Admittedly, I’m no expert on the topic of money or business building. I’m not rocking some widely successful business (yet), and in fact, I only just recently returned to the business of moving Three By Sea forward after a year and a half long hiatus. But here’s what I do know so far:
- I’m not trying to work for free. Eventually I want Three By Sea to be a viable business, contributing real income to our household rather than existing in a loop of merely maintaining operating expenses. And let’s be honest, after the extended time away, isn’t even doing that currently.
- I’ve gotten honest about who I am. For me, I enjoy the designing far more than the actual producing, so as I move forward, business ventures, product ideas, and revenue producing decisions will be based on knowing that about myself.
- I’m okay moving forward without having all the answers- Being self-employed or an entrepreneur often means do a little flying by the seat of your pants or faking it until you making it, but the sooner you can figure it out, especially in regards to money, the better off you’ll be.
You don’t have to know, but do know where to go.
This is SO key for me. Places like Twitter and our Oh My! Handmade community have been amazing in finding the help I’ve needed, raising issues I hadn’t yet considered, or pointing me to the resources I needed over the years. I also believe you should pay it forward, so here are my “go to” places for all things related to money:
- Tara Gentile– Tara is all about the YOU-economy and her ebook, “The Art of Earning: Because Making Money Should Be Beautiful” is a must-read for all creative/indie biz folks and entrepreneurs. She doesn’t tell you how to make money or give you pricing formulas, but rather, she presents an enlightening and empowering framework for thinking about how you make money, what to remember when you price your goods and services, and why making money is a GOOD thing. Your mindset about money will be forever impacted, I promise.
- Designing an MBA– Megan Auman is the jewelry designer, entrepreneur, and educator behind this site. As a maker, she knows the importance of pricing for profit, how to build your business through wholesale and trade shows and has created guides to help you with both. If you are a maker, you need to check her out.
- Daily Worth- “Money has meaning when it gives you the freedom to live an inspired life. We are here to do just that. Together.” Founded by Amanda Steinberg, Daily Worth aims to help women feel empowered when it comes to money rather than stressed or trapped by it. Trying to get a hold of your personal finances, plan for retirement or need guidance as an entrepreneur? Head to Daily Worth.
- Outright.com- I believe this is only for U.S. folks (sorry!), but it’s a handy (free!) online bookkeeping site for tracking income and expenses and helping you organize come tax time.
Hope this helps! Have any other go to websites for money guidance? Share it in the comments section!
