Events

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTS OUT WEST Government funding, grants, awards and procurement are often held up as the holy grail of a successful arts business, but this revenue stream also takes hard work and patience. After all, there’s no such thing as ‘free money’.Funding Guidelines for Creatives showcases the basics of writing, winning, and acquitting any kind of funding, as well as making plans and preparing for your funding future. In this down-to-earth workshop, participants will learn more about: + The different kinds of funding available;+ Creating a Funding Folder and Grant Calendar;+ Researching funding and considering applications;+ Writing the Proposal – and avoiding the common errors;+ The Acquittal Process – and how to recover from setbacks;+ The five main ways to ‘fail’ at funding. Resources, examples and templates will also be provided for a variety of funding applications. This workshop will be relaxed and informal. You can ask all the questions you have never been able to ask before and will have ample opportunity to network and get to know each other. Ideal for: This workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed in some capacity. It is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and […]

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTS OUT WESTFreelancing in the creative industries is a fact of life. Even curious hobbyists and serial employees will need to understand the basics – not to mention those who have chosen to freelance professionally in their craft. Freelance Skills for Creatives is a fast, funny and practical presentation specifically designed for creative practitioners with absolutely no business skills, to help them get the five most important elements of creative freelancing just right. Participants will learn more about:+ Setting goals and planning the self-employment journey;+ Understanding and handling money matters;+ The key to managing time better;+ The basic beginnings of marketing, and+ Fostering a cheer squad and juggling the realities of combining art and business.We’ll also share more resources and tax, superannuation, and business registration. All questions are welcome in this relaxed, safe and inclusive workshop. Participants are also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with their fellow practitioners. What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Freelance Five Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop;+ Access to additional free webinars to supplement the material covered in the workshop;+ […]

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MARIBYRNONG CITY COUNCIL Tax is a necessary pain and managing the annual and ongoing obligations as a creative means getting their financial house in order. It’s not fun, but a few simple tips and tricks (and a friendly face) can help. TAX TIME FOR CREATIVES covers the basics, and examines the intersection between individual tax, small business and the key creative tax rulings that dictate how creative practitioners need to interact with the tax department. The workshop takes a practical and friendly look at:+ Understanding what taxable income actually means;+ The key creative tax rulings – and how they apply;+ The test for working out hobby versus business, and why it matters;+ The basics of deductions;+ Easy tips and tricks for record-keeping, including cloud accounting;+ An introduction to the Groovy Accountants. Participants can also ask questions and get access to more resources and support. At the completion of the workshop you will have:+ Lifetime access to a Dropbox folder jam-packed with resources+ A workbook to help with the practical elements of the workshop+ The option of more one-to-one advice from a creative business specialist. All questions are welcome in this relaxed, safe and inclusive workshop. Participants are […]

CREATIVE COSTING, PRICING AND SHARING YOUR WORTH Working out what to charge for creative products and services can be a colossal challenge. Where to even start? Pricing for Creatives is a practical workshop that covers the basics of figuring out the price point for creative work, including calculating costs and understanding what the market can bear. Pricing for Creatives is vital for anyone struggling to understand the value of their own work, and how to share that value with others.   Participants will also discuss the larger issues of:+ Understanding budgets, including the value of time;+ The psychology of pricing;+ Where cost and price overlap and intersect;+ Understanding the marketplace (and market research); + Creating loss leaders and more. What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Pricing for Creatives Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop;+ Access to additional free webinars to supplement the material covered in the workshop;+ The possibility of further one-to-one business advice, mentoring and support from one of our creative industries business specialist advisors.All questions are welcome in this relaxed, safe and inclusive workshop. Participants are also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with […]

Government funding, grants, awards and procurement are often held up as the holy grail of a successful arts business, but this revenue stream also takes hard work and patience. After all, there’s no such thing as ‘free money’.Funding Guidelines for Creatives showcases the basics of writing, winning, and acquitting any kind of funding, as well as making plans and preparing for your funding future. In this down-to-earth workshop, participants will learn more about: + The different kinds of funding available;+ Creating a Funding Folder and Grant Calendar;+ Researching funding and considering applications;+ Writing the Proposal – and avoiding the common errors;+ The Acquittal Process – and how to recover from setbacks;+ The five main ways to ‘fail’ at funding. Resources, examples and templates will also be provided for a variety of funding applications. This workshop will be relaxed and informal. You can ask all the questions you have never been able to ask before and will have ample opportunity to network and get to know each other. Ideal for: This workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed in some capacity. It is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and small arts organisations. What do I […]

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INNER WEST CREATIVE NETWORK Marketing is one of the most despised and least understood aspects of running a creative business and being an arts entrepreneur. Most creatives hate to sell, and would rather be making than hustling. There is a simple secret to making marketing more palatable – understanding the strategy behind the sales will make a huge impact on your creative career. This down-to-earth and enjoyable workshop explores the mystery behind the marketing magic, specifically for creative professionals. We’ll also examine:+ The key elements of a successful marketing campaign;+ How to understand clients, customer and competitors;+ The deeper meaning of word-of-mouth marketing;+ The importance of social media;+ How to make a website with impact … and much more! Our Beginner’s Guide to Marketing workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed, from students and start-ups to experienced freelancers and arts organisations. What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Creative’s Guide to Marketing dropbox folder full of additional resources and help;+ Access to a dedicated webpage full of links and resources to help them get ahead in their creative business. Who should enrol?This […]

PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIVE AND LOCAL The starving artist is a pervasive idea, and in reality many creative people struggle in self-employment because money is a constant battle. This isn’t always just due to lack of funds. Creative practitioners sometimes need the basics of business money and financial literacy explained in a way that is easy to understand. This workshop helps to bridge that gap in financial literacy with an entertaining and real-world discussion of money that makes sense to the artistic brain. The most common financial questions that creatives have are answered, including:+ How do I weather the ups and downs of creative income?+ Do I have to keep working for free?+ What should I charge? How do I work that out?+ What’s the deal with cash flow and budgets?+ How do I invoice? How do I enforce an invoice?+ What’s the deal with tax, and what is cloud accounting?+ Where can I go for more help? This workshop will be relaxed and informal. You can ask all the questions you have never been able to ask before and will have ample opportunity to network and get to know each other. Ideal for: This workshop is tailored specifically to […]

PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIVE AND LOCAL Tax is a necessary pain and managing the annual and ongoing obligations as a creative means getting their financial house in order. It’s not fun, but a few simple tips and tricks (and a friendly face) can help. TAX TIME FOR CREATIVES covers the basics, and examines the intersection between individual tax, small business and the key creative tax rulings that dictate how creative practitioners need to interact with the tax department. The workshop takes a practical and friendly look at:+ Understanding what taxable income actually means;+ The key creative tax rulings – and how they apply;+ The test for working out hobby versus business, and why it matters;+ The basics of deductions;+ Easy tips and tricks for record-keeping, including cloud accounting;+ An introduction to the Groovy Accountants. Participants can also ask questions and get access to more resources and support. At the completion of the workshop you will have:+ Lifetime access to a Dropbox folder jam-packed with resources+ A workbook to help with the practical elements of the workshop+ The option of more one-to-one advice from a creative business specialist. All questions are welcome in this relaxed, safe and inclusive workshop. Participants […]

THE BASICS OF STARTING AN ONLINE STORE Selling online and using e-commerce can be overwhelming at first, especially for creatives – where to begin? This beginner’s course is ideal for any creatives who have products or services ready to sell, but no idea how to get their online sales set up. With a focus on the arts and creative industries, this workshop will cover:+ The pros and cons of selling online+ Preparing for the basics – bank accounts, cloud accounting and stock management+ Choosing an eCommerce model+ Understanding the Customer Experience+ The legal checklist+ Marketing your Online Store… and more! At the completion of the workshop you will have:+ Lifetime access to a Dropbox folder jam-packed with resources+ A One-Page Creative Business and Marketing Plan+ The option of more one-to-one advice from a creative business specialist. All questions are welcome in this relaxed, safe and inclusive webinar. Participants are also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with their fellow practitioners. Who is presenting?Lillie Brown is a freelance marketing strategist and Marketing Manager of Creative Plus Business. Lillie works with small to medium creative businesses to devise and implement marketing and social media strategies that are easy for creative […]