Growing your creative business - 2020 Edition - A guide for craft producers, designers and other creatives

Sep 22, 2026

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Growing your creative business is a practical guide for craft producers, designers and other creatives, commissioned by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and developed by the Craft and Design Institute for the 2020 edition. It supports craft entrepreneurs with a business development methodology (CDI) and covers the full journey from product idea and prototyping through materials, production, packaging, marketing, selling, distribution, feedback, and business orientation. It also addresses individual capacity, communication, financial management, business systems and human resources, plus templates and examples to help build sustainable enterprises.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages167

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Product idea

Prototyping and sampling

Materials

Production

Packaging and packing

Marketing

Selling

Distribution

Feedback

Business orientation

Strategic Vision and business plan

Individual capacity

Communication

Financial Management

Business Systems and Human resources

Templates and examples

Growing your creative business A guide for craft producers, designers and other creatives 2020 Edition This book was commissioned by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and developed by the Craft and Design Institute. Author: Jo Monson, Materials Development Africa Business development methodology: CDI Concept and content development: Dammon Rice and Sarah Polonsky Content contributors: Nicolette Booyens, Mara Fleischer, Sue Heathcock, Toni Burton, Dammon Rice, Sarah Polonsky, Eugene Newman, Anton Ressel, Alan Alborough, Fran Stewart, Erica Elk, Joseph Mathe, Rosemary Cooke Contributing craft producers: Ndihleka Biyo, Tawanda Nyoka, Daniel Chapata, Godfrey Dambuleni, Jimmy Dantini, Annette van Zyl, DuNoon Weaving Project, Victoria Ralasi, Regina Gingqishe, Wola Nani, Janine Jones, David Manando, Nonhlopheko Wood Carvers, Willard Musarurwa, Marilyn Safodien, Inga Gubeka, Anna Richerby, Nicolene Gericke Photographer: Mara Fleischer Book design and layout: dotted line design; Mokete Maphala, CDI Illustrator: Dorét Ferreira, dotted line design Proofreader: Fiona Zerbst ISBN: 978-0-620-60547-2 Foreword Laying the Foundation to growing your great creative business “Growing your creative business: A guide for craft producers, designers and other creatives” Back in 2014 we commissioned the development of this guide to assist craft producers with the know-how of running successful and sustainable craft businesses. This intervention is even more important now than it has ever been. The depressed state of our economy and its shrinking capability to create jobs signals to the critical need for out-of-the box thinking. A guide such as this one is a call for creatives to up their game to become serious players in the economic space. To become a player of note in today’s cut throat economy one needs the know-how to play the game in a way that uses knowledge in a strategic way, and keeping that knowledge up to date. This Guide is our small contribution to assisting craft producers, designers and other creatives to be well armed and serious contenders in their own right. Back in 2001 we supported the production of a Craft Information Handbook and Directory and now we are supporting some small updates to the 2014 edition to ensure that the contents of these guides continue to be relevant and helpful to South African creatives. The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is charting a new path of excellence for the creative sector and in doing so, recognises that the base of this excellence is a suitably capacitated sector that excels not only in creativity, but also in business management. Although cognisant that such an intervention isnot a panacea to all the challenges confronting creatives, it will nevertheless go a long way to levelling the playing field for effective participation in the 21st century knowledge based economy. This Guide is part of our strategic effort to empower craft producers, designers and other creative entrepreneurs with the resources, knowledge and understanding of what is required in managing and growing a sustainable creative enterprise. A good understanding of the full business process from product conceptualisation and design, efficient production, right up to seamless interface with a viable market, are all critical fundamentals of a successful and sustainable business. Once again, we thank everyone who continues to make a contribution towards the enhancement of the creative industries in South Africa and the craft sector in particular. I trust that you will continue to find this guide to be an invaluable resource. Nathi Mthethwa (Mr.) Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture 1. Overview 5 Get motivated • Use the colourful pages to get your product sold • Use the grey pages to grow your business 2. Product idea 11 • Creative solutions lead to new products • Get input from everywhere 3. Prototyping and sampling 21 • Get feedback on prototypes to i

FAQs

Who commissioned and developed this guide?

The guide was commissioned by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and developed by the Craft and Design Institute (CDI).

What stages of business growth does the guide cover?

It covers product idea, prototyping and sampling, materials, production, packaging and packing, marketing, selling, distribution, and feedback, then moves into business orientation, vision and planning, and capacity building.

What topics are included beyond marketing and sales?

The guide includes communication, financial management, business systems and human resources, and provides templates and examples to support implementation.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by McQueen