WOLLONGONG: How to Start a Creative Business
2022-03-11 10:00 - 12:00 (Australia/Sydney)
LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

Curious about turning your creative practice into a fully-fledged small business? This fun and friendly workshop will cover all the essentials you’ll need to get the basics right and avoid some of the most common pitfalls for creatives as they enter the world of self-employment and freelancing.

You will learn all the following, with a focus on the arts and creative industries :+ Making a plan for your start-up journey+ Understanding ABNs, structures, business names and licences+ Getting ready for the money+ Preparing for the market+ Where to go for more (free) help.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a Dropbox folder jam-packed with resources+ A Creative Business Start-Up Checklist+ 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 workshop. Participants are also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with their fellow practitioners.

Who is presenting?Business advisor and creative industries expert Jess Milne from the Creative Plus Business Group. Jess is the co-founder and Artistic Director of content production company TEN ALPHAS. She has extensive media, strategy and hands-on filmmaking experience. She has held key creative positions with Cutting Edge, Defence, Mazda Australia and The Australian Communications and Media Authority and lectured in design/animation at The Queensland College of Art.

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start, run, adapt 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

Venue: Innovation Campus — University of Wollongong, Squires Way, North Wollongong NSW 2500

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: Five Tips for Freelance Creatives
2022-03-10 18:00 - 20:00
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. 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;+ The possibility of further one-to-one business advice, mentoring and support from one of our creative industries business specialist advisors.

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

Who is presenting?Business advisor and creative industries expert Andrew Gray from Creative Plus Business. Andrew has decades of experience in the creative and cultural industries, including as the Executive Director for regional arts development organisation South East Arts. Prior to that, Andrew worked in education and public programs for institutions such as the National Film and Sound Archive. Andrew has a broad understanding of a range of creative industry practices, and is an occasional musician, performing with The Jonathan Richman Experience and The Novellas.

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?
2022-03-09 10:00 - 12:00
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;+ 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? 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’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.

WEBINAR: Expert Panel — Work Smarter, Not Harder
2022-03-07 18:00 - 19:30
Finding ways to work ON your business, as well as IN your business can be hard. In this expert webinar, we talk to Debbie Englin of “The Productivity Hub” to discuss the importance of implementing efficient systems and processes into your business, effective business management, and attaining growth.Debbie loves systems and processes, but she also understands how difficult it can be to implement the right methods. What apps should we choose and why? What is going to give you the best ROI? Debbie will share insights, strategies, and free and low-cost resources, to transform your creative business into a smooth-running operation.What’s Included?A 90-minute 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 are our hosts with the most? 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 she loves a good process!

Debbie Englin is the mastermind behind the Productivity Hub. Her passion is teaching small businesses how to run their day-to-day tasks in the most efficient way possible, thereby allowing them more time to become their most brilliant selves!

What’s 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.

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

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

ONLINE: Understanding Branding
2022-03-03 18:00 - 20:00, 2021-10-28 18:00 - 20:00
HOW TO LAY THE FOUNDATIONS OF A COMPELLING BRAND

Branding can be a tricky concept to comprehend and many creative freelancers and arts organisations don’t understand how to make it work. In a marketplace full of mixed marketing messages, a compelling brand can help a creative practitioner or organisation stand out from the crowd. Creatives who make the most of their branding can build a loyal community of clients and customers that are engaged and interested, willing to spend money, and happy to spread the word.

In this down-to-earth workshop, participants will learn about:+ The basic concepts of branding, and why it’s so important;+ Personal and professional branding, and how it applies to creative practitioners;+ The ingredients that make a compelling brand;+ Practical steps to help participants bring their branding A-Game

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Understanding Branding 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?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. Lillie has been the Marketing Manager of Creative Plus Business since 2018, and is invaluable in helping build our social enterprise to a national scale!

What is 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: Talking About... Your Website!
2022-03-01 18:00 - 20:00
WE KNOW WE NEED ONE – BUT WHERE TO START?

A website is so much more than a passive online portfolio display. It can be a centralised place to showcase services, a marketing tool to share stories, and an educational platform to help clients understand your craft. Talking About.. Your Website is a practical and comprehensive workshop that examines the best ways for creatives to present their websites, with real-life examples of best practice, and helpful resources for DIY design.

Tips that will be shared include:+ Why? Outlining the goals for your website;+ Making a Site Map and organising the content;+ Do It Yourself or Hire a Designer? The pros and cons of each;+ Choosing the best platform for a DIY website;+ Thinking SHOP not GALLERY.Resources and links will be shared throughout the workshop to help guide participants.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Talking About.. Your Website 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 and businesses, arts professionals, creative organisations.

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’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: How to Start a Creative Business
2022-02-24 18:00 - 20:00
LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

Curious about turning your creative practice into a fully-fledged small business? This fun and friendly workshop will cover all the essentials you’ll need to get the basics right and avoid some of the most common pitfalls for creatives as they enter the world of self-employment and freelancing.

You will learn all the following, with a focus on the arts and creative industries :+ Making a plan for your start-up journey+ Understanding ABNs, structures, business names and licences+ Getting ready for the money+ Preparing for the market+ Where to go for more (free) help.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a Dropbox folder jam-packed with resources+ A Creative Business Start-Up Checklist+ 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 workshop. Participants are also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with their fellow practitioners.

Who’s presenting?Ann Niddrie balances creativity with a love for data and strategy. From early beginnings as a photographer she expanded her skills into online marketing and producing and directing public art projects. More recently she has worked in creative industry development and is a passionate advocate for investment in creative industries.

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start, run, adapt 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 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.

Attending this event will consolidate your thinking about starting a creative business in NSW. You’ll then be eligible to book an advisory session to test your business idea.

WEBINAR: From Little Things
2022-02-22 18:30 - 20:00
Loads of arts and creative not-for-profit organisations are volunteer run and led, especially in the regions. This webinar is a practical panel discussion and a real-world look at a few volunteer NFPs and how they have grown in terms of funding, diversification of income, and management. We’ll discuss the nitty gritty of how to:

+ Find and motivate volunteers;+ Diversify income and survive beyond funding;+ Build a succession plan for the future;+ Work with the board.We’ve teamed up with C+B Advisor and NFP expert Andrew Gray, who also happens to be the Executive Director of South East Arts, as well as David Hewitt from Stonewave Taiko and Donna Ballard from Wingham Acoustic Music Festival.

Ideal for: Anyone working with or for an arts and creative not-for-profit, and keen beans hoping to get one started.

Who’s hosting?Business advisor and creative industries expert Monica Davidson (director and doyenne of Creative Plus Business) 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.

Andrew Gray has decades of experience in the creative and cultural industries, including as the Executive Director for regional arts development organisation South East Arts. Prior to that, Andrew worked in education and public programs for institutions such as the National Film and Sound Archive. Andrew has a broad understanding of a range of creative industry practices, and is an occasional musician, performing with The Jonathan Richman Experience and The Novellas.

David Hewitt is an internationally renowned percussionist, vocalist, composer improviser, educator and a multi-disciplinary performer who received his training in Australia, Japan, and the USA. David has composed for concert, film, theatre, TV, and radio broadcast, and is a co-creator of the category-defying outfit ‘The Spaghetti Western Orchestra.’ He has taught at Victorian College of the Arts, Macquarie University Queensland and Newcastle Conservatoriums, and the University of Western Sydney. Based in the Bega Valley, David is currently director of Create and Inspire: Four Winds and the artistic director of Stonewave Taiko.

Donna Ballard was born and raised in the MidCoast area of NSW, and she kicked off her creative career working with Edstein Creative Stone. Donna has managed a disability support organisation, About Inclusion, and was appointed CEO of Taree Universities Campus in 2020. In the community part of her life, Donna volunteers in a number of community groups, the highlight being the Wingham Akoostik Music Festival. Every year since then, she has been strongly committed to growing, not only her audience, but the sustainability and capacity of the event, and developing the volunteer organisation that bring it to life.

What’s Creative Plus Business? We’re a certified social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help by 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.

ONLINE: Social Media for Creatives
2022-02-17 18:00 - 20:00, 2021-11-10 18:00 - 20:00
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.

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. Lillie has been the Marketing Manager of Creative Plus Business since 2018, and is invaluable in helping build our social enterprise to a national scale!

What is 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.

WEBINAR: Expert Panel — Humanise Your Brand
2022-02-16 18:00 - 19:30
Branding is one of the most powerful assets your business has, but gone are the days of impersonal content and messaging. To build an engaged and loyal audience, you must humanise your brand. To put it simply, humanising your brand means being personable and relatable across your marketing messaging and cultivating memorable and meaningful connections with your target audience, rather than going for the hard sell. AKA, acting like a human. At the end of the day, people do business with brands they trust and the simplest way to do this is to communicate with your audience like they’re right in front of you.In this conversation-style webinar, Marketing Manager Lillie Brown will be joined by Mia Fileman of Campaign Del Mar to explore ideas and strategies for small businesses and freelancers to humanise their marketing and craft a standout brand personality.What’s Included?A 90-minute 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 are our hosts with the most? 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!

Mia Fileman is a professional marketer with 21 years of experience as a Brand Manager, Agency Director and Creative Strategist. She’s the Founder of Campaign Del Mar, a marketing education platform for entrepreneurs and emerging marketers. Mia is the host of the Got Marketing? Podcast and a widely published marketing expert. She has written for Social Media Examiner, Mumbrella and Smart Company, among many others.

What’s 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.

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

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

ONLINE: Diversify Your Creative Income
2022-02-15 10:00 - 12:00, 2021-11-17 18:00 - 20:00
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, run, adapt 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.

MORUYA: How to Start a Creative Business
2022-02-09 13:00 - 15:00
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH EAST ARTS

Curious about turning your creative practice into a fully-fledged small business? This fun and friendly workshop will cover all the essentials you’ll need to get the basics right and avoid some of the most common pitfalls for creatives as they enter the world of self-employment and freelancing.

You will learn all the following, with a focus on the arts and creative industries :+ Making a plan for your start-up journey+ Understanding ABNs, structures, business names and licences+ Getting ready for the money+ Preparing for the market+ Where to go for more (free) help.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a Dropbox folder jam-packed with resources+ A Creative Business Start-Up Checklist+ 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 workshop. Participants are also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with their fellow practitioners.

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, run, adapt 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

Venue: Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre, Corner of Vulcan St and, Campbell St, Moruya NSW 2537

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.

MORUYA: I Hate Networking
2022-02-08 17:30 - 20:00
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH EAST ARTS

I Hate Networking is a surprisingly fun event designed to encourage creative people to get to know each other while acknowledging the horror of networking and sharing a few tips at the same time. While it’s a vital skill in the creative industries, many practitioners consider networking to be the stuff of nightmares. I Hate Networking combines education with the opportunity to practice in a safe and friendly environment while embracing the discomfort of the whole process and having a laugh.

Tips that will be shared include:+ Success is before you start – preparing before the event;+ Mastering the art of the introduction;+ Overcoming shyness, awkwardness and the urge to run away;+ Dealing with wankers and other difficult people;+ Getting the all-important follow-up right.

You’ll learn how to network in the first half of the session, and practice your skills in the second half.

What do I get? All participants in this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated I Hate Networking 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.

Who should enrol?This workshop is ideal for curious hobbyists, creative freelancers and businesses, and 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 is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start, run, adapt 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.comVenue: Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre, Corner of Vulcan St and, Campbell St, Moruya NSW 2537

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.

WEBINAR: The Goal Matrix
2022-01-27 18:30 - 19:30
The start of a new year is the perfect time to re-evaluate your goals – but how can you create a plan for your goals that’s more effective than a few empty New Year’s Resolutions?

This FREE webinar helps you think about your goals, and then make a practical plan to actually implement them, using the super-exciting method we call The Goal Matrix (which makes it sounds much more scientific than it really is, but whatever).

You’ll get:

+ A guided tour of how to set goals, focussing on your ‘insides’;+ Templates to help you create your own matrix;+ The chance to Draw Along With Monica (grab your markers and paper!).

Ideal for: Creative practitioners at all stages of practice who are struggling to keep all the juggling balls in the air and manage pandemic-related stress.

Who’s hosting? 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’s Creative Plus Business? We’re a certified social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help by 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 webinar will take place on Crowdcast.

ONLINE: Creative's Guide to Marketing
2022-01-27 18:00 - 20:00, 2021-11-11 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!

Our Creative’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 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, run, adapt 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: LinkedIn for Creatives
2022-01-19 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;+ Additional resources, including a free webinar to remind them of key pointsYou 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 is 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: How to Start a Creative Business
2021-11-30 10:00 - 12:00
LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

Curious about turning your creative practice into a fully-fledged small business? This fun and friendly workshop will cover all the essentials you’ll need to get the basics right and avoid some of the most common pitfalls for creatives as they enter the world of self-employment and freelancing.

You will learn all the following, with a focus on the arts and creative industries :+ Making a plan for your start-up journey+ Understanding ABNs, structures, business names and licences+ Getting ready for the money+ Preparing for the market+ Where to go for more (free) help.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a Dropbox folder jam-packed with resources+ A Creative Business Start-Up Checklist+ 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 workshop. Participants are also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with their fellow practitioners.

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, run, adapt 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: Funding Guidelines for Creatives
2021-11-25 18:00 - 20:00
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 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 FUNDING 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.

What is NSW Business Connect? Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help you start, run, adapt 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.

WEBINAR: Expert Panel – The Digital Picnic
2021-11-24 12:00 - 13:30
Cherie Clonan is the Founder and Creative Director of digital marketing agency The Digital Picnic. TDP has trained thousands of small business owners to uplevel their marketing skills so it’s safe to say Cherie knows a thing or two about cultivating a loyal and engaged audience in the digital landscape!In this interview panel with our marketing manager Lillie Brown, we’ll explore strategies and ideas to help you develop a meaningful and engaged following online for your creative business or arts practice.

What’s Included? A 90 minute 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 are our hosts with the most? 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!

Cherie Clonan is an award winning digital marketer, who is passionate about the difference best practice social media marketing can do for businesses and organisations–big and small. What’s more? Her proven track record of bringing significantly increased social engagement, community growth and transforming social accounts, now sees her directing the most talented team of social media marketing professionals via her Melbourne-based digital marketing agency, The Digital Picnic.

What’s Creative Plus Business? We’re an educational organisation dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about entrepreneurial skills. We help by 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.

What’s 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.

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

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

ONLINE: Money Management for Creatives
2021-11-23 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 to start, run, adapt 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: Selling Online for Creatives
2021-11-16 18:00 - 20:00
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? A Double Act!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.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 to start, run, adapt or grow. 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 by 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: Cashflow for Creatives
2021-11-09 18:00 - 20:00
UNDERSTAND THOSE DOLLAR DOLLAR BILLS, Y’ALL

Understanding how to manage the flow of money in and out of a creative business is always a challenge – and in a pandemic, even more so. The roller coaster of income and expenses, the ‘famine and the feast’, can be managed – but only with some expert advice and real-world examples to help.

Cashflow for Creatives is an interactive online workshop that guides participants as they learn more about the irregularity of income that accompanies creative business, and how to manage their cash flow through practical tools and steps (NOT formulas).

With a focus on the arts and creative industries, this workshop will cover:+ The reality of managing the Famine and the Feast+ Understanding and creating your budgets+ Tips from a pro to help ‘regularise’ your cashflow+ Getting organised – and staying that way

At the completion of the workshop you will have:+ Lifetime access to a Cashflow for Creatives 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 also encouraged to share their own experiences and network with their fellow practitioners.

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 to start, run, adapt 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 by 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.

WEBINAR: Navigating the New Normal
2021-11-04 18:00 - 19:30
The light is gleaming at the end of the tunnel, and in NSW doors are reopening and businesses are coming back to life. What does this mean for creative industries? Join us for a panel discussion with creative industries Business Connect advisors to discuss how to navigate this next period of professional readjustment. We’ll discuss managing the reopening process, overcoming the challenges presented by the ‘new normal’, and how to take the delicate steps towards whatever is next for creative business.

What’s included? A 60 minute 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? Monica Davidson, director of Creative Plus Business, writer-slash-filmmaker-slash-creative business consultant.

What’s Creative Plus Business? We’re an educational organisation dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about entrepreneurial skills. We help by 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.

What’s 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.

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

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

ONLINE: Pitchface
2021-11-04 14:00 - 16:00
PRESENTING YOUR IDEAS, CONVINCING YOUR AUDIENCE

Pitching is a necessary part of professional creative practice, whether it’s discussing an idea for a work, talking to funding bodies about a project, or participating in a competitive pitch process or competition. It’s fraught with legal and marketing challenges, and needs to be approached in a thoughtful and strategic way. PITCHFACE is a relaxed workshop that provides practical advice on how to tell your best story, how to protect your ideas, and simple tips and tricks to avoid the ‘elevator pitch’ and build lasting relationships with the people who can help bring your ideas to life.

The workshop takes a practical and professional look at:+ Preparing for the Pitch – script, presentation, and you;+ Putting together a ‘live pitch’;+ Presenting online and in writing;+ Protecting yourself legally;+ The all-important Follow-Up.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated PITCHFACE 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.

Who should enrol?This workshop is ideal for creative freelancers, established practitioners, and arts organisations.

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 is 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: Wellbeing for Business
2021-11-03 18:00 - 20:00
Working in the creative industries is both rewarding and strenuous, physically and mentally. How can practitioners maintain relative balance between flourishing and falling, particularly when artistic output is built with emotion? WELLBEING FOR BUSINESS explores ways that creative professionals can purposely bring wellbeing practice into their everyday lives. Led by a creative industries and wellbeing specialist, this interactive workshop is a tonic to help practitioners remain creative for the long term.

This online workshop focuses on the following topics:

+ the physical, mental and emotional aspects of Wellbeing; + the most effective ways to define personal boundaries; + understanding imposter syndrome, self-critical thoughts and self-sabotage; + how business tips can (surprisingly) help with wellbeing;+ creative practice processes in the modern world, including managing blocks.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:

+ lifetime access to a dedicated WELLBEING FOR BUSINESS 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: Hobbyists, 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.

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.

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: Business Planning for Creatives
2021-10-29 10:00 - 12:00
“BY FAILING TO PREPARE, YOU ARE PREPARING TO FAIL.”

Benjamin Franklin summed it up best in the quote above. A business or strategic plan is a summary and evaluation of an entrepreneurial idea – and it should be more than just a conciliation for bank managers and funding bodies. A useful plan can make the difference between creative business success and heading back to the drawing board. This workshop reframes the planning process specifically for creative practitioners, and helps participants create a plan that will actually help.

Participants will dig into the deeper issues of:+ The planning process in general, and to make it useful both internally and externally;+ Choosing the right template, and adding an Action Plan;+ The four sections: admin, finances, marketing and goals;+ The Personal/Private and Professional Plans.

Resources and templates will also be provided for a variety of both business and strategic plans, including the preferred options for the Australia Council and other kinds of financing.

What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated BUSINESS PLANNING Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the webinar is over;+ Access to additional free webinars to supplement the material covered in the webinar;+ 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.

Who should enrol?This workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed in some capacity. It is ideal for creative freelancers, established practitioners, arts organisations.

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, run, adapt 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.
