Evaluation of practical investigation and theoretical research including primary and secondary sources to explore and identify a potential market opportunity for a product or service in creative industries.

Enquiry


Apply methods and techniques to review, consolidate, extend and apply knowledge and understanding by formulating a business proposal and start-up plan with a shoestring budget.

Application


Demonstrate an understanding of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge when implementing the business plan for a live product or service.

Learning

Assessment 1: Portfolio and documentation of starting a small creative / freelance business on a shoestring budget, to include an online electronic reflective blog (no word count), business proposal, business plan, artefact / service images or item(s), development work and critical analysis, financials a summary of success of the project (approx. 4500 words). The blog must utilise an appropriate online platform to enable you to develop and evidence effective digital literacy abilities to support your contemporary communication skillset, and use both text and imagery (still and / or moving) (70%) [LO 1, 2 ,3 and 4]

Assessment 2: Presentation (10 minutes) analysing outcomes and future viability of enterprise endeavour (30%) [LO 4]


Further clarity will be provided in detailed project brief.

This module will introduce you to working in the creative industries on a shoestring budget, through the proposal for the design and practical implementation of a market-researched product or service within the context of a viable business plan, into promoting, marketing and retailing your idea, keeping appropriate financial records and summarising the outcomes of the project. Your project must be related to your chosen specialism.

In undertaking this project module, you will be motivated by the desire to obtain skills of value to employers and the self-employed, improve your personal and enterprise skills, test the market for self-employment opportunities. You will also develop a range of personal transferable skills such as organisational skills, networking, assertiveness, communication, presentation skills, problem solving, analytical skills, creativity and numerical ability. You will be required to keep an electronic blog, detailing your weekly activities and critically reflecting on your experience throughout the module.

This module will add to the value of your CV, creating for yourself a real-life business experience to draw on in job applications, funding proposals and interviews.

This module will introduce you to working within the creative industries on a shoestring budget, guiding you through the design and implementation of a market-researched product or service. You’ll develop a viable business plan, and learn to promote, market, and retail your idea while maintaining financial records and summarising your project outcomes. Your project must align with your chosen specialism, helping you build valuable skills for both employment and self-employment. Throughout this module, you’ll enhance your organisational, networking, and communication skills, among others, while keeping an electronic blog to reflect on your weekly activities and experiences. This hands-on experience will add significant value to your CV, providing real-world business acumen to leverage in job applications, funding proposals, and interviews.

You will be involved in:
Seminars to share ideas and test your proposals
Group tutorials to discuss key themes such as market research, costing your work, marketing and promotion, business planning etc.
Individual tutorials to discuss your progress and personal targets
Workshops to assemble your work and plan your strategies for success
Presentations to peers and tutors
VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)

Books

Creative Enterprise Programme, 2018. Launch Your Own Successful Creative Business: Creative Enterprise Toolkit. London: British Council.

Dib, A., 2018. The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd (Lean Marketing Series). [e-book] United States: Page Two Books.

Dillehay, J., 2019. Sell Your Crafts Online: The Handmaker's Guide to Selling from Etsy, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Shopify, Influencers and More. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.

Evans, V., 2012. FTGU.Evans: Writing a Business Plan 3e: How to Win Backing to Start Up or Grow Your Business. London: Pearson Education Limited.

McRobbie, A. and Strutt, D., 2017. Fashion as Creative Economy: Micro-Enterprises in London, Berlin and Milan. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Students will have access to studio space and college library and computer resources.
University learning resources are available on campus at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, and online via the partner Need to Know pages of the university website.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses_and_study/partnerships/current_students/email/index.jsp