Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in content creation but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kristin Foster, co-founder of Foster's Creative LLC., located in Tacoma, WA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My husband and I are the co-founders of Foster's Creative, a digital marketing agency in Tacoma, WA. Our goal is to help small businesses see that the best way to market their brand is to tell their story and to involve themselves in their communities. We believe that the best way to advertise for yourself is to do good things and document that goodness for the world to see!
Tell us about yourself
In 2015, my husband and I were new to the Pacific Northwest, with a baby on the way and a desire to get involved in our community. We were also artists, which - I am sorry to say - doesn't usually make a ton of money. Our goal in starting our business was to find a way to combine our love for artists/entrepreneurs with our desire to contribute to our community and build a sustainable source of income for our growing family.
Foster's Creative was born out of those three desires. Since then, we've found other artists with the same passions, and they're now the driving force behind our agency - amazing, creative, driven people that I'm so lucky to work with every day. My family and my team at FC are still the motivating factor that gets me out of bed each day, as well as the joy in seeing what good things we get to document in our city.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My husband and I learned so much in the pursuit of becoming business owners. We've absorbed a whole master's degree's worth of knowledge in the last five years of operating FC, and we're still learning every day. Aside from the cool work we do as a company, I think THAT is my biggest personal accomplishment: just the amount of work I put into growing, learning, and studying how best to run a company.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There's less of a safety net. When you're an employee, of course, you know that your employment depends on your employer. However, you still have the reassurance of a steady paycheck and (hopefully!) good benefits to help provide for your family. When you're a business owner, your paycheck relies on a host of other things: clients, economic downturns, or even (surprise!) a global pandemic. That can be pretty nerve-wracking - and the anxiety often makes it tough to find a healthy work-life balance.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
If you find yourself doing something within your business that's entirely new or confusing to you, seek out people - especially other business owners - who can speak into your situation and even provide you with ideas about how THEY tackled similar problems. - Pay for the things you need.
Don't pay for the things you don't
and make sure you know the difference.
When you're starting out, it's easy - and valuable - to dream big. But don't put the cart before the horse. Don't scope out a 2500 square foot office before you invest in a good bookkeeper or accounting software. Know the difference between a necessary expense for your business and something to put on your two-year or five-year plan. - Find time to take a break.
It's so easy to work 70 hour weeks. It's so easy to lose track of time, forget lunch breaks, or ignore your health. But all those things add up, and if you don't prioritize downtime - even if it's just a 30-minute walk or a long lunch - your ability to work will eventually suffer. You can only drive so long without gas in the tank. Make sure you aren't constantly running on empty.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.fosterscreative.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosterscreative
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosterscreative/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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