Six Skills To Have As A Creative Business Owner

Six major skills that would take you to your next level in business

Running a creative business is like steering a ship in uncharted waters, and having the right skills is your map to success. As a creative business owner, you’ll need six essential skills to make your journey smoother. From working well with your team to making smart deals, let’s explore these skills that can turn your creative passion into a thriving business

 

1. People Management and Leadership

Leading with care and guidance is vital for effective people management. It’s about understanding, supporting, and inspiring your team to succeed together. In a creative business, this creates a positive environment where everyone can thrive.

Six major skills that would take you to your next level in business

2. Negotiation

In creative business, negotiation is like working together on a puzzle and finding solutions that make everyone happy. It’s about talking, understanding each other, and creating partnerships that go beyond just a simple deal, setting the stage for success we can all share.

Six major skills that would take you to your next level in business

3. Sales and Marketing

Marketing gets attention, and sales steps in to seal the deal, creating a cycle of new customers and growth. It’s like a tag team where they each have a role, making sure your business keeps growing and bringing in more happy customers.

Six major skills that would take you to your next level in business

4. Decision making

Decision-making is like being the boss of choices. It’s about thinking, picking the best option, and steering towards success. In business, it’s not just one choice it’s a bunch of them that lead to growth and success, like driving a ship to where you want to go.

Six major skills that would take you to your next level in business

5. Innovation

Innovation is like having awesome new ideas to make things better or create something totally new. It’s the key to progress, helping businesses grow and stay ahead by finding smarter and cooler ways of doing things.

Six major skills that would take you to your next level in business

6. Money Management

Handling your money is a bit like being the boss of your wallet. It’s about making smart choices, like saving up and planning for what’s ahead. Whether it’s saving a bit each month or being careful with how you spend, good money management is like steering your financial ship, making sure you’re ready for whatever comes your way.

Six major skills that would take you to your next level in business

Bellafricana Expands To Support Creative Entrepreneurs Across Africa

Community of African Creatives

We are filled with a sense of gratitude and passion for what we have built together. When Bellafricana started, it was borne out of a deep-seated desire to create what we describe as a sanctuary which would not only give creative entrepreneurs the visibility they deserved but also help them build the business structures and support system they need to grow.

We have been a driving force behind the growth of thousands of creative businesses in Africa, providing unparalleled support to the entire African creative community and connecting their products to local and international customers.

Bellafricana is a tech-enabled community that provides a platform for creative entrepreneurs in the fashion, arts & craft, beauty, home & living, food produce & snacks industry, to increase their visibility and have the right business support and structure that gives them the capacity to grow their business. Currently, we are the leading community for African-Owned creative businesses with a growing network of over 20,000 creative entrepreneurs.

In addition, our members have saved a whopping ₦20 million (over $40,000) off their marketing training expenses and bagged sponsorship from the prestigious Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), valued at a staggering ₦63.5 million (over $141,000).

Bellafricana Ace awards
BELLAFRICANA ACE AWARDS

Through our extensive brand exposure, our members have been featured on highly acclaimed TV stations such as Hip TV and Silverbird TV – cementing their position as industry leaders. Some of our members has also been featured in international screen like CCN. Further, our members have secured various grants including the illustrious Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) grant, worth a hefty $5,000.

Also, some of our members have been shortlisted for the Jack Ma Prize (African Business Heros Award), a testament to their innovative drive and ingenuity. Our community is not just about recognition and accolades, our members have also achieved tangible business growth – expanding their customer base and boosting their sales.

Similarly, our commitment to promoting African creativity led us to create the ACE Awards, an initiative that lauds the creative works of Nigerians and Africans, making open competition affordable and accessible. The ACE Awards continue to encourage more businesses to look inwards and create more globally acceptable brands.

BELLAFRICNA BLOG

Over the years, Bellafricana has evolved into something much more than we ever could have imagined. We have become a family, a community that not only supports and encourages each other but also inspires and motivates us to strive for excellence every day. As business owners ourselves, we know firsthand the struggles that come with trying to turn your passion into a viable business. The sleepless nights, the self-doubt, the endless setbacks – these are all part of the journey. But with the right support system, we can overcome these challenges and achieve our dreams.

At Bellafricana, we are not just building a community, we are building a movement. A movement that is focused on promoting African creativity, empowering local businesses, and showcasing the best of what Africa has to offer.

Bellafricana community

That is why we are thrilled to announce that we are opening up our doors  to even more creative entrepreneurs to come in for free. It is our hope that this will allow us to continue to serve more people, grow the community and provide the support and resources they need to succeed. We have created a tech-enabled community which will bring together experts and mentors to offer business support and structure that gives our members  the capacity to grow their businesses. This community will be powered by our rich network of individuals who are passionate about promoting African creativity and are committed to supporting local businesses.

Our team has been working tirelessly to ensure that we provide a seamless experience for all our members and those who would be coming in and prepare them for better engagement and networking opportunities. With this platform, we can accommodate more members and provide a wider range of resources and support, and deliver on our mandate to serve the creative community.

But this is just the beginning. Our ultimate goal is to build the largest network of African creative Entrepreneurs and a platform that would host their creative products, and with your help, we will achieve more as we keep moving several steps forward in the right direction. By supporting each other, sharing our knowledge and expertise, and collaborating on new projects, we can create globally acceptable brands for African creative works and make a real difference in the world.

Commuity of African creatives

CONCLUSION

We are filled with a sense of purpose and passion when we think about the impact that we have made together. The Bellafricana community is more than just a business; it is a movement, a force for good that is changing lives and inspiring the next generation of creative entrepreneurs.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. Your support and dedication to our community inspires us every day. Join us on this journey, together, we will build a home for creative entrepreneurs, a place where creative passions can thrive, and our dreams can become a reality. You too can become a member of the bellafricana community, click here to join.  

Must-have apps for entrepreneurs (Be more productive)

Must Have Apps For Entrepreneurs

Are there really apps for entrepreneurs? Well, yes, there are! Being an entrepreneur you know the importance of time management. I mean, you have a lot of things to handle, meetings to attend, workers to communicate with daily, receipts to keep at hand, accounts to track, you name it! So do you really need irrelevant apps?

Your plate is full, and you have to do everything in 24 hours!

24 hours is not even enough to begin with because you have to manage your time properly, stay organized, become tech/social media savvy, boost productivity, and also maintain your sanity as well as your personal life because your business will drain you!

So with all that, and very little time, believe me, you do not need Candy Crush, 4 Pics 1 Word, or any other irrelevant app that is not keeping you organised or even helping you.

I am not an entrepreneur yet, but I am conscious of the apps I have because even I need to stay organised and have everything in check as I am also busy sometimes. Candy Crush is an app I can use to unwind when I need a break; but I do not have it because at some point, it can be a distraction.

So, as an entrepreneur, how do you stay organised in order to get work done? Simple! You have to incorporate productivity apps to keep you on track.

Whether it is on your phone or on your laptop (although I use my phone more), after reading this post, go through your apps and do some cleaning. Delete the irrelevant ones and download the ones you really need.

So keep reading to find out what apps you should have in order to help you manage your time and remain productive.

1. Evernote:

Apps for entrepreneurs: evernote
Photo Credit: lifehack.org

As an entrepreneur, innovative ideas can hit you no matter where you are. While most people have jotters where they write down their ideas (I do, sometimes), you cannot go everywhere with the jotter but when it comes to your phone, it goes everywhere with you.

Whether you are on the road, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, at the movies, or anywhere, your phone is almost always in your hand. But in the case of your jotter, when the idea hits you, how will you write it down? This is where Evernote comes in; so toss your jotter!

Evernote is an app that works both online and offline; making it easily accessible. It helps you manage your life by collecting, uploading and sharing your ideas in whatever form, be it as a photo, audio, web clip or document.

It is basically like your offline book where you scribble your thoughts and ideas. I am a writer so often times, ideas come to me when I least expect it. My phone helps me scribble everything down so I can always go back to it later and Evernote has proven to be so helpful in retaining my ideas.

Evernote helps you stay organized on all your devices (phone, laptop, iPad), and you can sync all your files to ensure they are updated on all your devices; enabling you to continue from where you stopped.

You can also clip web pages, create to-do lists, set voice reminders, record memo, edit and scan documents, search for your tasks, and capture photos on the go. What more could you possibly need? It is one of the best business apps for entrepreneurs.

2. Instapaper:

apps for entrepreneurs: instapaper
Photo credit: Zapier

As an entrepreneur, you still want to catch up on everything going on around you. Maybe read about the government’s latest venture on a news site, or read an article, or you found something interesting online; but you are too busy to read it.

You have to rush to the office or quickly fix up something for the kids so you close the page and focus on what you have to do. Well, thanks to Instapaper, you no longer have to close the page. Instapaper is an app that lets you save an article so you can easily read it at a convenient time that suits you.

The best part is that you can save an article, video, song lyrics or whatever you come across on the internet! How cool is that?

I am someone who is always on the internet searching for new things to read; and most times whenever I open an article, I may have to run off to do something or go somewhere.

With Instapaper, I just click and save it then after whatever I was doing, or when i get back home from work especially, I lay down, open Instapaper and read my saved article without having to find the web page in my browser history.

Another amazing thing about this app is that it syncs whatever you save so you can easily read it on all my devices (phone, computer, iPad and Kindle). So no matter where you are, you can read the saved article on your phone/laptop; anywhere and anytime, even offline.

It also enables you highlight a text on an article, like you would on a physical book (with a marker), so you can easily find it, quote and share it if you want to. One of the best apps for entrepreneurs to connect with things outside work.

3. LinkedIn:

apps for entrepreneurs: linkedin
Photo Credit: thenextweb.com

Asides the most popular social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Whatsapp), Linkedin is a social network I think you should definitely join, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur.

LinkedIn is one of the best apps for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build business relationships with everyone. It helps you search for jobs, industries, location, people (based on their qualification) and stay in touch with everyone.

In short, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur looking to make connections, LinkedIn is the app you need. It is particularly made for business professionals to connect as it helps you build connections, build a customer base, build partnerships, and basically just put your business out there.

It also enables you share your ideas and grow your brand whilst keeping up with everything relevant to your line of work. One of the best networking apps for entrepreneurs.

4. Buffer:

buffer
Photo Credit: Buffer.com

Sometimes maintaining your online reputation can be difficult, even though it it is necessary. You want your brand to stand out and as such, promoting on social media is very important.

With so many social networks to promote on, handling everything can be a bit overwhelming (I know it is for me). You have to share and promote on all your social networks, which takes up much of your time because you have to create content, use relevant hashtags, respond to comments, alongside other things you have to do.

If it frustrates you as much as it frustrates me then you are in luck, because of Buffer makes everything easier.

Buffer is one of the best productivity apps for entrepreneurs as it enables you plan and schedule social media posts according to whatever time suits you…phew! That is one work load off your shoulder.

It is super helpful because it enables you plan and publish contents on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest ahead of time.

So you can plan all your contents for the week at your convenient time, save them to your draft and schedule all of them to be published at a specific day and time. Your personal social media genie!

You can also track your posts performance, create reports and get recommendations to increase engagement. Social media marketing campaigns just got better!

5. Skype:

skype
Photo Credit: Betanews.com

As an entrepreneur with staffs and business partners in different locations around the world, you know that communication is important for the growth of your business.

Making calls requires a lot of credit, which also requires a lot of money, and travelling all the time to follow-up on your business dealings is time, energy and money consuming.

Thankfully, you can now keep up with all your business dealings on-the-go (probably how Otedola keeps up with his business; because he is always travelling).

It is simple; you just need Skype! Skype is one the best communication apps for entrepreneurs as it helps you keep in touch with employees and business partners no matter the location. If you are in UK and your partner is in Hong Kong, you no longer need to travel that far to close any dealing; all you need is Skype.

How do you think most of these huge companies with offices around the world operate? Regardless. this is also one of the best apps for small business owners looking to expand and grow their business.

Skype has improved connectivity in the world of business as you no longer have to travel for conferences, business meetings, or to check the affairs of your work in another state. All you have to do is schedule, and communicate with whoever on the go.

Personally for me, I consider Skype a time management and productivity app for entrepreneurs because you no longer have to worry about travelling constantly to handle business dealings.

Now, with Skype, from the comfort of your office, you can message or call clients, business partners, investors or employees around the world, whilst carrying out your normal business activities.

The best part is that you can message/call multiple people all at the same time, with audio/video call, and you can share pictures and videos across; all with a data plan or WIFI. Say “goodbye” to stressful business trips and “hello” to comfortable business.

STEPS TO MAKING

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