Design Business Council > Old HHBC

Building a great creative business:
good for people and profits

A half-day workshop to help creative business owners build sustainable, purpose-driven agencies that balance team wellbeing with financial success.

Book a call

This workshop is for creative business owners who:

want to build a more sustainable business,

struggle to balance team wellbeing with profitability,

need a practical framework to evaluate decisions, and

want to build a purpose-driven creative business.

Woman-with-teal-glasses

Businesses can be good for people and profits

Running a creative business isn’t just about the numbers — it’s about building something sustainable that works for both your team and your bottom line.

After 30 years of running design studios and mentoring creative leaders, we’ve developed a unique framework that helps balance these competing demands.

Together with Andy Wright, CEO of Streamtime and founder of Never Not Creative we have developed a creative business canvas that combines quantitative data with real-world experience. The result is a framework delivering practical tools for success.

Book a call

What this workshop can bring to your business …

Clarity

This canvas is focused on what’s needed to build a purpose-driven creative business.

Robust questioning

The canvas prompts robust thinking and discussion around the way you work, and why.

A decision-making framework

Create clear pillars and positioning to guide decision-making.

Practical plans

Transform theory into practical, actionable steps.

Change

This workshop will help you navigate change and envision future scenarios.

Impact measurement

Develop frameworks to prove the success of your decisions.

Balanced priorities

Learn to balance team well-being and business needs.

Sustainability

Create systems to support long-term business health.

Thank you to both Carol and Greg for the gift of the Creative Business Canvas!
Being new to working on the agency-side of branding and marketing the session they ran was insightful, thought-provoking and energising. I have the confidence now to look at sections of our business and go deeper without feeling the overwhelm of needing to do everything, all at once. Carol and Greg’s mentoring and guidance is engaging and extremely thorough, a real ‘safety-net’ feeling when tackling the big questions and interrogating how we do business. Thanks again for a really useful and helpful tool that I know we’ll use for years to come.

Sarah Price, Brand Service Manager, Ruck Agency

What you’ll walk away with…

  • the creative business canvas digital toolkit

  • a practical framework for decision-making

  • industry benchmarks for key metrics

  • tools to evaluate hiring decisions

  • profit analysis frameworks

  • performance management systems

  • supporting documentation and resources.

Book a call
man-with-glasses

Running a creative business can sometimes feel like a never ending stream of problems to be solved, with how effectively these are managed being vital to long-term success.
After completing the ‘The Happier, Healthier Creative Business Canvas masterclass’ with Greg and Carol I feel like I have been equipped with an essential problem-solving tool and roadmap to navigate the most pressing issues in my business. I’m excited to start using the tips, tactics and wisdom provided immediately.

Franky Demaria, Creative Director, Franky Demaria Design

This workshop is perfect if ...

It's about clarity around where to focus your time and energy

you’re tired of making decisions in isolation and need help evaluating key decisions.

you want to build a business that’s both profitable and good for people.

you want to build a strong, robust sustainable business you actually enjoy.

you’re ready to move beyond gut feelings to evidence-based leadership.

StudioManage2

A unique collaboration

The canvas was developed by three experienced design practioners with a vast range of skills: Greg Branson, Carol Mackay and Andy Wright. Together they have an unmatched breadth of skills and knowledge.

This workshop comes from a unique collaboration between the Design Business Council’s 30+ years of industry experience, Streamtime’s data-driven insights and Never Not Creative’s research into creative’s mental wellbeing.

You will learn a framework designed specifically for creative businesses – it’s a combination of academic research and practical industry knowledge.

Want more detail on the canvas? Watch a video explanation. Email Greg to arrange a demo.

 

    Book a call

    This workshop is for creative business owners tired of being on a rollercoaster.

    This workshop is for creative business leaders struggling to balance life and business.

    This workshop is for those who want to build a purpose-driven creative business.

    The investment of
    $5,000 +GST includes


    a pre-workshop assessment to ensure you’ll get the most from the activity.


    the half-day workshop in your studio with as many of your team as you like.


    a bespoke workshop specific to your interests, skillset and pillars of excellence.


    a one-month follow-up session to answer any of those niggling questions.


    the frameworks, the tools and knowledge to implement what you’ve learnt.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Here's some answers to questions we think you might be asking... got another? Just email.

    How is this different to other business planning tools?

    Firstly, because it was developed by Australian design practitioners for Australian designers based on real Australian industry data, knowledge and experience. It was specifically designed to consider both the human and financial aspects of running a creative business and that’s unusual.

    What kind of decisions can the canvas help with?

    The canvas provides a framework for any major business decision made within a creative business. We’ll demonstrate it using common scenarios like hiring decisions, profit analysis, and performance management.

    Can I bring additional team members?

    The workshop will work one-on-one and it will also work with multiple team members participating. The more of your leadership team that understands the framework, the more effective it will be.

    How should I prepare for the workshop?

    We can customise the workshop to your specific situation if you have a burning question that needs exploring, or we can use some scenarios we know are common to all creative businesses – the choice is yours.

    Where is the workshop held?

    We deliver this workshop at your studio, making it easier to discuss real challenges in your actual environment. While we’re based in Victoria, we regularly travel to other Australian states. Let’s discuss timing that works for your team.

    Will there be ongoing support?

    Yes – we include a one-hour follow-up session one month after the workshop to keep you on track and answer any questions that come up as you implement the strategies and you’ll have our email addresses, so we’re never far away.
    Longer term, we offer ad-hoc issued based mentoring.