Business for Creatives

The Business for Creatives online course equips creative professionals from different fields with the knowledge and tools to commercialize their work. Throughout the course you will explore the unique challenges of the creative industry, learn how to build a strong brand, and how to develop a sustainable business model. This course also helps you understand the value of pricing strategies and how branding influences your revenue potential.

Through self-paced online learning materials, you will:

Gain insights into the business side of the creative industry and learn how to make your work profitable.
Discover how branding and storytelling impact pricing and customer perception.
Learn how to develop strategies to build a sustainable business model tailored to your own creative field.
Understand pricing principles and how to charge what your work is worth.

You can study this course flexibly at your own pace while gaining practical skills that can be immediately applied to your creative business.

Start

Any time: License for eight (8) weeks starting from the order date

Registration information

Henri Nyberg, Project Manager

010 837 3797

henri.nyberg@aaltoee.fi

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Consider the way you think about business.
Consider how much effort you're putting into your work in contrast to how much you are getting paid for it. We want to help you turn it into minimum effort, maximum profit!
Understand the value and benefits of branding and storytelling.
Think about who your target customer is, what they do, want, and need.
Think about how you price your products and services.

For

Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting out, this course provides valuable insights to help you build a successful business.

This course is ideal for creative professionals, entrepreneurs, and freelancers in industries such as design, fashion, arts, media, and other creative fields.

Contents and Schedule

The Business for Creatives course provides a comprehensive understanding of how to turn creative work into a sustainable business. You will learn key strategies to enhance branding, improve pricing models, and develop a solid business foundation.

The course consists of video lectures, reflection tasks, and quizzes as well as recommendations for further reading materials. You can complete the course at your own pace from anywhere in the world. The estimated study time is 27 hours, and you will have access to the course materials for 8 weeks from the date of purchase.

The language of the course is English.

The course is divided into 5 modules, each focusing on a specific topic:

Module 1: Introduction
Module 2: Challenges and special features of the industry
Module 3: Branding
Module 4: Business model and distribution channels
Module 5: Pricing

Instructors

Sarianna Niskala

Sarianna Niskala is a designer and a design business consultant, a Master of Arts from Aalto University, School of Arts and Design. She is a hands-on doer and a team player design-business-hybrid with a positive let’s-get-things-done attitude. In her studies and client works she has focused on visual, product, textile and fashion design, branding, multidisciplinary teamwork and design management. She has studied textile and fashion design in her BA plus International Design Business Management in MA.

Sarianna has lived and worked in Finland, Italy, Sweden and the UK. Selling designs, creative concepts, visual storytelling and fresh colour combinations are her fortes. Sarianna is hardworking and has a great and fun taste.

Päivi Lonka

Päivi Lonka is a seasoned business professional with over 30 years of experience in the global fashion industry, including a decade in VP roles. Her expertise covers the entire value chain, from sourcing to retail distribution. She works closely with companies to bridge creativity and business, helping them navigate the intersection of design and strategy.

Program Fee and Registration

Program Fee

The Business for Creatives program fee is € 150 (+ VAT).

This program has adopted Aalto EE's new Customer ID, and it is delivered on Aalto Learning Experience Alex e-learning environment. Before ordering, please visit aaltoee.fi/customerid.