Forge Ahead

This programme is for makers who have been in business for a minimum of 3-5 years, who have found their place in the market but want to make deeper inroads to build success on their own terms.

Through 10 sessions based on expert guidance, workshop content, peer-to-peer learning, and real-world testing of your own practice, you’ll gain the tools you need to evolve and elevate your business creatively and commercially.

Forge Ahead will help you to develop a strategic vision with relevant goals and milestones, steer your business with purpose and clarity, improve your ability to plan and prioritise, target your audience and marketing more effectively, interrogate your finances, and use financial reporting as a tool for goal setting.

This programme is perfect for more established makers with some business know-how and ambitions to build on their existing success and realise their vision.

Forge Ahead is for you if: 

• You are several years into building your own business, with an existing track record

• You are highly skilled in your craft discipline and seen as a key player or one to watch

• You have creative development skills and are able to develop your work to meet the needs of your market

• You have a signature of body of work that is distinct and recognisable

• You have several years of financial data, even if it needs a good sort out!

• You have confidence in the direction of your business, even if you are not sure how to grow it

• You have knowledge of your sector, including relationships with key organisations and an active peer group

• You have live business opportunities that you can use to test and evaluate your ideas during the programme

• Your current income indicates that your business is viable or has the potential to be sustainable, even while you grow or change income streams

• Your craft business already generates a reasonable income or is a key component of a portfolio practice

• You are working more than 2 days per week on your business and have the capacity to invest time to make improvements

• You are self-directed and highly motivated, with the ability to work autonomously with periodic support

For organisations looking to commission a bespoke workshop package in alignment with the needs of your members and budget, please email our Head of Business Incubation David Crump to learn more or schedule a call.