92KB) The Magic of Marketing (PDF, 92KB) You can download these files and distribute them freely (subject to a Creative Commons licence). Your creativity - hobby, job or business?Creative Times. October 2006 It's natural for creative people to want to make a career out of their creativity. Your creativity - a hobby, a job, or a business?It's natural for creative people to want to make a career out of their creativity. But it doesn't necessarily follow that creativity automatically qualifies a person for a job - or guarantees they can build a successful business from their creativity. For those about to embark on a journey into creative enterprise, the first question must be: Why do it? Why build a business around your creative passion? The obvious answer is to express your creativity and make a good living at the same time. But is it that simple? This book outlines a range of challenges affecting businesses and offers some pointers towards solutions. There are many hurdles to cross, compromises to be made and tough decisions to make along the way. So first it’s worth taking stock of what’s at the heart of your creative enterprise and why you do it – or plan to do it. Though the intention is to allow your creativity ‘free rein’ by doing it full-time as a business, some people complain that now they are in business they have less time for their creative passion, not more. Others have considered changing to a conventional job to earn money so as to be able to indulge their creativity in a pure way, free of the constraints and pressures of business. Perhaps it is better to separate earning a living on the one hand and creativity on the other so as to do each one to the utmost, rather than doing neither one properly. Is there a risk that your creativity will be curbed by business? You may consider this suggestion inappropriate in a book like this, but it is better to deal with this issue frankly now if it is a matter you are facing – or likely to face in the future. Yes, there is a risk of compromising your creativity with business – and compromising your business profitability by indulging your creativity – if you don’t get the ‘business formula’ right. For example a financial formula that works for a hobby usually does not work for a business when higher prices need to be charged to cover the real costs of labour and other expenses. Three options are worth considering: 1. Hobby. Keep your creative passion free from the constraints of a job or a business and pursue it purely as a hobby. This means you can indulge your passion in its purest form. But you will need to earn a living elsewhere. 2. A Job. Sell your creative labour to an employer. This means earning a living from your creativity but it will have to be channelled towards the needs of the employer and their business needs. Also, the intellectual property created from your ideas will probably belong to your employer, not you. 3. A Business. Use your creativity to set up your own enterprise. This will mean getting involved in all kinds of business matters in addition to your creative endeavours. It also means using your creativity to solve your customers' problems and cater to their needs. Say No - and achieve success...Creative Times. May 2006 Being prepared to 'Say No' is one of the keys to success for creative entrepreneurs. Business strategy is also about deciding what not to do, according to "T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity". Saying NoParadoxically, great art lies in what the painter chooses to leave out as much as what s/he decides to put in. Similarly, the art of business strategy is not just about deciding what you are going to do; just as important is deciding what you are not going to do. Having a 'must not do' list is as important as your 'to do' list. In an article in Harvard Business Review, Susan Bishop wrote: And of course it is impossible to know to whom to say no, which projects to decline, and which customers not to deal with, if the enterprise is not clear about its mission, values and areas of expertise (core competencies) "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone." "The talk turns to Bill Gates. Chan says Gates's business model works because he had the self-discipline not to diversify. "He can resist temptation, that's why he is so great. I think that's what I should learn from him." "The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes." Co-opetitionCo-opetition is a business strategy which combines co-operation and competition, based on the concept that business competitors can benefit when they work together. The co-opetition business model is based on games theory, a scientific approach to understanding various strategies and outcomes through specifically designed games. Businesses succeed by combining cooperative strategies with competitive strategies. Other businesses do not have to fail for others to succeed. They cooperate to enlarge the pie and compete to divide it up. Traditional business philosophy translates to games theory's zero-sum game in which the winner takes all, and the loser is left empty-handed; whereas the co-opetition approach leads to a plus-sum game, in which the sum of what is gained by all players is greater than the combined sum of what each of the players started with. See also: Co-opetition - friendly competition Why you should help your competitors...Creative Times. October 2005 Sometimes your creative competitors can be ideal collaborators. |
