Design Trust interview: “Grow Your Creative Business in Uncertain Times”

The Design Trust interview “Grow Your Creative Business in Uncertain Times” featured David Parrish as a guest, interviewed by Patricia van den Akker, Director of the The Design Trust.

As the publicity for the online session said: Times are tricky and very unpredictable right now. Many creatives struggle, let alone thrive right now. The Design Trust invited high-growth creative business adviser and coach David Parrish to join us for this FREE online session to discuss how you can actually grow your creative business in times like these.

In this Design Trust interview on 20 May 2020, Patricia discussed with David:
* How to use the Lockdown to take stock and become more strategic about the work you do, your sales & marketing channels and the clients you work with.
* How to predict your finances and set financial goals when life and the markets are pretty unpredictable
* How to grow your creative business? Which areas will do well? Any market trends potentially?
* How to design a more sustainable and profitable creative business that’s ready for the future? Not just in financial terms, but also in terms of creativity and life style?

This interview and Q&A session with David Parrish was especially aimed at ambitious creative business owners who want to grow, especially business founders or decision makers in cultural organisations.


Special Offers for online event participants and Design Trust members

As a gesture of goodwill and support to the Design Trust community, David offered some free passes and discounted access to his new video-based online course and his DYCB Toolkit publication:

New online course: “COVID-19 Business Strategies – Creativity, Diversification and Transformation”
100% discount, ie a “free pass” price of £0, reduced from £249, saving £249.
NOTE: Five free passes will be awarded as prizes by The Design Trust

New online course: “COVID-19 Business Strategies – Creativity, Diversification and Transformation”
80% discount, ie a price of £49, reduced from £249, saving £200.
Offer limited to 10 coupons on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Use coupon code DESIGNTRUST80 here.

New online course: “COVID-19 Business Strategies – Creativity, Diversification and Transformation”
60% discount, ie a price of £99, reduced from £249, saving £150.
Offer limited to 10 coupons on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Use coupon code DESIGNTRUST60 here.

Designing Your Creative Business™ Toolkit Publication (PDF download).
50% discount, ie a special price of £4.99 (reduced from £9.99).
Offer limited to 25 coupons on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Use coupon code DESIGNTRUST50 here.


Further information relating to the business growth issues discussed in the Design Trust interview:

Designing Your Creative Business™ Toolkit Publication – available as a PDF download (more…)

Business Design for Lifestyle Success (more…)

How to Design a Creative Lifestyle Business (more…)

Create Your Own Business Formula. Article to download in English and other languages (more...)

New online course: “COVID-19 Business Strategies – Creativity, Diversification and Transformation” (more…)

Cash Flow Planning – a free downloadable spreadsheet to use (more…)

How to Find Opportunities in a Changing World. The ICEDRIPS ‘radar’ tool (more…)

Book: “T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity” [free eBook PDF / eBook (text only) / paperback / audiobook / signed copy]

Marketing book: “Chase One Rabbit: Strategic Marketing for Business Success. 63 Techniques, Tips and Tales for Creative Entrepreneurs” [eBook / paperback / audiobook / signed copy / info, extracts, reviews]

How to be a Successful Creative Entrepreneur masterclass (video) (more…)

The T-Shirts and Suits® Creative Business Growth Framework (more…)

Free Business Development Resources for Creative Entrepreneurs – free eBook, videos, blogs, examples, guides and more (link)

3Ms of Marketing. How to devise a marketing campaign based on Market, Message and Medium (more…)



David has designed a range of creative business training workshops which he has delivered in various countries around the world.

Creative business training workshops also draw on material in David’s books. Signed paperback copies of his books are sometimes included with the training workshop materials that participants take away to use in their creative businesses and cultural enterprises. Copies of books can be supplied for creative industries training workshops by arrangement.

David has delivered his ‘Designing Your Creative Business’ workshop internationally using his DYCB Toolkit publication.

He has delivered workshops and presentations for the British Council Creative Economy Unit and the British Council internationally in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, China, Georgia, Lithuania, the Philippines, Taiwan, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Read some client testimonials and recommendations from people all around the world who have commissioned David as a training workshop leader, keynote speaker or business adviser.

“You know the workshop was great when you have to kindly ask people to leave the premises because the building is closing soon. David is the only speaker who managed to evoke such interest in young entrepreneurs, and we had a wide range of international speakers and businessmen visit us. Combination of expert knowledge, enormous experience, and unique eloquence are what make David ‘a must-have’ in every accelerator/organization/event/conference.”
Ajla Fijuljanin. Foundation Networks. Bosnia-Herzegovina.


Read about other events, webinars, interviews, resources and business advice, which are part of David’s response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Crisis. The page includes videos of past events as well as notice of forthcoming events, plus some suggestions for future collaborations (more…)


If you like this page and want to say thanks, or encourage me to publish more free information for creative entrepreneurs, you can buy me a coffee!


Design Trust interview