William Warren found himself using his sketching and storytelling talents while working at Chick-fil-A. After positive feedback from his teammates, he wondered if he had a successful business idea right in front of him.
Listen to William share more about his story on the Launch Youniversity podcast.
Today, William has a successful and fast-growing business — The Sketch Effect. He says even though they are quickly expanding, it hasn’t been without trials.
One of the biggest obstacles a creative company can face is successful scalability. When a company relies on one person’s talent and style, how do you translate that on a grander scale?
William shares his top tips for scaling a creative business:
1. Create a worthy brand.
Determine what your distinct style will be and stick to it across the company. Don’t only plan out what the actual creative style of your products will be, but determine who you will be as an organization. What do you want your culture to look like?
2. Control what you can control.
At The Sketch Effect, no matter if the team members are in Australia or the United States, every employee uses the same materials. Whether it is software or canvas or paint brushes, try to keep all controllable variables the same.
3. Standardize assets.
If you are a sketch company and you frequently draw stick figures to represent people, standardize what your stick figures look like. A great tip is to develop a database for all commonly used creative assets.
4. Teach and train.
Show each team member the culture of your company. Allow them the opportunity to soak it up and understand the why. If people understand why and how, they will be more loyal and dedicated to the mission and future of the organization.
Also, teach them your creative style. Each person has his or her own creative eye, but teach your methods of picking certain colors, specific phrases, or typography.
When you own a business based on creativity and artistry, it can feel like an impossible task to scale. William’s solution is wise: control, standardize, and teach where and when you can. If you follow these simple tips, your creative business will grow with new artists, while maintaining a consistent look for all products.
Leave a Reply