I don’t remember how Monica Lee and I first met, but she interviewed me for Smart Creative Women almost three years ago. Monica is one of my idols at infusing herself into her brand. And her new accessories line is a perfect example of her skill in doing this. Just looking at her products tells […]
Contracts
Contracts really make you the kindest business owner around. This post collection will help you understand what contracts are and how to read and write contracts!
Can I license my images that I post on social media?
Overwhelmed by all the legal to-dos? Click here to get a free legal tip each week in your inbox from your friendly legal eagle. With a cup of coffee in hand, you open up your laptop and sit cross-legged at the kitchen table. As the screen comes to life, your browser is open to your […]
How to restrict how I can use your sewing patterns, legally
I’m a huge knitter. I’ve always got a project going. In fact, right now I’m working on this cowl. I’ve got a shawl going as well, but the pattern is a bit involved and knitting one row seems to take forever, so I needed a break. I knit because it keeps my hands busy. Over […]
Learning the Ropes: Rachel Mae Smith
I can’t believe that Rachel Mae Smith of The Crafted Life and I only met in person late this summer. We met when I had the chance to take a joint workshop from her and Lisa Anderson Shaffer. I’ve been following Rachel’s blog for ages and am a big fan of her work. And proof […]
Learning the Ropes: Brigitte Theriault
When I came up with this series, I knew that I wanted Brigitte Theriault to participate. Brigitte is a 10-year person chef veteran, but she struggles with an issue familiar to many creative service providers: the contract. For many creatives, presenting and negotiating a contract is a roller coaster of emotions. And I knew that […]
How to smoothly teach your clients about copyright
You are super proud of the work you did for a new design client. A couple months after you wrap up, you pop over to their website. You have a new project in the pipeline and so you want to take screenshots of your work in action for your portfolio. When you land on their […]
How to have happier clients: create policies
I love opening up my email to something like this: Kiff: I was really scared and nervous when I reached out to you. I thought that working together wasn’t going to be fun. Honestly, I was dreading it so much that reaching out to you sat on my to-do list for months. You’ve been so […]
The secret to happy clients: sharing insider information
Last week when I was wearing my founding partner of a law firm hat, I had a conversation with a potential client. During that session I learned more about her business, we both agreed that she needed help and that working together seemed like a natural fit. Once we agreed to work together, I started […]
Learning the ropes: Maria Brophy
If you aren’t familiar with Maria Brophy, you should be. Maria has been helping her husband, Drew Brophy, run a successful art business for more than fifteen years. She’s also a super savvy businesswoman. And is always willing to share her wealth of experience and stories with creatives. Because she knows what it takes to […]
Learning the ropes: Tara Reed
I’m so excited to introduce a new interview series: learning the ropes. In it, I’ll be talking with creative entrepreneurs like you and discussing empowering and not-so-empowering experiences. They’ll be sharing a time when they learned the “legal” ropes in their business. Allowing you to learn the same lesson, without experiencing it. After each interview, […]
Knowing the why helps you stick to your contract policy
About two weeks ago Abby Glassenberg and I chatted about contracts and the fabric industry. In particular she was curious why some companies have a policy that they don’t sign written contracts. Every business has the right to set policies. And this extends to how they like to deal with contracts. Yes, it’s true that the […]
2 contracts that will secure the foundation of your creative business
the artist’s Courtyard Resource Create a Contract Course Get access to a course designed to help you finally ditch the annoying, selfish clients. By creating a contract that you (and your clients) love. Get the course If you’ve ever wondered who goes off into a corner and reads all the fine print in teeny tiny […]