ONLINE: Social Media for Creatives
2021-03-03 18:00 - 20:00 (Australia/Sydney)
DOES SOCIAL MEDIA HURT YOUR BRAIN?

Social media is a complex and challenging marketing tool for a lot of creatives, who find it hard to strike the balance between constantly talking about themselves and ignoring the platforms entirely! This friendly and up-to-date workshop covers the basics of how to kickstart marketing using social media, with a focus on the main tools at your disposal and the strategy behind the socials.

We’ll also cover:+ Understanding your Brand online+ Understanding your Tribe+ Choosing the right platform for your clients+ Tips and tricks on staying up to date … and much more!

What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Printed materials to help in class;+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Social Media for Creatives dropbox folder full of additional resources and help;+ Access to a website full of links and resources to help you get ahead in their creative business.You also get free advice! All NSW participants are entitled to 4 x 1-hour CHAT sessions, with a creative industries business advisor, 100% subsidised by Business Connect and therefore at no cost to you (no, there’s no catch!).

Who should enrol?This workshop is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and anyone struggling with the business aspects of their creativity.

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 brains to digest. She walks clients through a comprehensive planning process to create simple to understand and actionable strategies to help them fulfil their vision – including Creative Plus Business!

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business. Creative Plus Business provides confidential, independent business advice and skills training for small and medium creative businesses across NSW as part of the NSW Government’s Business Connect program.

What’s Creative Plus Business?We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

This workshop will take place on Zoom. You will receive the Zoom link in an email from Creative Plus Business prior to the workshop. Note: this workshop will not be recorded.

This workshop is sponsored by NSW Business Connect, a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted independent business advice and events to help you start, run, adapt or grow your small business.

ONLINE: What's it Worth?
2021-03-02 18:00 - 20:00
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? What’s It Worth 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. What’s It Worth 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 What’s it Worth? Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop is over;+ 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 their fellow practitioners.

Ideal For: Creative freelancers, established practitioners, arts organisations.

Who is presenting? Business advisor and creative industries expert Monica Davidson from the Creative Plus Business Group. Monica is a writer and filmmaker by trade who learned how to run a successful creative business and now shares that knowledge with others. In her workshops Monica discusses her own experiences, and shares examples from the 900-plus people she has mentored through the process of starting and building their creative businesses.

What’s Creative Plus Business? We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

This workshop will take place on Zoom. You will receive the Zoom link in an email from Creative Plus Business prior to the workshop. Note: this workshop will not be recorded.

ONLINE: LinkedIn for Creatives
2021-02-24 18:00 - 20:00
LINKEDIN IS NOT FOR CREATIVES…Actually, that’s where you’re wrong. LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for creatives but it does take a little bit of manipulation to make it work for you – and help you connect to potential clients and customers! In this interactive online workshop, creative practitioners can learn as a group about how to make the most of LinkedIn for their career.

We’ll work together to: + Finish your summary and experiences;+ Add media and info to your categories;+ Learn what makes a great photo and banner;+ Use a format for previous work that’s ideal for creative workers and freelancers;+ Discuss the strategy: posting, blogging and more. Come and join us for some light learning, a virtual glass of wine and the opportunity to work together get to know each other. You’ll also get to work together in a practical way on your own LinkedIn profile with the help of a professional!

What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive: + Hands-on help with their LinkedIn profile and + Additional resources, including a workbook and an additional free webinar to remind them of key points. You also get free advice! All NSW participants are entitled to 4 x 1-hour CHAT sessions, with a creative industries business advisor, 100% subsidised by Business Connect and therefore at no cost to you (no, there’s no catch!).

Who should enrol? This workshop is ideal for creative professionals who know they need to be ‘better’ at LinkedIn, but have no idea how to start.

Who is presenting? Award-winning creative industries expert Monica Davidson, a writer and filmmaker by trade who founded the Creative Plus Business Group in 2016. Monica is a skilled facilitator who has helped literally thousands of creative practitioners through the process of starting and building their creative businesses.

What’s Creative Plus Business?We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

This workshop will take place on Zoom. You will receive the Zoom link in an email from Creative Plus Business prior to the workshop. Note: this workshop will not be recorded.

WAGGA: What's It Worth?
2021-02-17 13:00 - 15:00
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? What’s It Worth 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. What’s It Worth 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 What’s it Worth? Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop is over;+ 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 their fellow practitioners.

Ideal For: Creative freelancers, established practitioners, arts organisations.

Who is presenting? Business advisor and creative industries expert Monica Davidson from the Creative Plus Business Group. Monica is a writer and filmmaker by trade who learned how to run a successful creative business and now shares that knowledge with others. In her workshops Monica discusses her own experiences, and shares examples from the 900-plus people she has mentored through the process of starting and building their creative businesses.

What’s Creative Plus Business? We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

Location: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way off, Tarcutta St, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

WAGGA: Diversify Your Creative Income
2021-02-17 10:00 - 12:00
HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU THINK OF TO MAKE MONEY?

Creative businesses often need help to brainstorm all the possible ways to diversify their income streams (especially now!) and become more financially sustainable. Diversify Your Creative Income is an interactive online workshop that allows participants to discuss the various general ways that creatives can make money (including services, goods and passive income), and includes practical exercises to help brainstorm those ideas.

This workshop examines:+ Identifying your Core and Complementary Skills;+ The Minimum Viable Offering;+ Using a Skills Audit to inspire ideas;+ How to identify a ‘good’ idea;+ Helpful resources and more!

What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Diversify Your Creative Income 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 workshop is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and anyone struggling with time, work and creativity. It’s also relevant no matter what your profession – filmmakers, writers, designers, visual artists, musicians, composers, dancers, performers – everyone can benefit from a quick introduction or refresher to the basics of time management and setting goals.

Who is presenting?Wendi Lanham is an actor, presenter, model, and the Business Manager of Creative Plus Business. She has a wealth of experience combining business and creative practice and is well-versed in the myriad ways artists can make money in order to weather the famine and feast of creative income more effectively.

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business. Creative Plus Business provides confidential, independent business advice and skills training for small and medium creative businesses across NSW as part of the NSW Government’s Business Connect program.

What’s Creative Plus Business?We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

Location: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way off, Tarcutta St, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

This workshop is sponsored by NSW Business Connect, a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted independent business advice and events to help you start, run, adapt or grow your small business.

ONLINE: Beginner's Guide to Marketing
2021-02-17 10:00 - 12:00
HATE SELLING? TRY STRATEGY INSTEAD.

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!

What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Beginners 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 workshop is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and anyone struggling with the marketing of their creative practice.

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 brains to digest. She walks clients through a comprehensive planning process to create simple to understand and actionable strategies to help them fulfil their vision – including Creative Plus Business!

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business. Creative Plus Business provides confidential, independent business advice and skills training for small and medium creative businesses across NSW as part of the NSW Government’s Business Connect program.

What’s Creative Plus Business?We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

This workshop will take place on Zoom. You will receive the Zoom link in an email from Creative Plus Business prior to the workshop. Note: this workshop will not be recorded.

This workshop is sponsored by NSW Business Connect, a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted independent business advice and events to help you start, run, adapt or grow your small business.

ONLINE: Money is NOT a Dirty Word
2021-02-09 18:00 - 20:00
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 online 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 online 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 get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Printed materials to help during the workshop;+ Lifetime access to a dedicated MONEY dropbox folder full of additional resources and help;+ Access to a web page full of links and resources to help you get ahead in their creative business.

Who is presenting?Monica Davidson is an award-winning expert on the creative industries, who began her professional life as a freelance journalist and filmmaker. In 2014 Monica completed her Masters degree in Screen Arts and Business at AFTRS, and was appointed as the first NSW Creative Industries Business Advisor by the Department of Industry. Shortly after she founded the social enterprise Creative Plus Business, which is dedicated to educating creative people about small business and marketing skills. In 2019, Monica was awarded the QUT Creative Enterprise Australia award for being a Creative Trailblazer that “advocates, mentors, donates, educates and advises within Australia’s creative economy”. Monica continues to work as a writer, filmmaker and occasional performer.

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business. Creative Plus Business provides confidential, independent business advice and skills training for small and medium creative businesses across NSW as part of the NSW Government’s Business Connect program.

What’s Creative Plus Business?We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

This workshop will take place on Zoom. You will receive the Zoom link in an email from Creative Plus Business prior to the workshop.

This workshop is sponsored by NSW Business Connect, a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted independent business advice and events to help you start, run, adapt or grow your small business.

Start-Up Success (Auslan Interpreted)
2021-02-02 18:00 - 20:00
Be creative. Make money. Love your work.

Start-Up Success is a panel webinar featuring five successful creative business practitioners who have been through the ups, downs, good and bad of starting out. Rosie Lourde, Pauline Clague, Nick Bolton, Carl Sciberras and Robyn Saurine have all started their own businesses in the creative sector and now work as Business Connect advisors. In this panel, they will share their own stories and offer advice and guidance to participants who want to know more about the basics, with a particular view on the creative industries, and how to manage a start-up in a post-COVID world.

This webinar will be facilitated by award-winning creative industries expert Monica Davidson.

What’s Included? A two-hour webinar with our creative industries experts (which you can access later if you want), plus lifetime access to additional resources on our website containing more resources to support your learning.

Who should sign up? Creative and arts practitioners, freelancers, start-ups, students and arts entrepreneurs from beginners to established (International sign-ups welcome!). We also welcome curious hobbyists and people from outside the arts.

Who’s the host? Business advisor and creative industries expert Monica Davidson from the Creative Plus Business Group. Monica is a writer and filmmaker by trade who learned how to run a successful creative business and now shares that knowledge with others. In her workshops Monica discusses her own experiences, and shares examples from the 900-plus people she has mentored through the process of starting and building their creative businesses.

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business. Creative Plus Business provides confidential, independent business advice and skills training for small and medium creative businesses across NSW as part of the NSW Government’s Business Connect program.

What’s Creative Plus Business? We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: This webinar will be Auslan interpreted.

This workshop will take place on Crowdcast. You will receive the Crowdcast link in an email from Creative Plus Business after you have registered through Business Connect via the link below.

This webinar is sponsored by NSW Business Connect, a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted independent business advice and events to help you start, run, adapt or grow your small business.

Five Tips for Freelance Creatives
2021-01-29 10:00 - 12:00
FREELANCING IS TRICKY – AND INEVITABLE

Freelancing 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. Five Tips for Freelance 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.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ lifetime access to a dedicated Five Tips for Freelance Creatives Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop is over;+ 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 their fellow practitioners.

Ideal For: Creative practitioners at every level, from students to professionals.

Who is presenting?Business advisor and creative industries expert Monica Davidson from Creative Plus Business. Monica is a writer and filmmaker by trade who learned how to run a successful creative business and now shares that knowledge with others. In her workshops Monica discusses her own experiences, and shares examples from the thousands of people that she has mentored through the process of starting and building their creative businesses in the last twenty years.

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start or grow your small business. Creative Plus Business provides confidential, independent business advice and skills training for small and medium creative businesses across NSW as part of the NSW Government’s Business Connect program.

What’s Creative Plus Business?We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.

Accessibility: if you have any access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com

This workshop will take place on Zoom. You will receive the Zoom link in an email from Creative Plus Business prior to the workshop.

This workshop is sponsored by NSW Business Connect, a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted independent business advice and events to help you start, run, adapt or grow your small business.
