Reviving the Pioneer Spirit
How to Start Your Creative Business (Talks & Workshop)
Four evening sessions on entrepreneurship and soft skills for young creatives.
Overview
What has been done
“How to Start Your Creative Business” was a free four-part evening programme for creative students as well as other young people interested in creative entrepreneurship, designed to support them in taking first steps towards freelance work, creative projects, or self-employment. Four evening sessions were held at the Behrens Lab in Linz, each running around three hours. Three sessions featured two creative entrepreneurs sharing honest insights from their practice, with participants first writing down their questions in a short silent reflection exercise before an open Q&A moderated by the Creative Region team. One session focused on hands-on practice. Topics covered included positioning and pricing, finding first clients, communicating your work, and self-organisation.
Why was it needed locally
Soft skills such as communication, self-organisation and entrepreneurial thinking are rarely taught in creative education programmes, whether at vocational schools (HTL, BORG), art schools or universities. And almost never in a practical way. Young creatives often finish their studies without the tools they need to turn their skills into a sustainable livelihood.
Target Groups: How were they activated and their benefits
Primary / secondary school – technical secondary school or vocational upper secondary school (e.g. HTL) and general upper secondary school with creative focus
Activation: Activation relied on direct outreach to teachers and coordinators at creative secondary schools, who acted as multipliers within their programmes. Additional reach was built through the Creative Region's existing community and communication channels.
-
Direct outreach to teachers and school coordinators
-
Email invitations to schools
-
Creative Region website
-
Social media
-
Newsletter
-
Promotion at own events
Benefit: Students gained practical insights into entrepreneurial thinking and soft skills rarely covered in their formal education, relevant for their creative projects and future careers. The low-threshold format allowed them to connect with creative professionals and peers in a supportive environment and gain confidence in taking entrepreneurial steps.
-
Gained practical knowledge on pricing, positioning, finding clients and self-organisation
-
Connected directly with experienced creative entrepreneurs from the region
-
Developed soft skills such as communication, presentation and self-organisation
-
Explored their own creative business ideas in a supported setting
-
Networked with peers from other creative schools and programmes
Resources Required
Staff
Facilitators with experience in creative entrepreneurship, event moderation and community engagement.
~ 5-6 staff days in total (concept, coordination, communication and delivery)
Space
Behrens Lab at Creative Region Linz: event and workshop room
Equipment
Presentation screen, microphone, seating for ~50 participants, snacks & drinks
Budget
Medium: 2-10,000 €
Budget of ~2,700 € covering catering, speaker fee. Venue provided free of charge by Creative Region Linz & Upper Austria. Staff costs not included
Methods & Steps
Core Mechanism
Formats applied
Network / platform:
Each session brought together young creatives with 2 experienced practitioners from the creative industries. As a starting point for a deep dive, the students shared their questions at the beginning of the session. These questions were then taken into the discussion by the moderators of the Creative Region team.
Methods used: 2 minutes of silence: Participants opened with "2 minutes of silence" to write down their questions, which were then addressed throughout the session by the moderators. This garantued that all relevant information was shared by the practitioners.Workshop:
One dedicated session shifted fully to hands-on practice, where participants actively applied communication and entrepreneurial skills to their own ideas and projects.
Methods used: Pitching Session: Students had to explain who they are and what their skills are in short pitching sessions.Negotiation Practice: Students had to negotiate with each other on their offers and/or feedback on their projects. Beforehand they learned about tips & tricks to better negotiate (how to defend against killer phrases, stay fair and objective etc.)
Steps taken
Concept Development
0,5 days
- Format & topic design: Defining the overall structure, themes and session format
- Content sharpening: Refining the concept and framing
- Speaker brainstorming: Identifying potential practitioners per topic
Preparation & Coordination
1,5 days
- Speaker acquisition: Finding and approaching suitable creative entrepreneurs
- Speaker briefing: Aligning on content, format and expectations
- Scheduling: Finding suitable dates for all sessions
- Partner & school outreach: Identifying and contacting schools and cooperation partners
Communication & Overall Coordination
2 days
- Promotion: Website, social media, newsletter and own events
- Invitation management: Sending invitations and managing registrations
- Follow-ups & reminders: Keeping participants and speakers informed
- Internal coordination: Alignment within the team
Implementation & Session Preperation
1,5 days
- Room setup: Arranging seating, tech, snacks & drinks
- Welcome & registration: Greeting and checking in participants
- Moderation & Facilitation: Facilitating talk, silent reflection, Q&A and discussion
- Networking: Hosting informal closing
- Pack-up: Clearing the room after each session
Follow up & Stay Connected
- Summarized Learnings: After each session, the learnings were summarized and published together with pictures via Social Media.
- Follow up email: A few days after each session, an email was sent to the participants with some learnings and the link to the Social Media posts.
- Additional Offers: Participants were invited to additional dates with the Creative Region team, e.g. to learn more about specific topics ("how to write an offer") or to learn about other formats ("Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs", Mentoring for Creatives).
- Handbook: Out of all sessions, a handbook was created and sent to the participants.
- Young Creative Club: The participants were invited to join the Young Creative Club, a newsletter and series of talks for young creatives.
Results
Measurable and Direct Outcomes
The local action brought about the following concrete results:
- Improved entrepreneurial / pioneer skills: Around 50 participants developed practical entrepreneurial skills, from pricing and positioning to client communication and self-organisation, in an applied, low-threshold setting rarely offered within formal creative education by 7 creative practicioners.
- Improved transversal skills: Through reflection exercises, open dialogue and peer exchange, participants strengthened key transversal skills such as communication, self-organisation and creative problem-solving.
- Stakeholder awareness / network extensions: The series strengthened connections between young creatives, experienced practitioners and the Creative Region community, including one direct job placement resulting from contacts made during the series. The opening session was attended by the Chair of the Supervisory Board, underlining the strategic relevance of the format at organisational level
Indirect Impacts
The series addressed a gap in creative education by delivering practical soft skills in an accessible, practitioner-led format. Young creatives from different schools and programmes connected with each other and with experienced entrepreneurs, building a stronger local creative network. The format also raised awareness of Creative Region's other programmes among a new, younger audience. As an enduring structure, the series directly inspired the launch of the Young Creative Club.
Local Outlook / Follow-up
- Young Creative Club: Building directly on the series, Creative Region has launched the Young Creative Club - a regular format featuring guest practitioners in moderated conversation. It creates an enduring community structure for peer exchange among young creatives in the region.
- Repetition of the format: Creative Region is considering a follow-up edition of "How to Start Your Creative Business" – potentially streamlined to 3 sessions and with broader outreach to universities of arts and universities of applied sciences.
Evaluation
Satisfaction - Overview
Participant feedback was consistently positive across all four sessions, collected both verbally on-site and in written form afterwards. The honest, low-pressure atmosphere and direct access to experienced practitioners were highlighted as particularly valuable. The high return rate across all four sessions reflects strong overall satisfaction with the format.
Satisfaction - Details
- Positive overall reception: Feedback collected on-site and afterwards was consistently positive. The practitioner-led, low-threshold format was described as accessible, relevant and motivating.
- Strong desire for repetition: Participants and partners expressed clear interest in continuing the format, confirming that it addresses an unmet need among young creatives in the region.
- Direct job placement: One participant secured a job directly through connections made during the series - a concrete indicator of the networking impact beyond skill development.
Transfer Hints
- Start with honest practitioners: Invite creative entrepreneurs who are willing to share real experiences – including struggles and failures. Authenticity is the core of the format and cannot be replaced by polished presentations.
- Use the silent reflection opener: Give participants 2 minutes of silence to write down their questions before the discussion begins. This simple method ensures everyone's voice is heard and keeps the Q&A grounded in real needs.
- Keep it low-threshold and free: Remove as many barriers as possible – no registration fees, no preparation required, informal atmosphere. This is what makes the format accessible to young people who are still exploring their path.
- Include informal networking time: End each session with snacks and drinks. The informal exchange that happens here is often as valuable as the session itself.
- Activate schools directly: Reach out to teachers and coordinators personally – they are the most effective multipliers to reach young creatives who might not yet follow your own channels.
- Number of sessions: The series worked well as four sessions, but could be condensed to three without losing its core – particularly if resources or audience availability are limited.
- Number of speakers per session: Two practitioners per session created great dynamic, but one strong speaker can work equally well depending on availability and topic.
- Topics and order: The four themes can be adapted to local needs and audiences – what matters is covering the full arc from getting started to sustaining a creative practice.
- Venue: Any accessible, informal space works – a dedicated creative hub is ideal but not essential. The atmosphere matters more than the location.
- Don't over-formalise the format: Avoid turning sessions into lectures or structured training. The value lies in the honest, conversational tone - as soon as it feels like a course, you lose the magic.
- Don't skip the silent reflection: Without this moment, Q&A tends to be dominated by the most confident voices. The 2 minutes of silence are short but essential for inclusive participation.
- Don't rely solely on social media for outreach: Young creatives – especially students – are best reached through direct contact with their teachers and schools. Digital promotion alone is rarely enough.
- Don't underestimate the networking part: Cutting the informal closing to save time or budget removes one of the most valuable elements of the format.
Participant Testimonials & Impressions
Impressions
Replicate This Application?
Access the complete implementation guide and connect with the team
Contact: Wolfgang Gumpelmaier-Mach
Email: wolfgang@creativeregion.org
Need more information?
Project manager:
Franziska Görmar
IfL - Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Germany
Email
This project is supported by the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund.
Find more information about the x-Inno Radar project on the Interreg CE projectwebsite.
x-Inno Radar is a project of: 
Creative Region Linz & Upper Austria Gmbh, 
The Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Karlovy Vary Region, 
Padova Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture, 
Creative Industry Košice, n. o., 
BSC, Business support centre, ltd., Kranj, 
Regional Development Agency in Bielsko-Biała, 
Stebo Competence Centre Community Developmentm, 
Association of Cultural and Creative Industries Chemnitz and Region (Creative Chemnitz), Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography – Germany, Otelo Cooperative