Design Business Council > Benchmark your studio: how do you compare?

Benchmark your studio: how do you compare?

A two-hour diagnostic session to understand where your creative business sits in the Australian market.

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This mentoring is for creative business owners who:

feel uncertain about their studio’s financial health,

want to understand what ‘good’ looks like in the Australian market,

need clarity on which metrics actually matter, and

are ready to make data-driven decisions about their future.

What is benchmarking?

Benchmarking is like a health check, comparing your business to others often by using a set of numbers. It’s valuable because it’s a snapshot in time, a tangible, qualitative measurement of where your business sits in relation to others.

While other benchmarking services focus purely on financial metrics, we believe the health of a creative business is more nuanced. Our diagnostic combines financial data with cultural insights and industry context to give you a complete picture of your studio’s wellbeing

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What makes our approach different

Australian context

All our data comes from local creative businesses.

Cultural considerations

We look at team dynamics and client relationships, not just numbers.

Practical interpretation

We translate data into actionable insights .

Ongoing mentoring relationship

This isn’t just a one-off diagnostic, if wanted we can build on this information.

to come.

Creative Director, Melbourne design studio

What you’ll walk away with …

Clarity

Clear picture of your studio’s health across multiple dimension.

Insights

Understanding of which metrics matter most for your specific situatio.

Tactics and strategies

Practical strategies to improve underperforming areas.

Practical plans

Actionable plan for the next 6 months.

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What’s involved:

Pre-session:

  • a health check questionnaire covering finances, people and clients

  • an outline your current challenges and goals

During the session:

  • we’ll review your metrics against our database of Australian creative businesses

  • together we’ll unpack the story behind your numbers

  • discussion will identify opportunities for improvement

  • you’ll leave with a practical plan aligned with your goals

After the session:

  • we’ll follow up via email after one month to keep you on track.

Book a call
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to come.

Name, CEO APR Creative

This workshop is perfect if ...

BENCHMARKING IS LIKE A HEALTH CHECK FOR YOUR BUSINESS

you feel like you’re always in reactive-mode, making decisions based on gut feel rather than evidence-based data.

you want to forward plan and to do that you need to understand if your business model is sustainable.

you want to identify what’s working – the most profitable areas of your business – and what’s not.

you’re curious to know how your business compares to other Australian creative businesses.

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Why trust the Design Business Council?

We’ve spent over 30 years running design studios and 10+ years mentoring creative business owners. Our approach combines data with deep industry experience and a genuine understanding of the Australian creative landscape.

 

 

    Book a call

    The investment of
    $2,500 +GST includes


    a pre-session handover of our comprehensive studio diagnostic questionnaire.


    the two-hour intensive review session.


    a comprehensive benchmarking report.


    30-day follow-up email check-in.


    the 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 benchmarking services?

    We combine financial metrics with cultural insights and practical guidance based on real Australian studio experience.

    How confidential is my information?

    Your information is very safe. The reason we can work with so many Australian creative businesses is our discretion. We sign NDA’s with all our clients and any information we share is de-identified.

    How current is your benchmark data?

    Our database is continuously updated with real metrics from Australian creative businesses.

    What preparation is required?

    You’ll need to complete our diagnostic questionnaire and have access to your financial reports during the session.

    Where is the workshop held?

    While we’re based in Victoria, we regularly travel to other Australian states and we like to deliver this workshop at your studio, making it easier to discuss real challenges in your actual environment but we understand sometimes that’s just not possible so we also deliver via zoom. 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.