news

Regional NSW creative enterprises benefit from CIIC business consultations

24 May 2011 CIIC news NSW

The Creative Industries Innovation Centre held a series of regional business consultations with a selection of creative enterprises in New South Wales in April and May.

In April, two full days of business consultations were held with Arts Northern Rivers businesses. On the first day, NSW adviser David Sharpe worked with fashion enterprises, while on the second day, David and QLD adviser Anthony Merrillees worked with members from the film and music industries, respectively.

"Creative industry professionals working in regional areas face very different challenges to their urban counterparts.  The sessions are a fast, effective way for each client to get practical advice on their particular circumstances," David said.

One of David’s clients from the first day was Jeanette Darbyshire, a business owner of ethical fashion company, Moral Fibre, who gained a sense of validation from the consultation.

“I found that it (the session) gave me some new ideas for one aspect of the business, and also validated some of the things I am currently doing for other aspects of the business.  It was good to get this kind of support from someone with such industry experience.

“I was happy to see that he (the BA) had done some research on the business prior to the meeting and had made some notes so we had things to talk about it right away.  There was not a wasted minute in the session.

“I think this is a very good service for small business.  Even though one hour flies by, I think it forces the session to be efficient.  Thank you so much for organising it,” Jeanette said.

Anthony gave a presentation to a selection of music businesses, as requested by the group, who were looking to work collaboratively.

“The key reason that we used a workshop format was so that it was an interactive process that was tailored to address the common issue that arose across all the attendees.  So rather than bombard the participants with loads of information about the industry, I looked at what would be most immediately useful for them to do right now. 
 
“So the format I took was to look at their individual goals (such as where do you want to go in music and what's motivating you) and issues (what are your issues and problems). 

“For regional music businesses the key issue is getting access to opportunities and building a community of interest around what the business is doing. A second issue is sustainability and how to build a sustainable business,” Anthony said. 

Julie Clark, Communications & Arts Development Manager at Arts Northern Rivers said the consultation was a unique opportunity for local creative enterprises.
 
“(For the CIIC) to present the business consultations locally is recognition of the valuable contribution that these regional enterprises make to the national economy. It saved 17 people from taking a full day out of their business to travel to Brisbane or Sydney, in order to gain one hour of professional development advice.

“The fact that the sessions are uniquely tailored to each individual enabled maximum benefit to attendees, who each have their own unique development needs,” Julie said.

The overall feedback from the clients was extremely positive. They were impressed by the business advisers industry experience and preparation.

“This meant that the benefits from the one-hour sessions could be maximized. What the clients gained varied between individuals, but included industry and market overviews, new ideas and perspectives, in addition to validation of existing choices and set-ups,” she said.

On Friday May 6, David Sharpe worked with six businesses, from the design, architecture, fashion and arts sectors, including several connected to the Renew Newcastle initiative.

"The six clients I met with were terrific; all vibrant micro-businesses working in very different creative fields.  There's clearly a strong cultural scene in Newcastle."
 
Marni Jackson, the General Manager at Renew Newcastle said it was a very positive experience for the attendees.

“One client in particular said it was a very positive experience, and that it was fantastic to speak to David Sharpe and to have dialogue with him, because he was familiar with the industry. It was positive to get feedback that he (the client) is going in the right direction - he felt buoyed by it. He now has a renewed energy for moving forward with his business,” Marni said.

In 2011, the CIIC will be visiting a selection of regional creative hubs located around Australia, working with local industry organisations to deliver 1hour business consultations.