The Business-Focused Witch

Although a lot of my readers assume I spend all of my time blogging, writing books, and generally cavorting around doing fun magically-delicious things, the fact is I spent a good fifty hours a week in the corporate world. My early career was spent in retail management as well as medical office administration, but about eleven years ago I found an opportunity to move into the business-to-business sphere, and I’ve never looked back. Since I spend so much of my time immersed in general business practices, processes, and principles, as you can probably imagine, sometimes this spills over into my magical life.

While we typically perceive witchcraft as this mysterious, ethereal practice, I’ve found my magic can often benefit from modern business principles. Believe it or not, by integrating strategic planning, efficient resource management, marketing, and continuous improvement into our craft, we can enhance our practice in so many ways – including achieving our goals more efficiently. If you’ve read my Witches’ Complete Guide to Tarot, you’ve already seen this in action, with the use of a SWOT analysis for a Tarot spread.

Strategic Planning

In business, setting clear goals and creating action plans are fundamental. Just as companies outline their long-term goals, you can design vision boards to map out your desired outcomes. For example, if you wanted to improve your health, you might include images and symbols representing vitality, strength, and well-being on your board. This helps to align your magical intention and purpose with concrete goals. Years ago, when I first began writing my own spells and rituals – as opposed to using someone else’s that I’d found in a book – I discovered the magic of flow charts. By using a simple flow chart, I was able to map out the steps I needed to take to manifest my magical goal – complete with “if this, then that” and “did I do this? yes/no” squares. Might sound silly, but it provided me with a way to consider all potential possibilities before I actually got started – and pre-planning is one of the best ways to ensure success.

Efficient Resource Management

Businesses thrive on efficient resource management, ensuring they have the right supplies at the right time without overstocking, the right people on hand to deliver a project, and the appropriate amount of money available to pay for improvements. Think about adopting similar principles by maintaining an inventory of your magical supplies – for instance, keeping track of herbs, crystals, candles, and other materials prevents waste and ensures you always have what you need for their rituals. Using tools like spreadsheets or apps can help manage inventory effectively, just as businesses do with their stock. Are you planning a ritual or some sort of event that requires additional people? Figure out who has what skills, and who brings what to the table – if you’ve got someone in your circle who loves to call the quarters at ritual because they’re good at it, let them take on that responsibility. Is there a specific magical item you’d like to have that’s a bit out of your price range? Make a budget and determine how you can afford it – what other items can you do without, in favor of this one thing you really want?

Continuous Improvement

The most successful businesses adopt a mindset of continuous improvement, constantly seeking ways to innovate and stay competitive. Personally, I’ve tried to adopt this mindset for myself by constantly working at updating my skills and knowledge. For you, this might involve studying new magical traditions, attending workshops, or experimenting with different techniques. For instance, if you primarily practice candle magic, maybe it’s time to broaden your horizons and learn about sigil crafting to expand your repertoire. If you get a chance to sit in on a lecture or workshop with someone whose practice is vastly different than your own, do it – you may hear something that completely blows your mind! I’ve been practicing for over thirty-five years, and I’m still learning new stuff, because I’m smart enough to know that I don’t know everything, and can always be better.

If you’re someone who’s considering offering magical services as a side hustle or even a full time gig – whether it’s readings, blogging, video classes, books, etc. – there are a few additional things to keep in mind:

Marketing and Branding

In today’s digital age, personal branding is crucial for businesses and individuals alike. If you’re going to create a personal brand, you’ll want to establish a unique identity that reflects your values, style, and expertise. This goes beyond designing a logo, creating a professional website, and maintaining a consistent presence on social media. It’s about who you are, how you engage with your clients, community, and the general public. Do you want to be known as fun and friendly? Serious and academic? What image do you want to present? Figure it out, and build it – most importantly, be authentic.

Networking and Collaboration

Networking is a cornerstone of business success, because connections and collaborations drive growth. You might be someone who benefits from forming covens or alliances with like-minded practitioners to share knowledge, resources, and support, much like business networks. Or maybe you prefer to work solo most of the time, but you’d like to work with other members of the community for support occasionally. Either way, having other people to support you goes both ways – you support them as well. And trust me, this isn’t a case of “Oh, it’s WHO you know and not WHAT you know.” Far from it. It’s about forging meaningful relationships with others so that everyone benefits.

Financial Management

Want to monetize your craft? Great – sound financial management is essential for any business, and it should be for you too. Adopt principles like budgeting, pricing strategies, and financial planning. Offering services such as tarot readings, spell crafting, or astrology consultations can generate income, yes… but setting fair prices, keeping track of expenses, and reinvesting profits into your practice makes it more sustainable for the future.