Is it an insult or a compliment? In the world of venture capital it’s a derogatory term. Equity investors looking for a lucrative ‘exit’ look down their noses at them. I’m talking about “lifestyle businesses”. It’s a name used for enterprises that aren’t attractive to investors seeking super-profits. It’s a term used insultingly by venture …
Category: Organisations
How to Design a Creative Lifestyle Business
A creative lifestyle business is one that uses your creativity to deliver success on two fronts: commercial and lifestyle. The process of ‘Designing Your Creative Business’ is about deliberately designing a business model that will deliver success in multiple ways. If we define success in the broadest of ways, it needs to include not only …
International Advisory Council appointment
David has been appointed to the International Advisory Council of Creative Hub Switzerland. Since 2013 Creative Hub Switzerland has been helping Swiss creative talent to commercialise innovative products and services – economically, ecologically or socially. In addition to advanced training modules and networking events we also offer access to a wide network. With these three …
The Solopreneur Business Growth Model
The Solopreneur Business Growth Model is an alternative way to grow a business that avoids the trap of following the crowd into the conventional process of scaling up. It’s a valid and profitable model that suits many solopreneurs in the creative and digital industries. J.K.Rowling is a highly successful and wealthy writer. Yet many business …
OKR Tips for Small Businesses
Here are my OKR tips for small businesses, especially enterprises and startups in the creative industries and the creative and digital sector worldwide. ‘Objective and Key Results’ systems, used intelligently and creatively, can be a powerful boost to company performance at all levels, clarify strategic goals, and involve everyone in playing their part in achieving …
Strategic Planning Event for Theatre Team
David facilitated a strategic planning event for the team at Wired Aerial Theatre, to devise a new strategic vision and innovative strategy for the company. The purpose of the ‘team away day’ was to outline a strategic way forward that combines the company’s artistic excellence with an innovative business model. The interactive event used the …
Creative Collaborations
It can be stimulating and inspiring to work with other creative people on new projects, so it’s worth thinking about what makes creative collaborations work well. The first thing to establish is a common purpose, or ‘mission’ for the collaborative project. Ralph Ardill, founder of the Brand Experience Consultancy, calls this a ‘manifesto’ – a …
Creative Business Structures
Creative and cultural enterprises can choose from a range of creative business structures, including different legal entities. We need to be aware of the options available and the consequences of each. What’s the best structure: self-employed, not-for-profit company, or commercial enterprise? A creative entrepreneur can operate as a self-employed ‘sole trader’, in a partnership, or …
The Shamrock Organisation
The Shamrock Organisation, proposed by management guru Charles Handy, is a useful model for businesses in the creative industries and other industry sectors. Charles Handy has written about a ‘Shamrock Organisation’ of three parts. Firstly there is a small core of permanent key employees who keep the company operating and developing. Secondly is the ‘contractual …
Don’t be a ‘busy fool’ – act strategically
Are you a ‘busy fool’? We avoid doing difficult things by occupying ourselves with trivial things. We deal with urgent trivia instead of what’s really important. Keeping busy like this allows us to avoid having to make important decisions. In my work, advising and training hundreds of businesses all around the world, I see too …