5 Business Goals for Creatives + Bloom Workshop Dates

Hopefully everyone enjoyed their weekend! Ours was very restful (like, I actually took a nap on Saturday!) and it was sunny, so we took our pup to the dog park, which I'm sure he much appreciated, since it has been sooo cold recently. This was a great change in pace for him! We also had some fun by going bowling with a group of our friends. Aside from those things, I also got a bit of work in since today is a big day for The Bloom Workshop!

If you're new here, you might not know that in addition to serving my interior design clients with residential design services, I'm also the co-founder of a workshop event for creative business owners called The Bloom Workshop. We travel the country teaching in women in small businesses how to blog, use social media, hone their photography and design skills, as well as give them fun, hands-on learning sessions in floral design and calligraphy. This is our FIFTH year in business and we still absolutely love what we do! You can learn more about us here.

We're thrilled to be launching our newly revamped Bloom website and all of our 2018 workshop cities and dates TODAY! Some of the top questions I get via comments or email are about how to start a blog or business, so that's actually what sparked our creation of Bloom! More on that here. As much as I'd love to answer all of those emails, it's so much more beneficial for you (and time effective for me!) if I point you in the direction of our workshops, where we pour our heart and souls into equipping you. If you own a small business or blog and want to learn how help it grow and thrive, we'd love to have you join us at a workshop this year. 
We have 3 two-day workshops called Bloom Bash, where we dig in deep to all the above topics. These events are specifically for business or blog owners (or hopefuls!). This year we are holding Bloom Bash in 3 cities-- in May we're going to Nashville (so excited, I've never been!), in August we're heading to Austin, TX and in November we're staying put here in Grand Rapids, MI. If you don't have a business or blog, but still love creating and need a day away to refresh your creative spirit, we have designed our La Petite workshops for you! At these half day workshops, you'll get to learn floral design and cookie decorating, enjoy getting to know like-minded Creatives, and hone some photography and styling skills all in one day. 

I know a lot of business owners, shop owners, and bloggers follow along around here (which I love!), so I thought I'd give you just a few attainable goals for you to reach this year in your business journey. It's not always easy owning your own business, but if it's your passion, it's worth it. At Bloom, we like to keep it simple, giving our attendees practical tools and inspiring hands-on sessions to spark creativity. We also teach our guests that goals are really important. They are like planting little seeds that will then turn into big, beautiful plants. So, here we go!

1. Narrow down and define your niche as a business or blogger. Become and expert at what you do and let your followers know!
2. Create an editorial calendar for the next 3 months as a starting point. Editorial calendars are a fancy way of saying scheduling out all content in advance. From your blog post topics, instagram posts, newsletters and more-- if you plan them out in advance, you’re more likely to actually get them done (hey, imagine that?!) and avoid frantic writing. You’ll also give yourself time to get said posts photographed and make sure you spread out similar content. I have my entire month's posts planned out in advance so I don't waste time brainstorming topic ideas, when I should be writing.
3. Be consistent. Be consistent with how often you blog, the quality of photos you post, how many times you post on social media and the language and copy you use in your messaging to your followers and potential clients. For example, write down phrases and terms you use in everyday conversation, then incorporate that in the language you use when writing copy for your website or in your instagram captions. This will help you define your brand voice and make your client experience as authentic as possible! I always try to type like I talk, so that my writing comes across as genuine as possible, reminding everyone out there that hey, I'm a human behind the screen!
4. Update your profile across all forms of social media. Be sure your profile picture is the same across the board and make a conscious effort to concisely describe what you do, who you are and show your personality! The goal here is to be easily recognizable and make it a piece of cake for people to find and follow you.
5. Further your education and continue to become an expert in your field. Whether this is through taking a workshop, an online course or even a book on a topic you’d like to learn more about, take the time to invest in your business. We promise you’ll see a return on your investment!
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If you're a photographer, a designer of any kind, florist, calligrapher, or blogger, Bloom Bash is an experience that will propel you forward in your business and leave you incredibly inspired. I loved reading my friend Courtney's honest post on her time attending and speaking at Bloom! If you feel nervous about attending an event where you don't know anyone, I promise you meet people within minutes of being in the room and will leave with new friends. The second you step out of your comfort zone is when the real magic happens anyways.

Head to our website to get all the details for our upcoming 2018 Bloom Workshops. As a special thank you to my readers and friends here, you can use the code MND20 for 20% off your workshop ticket! There's nothing I love more than meeting all of you in person, so I hope we get that chance.
xoxo

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