We work with many wonderful people with years of creative and marketing industry experience here at Creative Resource. People who can help creative businesses grow, or help you grow in your marketing careers. Here Katie Coombes, mentor and trainer to creative agencies, explains why Getting Started is More Important than Getting it Right…
‘We’re still in the planning stage’.
‘We’re not rushing it’.
‘We need to do lots of research’.
‘I’m not launching till it’s 100% right’.
‘People will think we’re amateur’.
I’m sick of hearing these excuses. I mentor and advise all sorts of businesses from teenagers with ideas for apps, to creative agencies who want to scale, to people with side hustles for extra cash.
I make no value judgements. We are all entrepreneurs having a go on our own journeys.
However, it seems that it doesn’t matter who you are or what stage or type of business you’re in, we all make excuses for lack of action! We get lost in the planning, in a strategy document, a business plan, in refining our positioning or defining our proposition.
OK, so if you’re a surgeon or an airline pilot maybe this blog isn’t for you. But for most small businesses and agencies listen up.
I’m not saying do sloppy second-rate stuff. Strive to the highest quality you can. Do not produce crap. But just quit the plan, plan, plan for a minute and take some bloody action!
Very few journeys are completed in a huge leap. Most are small steps and as we take those steps we make mistakes, we learn, things shift and we move forward.
The world is moving fast. We need to crack on and learn by doing. Enjoy the process, enjoy the journey. Do your best and do it now. It’s an experiment, keep your costs as low as possible and see how the market reacts.
Remember perfectionism is the enemy of progress.
You might very well look back in a year or so and wince with embarrassment at the work you’re doing today but, unless you do it, you won’t be able to move it forward.
So, start now:
Make some new business calls.
Launch that website.
Write that blog.
Make that podcast.
Do that talk.
Getting started is more important than getting it right.
Katie Coombes is a Manchester based mentor and trainer. Specialising in creative agencies.
Katie@project2.co.uk @jkcoombes https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiecoombesspeaker/
If you would like to know more about our recruitment and talent services here at Creative Resource get in touch with Julie or Phil, we’d love to hear from you.