We’re happy to announce that Creative Minds is back and ready to rock and roll!
It’s fair say that the last 18 months have been a bit of a disaster for Creative Minds (as it has been for many small businesses). Last March our CM Artists and their sessions were cancelled with immediate effect as the care sector and then the whole of the UK (or world for that matter) was plunged into Lockdown as the pandemic started to take hold. Fear, uncertainty and despair started to take hold and was further compounded when we all understood what was going on much more clearly, and thus realised that this not going to be a quick recovery. There is however the promise of recovery and the light at the end of tunnel certainly feels within reach now due to the fantastic vaccination rollout.
Creative Minds is a wee bit smaller in size than it was prior to the pandemic, but we still have some wonderful artists that have stuck by the organisation, me, Sarah and the community and we’re really thankful that they’ve stayed! Creative Minds wouldn’t be here without – you. Like many people throughout the pandemic, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect an think deeply about what has happened, what I could have done better and what can be changed to improve Creative Minds for the future and as we move into this ‘new normal’ (that people keep harping on about đ).
For Creative Minds to grow, prosper and scale, which has always been my vision for the company, it’s model will need to adapt to this new digital landscape we’re in. Gone is the Franchise and in is the Membership. This is part of my new vision of what a franchise is or can be, something that’s much more affordable for people, therefore much more accessible but yet retains some of the fantastic elements that made Creative Minds great – the community, and that support network. One of the key differences is that artists can become ‘members’ i.e. Creative Minds Artists, across the world and can leverage the Artsflow platform (booking and payment system) whilst they build their creative businesses.
So without further or do, I’ll go into the details of the Creative Minds Membership…
Our Training Costs ÂŁ250 and will be delivered by Sarah, Head of Community Development.
In our online training you will learn how to:
- Build your Creative Minds business.
- Market & Sell yourself to prospective clients.
- Learn about best practices when delivering your art sessions.
- How to diversify your business by approaching and working with different clients.
- Learn about the various marketing tools & means to build your business.
- Learn about the Artsflow platform and how to onboard your clients.
- Administer your business using the various tools & templates we’ve created.
Our monthly Membership fee is ÂŁ25 & includes our Membership Pack:
- Creative Minds Email Address (via Google Workspace)
- Bi-weekly calls & messaging support from Sarah for first 3 months (conference/video calls)
- Access to files, docs & templates (via Google Drive)
- Access to our two Facebook Community Groups
- Branded Apron & Name Badge
Marketing materials will need to be ordered separately by artists, and all of our templates will be available in Google Drive.
Business cards, facebook profile & cover images can be ordered separately by artists and are designed by a freelance graphic designer.
Our first training of the year is on Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd July and if you’d like to join us and the other artists please get in touch by completing a ‘Membership Application Form’ on our Membership page (this page and the form will be changing soon to reflect the above changes).
We really look forward to hearing from you and helping you to start your creative journey with Creative Minds!
Thank you for reading. đ
James.