Key Messages
How To Make Business Work For Bohemians: Combining Art And Leisure With Making Money
In Business for Bohemians, readers will learn how to balance their free-spirited lifestyle with a successful business.
It might sound like an oxymoron – bohemians and businesses don’t often go hand-in-hand.
But the two can be reconciled for those who are willing to make the effort.
This book presents the idea that you can be a bohemian and still make money, without sacrificing your art or leisure pursuits.
You’ll learn why starting a business is better than having a job, as well as what challenges it may entail and why it’s worth pursuing nonetheless.
It’s possible to get down to business while still staying true to your inner bohemian self!
Readers will discover this presentation of effective ways to integrate these seemingly incompatible pursuits in order to have a successful career and meaningful life at the same time.
For Bohemians, Going Into Business Is A Better Way To Maintain Freedom
When it comes to maintaining freedom in their work lives, bohemians have a better option than getting a job – starting their own business.
Compared to working for someone else (which often renders us as nothing more than “wage slaves”), becoming one’s own boss grants them much greater autonomy and control over their daily lives.
As an employee, there’s no wiggle room when it comes to the type of work you do, the hours that you work, and the company that you keep.
As an entrepreneur or small business owner, however, you get to make those decisions for yourself.
You get to choose which projects you take on, when and where you want to work, and who you want to collaborate with.
This provides a sense of freedom that simply can’t be found in a corporate job; there’s something simultaneously bourgeois and anarchistic about owning your own business.
Not only are you financially independent and potentially driving an economic engine all your own – but more importantly, you’re taking ownership of your life by deciding how best to use your skills and talents without permission from anyone else.
You Don’T Have To Become A Mega-Corporation To Make Your Business Dreams Come True
If you’re a bohemian who’s interested in going into business, then the good news is that it doesn’t have to be at odds with your values.
You can definitely make your business compatible with the bohemian lifestyle.
One way of doing this is by pursuing a lifestyle business – this could range from being a shopkeeper or coffee shop owner to being a life coach or consultant.
These types of businesses are often satisfying enough in their own way, as they provide just enough free time and money for you to live out your version of the good life.
But, if you have bigger ambitions for your business, like striving for a mission, then you’ll probably need something bigger than just a small-scale operation run by yourself or with one partner.
In this case, look into building an enterprise that can help facilitate your larger purpose without sacrificing your bohemian values.
This might involve enlisting some core staff members, utilizing freelancers and finding investors who share the same values as you.
An example of this type of expansion done right is Idler Academy of Philosophy, Husbandry and Merriment – it started as an adorable magazine but has now grown into something much bigger thanks to its partnership with creative professionals – offering courses on everything from Greek philosophy to gardening and playing the ukulele!
The key idea here is that there’s always room for growth within one’s business without having to compromise on the higher purpose underlying it all.
Don’T Underestimate The Challenges Of Running A Business: Details Matter And Every Decision Has Consequences
Running a business is no small feat.
Despite its allure of freedom, running a business means assuming a huge amount of responsibility – not only in terms of customers, but also administrative duties such as managing employees and paying taxes.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Every day, there are little tasks to be done including opening mail, cleaning toilets, and more.
It’s these little jobs that can become daunting when you don’t have the support or resources that you need.
The author’s own experience at their coffee shop serves as an example of how difficult it can be to manage expectations and make enough sales to stay afloat.
There were times when customers weren’t pleased with the coffee temperature or service speed – yet still left with only two coffees worth £5 in total!
Other situations included having to buy soy milk on the spot from another store, costing them even more money than necessary.
These are real issues that businesses face every day – often without awareness or training – so it’s easy for them to underestimate how difficult running a business can be if they’re not properly prepared beforehand.
The message here is clear: Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by the challenges running a business can bring — do your research ahead of time and anticipate what important decision points may come up!
The Takeaway: Following Traditional Business Practices Keeps You From Becoming A Toilet-Scrubbing Bohemian
The essential message from Business for Bohemians is that following traditional business practices can help you preserve your freedom to be a bohemian.
The author of the book, who was running an Academy without such practices, found out the hard way that trying to improvisation and ignoring protocols is not an effective way to manage a business.
He initially thought he could take whoever was hanging around his academy and offering them a job if they were nice people as well as offering an informal and permissive management style in order to keep everyone happy.
What he experienced in reality was employees showing up late, smoking weed, drinking wine, with basic tasks such as cleaning bathrooms being left undone and himself having no time or energy to pursue his own art – all due to neglecting proper management procedures such as checking CVs and references of applicants, listing job responsibilities and conducting performance reviews.
Once he started following traditional business practices he soon began seeing improvements.
Following these processes helped him find more reliable employees who followed instructions properly and fulfilled their job responsibilities leaving him time to do what really mattered – enjoying his own art.
In this way, pursuing traditional business practices enabled him to preserve his bohemian self-expression.
Having A Clear Picture Of Your Business Is Important: Here’S Why Business Plans And Accounting Systems Are What You Need
It’s important to have clarity when it comes to starting and managing a business.
One way to achieve that is by making use of traditional business practices such as creating a business plan and utilizing an accounting system.
At first glance, these tasks may sound overwhelming.
But the truth is that they don’t have to be complicated or intimidating.
In fact, having a comprehensive business plan (which is basically like outlining the book you want to write before you start writing it) can be quite helpful in getting your ideas on paper and clarifying your goals for the business.
You’ll answer questions such as what your product or service will be, how many customers you’re targeting, and how you plan to reach them.
Additionally, this exercise will help you gain insight into the amount of money it will take financially to make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
Knowing how much money is coming in vs.
going out (aka tracking the financial pulse of your business) is also essential so that potential issues can be identified early on and addressed accordingly.
Of course, while tracking finances isn’t everyone’s favorite activity – it’s still better than having an unclear understanding of where your business stands – which could lead to not only anxiety but potentially bankruptcy!
In short: Business plans and accounting systems provide valuable transparency about your venture, all while helping you avoid costly mishaps that could ruin entire projects down the line!
Don’T Undercharge: How To Set Reasonable Prices For Your Business
When it comes to any business, money matters.
No matter how good your idea is, you’ll need to make a profit – or at least break even – in order to keep going.
That’s why when setting prices it’s important not to set them too low.
The author of ‘Business for Bohemians’ learned this lesson the hard way.
When he first started hosting lectures, he charged just £10 per ticket – which only left him with £50 in profit after all the other expenses were taken into account.
It was clear that this wasn’t going to be a sustainable model and so he raised his prices to between £20 and £30 per ticket – much higher than his original price but still a fair amount for the service being offered.
As difficult as it might be, undercharging customers can actually hurt your business more than helping it in the long run.
The two rules of thumb are clear then: 1) take your initial price and double it as this is likely already a better price; 2) if some people are complaining about your price then you know you’re probably right!
Think Carefully About Your Funding Sources: Balancing Autonomy And Growth
When starting up a business, it’s important to think carefully about where your funding will come from.
It takes money to make money, and if you don’t have enough capital on hand, then you’ll need to figure out a way to get some.
There are many options available for potential funding sources – taking out a loan, remortgaging your house, crowdfunding, finding investors or reaching out to friends and family – each offering its own pros and cons.
For instance, banks may be hesitant to offer loans if you’re self-employed; however, once they’re convinced they can collect the interest, they’ll back off.
Whereas friends and family may be more willing to help but in turn could want a say in how you run the business.
Traditional still investors could give access to large sums of money that would usually be inaccessible; however, by investing in your business comes with certain expectations that may not always align with hippies values.
It’s essential to consider all these factors before deciding which is the best option for you as each have different implications on freedom and autonomy over your business – Seekers of freedom must weigh their options carefully.
The Key To A Sustainable Business: Don’T Give Up Unless It Makes Sense To Quit
If you’re running a business – no matter how small or big – it’s not going to be easy.
There will be challenges, setbacks, products that flop and unhappy customers.
It can be difficult to remain motivated and resilient when the going gets tough.
That’s why it’s essential to remember the key message in Business for Bohemians: keep going, but don’t give up unless it makes sense to quit.
This advice is especially important during times of “the Bohemian Wobble” – when you start to doubt yourself and your decision to pursue an unconventional path.
Don’t forget that freedom played a major part in bringing you into business in the first place; better a nightmare or hell of your own making than one imposed on you!
But at the same time, if things aren’t working out and there seems no light at the end of the tunnel, quitting may be more beneficial than sticking it out.
The author of this book learned this lesson first-hand: after five years of running a physical business, he made the hard decision to close shop and move on
Wrap Up
Business for Bohemians is all about the importance of making your business sustainable and manageable to give you freedom in life.
It shows you how to do this by following traditional business practices, setting good prices, and finding the right sources of funding.
But it also emphasizes that when facing challenges with your business, it’s essential to know when to keep going – and when peace out.
In a nutshell, this book is a must-read for anyone who considers starting their own business as it lays out key practical steps you need to take in order to succeed.
There’s no denying that running a successful business is difficult – but if followed right, Business for Bohemians can help you stay focused on the long-term goals of freedom and success.
