Brush up on the business side of art with Reimagining Your Creative Business. This unique entrepreneurship series is designed to provide creative entrepreneurs of all types with the knowledge, skills, and support needed to reimagine their for-profit small business in the wake of COVID-19. Topics covered will include:
- Current Opportunities & Challenges for Creatives
- Fine-Tuning Finance
- Reimagining Your Marketing & Branding
- Putting Your Reimagined Plan into Action with Social Media & eCommerce
Eligible participants may include but are not limited to visual artists, writers and performers, photographers, dancers, actors, musicians, designers, and craftspeople. Join us for one or all four sessions.
Current Challenges & Opportunities for Creatives
Wednesday, February 3 | 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
The opening session in this series will take a look back at opportunities for creative businesses before COVID-19, what has changed in its wake, and how consumer habits have changed. We will also touch on some observations of this past holiday season with a focus on what small businesses did well that can be carried through 2021. Ideas for updating and reimagining your business plan in the current climate will also be shared.
Fine-Tuning Finance
Wednesday, February 10 | 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Session two of this series will be broken into two parts. In the first discussion, SBDC business consultants will focus on obtaining financing, reviewing a cash flow statement and cash flow, and discussing pricing strategies. Part two will dive into your income statement and tracking your income and expenses. Additional opportunities for creative small businesses in the wake of COVID-19 will also be shared.
Reimagining Your Marketing & Branding
Wednesday, February 17 | 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Session three will focus on the planning and promotion aspects of marketing and branding. Our own marketing staff will discuss marketing strategies, current trends, and tips for updating your marketing plan in the wake of COVID-19. We will also be welcoming Maria Traino from Inspired Studio to discuss ways to refine your branding.
Register Here
Putting Your Reimagined Plan into Action with Social Media & eCommerce
Wednesday, February 24 | 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
The fourth and final session will show you how to put your plans from the previous sessions into action. We will dive into social media best practices that are specifically designed for creative businesses and we will share some platforms that will help you accomplish these goals. Sarah Mailloux from the Temple SBDC will share information specific to eCommerce platforms that will work best for your style of business; key considerations, such as the cost to operate on these sites; supply chain management (who can you feasibly ship to?); and production management (are you prepared for if a huge amount of people want the product?). To wrap things up, we will feature local creative small business owners who will share their first-hand accounts of thriving in the COVID-19 era.