Running a creative business can be challenging but it's made easier when you have friends to support you along the way. Growing a community has been my favourite part of running my own business so far.
I thought about the five types of friends that I've made in my business so far and shared 5 types of biz friends you need down below.
Friend number one - The emotional support
This friend will be there to hear you out when you're feeling stressed and worried and basically be a supportive ear.
They're not there to give you solutions to every crisis you run into, they're there to lift you up when you need it.
Who is the person that you're most likely to message when you're feeling you need to talk to someone? The emotionally supportive friend, that's who!
Friend number two - The experienced one
This friend is a year or two ahead of you in running their business and therefore seemingly has everything more together than you.
They have lots of hints and tips and can give you some insight from their more experienced position.
They're also made it through the first couple of years of business, showcasing that it's possible to be successful as a creative business owner!
This friend could also be considered as an informal mentor.
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Friend number three - The local one
This friend lives locally to you which is great as you can actually meet face to face (usually for a cuppa).
Having a friend locally that's also in your industry helps you to feel more connected with the community that you work in.
As a small business owner, it may be very likely that you work by yourself on your business so it can be really helpful to get outside the house and meet other people.
Another benefit of having a local biz friend is that you can refer work to each other if you're busy or know that it's more suited for them. This means that not only can you take on more work that you enjoy but that your earnings may even increase!
Friend number four - The cheerleader
This friend always make you feel good after speaking to them as they cheer you and your business on.
"Of course you can do it, you're going to do great!".
These are the best types of friends for when you're struggling with a big case of imposter syndrome as they make you feel that you do actually deserve to be in the room and to do what you dream to do.
To all the cheerleader friends I've had throughout my life, I want to thank you. You're the type of friend that helped me to keep going and to go even further than I felt I could go.
Friend number five - The all in this together friend
No, I'm not referring to having a friend that dances to High School Musical with you - this is the friend that is in a similar place to you and you both support each other as you work towards growing your businesses.
You often have similar sorts of growing pains as your business grows and can work these out together.
It can really rewarding to see how eachother grows both personally and in business.
Bonus friend - The problem solver
This friend is very practical in nature. The emotional support is there to listen when you need it whereas the problem solver is there to get the issue fixed when you need it. This person may have a technical background or be very comfortable with logistics which is very handy if this is something you don't have in your repertoire. This person is great when you've been overthinking something and need a fresh perspective.
In summary
Making business friends is an amazing part of being a small business owner. These six types of friends each offer something valuable. If you want to meet other calligraphers and potentially make new friends of your own, join my Facebook group for Calligraphy Business Owners.
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