an online community and education-based membership programme
for artists, crafters and creatives of all kinds. No more flying solo, bud.
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You may as well be invisible on social media.
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You have fluctuating levels of energy or attention and don't know if it's even possible for your business work around that.
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You like working by yourself, but really wish you had creative business buds who could relate to what you're going through! Running a business is a lonely place to be sometimes!
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You don't understand how anyone juggles a home, a family, a creative business and sometimes even a day job as well, without exploding under the pressure.
The Creative Business Association® is here to take away the business guess-work, so that you can focus on what you do best... creating.
A vault of courses to watch at a time that suits you!
Not only will you have instant access to every course already in the vault but, every month, a new course will be added to your dedicated Membership Portal, ready for you to check in at a time that works for you! No more FOMO, no need to rearrange your life and a manageable workload that fits around your business and your lifestyle.
We cover a wide range of topics including Social Media & Content, Marketing, Branding, Time Management and Mindset.
Implementable action plans, workbooks & resources to enhance your learning.
Learning by watching or hearing someone talk about a topic is one thing, but it's far more likely to stick when we write things down (even more so when it's on cute stationery) and relate them to our own experiences.
A dedicated community of like-minded creatives!
No more flying solo! Once you join, you'll be sent a direct link to our community Facebook group, where you'll have access to your new creative family on a platform that you're already familiar with. No need to download external apps to communicate with your newfound friends!
A calendar of online social events to help keep you on track.
Being a creative business owner and working from home can be super lonely sometimes. Sometimes we need the accountability and support that comes with working alongside someone, and that's where The Creative Business Association® comes in!
Every month you have the option to join in with:
- 2 x 'The Studio' work-along sessions per week- If you work more efficiently with someone else around, these sessions are a great way to recreate a physical working environment and push you to get stuff done!
Your camera and microphone are totally optional, so that you can join in even on your less sociable days!
Monthly special guest interviews!
Each month, The Creative Business Association® will host a special guest interview with an influential member of the creative business community, available in both video and exclusive podcast format.
With a super-inspiring lineup already available to watch straight away, including Ellie from Ellie's Beautiful Mess, Liz Harry, Nikky Box and Katie Abey, you'll get to tap into the wisdom of a wide variety of exciting creators.
Support and guidance at your fingertips.
The Creative Business Association community will be a place to lift each other up and provide somewhere to talk about your experiences without judgement or disregard.
Being a creative business owner is a difficult path and there will be times that you need an understanding ear to get you through. Whether you're dealing with a difficult customer and want to ask for advice on how to handle them in a professional manner (or just rant about how they're making you feel!) you will find your membership peers and myself there to support you.
I get it; working with a mentor is a big deal and you wanna make sure you're choosing someone who knows their sh*t... so let's get into the nitty gritty.
Hey! I'm Laura Jane. Mama, creative business expert, chronic illness warrior and dog-obsessed Simpsons superfan. It's amazing to meet you! I've been joyfully ingrained in the small-scale creative business world for 12 years and founded 3 successful businesses as an artist and handmaker.
Having built businesses in fine art, crochet, stationery, apparel, accessories, homewares and digital art, I have a wide scope of what it takes to build, grow and be totally smitten with your creative business, regardless of what you make or who your target audience is.
Outside of our world, however, I have corporate experience out the wazoo, so you know that you're in safe, professional (and brightly manicured) hands.
Some of my proudest suited-and-booted achievements include:
- Working directly with Facebook and Instagram on a 1.5 million view campaign to empower creative business owners,
- Working as the video content creator for Simply Crochet Magazine and host of their YouTube channel for 3 years,
- and my time as Head of Community and Social for the size-inclusive retail brand, Snag Tights.
Starting something new can be quite daunting, and you may still have some questions about whether you'll really benefit from joining us. Check out some common queries and concerns below.
I don't have a lot of spare time - is it even worth joining?
This is an important one! Being short on time is a big problem for many creative business owners, especially those of us with additional needs, jobs or care responsibilities. One of the main goals of The Creative Business Association® is to help its members to optimise the little time that they do have, by helping them to build a business that fits around their life and needs without burning them out.
There will be educational units for creating social media content plans, time management and streamlining current processes (amongst many other things,) to make sure that your time is well spent! Not only that, but each module will come with an exclusive podcast episode that you can access on the go, meaning that even when you're out and about living life, you can still find time to learn and grow.
By learning the things that will properly push you towards your business goals, you will be saving energy in the long run by not wasting your precious time guessing your way through!
I'm not really making much/any money. Is it worth financially investing in this group if I'm not making sales yet?
If anything, joining at the very start when you're still finding your feet is the best time to join!
If you do choose to join, yes, it is a financial investment and you may not feel as if you can comfortably become a member until your business is moving forward. It should be said, however, that building a business on your own is not only a lonely adventure, but it can be a confusing and overwhelming one. The aim of The Creative Business Association® is to offer a supportive, non-judgemental community space where you can learn, network and grow around likeminded, creative peeps.
There's a saying "you have to spend money to make money" which, while it's partly true, doesn't take into account everyone's individual situation. You know your own financial responsibilities better than anyone else, and should always trust your own judgement.
I don't live in the United Kingdom. Will this matter?
Not at all! We have members all over the world including the United States, Canada, Europe and even Australia!
The social sessions are set at a wide range of different times to accommodate as many of our members as possible and we never chat about the specifics of legalities, taxes or product testing as we know that our members will all be subject to different rules depending on their location. This means that all of our content is as wide-reaching as it can possibly be, and everything will be relevant regardless of where you are in the world!
I find socialising difficult. Will I get much out of this group outside of the learning materials?
As a neurodivergent person, I understand that there are varying levels of comfort when it comes to social situations. Different individuals have different needs when working alongside others, which is why there will never be any obligation to attend any sessions that make you feel uncomfortable.
One of the reasons that I have chosen to put the learning materials into a members hub rather than deliver them live is so that everyone can still enjoy their learning experience without worrying about who else is involved at the time!
There will also be no rules regarding whether or not your microphone or camera need to be on during group sessions, if you do choose to attend. So if you enjoy the ambiance of group work but would prefer to work alongside others in a more private capacity, that's fine too! :)
I've been part of a membership group before and found it overwhelming/not helpful. What makes The Creative Business Association® different?
The Creative Business Association® is proudly different to a lot of membership groups for a few reasons!
1) This group is not a cult with me as your almighty leader. It's all about YOU and the Association as a collective; an environment for you to learn, develop connections and grow on your own terms. I'll be making sure things run smoothly so that you can get the best out of the experience, but the focus is entirely on you. Consider me your humble (and overly excitable) cheerleader on the sidelines, encouraging you to bask in the limelight of every win, no matter how big or small.
2) The focus of the Association, unlike a lot of other business support groups, isn't on sales. While, yes, making more sales is a wonderful by-product of a happy, functioning business... my aim is to help you to create a business as individually badass as you are, that works around YOUR lifestyle and needs.
Hustling and sales-focussed entrepreneurship is amazing if that's your thing, but for many of us, the joy comes from making art and building a community around it. By getting our affairs in order from a business standpoint, we're freeing up our creative brains for the things we DO love to do. (There's also the added bonus of feeling calm and collected when you know you've properly got your shit together.)
3) Without a constant stream of information and strategies to learn every single week, you'll be able to focus on each monthly topic with your whole arse instead of just half of it. You won't "fall behind" and can enjoy learning at your own pace. Each module will be discussed in the group as the month goes on, and you'll have plenty of opportunity to ask questions and support each other.
Once the group has been around for several months, there will be a variety of topics you can choose from, which can sometimes seem a little overwhelming (where to even begin??) That said, if you're ever feeling overwhelmed by all of the available information, please reach out to me and we can have a chat about the topics most valuable to YOU that you can start with.
Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.
The Creative Business Association® and Crappy Hour® are Registered Trademarks and the Intellectual Property of Laura Jane Barnes.