There’s a surprising amount of help and support out there for those of us who are creative and self-employed. Scroll down to find government and small business support, as well as representative creative organisations and website. Find your cheerleaders and make your creative business life easier!
Australian Government Support
NSW Business Connect – www.industry.nsw.gov.au/businessconnect
Business Connect (formerly Small Biz Connect) is a quality, personalised business advisory service, funded by the NSW Government, that supports small-to-medium businesses start or grow their business successfully.
Creative Plus Business are the specialist creative industries advisors for the program!
BUSINESS.gov.au – www.business.gov.au
business.gov.au offers simple and convenient access to all the government information, forms and services needed for businesses big and small. It’s a whole-of-government service providing essential information on planning, starting and growing your business. Telephone number: 13 28 46.
Business Victoria – www.business.vic.gov.au
Business Queensland – www.business.qld.gov.au
ACT Innovate Canberra – www.business.act.gov.au
SA Department of State Development – www.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au
NT Business and Industry – nt.gov.au/industry
WA Small Business Development Corporation – www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au
Australian Business Help
Australian Business Register – abr.gov.au
The place to go for your ABN – a unique number that allows a business to identify itself to government and other businesses.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission – www.asic.gov.au
ASIC is Australia’s corporate, markets and financial services regulator. Visit ASIC Connect for business and company name registration and information.
Australian Business Licence and Information Service – ablis.business.gov.au
ABLIS search will guide you through a series of questions and answers to find the compliance and support information you need to start, run or grow your business.
New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) – employment.gov.au/new-enterprise-incentive-scheme-neis
Job seekers interested in starting and running a small business may be able to get practical small business training, business mentoring and financial assistance from the Australian Government.
Home Based Business – www.business.gov.au/home-based-business
Nearly one million people†are running a business†from home. If you’re thinking of doing the same, or already stared, check here for information about government requirements that apply to you.
Register Your Business
Even the smallest and most freelance creative business needs to register itself with the appropriate government body. Let’s take a tour of exciting business registration websites in five chosen regions.
AUSTRALIA: You’ll need an Australian Business Number (ABN). It’s free, and relatively simple to get from the Australian Business Register. If you’ve started a company, you’ll also need an Australian Company Number (ACN) and a Tax File Number (TFN). You can find out more at abr.gov.au and register.business.gov.au
NEW ZEALAND: You’ll need a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), which is free, and relatively simple to get from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. You’ll also need to get a RealMe login and an IRD number from Inland Revenue for your taxes. You can find out more at www.nzbn.govt.nz
CANADA: You’ll need to register your businesses with the province and territory where you plan to conduct your commercial activities. In some cases, sole proprietorships operating under the name of the business owner do not need to register. Your business may also need a federal business number and related tax accounts.
You can find out more at www.canada.ca/en/services/businessl
UK: As a sole trader, you’ll need a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and to file a tax return each year. Partnerships need to register, and the nominated partner’ must apply for Self Assessment, with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Companies also need to register with HM Revenue & Customs. You can find out more at www.gov.uk/set-up-business
USA: United States, all business structures are subject to state laws regarding registration and licensing, which are similar but vary from state to state. All the states are different, some are more “business-friendly” or “international-friendly” than others, so get appropriate advice. You might also need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) if your principal business is located in the United States or U.S. Territories. You can find out more at www.sba.gov
Creative Business Support
Creative Partnerships Australia – www.creativepartnershipsaustralia.org.au
Creative Partnerships Australia is the amalgamation of the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) and Artsupport Australia. It’s a ‘one-stop-shop’ to promote, encourage and facilitate business, philanthropic and donor support for the arts.
Creative Enterprise Australia – creativeenterprise.com.au
QUT Creative Enterprise Australia helps to develop, grow and establish creative businesses and are proud to be Australia’s only dedicated creative industries incubator.
Flying Solo – www.flyingsolo.com.au
Home to a thriving community of over 55,000 solo and micro businesses, Flying Solo is a source of information, advice and inspiration for Australian business owners.
The Loop – www.theloop.com.au
Australia’s largest community of creative professionals.Promote yourself with a portfolio and personal URL, search for jobs, and literally stay in the loop with other people & companies that interest you.
Creative Spaces – www.creativespaces.net.au
Creative Spaces offers you an easy way of finding a studio, office, co-working space or more in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with more spaces and cities to come.
The Writer’s Guide to Making a Digital Living – www.australiacouncil.gov.au/writersguide
The Writer’s Guide explores the craft and business of writing in the digital era, and includes case studies, audio and video content from seminars and workshops, as well as extensive references to resources in Australia and beyond.
Australian Design Unit – www.australiandesignunit.com
Part magazine, part bulletin, part business resource, ADU is a publication and archive about design and creativity that features awesome resources and a truly fabulous tool kit.
Creative Business – www.creativebusiness.com
A website, newsletter and resource service devoted to the business side of creative services–graphic design, interactive, advertising, editorial, and marketing.
The Business of Being Creative – www.thebusinessofbeingcreative.com
Everyone should be creative. Whatever your art is, it should invigorate you and bring you joy. And if it happens to be your business, it should bring you the money you need to keep being creative. This website provides practical business advice to those in the business of being creative.
Right Brain Business Plans – www.rightbrainbusinessplan.com
A fun website that shows creatives how to make a fun, creative “visual map for success”.
Not-For-Profit Support
Our Community – www.ourcommunity.com.au
Our Community is Australia’s Centre for Excellence for the nation’s 600,000 not-for-profits & schools, providing advice, tools, resources and training.
Not-for-Profit Law – www.nfplaw.org.au
Not-for-profit Law ‘helps the helpers’ by providing tailored legal information, advice and training to not-for-profit community organisations.