There's something to be said for the people who trade up doodling in the margins for big, bold strokes across the belly of the beast. And there's something even more to be said for the ones who encourage others to do the same. If we're to take co-founders, Vijay Nair of
, word(s) for it, The Coalition is all about 'putting the creative industry on steroids.'
As Nair asserted,"It's an ecosystem thing. We need loads of businesses in this space and it may sound counterintuitive but i've learned from experience that it's better to have more competition than it is to have none." Considering the man's spent years quite literally turning a unicorn industry into something tangible (not to mention something that hundreds of others now have the opportunity to be a part of) we're inclined to believe he and Laura might just be the best people to give all the current future creative entrepreneurs in this country fair advice.
India's in a fairly unique space as far as these industries are concerned so if you're still stumbling through the trenches like the rest of us, perhaps their five tips each will prove to be all the ammunition you need to break down the barricades.
Screen-Shot-2014-02-25-at-4.36Laura Quinn's 5 Tips: 1. Get financially aware. Hire a good CA who can explain the ins and outs of how your finances work so that you can make sound business decisions. It takes time to learn but it’s the foundation of running a successful business. 2. Protect your reputation. Your work and reputation are your business’s most important assets. Don’t take on bad projects just for the money, and never compromise on the quality of your creative output because of time, clients, money or anything else. 3. Understand IP and think long-term. Working for fee payments is a short-term strategy, to build a strong business you need to own IP, products and creative properties. So think long-term about how your business will build revenue years from now, then structure your business and contracts around that. 4. Act big. Just because you’re a small business you don’t need to act like one. Present big ideas, be ground-breaking, speak like an expert, behave like a professional - your clients and customers will look at you differently for it. 5. Connect with the community. India has an incredible young, creative community that represents the future of the industry . Working together is a great way to build the ecosystem and get new business. So get connected with other creative companies, be collaborative, and give your support generously – it will all come back to you in time. You can read our profiling of 12 young Mumbai-based creative entrepreneurs for The Coalition, right here.