CASE STUDIES
Need proof that what we do actually works?
We’re experts in the realm of creative business and we’ve helped thousands of individual and organisational clients solve the most puzzling business predicaments. From helping emerging practitioners start-up, through to managing multimillion-dollar government contracts, we’ve seen and solved just about every challenge imaginable with our pragmatic, empathetic and client-centred approach.
But, don’t take our word for it. We’ve collated a bunch of case studies to illustrate the impact our educational and advisory services have had on our clients. The proof is in the pudding.
Campbelltown Arts Centre – Business and Strategic Planning
Campbelltown Arts Centre is a cultural facility of Campbelltown City Council and creates a secure platform for communities and artists to take risks, challenge perceptions, confront issues and raise questions. In 2019 Mouna Zaylah, C-A-C Business Coordinator, asked Creative Plus Business to facilitate three business and strategic planning days with director Michael D’Agostino, curators, producers, facilitators and all staff – a feat never accomplished before. We worked with the leadership team at C-A-C to create interesting and engaging planning activities and presentations for all three...
Sydney Trains – Charrette and Business Plan Package
In late 2019 Blayney Shire Council engaged Creative Plus Business as consultants to create a finished business plan for the Platform project, a disused railway station and grounds in the town of Blayney that is owned by Sydney Trains. The goal is to turn the buildings and grounds into local community arts space. The Creative Plus Business Team approached the business planning process from multiple angles. We personally interviewed ten key individuals from the region, including Mayor Scott Ferguson, and conducted two community surveys online. We then facilitated a charrette with twenty...
Grafton Regional Gallery – Regional Development and Funding
Creative Plus Business was engaged by creative consultant Kenneth D. Crouch to provide a charrette as part of an overall business and strategic plan for Grafton Regional Gallery in 2017. The charrette was designed to engage with as many of the Gallery’s stakeholders as possible, to discuss the challenges of engaging the local community and government; marketing and promotion; discoverability; and revenue generation. The purpose of the plan was to provide a business case for further expansion of the Gallery, for submission to the Regional Cultural Fund and Office of Local Government. The...
Charles Sturt University – Educational Consultancy
In 2020 Dr James Farley engaged Creative Plus Business to help create an educational program for the School of Communication and Creative Industries at Charles Sturt University. Our focus was to help the University include both academic and practical elements into the program so that students could develop their own business plans and formulate realistic career trajectories on completion of their creative industries studies. The emphasis was on providing students with a clear understanding of the ‘real world’ of freelancing and the gig economy that they would be graduating into. We worked...
Screen Australia – Funding Program Consultancy
In 2018 and early 2019 Monica and the team worked with the Industry Development unit at Screen Australia to help create the revamped Enterprise Business Ideas and People programs. We analysed why some recipients of previous Enterprise funding had not successfully met program outcomes, and identified the issues that had contributed to the challenges they experienced. We then created a report that reviewed all documents, and provided suggestions for improvements, with the aim of maintaining the vision for the fund while enhancing the rigour of the application process. Many of our suggestions...
City of Sydney Creative Spaces – In-House Advisory Programs
The City of Sydney owns a number of properties that are suited to people working in creative industries, and offer short and long-term programs that provide affordable studios or workspaces to local creatives. In addition to subsidised rent, the City commissioned Creative Plus Business to offer advisory services to tenants in those spaces to help them build their creative businesses to the next stage of development. We have been working with the city since 2015 to help small to medium creative enterprises take the next step into business success. In that time we have facilitated all of our...
NSW Business Connect – Expert Advisory Services
Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help participants to start or grow a small business. Creative Plus Business provides confidential, independent business advice and skills training for small and medium businesses in creative industries across as part of the NSW Government’s Business Connect program. We were the only specialist providers working in creative industry in any of Australia’s government funded small business programs. Creative Plus Business has managed the contract from 2015, and provided advisory services and...
National Association of the Visual Arts – Bespoke Client Program
In 2009 Monica created an online training program for the National Association for the Visual Arts called Planning for Success: Marketing, Promotion and Grant Writing. The course was delivered over five weeks, and consisted of tutorials, practical exercises, and guest interviews with artist Ben Quilty and founder of Sculpture By The Sea, David Handley. Ten selected emerging artists participated, many of whom have become award-winning practitioners and are still Creative Plus Business advisory clients to this day. Despite the technological challenges of delivery, the course was a success. ...
Making It Possible – Workshop and Advisory Program Package
In 2018 and 2019 Creative Plus Business teamed with Women In Film and Television (WIFT) and Screenworks to deliver Making It Possible, a program specifically designed to address the needs of women returning to work in the screen industry after a career break due to caring responsibilities. The program was supported by funding from Women NSW, South Australian Film Corporation and Create NSW. Creative Plus Business created and facilitated a one day workshop that focussed on addressing the challenges faced by women re-entering the screen industry, followed by individual advisory services for...
Wide Angle Tasmania – Screen Entrepreneurs Package
Wide Angle Tasmania received funding from the Tasmanian Government to boost the entrepreneurial skills of their local freelance filmmakers. We put together a bespoke program for the organisation, which started with three weekend workshops at their Hobart base. The weekends covered business skills and planning, financial management and marketing, and were attended by over sixty selected participants. Feedback from the first weekend was so positive that a waiting list was needed for future workshops based on the huge demand for the education we provided. Due to the high demand, we also...
National Institute of Dramatic Arts – Bespoke Professional Training
In 2011 our director Monica delivered a guest lecture about freelancing to the graduating class of actors at Australia’s premier dramatic academy. Now, Monica and the team at Creative Plus Business write and deliver a sixteen part program of Professional Practice lectures. Our students are the graduating classes of the Acting, Costume, Design for Performance, Properties and Objects, Technical Theatre and Stage Management. The lectures cover all aspects of creative self-employment, including practical information about best small business practice and planning, marketing, finance, and more....
Cultural and Community Development Support
In 2017 the Creative Plus Business team was successful in a bid to work with Lismore City Council to facilitate a one-day Cultural Hub charrette. The Northern Rivers has the highest number of creative practitioners and businesses outside the capital cities, so the objective was to have all stakeholders agree on how Council could establish Lismore as the most significant regional Cultural Hub in Australia. Attendees at the charrette included representatives of Arts Northern Rivers, Northern Rivers Performing Arts, Lismore Chamber of Commerce, and The Honorary Ben Franklin MLC, NSW...