1. The
10 Attributes for Success
Creative
Entrepreneur
byHughMacleod(http://gapingvoid.com/)

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3. Have you heard what they say
about us?
• We are flaky
• We’re not interested in profits
• We always rely on subsidy
• Why don’t we do the popular stuff?
• Why don’t we get a Proper Job?

4. Talk to the hand!
They say:
Most creative businesses are like those in the computer
games industry – they tend to be small, under-capitalised
and under-managed.
They get by with improvisational entrepreneurship, by the
seat of their pants.
(Charles Leadbeater, 2004)

5. Left brain, right brain
We say:
• Students on arts and creative courses are generally
more practical, ‘right brain’ and lateral thinkers than
many of their peers.
• As such, many of these
students already have the
latent competencies required
for entrepreneurship
(Roepke 1998 et al)

6. What is the reality?
• Creative entrepreneurs are driven by the work
itself
– For others, being in business is an end in itself
– For creative entrepreneurs, being in business is a
means to an end

7. The reality
• Creative enterprises are characterised by
freelance or micro businesses
– Portfolio workers adapting their skills to a range of
employers
– BUT minimises need to take on responsibilities for
leadership, management, human resource
development etc
– Limits potential for business growth

8. The reality
• The sector does not conform to traditional
industrial definitions –
– Prototype, equipment, reproduction and distribution
– Sector is often more collaborative – eg games, writers
and musicians; songwriters, singers and record
producers etc

9. The reality
• Creative entrepreneurs are not driven by the
market – they often make the market
– Rarely undertake market research
– BUT need to develop ‘bread and butter’ product lines
• Big companies grow from exploitation of micro’s
IP – record companies, producers, publishers etc

10. The reality
Creative entrepreneurs appear to be ‘financially
risk averse’ not because they are airheads but:
• They want to protect their integrity
• They want to retain control
• They take unintelligible risks
• They may not know the business rules of the
game
• BUT they will improvise –

11. The reality
• Creative entrepreneurs tend to go for local
markets
– Fear of strategic planning
– Weakness in making connections
– BUT Knowledge economy makes global business an
opportunity even for new creative entrepreneurs

12. The reality
• Creative entrepreneurs have difficulty in
accessing finance
– External perception of sector as ‘high risk’ and ‘bad
managers’ limits opportunities for investment
– Needing to access the tools
– Creative solutions being sought

13. So what is a
Creative Entrepreneur?
• A Creative Entrepreneur is any
artist or creative practitioner,
working in any field of the arts or
creative industries, who works as a
freelance or sole trader and earns
his/her living using her creative
talent and skills.

14. For example…..these are just
some of the areas of work….
• Actors, dancers, musicians
• Directors, choreographers, lighting and sound
designers & technicians, artist management
• Painters, sculptors, writers, journalists
• Film makers, radio and online media
professionals, games developers,
• Designers in all fields, from fashion to software
• Communications professionals, from advertising
to PR

15. First steps…..
• To be a successful creative entrepreneur, you
need various skills and attributes underpinning
your creative skills
• We have identified the Top Ten Attributes (or
Critical Behaviours) that seem to characterise the
most successful creative entrepreneurs that
CidaCo works with
• No one is brilliant at them all – but you should
know your own strengths and weaknesses to
build a successful future

16. Top Ten
Critical Behaviours for Success
• Key behaviours
• Not in any hierarchy of importance!
• Based on observation and experience

17. Values - led
• A clear sense of values and beliefs underpinning
creative and business decisions
• Particularly in difficult or challenging
circumstances

18. Conceptual thinking
• Uses fresh approaches
• Comes up with crazy new ideas leading to new
or radical change
• Listens to new ideas without pre-judgement

19. Strategic Thinking
• Valuing the planning process
• Planning over a significant period
• Recognises external trends and opportunities
• Thinks through complex implications for the
business

20. Commercial Aptitude
• Keeps up to date with latest developments
• Seeks out best practice
• Identifies and seizes opportunities not obvious to
others

21. Project Management
- Planning and managing to turn ideas into reality
- Managing critical links between people, ideas and
information at all stages in the project lifecycle
- Understanding how to negotiate, how to communicate
with tact and reach agreements which are acceptable
to the project
- Evaluating effectiveness of project planning and
implementation

22. Risk Taking
• Operates from hope of success rather than
from fear of failure
• Persists in pursuing goals despite obstacles
and setbacks
• Sees setbacks as due to manageable
circumstance rather than as a personal flaw
• Learns how to assess choices responsibly
• Weighs outcomes against values and
responsibilities

23. Customer Sensitivity
• Builds long term relationships of trust
• Generates expectation of high level of customer
service
• Regularly exceeds customer expectation

24. Networking
• Understands networking is a key business
activity
• Networks provide access to
information, expertise, collaboration and sales
• Careful planning and preparation leads to
desired results

25. Leadership
• Builds total capability of the team – including
freelancers!
• Creates common purpose through shared vision
and values
• Always considers principles of inclusiveness in
planning and dealing with others
• Walks the talk!

26. Innovation
• Uses imagination to develop new ideas and
insights
• Turns innovative ideas into
products, services, business processes and
relationships
• Ensures that innovative ideas have potential to
add value

27. The Creative Entrepreneur
• Technical skills – marketing, cash management,
etc – very important
But first………..
• Where’s your head? Where’s your heart?

28. The Creative Entrepreneur
Toolkit
Your chance to assess your own
attributes and skills!
Follow this link to continue your assesment
http://www.slideshare.net/CIDADawn/the-
creative-entrepreneur-toolkit-shared