Maker Entrepreneurship Program

Brisbane City Council has offered the Maker Entrepreneurship Program since 2020 to provide opportunities for makers to grow their business. This fully subsidised micro-business training supports entrepreneurship at the local community level to elevate the independent, artisan and bespoke creators of Brisbane to help grow our city’s maker economy.

2024 program

Applications for 2024 have closed. 

Take your maker business to new heights with the free Maker Entrepreneurship Program 2024. Build your knowledge and gain the skills, tools and resources to run and grow a sustainable creative business over 4 workshop sessions facilitated by BrisStyle and experts from the maker sector. Bring all your learnings together with a bonus photo and styling workshop run by local photographer Debi Brett.

Session one: Business fundamentals

  • Assess your business with professional insight.
  • Build or re-evaluate your business plan to turn your creative ideas into a viable business.
  • Developing goals and analysing your progress.
  • Setting your business up to be sustainable and maintaining work/life balance. 

Session 2: Getting down to business

  • Bookkeeping basics including tax requirements and special rules for creative businesses.
  • How to price your work, where to sell, budgeting and income streams.
  • Understanding insurance.

Session 3: Strategic brand marketing

  • Defining your brand values and positioning including competitor review.
  • How to develop and rollout your brand. 
  • Creating your online presence.
  • Making social media work for you.

Session 4: Bringing it all together

  • Refocus on goals and next steps.
  • Create a 3-month action plan.
  • Top tips from a successful Brisbane maker.
  • Making the transition to a full-time business.

Session 5: Smartphone photography workshop* with Debi Brett Photography

  • How to style your products to enhance your brand.
  • Using your smartphone to take and edit great photos of your products.
  • Telling your brand story through visuals and copy.
  • Walk away with a portfolio of ready-to-use photos for your business.

*Participants who complete all program sessions will be eligible to attend a half-day photography workshop session in June (session dates to be advised).

Eligibility criteria

A maker is someone who creates a tangible item either by design or fabrication. For example, artists, sewers, printers, potters, metalsmiths, jewellers, woodworkers, designers and more.

To be eligible to apply for the Maker Entrepreneurship Program, applicants needed to:

  • be an existing maker business that has commenced selling handmade products, have stock on hand, and an online presence
  • be able to dedicate approximately 30 hours of your time for the sessions and agreed activities/tasks
  • have a current and active ABN or ACN
  • be physically located within the Brisbane Local Government Area.

How to apply

Applications for 2024 closed on Sunday 10 March 2024. 

More information

For more information about Council's support for makers, contact Council's Business Hotline on 133BNE (133 263).

To stay updated about opportunities for Brisbane makers, subscribe to Council’s Business in Brisbane e-newsletter.

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