Academy Curriculum
Some of history’s greatest advances came from the minds of ordinary people who changed the world with a single idea.
This academy will hopefully inspire other great minds – creative minds – to think big, not only about their own talent, product or service, but about the idea of turning it into a successful business. These lessons are designed to give you the tools you need to accomplish this.
Current Courses
Introduction: Are You Ready?
As Maria in the Sound of Music said, let’s start at the beginning, it’s a very good place to start. This section includes a brief introduction to the Creative Economy and some things you’ll want to think about before diving in.
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Lesson 1: Thinking Like a Business
You don’t have to sell your creative soul to own and run a business. But having the mindset of a business person will open doors for you never thought would could open as a creative.
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Lesson 2: Business Structure
The way you structure your business can affect your liability, income and assets. Learn about the different options and see which one suits your personal situation and business goals.
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Lesson 3: Access to Capital
Money makes the world go round, especially if you’re trying to grow your business. We’ll take a look at the many ways to access the funds you need, from those slightly out of the box to more traditional sources.
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Lesson 4: Creating Revenue Streams
Riding the revenue rollercoaster can be exhausting. In this lesson we will look at ways to diversify your creative output so that you escape the feast and famine cycle of doing the work and then selling the work.
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Lesson 5: Marketing
It can be hard to get the word out about your creative skills, products and services. We’ll offer up some ways for you to stand heads and shoulders above the crowd, including the importance of storytelling as a business tool.
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Lesson 6: Finding Customers
It is far more profitable to have a long-term customer than a one-time sale. We’ll show you how to find and keep customers that value you and your creativity to the point where they keep coming back for more.
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Lesson 7: Pricing
Finding that sweet spot can be a real challenge. In this lesson, we will look at the different pricing strategies, how to build a quote and how to steer a client to a point where you both value the outcome.
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Lesson 8: Creating a Winning Pitch
First impressions are everything. So is a pitch that sticks. We’ll walk you through the mechanics of making a winning pitch and give you valuable tips and techniques to create a winning pitch that leads to the next step.
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Lesson 9: Effective Negotiation
Nearly everything is a negotiation in life. In this lesson we will look at negotiation as a business tool, including how to guide the discussion, overcome objections, adjust terms and pricing without sacrificing value and more.
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Lesson 10: Intellectual Property
Your work is more than likely unique. You spent a lot of time creating it. This lesson walks you through the various ways to protect your creativity so that scurrilous pirates don’t rip it off and steal your money.
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Lesson 11: Managing Your Money
It’s easy to spend money. It’s much harder to manage it, especially when more seems to be going out than coming in. In this lesson, we’ll show you how to master money so it works for you instead of against you.
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Lesson 12: Going Global
75% of all purchasing power lies outside U.S. borders. Learn how to harness the power of exporting to reach more customers, make more sales and increase your revenue and earning potential.