Jewellery Classes and Artisan Workshop
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Turn Your Creative Passion into a Sustainable Business
Have you ever wondered what it would take to turn your creative hobby into a business?
Whether you're making jewellery, ceramics, glass, textiles, paintings, prints, sculpture, or any other kind of creative work, the business side can often feel overwhelming.
Tax, pricing, bookkeeping, marketing, selling online... it's a lot to figure out when you'd rather be in the studio creating.
That's why we've created Setting Up Your Arts Business – a practical, self-paced online course designed specifically for creatives in New Zealand.
Over the course, we'll guide you through the essentials of starting and running a creative business, including choosing a business structure, understanding tax and GST, pricing your work confidently, setting up simple business systems, selling your work, and marketing your creative practice.
Most importantly, we've designed this course to be approachable and easy to follow. No business degree required, no confusing jargon, just practical information and tools to help you build a creative business that works for you.
Whether you're just starting out or you've been selling your work for a while and want to get more organised, this course will help you build strong foundations for the future.
What You'll Learn
This course covers the practical skills needed to start and grow a creative business in New Zealand.
Topics include:
From Hobby to Business
Explore what kind of creative business you want to build and how to align your business goals with your creative practice.
Choosing a Business Structure
Understand the different ways to operate a business in New Zealand, including sole trader, partnership, and company structures.
Tax Basics for Artists
Learn the fundamentals of income tax, GST, ACC, business expenses, and record keeping, with information tailored to New Zealand creatives.
Simple Business Systems
Discover straightforward ways to manage your finances, track expenses, organise inventory, manage orders, and create systems that save time and reduce stress.
Pricing Your Work
Learn how to calculate material costs, labour, overheads, and profit so you can price your work confidently and sustainably.
Selling Your Work
Explore different sales channels including online stores, markets, galleries, wholesale, commissions, and consignment arrangements.
Branding and Marketing for Creatives
Develop your creative identity, write an artist statement, improve your photography, build an audience through social media and email newsletters, and learn how to tell the story behind your work.
Growing Your Business
Discover ways to continue learning, avoid burnout, and build a creative business that supports both your artistic goals and your lifestyle.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is ideal for:
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Artists and makers considering selling their work for the first time
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Hobbyists thinking about turning their passion into a business
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Creatives who want to better understand the business side of their practice
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Market sellers wanting to improve their pricing and systems
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Makers who feel overwhelmed by bookkeeping, tax, or business administration
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Anyone wanting to build a stronger foundation for a creative business
The course is suitable for creatives working in any medium, including jewellery, ceramics, glass, textiles, painting, printmaking, woodworking, sculpture, mixed media, and more.
Learn at Your Own Pace
This is a fully online, self-paced course.
You'll receive 6 months of access, allowing you to work through the content whenever it suits you. Revisit lessons as often as you like and take time to apply what you learn to your own creative business.
Each lesson is designed to be practical, approachable, and packed with useful information, reflection exercises, and real-world examples.
By the End of the Course You'll Have
✓ A clearer understanding of how creative businesses operate in New Zealand
✓ Greater confidence around tax, GST, and business administration
✓ Simple systems for managing your finances and record keeping
✓ A sustainable approach to pricing your work
✓ A plan for selling and marketing your work
✓ Greater confidence in turning your creative practice into a business
Build a Business That Supports Your Creativity
Running a creative business doesn't have to mean becoming a full-time accountant, marketer, or administrator.
With the right foundations, you can spend less time worrying about the business side of things and more time doing what you love — creating.
Join us and start building a creative business that works for you.