Creative Plus Business is 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.Our programs include workshops, advisory services, consulting and more covering a range of topics including small business skills, financial literacy, and marketing. Our team of creative business specialists also provide personalised advisory and mentoring services to help individuals and organisations work towards professional success. In my role as Director I oversee the whole organisation, but I also love talking about business through keynotes, workshop presentations, one-on-one coaching with a few select senior clients, and swanning about in a frock whenever possible.

Talking about business skills for creative people is my favourite thing. I have made loads of appearances over the years, including a few of the following highlights:- Professional Development workshops at Adelaide Fringe, 2021 and 2020!- "The Show Must Go On - Wellness Roadshow", NSW Parliament House, 2019- "Regional Creative Economies", presented with Tracey Callinan, ARTSTATE 2018- "Raising Films - Screen Industry Forum", AFTRS 2018- "Creative Industry: What It Takes", Keynote, PILBARA CREATIVE AND CULTURAL FORUM 2018- "The Long Haul" & "What's Your Worth Pt 2": Keynote events, VIVID IDEAS 2018- "Industrial Evolution" & "What's Your Worth Pt 1": Keynote events, VIVID IDEAS 2017- "Deadlines Dreams and Goals", presentation ACMI-X MELBOURNE 2017- "Top Ten Tips", Keynote Presenter, ARTWORKS NAROOMA 2017- "Profit from your Passion", Hunter Arts Network NEWCASTLE, 2017- "Top Ten Tips for Designers", Design Institute of Australia SYDNEY, 2017- "The Future of Creative Industries", Keynote, Creative Industries Symposium BLUE MOUNTAINS 2016- "Creative Industries Roadshow", with NSW Office of the Small Business Commissioner, 2016- "Creative Business Roadshow", with NSW Arts OutWest, March 2016- "Creative Businesses: The Difference", Small Business Conference, SYDNEY 2015- "Power, Money and Other Dirty Words", Keynote, Creative Industries Symposium BLUE MOUNTAINS 2015- "Business Resources for Creative People", Australian International Documentary Conference, ADELAIDE 2015- "The Business of Being Creative", Smart Arts, NEWCASTLE, 2015- "Creative industry - from Hobby to Business", Sydney City Council Business 101 series, 2014.- "Somewhere I Belong", fastBREAK for VibeWire , POWERHOUSE MUSEUM 2014- "Business Resources for Creative People", Arts Hub Conference MELBOURNE 2014- "Focus on Creative Industries", SmallBizConnect Conference, SYDNEY 2014

Business Connect is a dedicated and personalised NSW Government program that provides trusted advice to help people start or grow their 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.I am the lead advisor for our 'senior' or marquee clients, who have been in business for a significant period of time and are, as we say, 'coping with success'. I was previously the first NSW Creative Industries Business Advisor appointed under the NSW Small Biz Connect program from 2013-2015.

Since 2006 I have run various programs and workshops on the subject of creative business practice for students at AFTRS. Over the years this has included Bachelors, Masters, Graduate Diploma and Certificate students across the full range of film and media disciplines at AFTRS. I have also lectured regularly for the Open Program, Indigenous Program and Regional Access programs across Australia, on the subject of screen business. In 2013 and 2014 I also held the position of Lecturer in Producing, working closely with then Department Head Andrena Finlay.

I started guest lecturing about freelancing at NIDA in 2011 and am now responsible for the writing and delivery of the full Professional Practice program for Acting 3, Design 3, Costume 3, Props 3 and Stage Management 2. The lectures cover all aspects of creative self-employment, including practical information about best small business practice and planning, marketing, finance, marketing and more. I have also created and facilitated practical workshops on grant writing, business development, pitching and setting goals for both undergraduate and Masters students.

I was selected to provide expert mentoring to women owned and led startups as part of the Boosting Female Founders initiative. Mentoring provided under the Initiative is helping to foster female entrepreneurship and harness the full potential of their startups. If you are interested in learning more about the Boosting Female Founders initiative, visit https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/boosting-female-founders/customer-stories#BoostingFemaleFounders

The Making It Possible Program is a free one-day course with follow-up mentorship, for women in the screen industry whose careers have been impacted due to parenting and caring responsibilities. I've been working in partnership with Raising Films Australia, WIFT NSW and Screenworks to deliver this amazing work! I am proud to have created and facilitated the first two workshops, and look forward to more in 2020.

I have produced and facilitated over a dozen workshops and events at VIVID IDEAS since 2012, and spoken on multiple panels about creative industry. Some highlights include:VIVID 2018 - "The Long Haul", a panel event about mintaining a long career with speakers Penny Cook, John Birmingham, Bridget Ikin and Sarah Carroll.https://www.vividsydney.com/event/ideas/long-haulVIVID 2017 - "Industrial Evolution", a panel discussion featuring well-known practitioners from the five creative pillars of screen, publishing, performance, music and design. https://www.vividsydney.com/event/ideas/industrial-evolution-old-new-creative-survivalVIVID 2017 - "Ten Unsexy Things You Need to Know about Creative Business" https://www.vividsydney.com/event/ideas/ten-unsexy-things-you-need-know-run-your-creative-businessVIVID 2016 - Three workshops plus the Creative Careers Expo, exploring all possibilities for young creativesVIVID 2015 - "Creative Business - The Top Ten Tips"https://www.vividsydney.com/event/ideas/creative-business-top-ten-tips

I was brought in as an external consultant by Screen Australia to provide feedback and notes on the draft guidelines of the new Enterprise Business & Ideas funding, released in 2019. My role was to examine previous SA enterprise funding to interrogate strengths and challenges, and give feedback and suggestions for the new model.

Create NSW’s Creating New Income: A Toolkit to Support Creative Practice, is a major resource aimed at helping small to medium arts, screen and cultural organisations to flourish. I am one of the contributors to the Toolkit which provides creative practitioners with the steps needed to grow and develop income streams from sources such as philanthropy, sponsorship, crowdfunding and new products.You can access the Toolkit on this link: https://bit.ly/2Dhrv45

I have been hired several times as a consultant for the City for Sydney - In 2018 we helped tenants of the City's Creative Spaces program to prepare for life after their subsidy finishes, which is similar to a program I ran in 2015. In 2016 I was also engaged to write a business case for the Pine Street Creative Arts Centre in Chippendale, which was designed to highlight potential opportunities for the Centre, and take advantage of the global growth of creative industries practice. I have also spoken frequently at City of Sydney creative business events such as the Business 101 series.

I have been a lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Creative Business Management for the final year Bachelor of Performance students at AIM since 2014. The course includes a combination of practical workshops and detailed information about all aspects of creative entrepreneurship, including set-up and management of a creative business, funding and finance, legal matters, business development, and ideas evaluation. Students are also assessed based on a business plan presentation and a group project profiling some of Australia's independent theatre companies.

I wrote and facilitated the accredited program BUILD YOUR OWN ARTS BUSINESS, the first of its kind in NSW. Over 8 days participants learned how to start and run a small business or freelance operation in the creative industries. The training followed a traditional business plan with a creative twist, and each section focussed on (1) Business Basics (2) Financial Literacy (3) Legal Issues and (4) Marketing Musts. Throughout the course participants worked on practical activities to help them create a mini-business plan, including a clear set of career goals. Many participants went on to start and continue to run successful creative businesses. The workshops were offered for free and were booked to capacity for all four deliveries of the program. An additional program was also delivered in Goulburn with Southern Tablelands Arts in February 2017.This program was devised in collaboration with Sydney TAFE and ACFIPS (Arts, Communications, Finance Industries and Property Services_ NSW Industry Training Advisory Body, as a result of requests for business training for arts professionals.

From 2014-2017 I was the facilitator of the program 'Art Business Basics', a 6 week online course that helped visual artists prepare for business through a variety of activities that include subjects such as planning, marketing, financial management and legal issues. By the end of the program participants have created a business plan for their art practice which I also assess and review. I also wrote and facilitated 'Planning for Success' in 2009, an online training program designed to help visual artists develop their marketing plans and become more accomplished at grant writing and the overall application process. I was also part of NAVA's first Synergy program as a business mentor in 2013.

I was honoured to be chosen as the first Creative Industries Business Advisor working with SmallBizConnect and the NSW Department of Trade and Investment. My work included providing one-on-one business advisory and mentoring sessions for creative practitioners that addressed a range of issues including business set up and planning, business finances and marketing strategy. I also advised at a policy level with the Department of Trade and Investment, and was the author of the SmallBizConnect Creative Industries Question Set, which is still being used to help creative practitioners running their own businesses across the state.

I was proud to be a part of the Metro Screen story, from my very earliest days as a filmmaker and festival curator until the bitter end in 2015. I facilitated multiple workshops on freelancing in the media industry, screen business and film practice over my 10+ year relationship with the organisation. I also worked as a producer and facilitator for several indigenous film making workshops run in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney in 2007-2009.

Birrang provides creative and professional development opportunities for Indigenous dance artists based in NSW, and builds the capacity of each individual artist to realise their own goals, share creative ideas and practices and gain the skills and networks that will serve to strengthen their careers and the growing independent Indigenous dance sector across NSW. I worked as a facilitator for the business aspects of the program, and through 2014 I also worked a a mentor for some of the artists.

I started Girlhouse Films in 2005 as a platform for making documentary films about issues that are interesting and relevant for women. The key creatives on all Girlhouse FIlms projects are also female. The first project for the company was a short documentary entitled "Lesbians on the Loose", which debuted at the Brisbane Queer Screen film festival in 2007. Girlhouse is currently in post-production on the feature-length documentary "Handbag", in collaboration with Phoebe Hart of Hartflicker films. Visit http://www.handbagthemovie.com/ for more information.

I started Twoshotmedia in 1994 and over the twenty years of production we specialised in creating quality video and online productions exclusively for the government, non-profit and community sector. I was a founder of the business, and worked primarily as a producer and director for Twoshotmedia, as well as an Executive Producer.

As the founder of Freelance Success, I created an organisation that provided business skills training specifically for freelancers, and focused the offering to people working in the arts. in the creative arts. The work of the organisation included conducting workshops open to the public, as well as tailoring training packages for clients such as universities, specialists schools and professional organisations. We also offered a range of support services to creative freelancers including online resources and events. Much of the work we created through Freelance Success is now being used on a much broader scale through my company Creative Plus Business.

I was a regular guest lecturer and panel speaker for the Creative Industries program at UWS College in 2012 and 2013. I was also a guest lecturer for the Associate Degree in Creative industries, and responsible for facilitating the unit Entrepreneurial Management and Innovation, which examined the theory, practice and nature of creative entrepreneurship. I also presented several talks through the public program about business planning for creative people, time management, and marketing for independent film.

I ran several 6-month programs for young people, the long-term unemployed and other disaffected communities teaching them video and filmmaking skills, writing, journalism and freelance business skills. The programs resulted in creative works created for a number of organisations including PCYC NSW and Blacktown Council.

I created a program entitled Business and Occupational Health and Safety for Musica Viva in 2003. This short program as designed for musicians performing with Musica Viva to help them better develop their businesses, including managing their relationships with clients and practicing better OHS procedures.

I created a program entitled Small Business for Community Media for CBAA, the peak body for community radio and television. The package consisted of various units that trained and supported young broadcasters who had won a place at the annual CBAA conference. The program included a 30-page manual that I wrote discussing the most important aspects of business, finances, and law, which was then distributed to the participants. I also wrote and facilitated a one-day training seminar, supported by the manual, and participated in an ongoing three month online mentorship with the participants. The client was very pleased with the package, as was the grant issuing body. Participants reported positive feedback.

I created a course entitled Freelance Business Practices for Interpreters tailored specifically to ASLIA, and was responsible for facilitating the program for sign language interpreters to help them better manage their client relationships. This included financial management and legal responsibilities. The client was very pleased with the result and asked for an immediate repeat of the course for those who were unable to attend.