A new year is on the horizon. Pretty soon you’ll be starting a new semester of learning, testing, and growing in your creative business. But before that semester begins, let’s kick off this episode with a Pop quiz!

Question: A self-employed artist wants to earn more in the year ahead. Should she:

1. Have a revenue-ready plan that will lead to higher earning potential
2. Asses the areas in which she wants to grow to see what’s working and what is not
3. Raise her prices for services, product offerings and artwork
4. Stop doing things that take energy but don’t increase revenue
5. All of the above.

That’s right, it’s E. All of the above!

Today we’re talking about earning more in 2025. I know you’re ready for it. I know you’re here for this. So let’s get into it.

particularly overwhelming. There are a lot of overlapping priorities.

You’re wrapping up work, business, project commitments, commissions... You’re trying to make sales while gearing up for a new year with a desire to do things differently in your business.

On top of all of that, you might have family commitments that require your attention – whether you’re keeping young children occupied while they’re out of school, caring for older parents who need extra support.

Maybe you’re somewhere in the middle, with young adult children coming back home and you’re hosting them. There are expectations and dynamics to navigate.

End-of-year to-do's can cause a lot of stress.

In today's episode, I'm providing you with strategies to help you turn overwhelm and anxiety into productivity and presence.

(Not presents... but that would be pretty cool, right?)

Tune in and see how you can move through any overwhelm you might be experiencing this week, to a more productive and peaceful place.

Next Steps:

1. Reach out to Heather to make a custom Revenue Ready Plan you'll stick to, today! Simply email Heather@HeatherAllenOnline.com to get started.
2. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
3. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.

For creative small business owners, the end of year rush is particularly overwhelming. There are a lot of overlapping priorities.

You’re wrapping up work, business, project commitments, commissions... You’re trying to make sales while gearing up for a new year with a desire to do things differently in your business.

On top of all of that, you might have family commitments that require your attention – whether you’re keeping young children occupied while they’re out of school, caring for older parents who need extra support.

Maybe you’re somewhere in the middle, with young adult children coming back home and you’re hosting them. There are expectations and dynamics to navigate.

End-of-year to-do's can cause a lot of stress.

In today's episode, I'm providing you with strategies to help you turn overwhelm and anxiety into productivity and presence.

(Not presents... but that would be pretty cool, right?)

Tune in and see how you can move through any overwhelm you might be experiencing this week, to a more productive and peaceful place.

Next Steps:

1. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
2. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.

Today’s episode is the second in the series, and it’s all about the customer’s point of view.

If you're ready for more commission sales in 2025, then put on your customer hat (maybe it’s a fuzzy red and white hat for the holidays) and think about the custom commission process from the buyer’s point of view.

Here's the common challenges with this. As sellers, it doesn’t always come naturally to see your own business from your customer’s point of view.

In this episode, I walk through the customer's search and decision-making process when it comes to commissioning custom art and design.

From there, I give you guidance for what you need to share with prospects through your website, social, blog, email, etc. to get them primed for their purchase.

Next Steps:

1. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
2. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.

Okay, here’s a common scenario:

Someone out of the blue contacts you or stops by your booth at an art fair. They’re curious about how much it might cost if they hired you to make something for them. They want to know what the cost of a commission is.

So what do you say?

While it might be tempting to give them a solid number up front, doing so might actually limit you in the long run.

Or worse, it might cause them to ghost you if they’re making a quick decision off of limited information.

In this two-episode series, we’re talking about what it takes to get quality information out of a prospect without overwhelming them.

In the next episode (Episode 16), the second part of the series, we’ll discuss the appropriate level of detail and information you should share with prospective buyers upfront to make their decision-making process easier.

Next Steps:

1. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
2. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.

If you're curious about what it takes to start and maintain a paid membership community as part of your business offerings, today I’m chatting with just the gal for you.

Since 2004, Christine Mighion has been hand crafting each piece of jewelry in her Northern Indiana studio. Using gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones, her line is a balanced vision of organic and modern. Imperfections and irregularities that mimic the course of nature greatly inspire Christine. Her jewelry has been featured in numerous national and international fashion and lifestyle magazines including Lucky, Shape, Vogue, and The Knot.

To serve her community of fellow jewelry artists, Christine launched the Slowmade Podcast in November 2023 and the Slowmade Collective later the following year. Through engaging conversations and shared experiences, the Slowmade Podcast and Collective provides a space for learning and growth, helping jewelry artists navigate the challenges and triumphs of building meaningful, sustainable businesses. Find Christine Mighion online here: https://christinemighion.com https://slowmadepodcast.com https://instagram.com/christinemighion

Next Steps:

1. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
2. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.

Welcome back to class. Today, we’re talking about ONE KEY THING that’s absolutely essential to successful planning.

All of the best planning in the world can go straight out the window if this one thing isn’t there.

I’ve experienced it. You’ve experienced it. So let’s talk about the difference between having this one critical piece in place and not.

With your best work, creative projects, sales, commissions, and opportunities ahead of you, this is one topic you won’t want to miss.

Next Steps:

1. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
2. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.

Raise your hand if you have a clearly defined budget and a strategy for investing in yourself as a small business owner in the year ahead.

I don’t see a lot of hands up. Let me rephrase...

Raise your hand if you’re not quite sure what to budget for, business-wise, or where to make minor shifts and adjustments to invest in yourself and your creative business.

Okay, more hands are up now.

When it comes to business budgeting, most people keep on keeping on with what they’re doing without making time for this type of assessment.

However, budget planning is for anyone and everyone. It doesn’t matter how much income or revenue is flowing through your business, large or small.

Think of a budget as a wishlist. And what a perfect time of year for creating a wishlist.

Start by thinking really BIG and expansive. Then get down to the nitty gritty numbers to figure out what’s essential and where to start.

For example, your 2025 wishlist might include heavy duty equipment. Okay, great. What’s that going to cost? Is that something you can plan for?

Or if your 2025 wishlist sounds anything like mine, there are mostly small budget items that are more about deciding to use different digital tools.

This is a great time of year to put a business budget together.

Here’s why:

• • Budgeting now gives you a chance to invest in yourself and your business in a smart way because there’s typically money to be saved through Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts
  • Typically before people start their annual planning and strategic plans for the year ahead
  • Your budget gives you a baseline to make more realistic goals for the year ahead
  • Basically tells you what essentials / must haves need to be in place to operate and function as ideally as possible

I’ll walk you through what’s on my list and why. This is sure to inspire you, so take notes and get your 2025 business budget going!

Next Steps:

1. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
2. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.

When you’re in business for yourself, wearing so many hats, doing everything yourself or delegating to a few reliable individuals, everything depends on your energy, your focus, your drive, and your ability to create.

Creative small businesses ask a lot of their creator.

Which is why we’re diving into one of the biggest contributors to distraction, lack of focus, underlying stress, and overstimulation according to many, many studies.

We’re talking about the clutter and distractions that are begging for your attention – demanding attention constantly. We’re also talking about the different types of junk drawers you can clean out in order to be ready for abundance.

Next Steps:

1. Find more information at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com.
2. Buy a copy of the book "Let Your Creativity Work for You: How to Turn Artwork into Opportunity" by Heather Allen, MGIM-MBA at www.HeatherAllenOnline.com/book.