Cultural Enterprise Office, who provide specialist services to creative businesses and practitioners in Scotland, are offering two free workshops in Dundee on starting a business and marketing. More on both workshops, below:
Starting Out in partnership with Wasps Studios, on Friday 3 October 2014, 1pm – 5pm
Market Day on Thursday 9 October, 10am – 5pm
Starting Out
This workshop focuses on operating, financing and making a living from your creative practice and the practicalities of starting a business.
What to Expect
A whistle stop tour of everything you need to know about setting up your creative business, whether you’re just thinking about becoming self employed or have already started and want reassurance you’re on the right track.
You will explore
- defining your work: what you are offering and who you are offering it to
- establishing a price and value
- the costs you have to cover and setting a daily rate
- which legal structure is best for you: self-employment, partnership, company or other
- tax on income
- how to draw up plans and budgets
- how to start building your profile
This workshop is full of practical information, discussion and exercises so you can explore your ideas and share your queries. By the end, you’ll have greater confidence, a better sense of direction and a to do list.
“Very informative – makes you answer the questions you didn’t know you had to answer.”
Actor, Glasgow
Market Day
A one day workshop introducing the principles of marketing to train you in how to market your products and services.
What to Expect
To work with playful and engaging materials alongside other creative businesses to:
identify the key aspects of your business to promote and why
explore the types of client and customers groups you want to do business with
find the most appropriate promotional methods to communicate your message
What You’ll Get Out of It
A clear understanding of what marketing is and how it will help you achieve success in promoting your new business or project.
You will leave this workshop with a better idea of:
- how to express your business
- the customer groups to target
- an outline plan for your marketing communications
- key marketing activities and the impact this should have on sales.
In the words of some previous workshop participants:
“…different ways of talking about my business”
“…clearer vision and more confidence”
“New marketing ideas”
“Expanded options for marketing”
“…tools, techniques and ideas”
Ability to “…evaluate benefits of different marketing approaches”
Clarity “…in terms of who we are targeting and a strategy for reaching them”.