Big Chance for Young Creative Entrepreneurs
An innovative Business Mentoring Program, based in Byron Bay, is seeking young creative business owners to take part in this exciting new initiative aimed at developing their business and local creative industries.
The project is aimed at small business owners/managers from the region working in the creative fields of fashion, music and digital media.
The 'Young Creative Entrepreneurs Mentoring Program' is a partnership between NSW Trade & Investment, ACE North Coast Community Colleges, Arts Northern Rivers and Northern Rivers Screenworks. The project follows the highly successful Arts Northern Rivers Creative Industries Brokers Project.
Each business will receive a customised business diagnostic session, 15 hours of workshops exploring skills such as business planning, financial management and marketing and 10 hours of business development mentoring, including 3 hours with a specialist mentor with expertise in their particular creative field.
'What's most exciting is that this program is being specifically targeted at young entrepreneurs who are in the first stages of developing their creative business. The benefits of having a mentor to guide them through the early stages of business growth are immense.' says Julie Clark, Acting CEO of Arts Northern Rivers.
The program is funded by NSW Department of Trade & Investment as part of their Business Mentoring Program and continuation of their support for Northern Rivers based creative businesses. There is only a small fee payable by the successful participants.
Gillian Jones from ACE North Coast Community Colleges says, 'this is our fifth mentoring program and we have found the outcomes in terms of confidence and knowledge of running a small business can be life-changing for the participants. Many artists find it difficult to integrate being an artist with the reality of making money. By gaining more knowledge of basic business principles it helps to enhance the creative process'.
'The Creative Industries Broker Program which ran until recently only scratched the surface of what can be done to strengthen our creative industries. Nineteen local businesses benefited from that program and their feedback suggests the help they received was invaluable. This new mentoring initiative is a fabulous next step,' says Julie.
Byron Bay based designer Mia Brennan of Mimi Designs sees the importance of mentoring to her business success. She is currently being mentored by WP Creative Designs and buying specialist Sarah Gale, with support from NSW Trade & Investment.
'The mentoring project has been fantastic,' says Mia, 'It has been a very grounding experience and built a solid platform from which to launch into the world'.
The Young Creative Entrepreneurs Mentoring Program is open to Northern Rivers based business owners aged 18-35 who have been operating for one to three years, work in the specialist sectors of fashion and design, music or digital media, and are able to identify a business challenge they need assistance with.
The program commences mid-October 2011 and places are limited.
Download the information pack and Expression of Interest Form below.
Applications close end September 2011.