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As Creative Boom celebrates its 15th anniversary, founder Katy Cowan reflects on the pivotal lessons learned throughout this remarkable journey and how they can help you build your own creative business.
This year, I’m celebrating 15 years since I started Creative Boom in 2009. Looking back now, I’d say that a key element in our success was my unwavering belief in the original concept.
At the time, I was determined to build an online magazine where great creative work would be celebrated fully, free of the elitism, gatekeeping and London-centric bias of other platforms. Today, my colleagues and I remain just as committed to this mission. (For more on this, read our article, What we stand for).
But belief alone isn’t enough. Building a successful operation also means hard work, continuous learning, calculated risk-taking, community building, and much more besides.
So, I thought it might be a good moment to share some of my thoughts on our journey so far and offer some tips that might help you build your own creative business in 2024.
I also asked the Creative Boom community for advice, and they came up trumps as ever. You can read some of their best tips below and view the full discussion on X here.
1. Believe in your idea and keep going
When I started Creative Boom in 2009, the landscape was vastly different. Many people were sceptical about the viability of an online magazine dedicated to creative professionals. However, my unwavering belief in the concept and relentless determination was key to rising above any nay-saying and sticking to the plan.
There were moments of doubt and external criticism, but perseverance through these challenges was crucial. So remember: every great idea faces hurdles. It’s your passion and commitment that will see you through tough times and help your project thrive.
2. Go all-in
It’s tough out there, and businesses fail every day. So the world isn’t going to hand you success on a plate. To achieve it, you have to be prepared to go all in.
Illustrator and designer Rich Banks puts it succinctly. “Don’t half-arse it,” he says. “This was advice I was given as a kid and still follow today. If it’s something you want and feel passionate about, go all out for it… or don’t expect it to work. Plenty of artists expect people to buy their work. But it doesn’t work that way. You have to put effort in.”
And remember, that effort won’t just be at the start of your journey: you’ll have to keep putting it in as long as you wish your business to thrive. As Barney Durrant, owner of Bluebell Marketing, says: “Never stop selling and networking, even when you’re busy. That pipeline needs to be full, as things always change. Make time to work on your business and not just in it.”
3. Find the right people
Does that last piece of advice seem overwhelming? Then I should balance that out by saying: you don’t have to do this alone. Eventually, you’ll reach a point where you can employ others, whether as freelancers or full-time staff.
At Creative Boom, I’m lucky enough to have found a talented bunch of people with whom I work regularly and who I can trust to bring brilliant content to the site day in and day out. For most business owners, doing something similar is probably going to be essential if you’re going to find the right work-life balance and truly enjoy running a business rather than letting it run you.
4. Promote yourself
As creatives we often tend towards introversion, and I’m no exception. So, the idea of promoting yourself and your business can seem daunting. But ultimately, you’re not going to succeed unless you do. As illustrator Dave Draws puts it: “I think you can’t wait for work to come to you; you need to put yourself out there as much as possible.”
In that case, how do you self-promote if it doesn’t come naturally? First of all, it’s about knowing who you are deep down. In other words, as copywriter Patrisha Robertson says: “being authentic to yourself, in how you express yourself, so that people really know what you stand for. I’m not that successful, but I’ve always been comfortable with what I do and how I do it, which is ‘me’.”
Secondly, it’s about doing your research and finding out who the people you need to lure in and the places where you can best reach them. Lawyer and media comms expert Ann Koppuzha has been doing just that. “I’m building a digital strategy firm and a law firm, and the thing that helped me make my businesses profitable was realising I couldn’t wait for potential clients to come to me; I had to go to them,” she explains. “I did that by signing up for freelance marketplaces and getting serious about treating content like the growth machine it is.”
Thirdly, it’s about putting in the hours and being patient. As illustrator and designer Mariery Young says: “I’ve built Mezclao Studio from zero contacts in the industry, powered by coffee and WiFi. It just takes time.” So her top tip is: “Be kind to yourself if things don’t skyrocket right away, and focus on what gets you excited about projects: those are the ones that will bring more work.”
5. Adapt to the times
The digital world evolves rapidly, and staying relevant means continuously updating your skills and knowledge. Over the years at Creative Boom, we’ve embraced new technologies, updated our platform, and learned new skills to stay ahead.
Whether mastering SEO, understanding social media algorithms, or leveraging new software, being adaptable ensures your business remains competitive. So, always be curious and willing to learn. It’s precisely this adaptability that’s allowed Creative Boom to grow and remain a trusted resource in the creative community.
6. Grow at a manageable pace
At Creative Boom, we’ve grown steadily over the years, but we haven’t tried to rush things. That means we’ve stayed nimble, able to quickly react to new tech and changing times. And from other creative entrepreneurs I’ve talked to, I’m by no means alone in this approach.
Take designer and creative director Rob Pratt. “We’re nine months into founding YeahNice, a creative agency set up to take on the bigger agencies at their own game,” he says. “By remaining relatively small, we can put creativity first, be faster and ultimately more cost-effective than the bigger shops.”
Artist Nicholas Huggins echoes this experience. “I started building Backyard Design while working at an ad agency,” he explains. “We’ve now worked with brands such as Angostura, McDonald’s, Johnny Walker and Google. My tip would be to build slowly and not grow beyond your means. Slow and steady!”
7. Connect with your community/audience/customers
Your audience is the heart of your venture. At Creative Boom, we’ve found that regularly engaging with them through surveys, feedback forms, and direct interactions provides invaluable insights. Understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points helps you tailor your content and services to better serve them.
In other words, we’ve prioritised listening to our audience and adapting our offerings accordingly. This connection has fostered a loyal community that feels valued and heard. That’s not something you can create overnight. But if you have that as your goal, it will help keep your business on course when times get tough.
8. Ditch the ego
Running a successful business often requires making tough decisions and recognising when something isn’t working. It’s essential to remain humble and open to feedback. If a strategy or approach isn’t yielding the desired results, be willing to pivot.
At Creative Boom, we’ve had to make significant changes over the years, and letting go of ego has allowed us to make better business decisions. So, I’d urge every creative business owner to embrace flexibility and not be afraid to admit when they’re wrong or when it’s time to change direction.
In the words of Jo Swann, founder of Chocolate PR: “Stay true to your vision and don’t get distracted by what others think you should do. Find ways to turn up the dial on your brand character so people really see YOU. Be prepared to be vulnerable; people connect to people. And don’t try to be too polished: it just turns into a ‘mask’.”
9. Don’t be afraid to take risks
Stagnation can be a silent killer for any business. And so taking calculated risks has proved a significant part of our journey at Creative Boom. Whether it’s been expanding our content, trying new marketing strategies, or exploring different revenue streams, these risks have often led to substantial growth.
Obviously, not every risk will pay off. But even when they don’t, the lessons learned are usually invaluable and contribute to your long-term success in that way. So embrace uncertainty and see it as an opportunity for innovation and growth.
Reflecting on 15 years of Creative Boom
As we celebrate 15 years of Creative Boom, these principles have been our guiding stars. From a humble beginning to a well-respected platform, our journey is a testament to the power of belief, adaptability, community connection, humility and risk-taking. We hope our story inspires you to pursue your passion and build something extraordinary from the ground up.
Finally, thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. We look forward to many more years of creativity, growth, and community.
