3. Part 1: Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Calligraphy Business (and What To Do Instead!)

02/06/24 • 41 min

In today's episode, we're sharing mistakes we've seen when starting a calligraphy business, and what to do instead.
We've pinpointed five "mistakes" to avoid, such as an overemphasis on perfectionism, comparison with others, and allowing negative feedback to affect your dreams. We also highlight the problem of calculating prices based on others’ and encourage you to consider your own personal costs and skill level when setting your prices.
But we're not just here to share what you shouldn't do! We're giving practical steps for calligraphers who are ready to transition from hobby to business, such as the importance of exploration (listen in to hear Shaochen's potato story!), creating a portfolio, registering your business, separating your finances, and getting customer reviews early on.
If you're ready to turn your calligraphy hobby into a flourishing business, then this episode is for you! Heck, even if you're a seasoned pro, you may learn something new... We know that we both definitely did!
🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

🎙️ In this Episode:

0:00 Introduction
02:11 Mistake #1 - Waiting for Things to Be Perfect
05:56 Mistake #2 - Comparing Yourself to Others
08:28 Mistake #3 - Letting Negative Feedback Crush Your Dreams
14:38 Mistake #4 - Basing Your Pricing Off of Others
18:55 Mistake #5 - Not Thinking Through Use Cases
24:03 Do #1 - Talk About Your Biz
27:07 Do #2 - Explore, Experiment, and Explore Some More!
30:23 Do #3 - Build Your Portfolio
33:23 Do #4 - Make Your Biz Legal
37:43 Do #5 - Collect Reviews
39:49 Start Your Business Today

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🎙️ In this Episode:

0:00 Introduction
02:11 Mistake #1 - Waiting for Things to Be Perfect
05:56 Mistake #2 - Comparing Yourself to Others
08:28 Mistake #3 - Letting Negative Feedback Crush Your Dreams
14:38 Mistake #4 - Basing Your Pricing Off of Others
18:55 Mistake #5 - Not Thinking Through Use Cases
24:03 Do #1 - Talk About Your Biz
27:07 Do #2 - Explore, Experiment, and Explore Some More!
30:23 Do #3 - Build Your Portfolio
33:23 Do #4 - Make Your Biz Legal
37:43 Do #5 - Collect Reviews
39:49 Start Your Business Today

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Support the show

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Previous Episode

2. Looking Back to Leap Forward: Tips on Reflection and Goal Setting

Reflecting on 2023 and Planning for 2024: Business Goals and Success Measures
We're bringing that new year energy into today's episode, and sharing our top tips to help you rock 2024!
Before you dive into goal-setting, we encourage you to reflect on the previous year, both intuitively as well as by looking at your numbers. Using Shaochen's New Year's Reflection Guide, we're diving into three questions to ask yourself as you're doing your 2023 reflection, the three numbers that you should review in your business, and the three questions to ask yourself as you're setting goals for the new year.
As examples, we're sharing our answers to each question and how we will use our 2023 reviews to inform our goals and actions for the next year. Get ready to hear our transitions within the calligraphy biz world, expanding our focus from wedding calligraphy to business education, and the importance of aligning your business goals to your personal values and desired lifestyles.
We'll also dive into the importance of tracking business metrics across marketing, sales, and client experience for more informed goal-setting. Grab your notebook and pen, because this is a juicy one!
And stay tuned until the end of this episode, where Shaochen is spilling the ink on a brand new offering that will help you get super clear on your financial goals for 2024!
🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

🎙️ In this Episode:

00:32 Introduction
04:50 Three Questions for Reflection
22:27 Reviewing & Understanding Your Marketing Metrics
30:34 Reviewing & Understanding Your Sales Numbers
33:00 The Power of Reviews in Your Client Experience
36:45 Looking Ahead
50:00 Preparing for Your Best Year Yet

This episode may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the link, we earn a small commission. We only share products that we use ourselves, and we think it would be of benefit to you!

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Next Episode

4. Part 2: Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Your Calligraphy Business (and What To Do Instead!)

As a follow-up to Episode 3, we're sharing the mistakes we've seen and made when growing a calligraphy business, and what to do instead!
In this episode, we talk about three key mistakes that calligraphers should avoid in the growing phase of their business, such as not niching down and not having proper systems in place. We also chat through actionable things to consider during the growth phase to help set your business up for maximum success. These include the importance of getting clear on personal financial goals, identifying what you want your business and personal life to look like, investing in professional growth, finding community, and outsourcing.
If you're ready to take on more clients, increase your revenue, or expand your services, this episode is for you!
🔗 Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

💻 Software Programs Mentioned

Calendly for meeting scheduling
Zapier for connecting different applications
Honeybook CRM free trial and 25% off
Dubsado CRM free trial and 20% off

🎙️ In this Episode:

00:00 Introduction
02:47 Mistake #1 - Not Niching Down
06:23 Mistake #2 - Comparing Your Biz Growth to Others'
12:08 Mistake #3 - Lack of Systems
21:14 Do #1 - Get Clear on Your Financial Goals
26:37 Do #2 - Build Your Business on What You Want Your Life to Look Like
30:05 Do #3 - Lean on Community to Accelerate Your Business
39:14 Do #4 - Invest in Your Professional Growth
48:37 Do #5 - Outsource to Maximize Your Money-Making Time
01:00:35 Final Thoughts

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Calligraphy Biz Corner - 3. Part 1: Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Calligraphy Business (and What To Do Instead!)

Transcript

Alane00:00:31.870

Welcome to another episode of Calligraphy Biz Corner. I'm Elaine.

Shaochen00:00:36.316

and I'm Chen.

Alane00:00:38.229

And we are filming this episode exactly a week from our podcast launch. And so we wanted to start by just thanking you for all of your support, your listens, shares, dms, comments. All of the feedback that we've received has been so incredible. Um, and we just thank you