Making it Work: Business strategies for creative people April 16, 2008

Free, but booking is essential, please visit www.createkx.org.uk to book your place.
Workshop Leader: Victor Higgs

Are you a small creative business? Just setting out? Wanting to grow?
Why? What do you want from it? Where do you want to take your idea? Who do you want to impress? How do you know it will work?

That’s a lot of questions. If you want some answers come to the workshop.

Join us for a practice based approach to creative entrepreneurship. Via a holistic, hands-on approach, with a real life example, this interactive workshop will illustrate an innovative method of assessing what makes a good business offer.

In general more than 95% of new projects and services fail. You need to take every opportunity to ensure yours succeeds. But most business advice is aimed at the traditional business market, with focus on financial rewards. Creative companies are after more than just bucks: Money is not the only bottom line. This workshop will tap into the different driving factors which make a creative success story. We will give you the ability to evaluate and improve your concept, which is vital in today’s competitive market.

Our case-study will show you to critique, assess and adapt your offer as an evolving prototype on its way to perfection.

The Case-study

Our case-study will present a creative business that has been mentored through an innovative prototype assessment process.

Saskia Wicomb is a fashion designer and performance artist who has undergone a month of prototype evaluation. We will explore her 4 stages of concept development through video diary, showcasing, customer/audience feedback and personal evaluation.

Through exploration and play-based practice of this method workshop members can learn these vital skills for their own business.

Practical workshop techniques will enable members to:

• Give personal understanding of what ‘entrepreneurship’ means to you
• Give opportunity to balance creative endeavour with business management
• Illustrate the 4 golden stages in concept development and strategic planning
 Analyse the problem
 Generate solutions
 Choose and implement best solutions
 Evaluate, test and adapt
Workshop Leader

Victor Higgs
Prototype Development Mentor
Director, Applied Nanodetectors Ltd

Victor Higgs established Applied Nanodetectors Ltd as a new product design consultancy having spent over twenty years in marketing and new product management in Europe, USA and Far East Asia. During his career Victor has developed a number of successful innovative new products and he has taken them from the idea concept to full commercialization for various international Worldwide markets. Victor has a PhD in physical chemistry and is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Official Website: http://www.createkx.org.uk