Entrepreneurship in the Arts

This training is the result of the involvement of VisMedNet Association in the Youth Enteprise through Arts project. It is specifically designed to enable youth work and creative arts organisations and professionals to effectively engage the young people they work with in entrepreneurship education.

The course is designed in a way that it can be used by both youth organisations in the field of creative, performing and digital arts or used independently by individuals who are thinking about setting up a business.

The activity uses varied teaching methods and and makes available to participants resources to help individuals develop their enterprise skills as well as their business idea. The guide will enable young people to put entrepreneurial ideas into practice with a view to tackling challenges and problems identified within their communities.

It is specifically tailored for creative business start-ups and those who support them.

The training for professionals who work with young people is intended to help budding entrepreneurs:

– Explore their values, motivations and aspirations for enterprise and how they align with their business idea

– Identify their customers and competitors

– Map out how their business will function

– Develop their marketing messages

– Use financial tools to ensure they are in control of their business finances

Northern Ireland	Malta	Spain

Irland	France	Italy

Course Curriculum and Content

An Introduction to starting your own business

– Who is this toolkit for?

– What does the guide consist of?

– How can the guide help?

– What should you expect to get out of the process?

Module 1: Introduction to Enterprise

– What is enterprise?

– Entrepreneurial qualities or characteristics

– Business skills and knowledge

– Personal S.W.O.T. analysis

– Values – Mission Statement

Module 2: Assessing an idea – A good idea or a good business idea?

– Idea development process

• Idea Generation

• Screening

• Developing

• Research

• Testing

• Launch

– Evaluating the success of a business idea

– Evidence Modelling

Module 3: Business Goal Setting & Planning

– Setting business goals

– Realising and monitoring goals

– The importance of business planning

– Business plans – purpose, content, writing a plan, who can help, presenting a business plan

Module 4: Customers and Business Mapping

– Understanding and Researching Customers

– The Business Process – The different elements that make up the business

– Relationships – Associations to be made for the business process to work

Module 5: The Marketing Mix – Overview of Marketing

– Value Propositions

– Marketing Mix

– The 7Ps of Marketing • Product • Place • Price • Promotion • People • Process • Physical Environment

– The Marketing Plan

Module 6: Financial Planning

– Overview of Business Finance

– Sources of Support

– Funding Streams

– Turnover / Sales

– Business Costs

– Profit

– Cash Flow

– Keeping Financial Records

Module 7: Getting it Right

– Legal Issues

– Key Resources

– Links to useful organisations to move to the next stage