2026 Dream Plan Do VIP Club incl. festival + business planner handbook
2026 dream plan VIP CLUB (incl. festival + business planner)
We are very excited to invite you to our 2026 Dream Plan Do VIP Club … our 12-months membership designed to help creative professionals turn big ideas into action, plan smarter, and manage your business with focus and confidence. Together we will kickstart the new year with our Dream Plan Do Festival – a 3-morning creative business planning online experience for creative professionals (on Tue 13 – Thu 15 January 2026). You’ll not just plan your year … you’ll design a business that works better for you, your clients and the world.
Once the Dream Plan Do Festival ends our VIP Dream Plan Do Club members get year-round support & accountability through 4 Quarterly Strategy + Planning Workshops and 8 Monthly Check Ins with Q&A. VIP Club sessions are not recorded, and that is by design: so that you deliberately make time in your diary to work ON your business, and to work with other creative professionals across the UK and abroad.
Because let’s be honest: Planning is easy … execution is hard! So, if you struggle to stay on track, finish important projects, or turn your ideas into reality on your own, the Dream Plan Do VIP Club is made for you!
At the heart of Dream Plan Do is our specially designed 110-page A4 Dream Plan Do Planner Handbook, which is included in your VIP Club membership. You will use the Business Planner Handbook during the Festival and throughout the year, by yourself and prior to and during the VIP Club sessions. We’ll send the Business Planner Handbook in the post to you at the end of November.
This is the 10th anniversary of Dream Plan Do created by award-winning creative business adviser, trainer and coach Patricia van den Akker, the director of The Design Trust, to help professional creatives get focused & organised, make it easier to juggle all parts of your business, and to inspire you to create the business and life with more purpose, impact and profits!
Money a little tight right now? You can choose to pay with Paypal Later or Klarna to pay in 3 monthly instalments.
Join the Dream Plan Do VIP Club below and get your Business Planner in the post at the end of November. Deadline to join for non-UK clients: Monday 1 December. For UK clients: 31 December, but please join asap so we can have a Christmas break too.
In stock
the key facts
- Includes: 2026 Dream Plan Do Festival – our interactive creative business planning experience on Tue 13 – Fri 15 January 2026 (10am – 1pm UK)
- Facilitated Quarterly Strategy Workshops (4x per year) + Monthly Check-Ins with Q&A (8x per year 90mins each)
- Includes: 110 page beautifully designed 2026 Dream Plan Do Business Planner Handbook, developed by Patricia van den Akker
- Be part of a supportive creative business group that really ‘gets it’ – inspire + be inspired, share ideas + wisdom, grow together
- Especially recommended if you find planning easy but implementation hard … get the regular support, training, accountability + community you need throughout 2026!
The Design Trust’s Dream Plan Do VIP Club has made me slow down. It gives me time to focus on what I’ve achieved, how I was personally feeling and properly plan future project. Plus, having time to chat to reflect with other creatives is invaluable. It’s an invaluable resource for me.
Pippa Ryan. Artist & Designer
I enjoy the friendly but frank approach! The planner is great, and the monthly check ins are a good reminder to come back to it when you might be a bit lost.
Gina Pipet – Designer
The Dream Plan Do VIP Club and planner handbook have been transformative for my business. It really helps me to carve out and dedicate time each quarter to work ON my business. It allowed me to track progress and feel like I am moving forward with intention, in the right direction.
Nick James – James Design – Furniture Designer
Dream Plan Do helps me to break down projects so they are more achievable enabling me to complete them rather than giving up! The monthly meet ups help me to review what I have achieved and plan better which has made me much focused and able to achieve my goals.
Fleur Grenier – Pewter Designer Maker
The VIP Club forced me to concentrate on planning instead of procrastinating!
Ann Smyth – Glass Artist
whY THE ‘dream plan do VIP CLUB’ IS different
Dream Plan Do is a complete planning system & accountability framework for creative professionals to design & manage better businesses. Developed and fine-tuned over the last 10 years by award-winning creative business adviser, trainer & coach Patricia van den Akker, using her 25+ years experience of working with 1,000s of creative sole traders and small business owners.
What makes the Dream Plan Do 12 months VIP Club different is the combination of structure, online business training, accountability and professional peer group support:
- It’s a proven planning framework to turn your big ideas into daily, achievable actions.
- Guided reflection and planning during the 4 Quarterly Strategic Workshops and 8 Monthly Check Ins to stay motivated, reflect and re-plan.
- Peer support and accountability so you’re not working in isolation. Work with other creative professionals during the VIP workshops and monthly meetups.
- Tools and strategies, especially created for creative businesses – Packed full with practical and expert advice to manage, plan, and promote your small creative business better.
- Get ready to get into action + to be part of a community of creative professionals. All VIP Club sessions are facilitated by Patricia, which means that you will be DOING the work ON your business in your Business Planner Handbook during the VIP workshops and monthly meetups. Guided by Patricia you will work by yourself and with other professional creatives. That’s why our VIP Club sessions are NOT recorded, because connecting like this with others who ‘get it’ is only possible in a safe and collaborative community that’s happening in real time.
All of this is delivered through the Dream Plan Do 108-page Business Planner Handbook, the 3 x 3hour live Dream Plan Do Festival, and the 12 interactive VIP Club sessions – giving you clarity, structure and action throughout the year.
Do you want to create a better business + business plan, get training + support + accountability to make it happen, and join a supportive network of creative professionals? We created the Dream Plan Do VIP Club for people like you! Join us today to kickstart the new year with more focus!
WHAT YOU GET AS A DREAM PLAN DO VIP CLUB MEMBER
Our Dream Plan Do VIP Club members are invited to join:
- The Dream Plan Do Festival: 3 mornings on Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 January 2026 from 10am – 1pm UK time. Recordings available till 31 December 2026.
- 4 x Quarterly Strategy VIP Club Workshops on Fridays 30 January, 27 March, 26 June and 25 September 2026 from 10am – 1pm UK time.
- 8 x Monthly Check Ins and Q&A’s on Fridays 27 February, 24 April, 29 May, 31 July, 28 August, 30 October, 27 November, 11 December 2026 from 11am – 12.30pm UK time.
- 108-page Dream Plan Do Business Planner Handbook – Beautifully designed to combine business guidance, tools, trackers, and planning pages to set goals, track finances, plan marketing and keep your year on track.
- During the Quarterly and Monthly VIP Club sessions you will have access to a supportive peer group of professional creatives who understand the ups and downs of running a small business. Think of it as a supportive sports team or book club for your creative business, keeping you motivated, accountable and inspired throughout 2026. We encourage members to work together or to stay in touch in between sessions too.
Remember that the VIP Club Quarterly & Monthly sessions are NOT recorded and this is by design so you make deliberate time to dream, plan and do. However, we will make the Powerpoint presentation with review questions available afterwards in the membership hub. If you are not able to join us live on Fridays (or the time difference doesn’t work for you!), then we recommend you join the Dream Plan Do Festival instead.
WHo is the ‘dream plan do vip club’ for?
We designed the Dream Plan Do VIP Club for established creative professionals (sole traders, freelancers, Etsy sellers, small business owners, creative teachers) who love their craft but struggle with the business side and managing all parts of their business (including themselves!). Most of our members have been in business 5 – 10 years, with some having more than 20+ years experience!
You’re a perfect fit if you are …
- Overwhelmed, multi-tasker: Juggling making, marketing, finance, social media, customer care … and still feel behind! The VIP Club helps you to focus on what really matters, break goals into manageable steps, and track progress with peer accountability.
- The established-but-stuck-creative: Proud of your work, but feeling plateuad? Rediscover your talents, purpose, and strategy, refine your offerings, and grow sustainably.
- The ambitious grower with big plans for 2026: Ready to push your business to the next level, but unsure how? We’ll help you turn big dreams into quarterly projects and monthly actions, with guidance and inspiration from Patricia and your peers.
- The professional creative community seeker: Lonely running a business solo? Join a safe, collaborative peer group to share wins, challenges and wisdom.
- The strategic dodger: Winging it is exhausting! The VIP Club gives you structure, guidance and accountability to step off the hamster wheel, get organised, and make professional choices that stick.
WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY …
We recently surveyed our current 122 Dream Plan Do VIP Club members, and this is what they told us when we asked what difference the Dream Plan Do VIP Club had made to them:
- “For me the VIP Club is like having a regular class. I am not on my own anymore. I just work better like that.”
- “I have included ‘me’ in the planning. I’ve not just planned for my business, but also how I look after me. In doing so, I can be more proactive in my business rather than reactive.”
- “I am working on my Christmas collection (including my costs and what I can charge) in August, instead of rushing it in October.”
- “Always get a great energy boost from the live monthly sessions. I wish I could bottle it.”
- “It’s been a real eye opener keeping track of expenditure and earnings monthly, instead of just at tax return time.”
- “Sharing with a group of like-minded people, especially when things aren’t going right, is invaluable.”
- “DPD clarifies my scattered thoughts and helps me focus. It keeps me on track and less overwhelmed.”
- “I am not alone! It’s great to share the highs and lows with a group of like-minded people!”
- “I submitted my tax return on time. For the first time ever! LOL!”
- “Turns out I actually like planning now … I used to think I was allergic to it!”
who the vip club is not for …
We are a very inclusive organisation, and welcome ambitious, creative professionals from across the UK and abroad, working part-time or full-time, regardless of age, gender, education, race or faith. But The Dream Plan Do VIP Club is not a right fit if …
- You can not join live on the last Friday of the month … due to other commitments or because you are in another timezone. The VIP Club sessions are not recorded, as live interaction is key for us. Instead sign up for our Dream Plan Do Festival at the start of the year, as those 3 workshops will be recorded.
- You don’t yet have a creative business (yet)
- You have an ‘amateur mindset’ and aren’t ready to think or plan your finances and marketing
- You’re too busy to plan or commit to a couple of hours a month to work ON your creative business and to join our live quarterly workshops or monthly check ins.
- You prefer to work solo and don’t want to share or engage with peers.
The Design Trust works only with adult creative professionals, especially in crafts, graphic & product design, illustration, visual arts, photography. Our clients create & sell products, crafts, art, workshops, commissions, events, exhibitions. But we also work with gallery & shop owners, curators, coaches, consultants, event organisers, and even other small businesses who are not ‘strictly within the creative industries’ e.g. working in beauty/wellbeing, yoga & sport, film, theatre or food.
Got a question about whether Dream Plan Do is right for you? Then please email us on [email protected] with details and we will be honest with you! If you have any special needs then please get in touch with us if you have any questions or requests so we can provide additional support and assistance if required. All sessions have access to British sign language.
join the 2026 dream plan do vip club today …
get organised & get it done
In stock
Pay in 3 monthly instalments by selecting Paypal Later or Klarna at the checkout
more about your facilitator … patricia van den akker
Patricia van den Akker is the Director of The Design Trust, the online business school for designers, makers & creative professionals, based in London. For over 25 years she has worked as a creative business adviser, trainer & coach, with 1,000s of creatives.
Known for her practical, no-nonsense approach, Patricia gives you the tools, prompts and gentle kick you need to make things happen.
This is the 10th consecutive year (!) that Patricia has created an annual planner for creatives and the 5th year that we are providing extra support and training which want extra support and accountability to manage their business better and to stay on track. Over the years we have worked with 1,000s of creative professionals, and each year we have adapted and improved our Dream Plan Do offer … continuing to to get it ‘just right for what’s required right now’.
included in the price: 2026 dream plan do business planner handbook
Last year we launched a brand new business planner handbook – with a larger A4 format to put all your ideas, actions and notes in one place! We’ll send the 2026 Business Planner Handbook in the post at the end of November. This year we have kept many of your favourite exercises and tools but also added some new ones …
- It’s partly a business planner, partly a handbook! It’s 108 pages, A4 horizontal, 29.7 cm x 21cm, with a softback full colour cover and full colour design. Printed on high quality recycled paper that doesn’t bleed. It’s perfectly bound like a book, and you can lay it flat. Great quality to use your business planner regularly at home, in your workspace or when you are on the move.
- Starting with 40 pages of ‘The Business Handbook’ to boost your business, strategy & planning, finance & marketing knowledge: Organised in handy chapters around You, Your Creativity & Production, Your Marketing & Your Finance. It’s packed full with Patricia’s favourite ‘coach-like’ exercises, planning tools and expert tips to work on your business growth and direction. It’s like having a creative business adviser on call at any time you need it!
- 60 pages Business Planner – It’s a complete planning framework, especially created for creative professionals – to focus, get clarity and turn big ideas into action. To work on yourself, your creativity, finance & marketing. To turn your big ideas into annual goals, strategic quarterly projects, monthly & weekly actions to achieve what you want. All together in one place. To come back to again and again throughout the year! To deliberately make time to dream, reflect and plan whenever you want to get focused and into action to move your business forward in the right direction for you.
- Are you doing the right things at the right time? Many creative businesses are seasonal, with very busy & very quiet times, with loads of sales opportunities or crickets … are you using the quiet times to get ready for the busy times? Do you use the seasonal energy to your advantage?
- Each quarter review & plan the next 90 days with two visual Wheel exercises, the 90-day Juicy Goal and action plan, and Quarterly Marketing & Content planners – with our timely topic suggestions! Update our trackers for your finance & marketing each quarter or month to stay on top of the facts and numbers in your small creative business.
- Each month review & plan the next 30 days with our top tips of what to focus on that month across your business, space for your monthly goals & actions, and a one-page calendar overview for each month.
- End of Year Review: At the end of the year reflect on the highs and the lows, the learnings and the wins to start planning for the next year.
*** PLEASE NOTE: Our Dream Plan Do Business Planner Handbook is not a dated diary. It does not have weekly or daily pages. Between 2020 and 2024 we produced a diary which included the business planner and handbook, but due to increasing paper prices and more creatives using electronic or paper diaries we decided to discontinue the diary. For more details see the FAQ below.
PLEASE NOTE: You can only get the 2026 Dream Plan Do Business Planner if you join the Dream Plan Do Festival or VIP Club – please see FAQ for more details.
your creative business in 2026 …
Imagine finishing 2026 with:
- A business that finally works for you – organised, profitable, and aligned with your creative vision and values.
- Big goals turned into concrete actions – without the overwhelm or guilt
- A supportive professional peer group cheering you on, sharing ideas, and keeping you accountable
- A clear strategy for your work, finance and marketing – for every quarter, month & week – so you can focus on what really moves your business forward
- Confidence in your marketing, sales, and finances, even if you’ve felt stuck or uncertain before.
All of this is exactly what the Dream Plan Do VIP Club can give you … 12 months of expert guidance, practical tools, structured planning, accountability, and a community of like-minded creative professionals.
This is your chance to finally stop spinning your wheels, start making consistent progress, and turn your creative ideas into reality.
We would love to welcome you!
join the 2026 dream plan do vip club today
- 3 x 3 hour Dream Plan Do Festival (13 – 15 January 2026)
- 4 x 3 hour Quarterly Strategic Workshops
- 8 x 90 mins Monthly Check Ins and Q&A
- 108-page beautifully designed Business Planner Handbook in the post
- A supportive creative community of ambitious professionals
In stock
Pay in 3 monthly instalments by selecting Paypal Later or Klarna at the checkout
Your questions answered …
When are the Dream Plan Do live sessions? And the Festival?
The Dream Plan Do VIP Club has 4 quarterly workshops where you will be Dreaming, Planning and Doing!
These 3 hour online workshops will take place on:
30 January, 27 March, 26 June and 25 September from 10am – 1pm UK time.
We also have monthly check in sessions on the last Friday of the month from 11am – 12.30pm UK time. These will take place on:
27 February, 24 April, 29 May, 31 July, 28 August, 30 October, 27 November, and 11 December.
Please save the dates!
Remember that these VIP Club Quarterly & Monthly sessions are NOT recorded. Please check your diary and make sure that you can join live before you book the VIP Club membership!
We do not expect you to turn up for each session, but we highly recommend that you try to join the 4 quarterly workshops. You will still get a huge amount of value by joining any live session.
We will kickstart the year with the 3 mornings in the Dream Plan Do Festival from Tuesday 13 January – Thursday 15 January from 10am – 1pm UK time.
We highly recommend that you join this live too as it will lay the foundation for the rest of the year. However the Festival sessions will be recorded and you will have access till the end of 2026 to watch these whenever you like.
I haven’t started my creative business yet. Is the Dream Plan Do VIP Club for me??
No, this is not for you.
The Dream Plan Do VIP Club is aimed at existing creative businesses (most of our members have been in business between 5 – 10 years), and we highly recommend that you do NOT join, unless you have regular sales, have got a website or go to regular events to sell or get commissions.
We look forward to welcoming you to the VIP Club in the future!
I have been a creative business for a long time. Is the Dream Plan Do VIP Club for me?
We created the Dream Plan Do VIP Club especially for creatives like you!
It’s an advanced programme to help you with strategy, planning, finance, marketing and especially … implementing it all to make it happen!
Most of our VIP members have been in business for 5-10 years, but many for much longer!
Maybe you are at a cross roads, or you want to grow, or change direction, or take that next big step? That’s what this 12-months membership with quarterly workshops and monthly ‘check in’ sessions is exactly about!
We would love you to join and to share your knowledge & expertise in our online community for more support and accountability. And .. to get inspired yourself too!! Perfect if you need to get a bit more energy.
I am not based in the UK. Can I join the VIP Club and will you post the Business Planner Handbook send to me?
We are passionate about creating an international community and very much welcome creative professionals from across the world to join us!
It’s one of the beautiful aspects of working and ‘teaching’ online: Being able to connect with and meet new creatives that you otherwise would not be able to engage with!
We very much believe that we have more in common than what makes us different, and we love learning from different cultures and languages.
Patricia is Dutch and English is her 2nd language, so she should be easier to understand! We also provide English subtitles if that’s easier for you (we hope to offer subtitles in some of the main languages too).
Many of our clients are overseas, and in the last 9 years we have sent our planners, diaries or journals to 34 countries.
Remember: the Dream Plan Do VIP Club monthly and quarterly sessions are not recorded, so you need to be able to join us live. Make sure that the times work for you in your time zone!!
The Quarterly and Monthly Dream Plan Do VIP Club sessions have a very strong collaborative element and we invite you to speak with other members in breakout rooms, so you’ll need to be able to have conversations in English.
I have ADHD. Will this planner, Festival of VIP Club work for me?
Many of our creative clients have ADHD.
Many creatives with ADHD (diagnosed or self-diagnoses) have been particularly interested in our planners, diaries and journals over the years as they are often desperate for ‘the’ solution to deal with …time blindness, being easily distracted, very low self-esteem, Executive Functioning and the ability to prioritise and make decisions, challenges to create a plan + then stick to it (and then rebel against yourself and the plan you created!).
Trouble with costing and pricing, numbers, Excel and the like, but also a tendency to overspend … Be aware that this might not be for you if you dislike online training that’s too boring and too long.
Use of Post It notes and colour coding can really help. (As you hopefully can see I kind of know what the various issues are when you are dealing with ADHD!)
But, I will be really honest. Every creative person with ADHD is different. We have had some of our clients who absolutely love the Business Planner and others who rally can’t make it work.
We try to be ADHD-friendly e.g. we will have more regular breaks during the training, and use different ways to help you plan (not just a-typical!) which we find often helps EVERYBODY on the call!
But, I do not want to promise that this going to be ‘THE’ solution for you. You will have to adapt it to your personal preferences and challenges. We will introduce different ways of time management, planning etc that you might find useful too. We will try to match you with others with ADHD to support you and learn from each other (in the VIP Club).
It’s about you finding what works for YOU.
Can I join the VIP Club with more people? I want to order/join in bulk, do you give a discount?
No, you can’t share.
You are purchasing one ticket to the Festival and to the VIP Club and you get one Business Planner Handbook included.
If you are working in a partnership or with one employee/freelancer then you can join together and share the online access.
But, you can NOT invite a team of 3 or more, or fellow studio holders to join the Festival or the VIP Club sessions, or share the recordings with people who have not paid.
If we find out then we will immediately stop your access, and might bar you from future events.
If you want to order in bulk (access for more than 3 people or to get more Business Planner Handbooks for your team, organisation, tenants, studio or friends) then email us asap on [email protected] as we will give you a group discount!
When will I get my business planner handbook?
We will start sending the Dream Plan Do Business Planner Handbook + A2 wall planner in mid/end of November.
We will be in touch by email in advance, and you will get a confirmation email when your planner is on the way.
What about refunds or cancellations?
PLEASE make sure that you check if the Dream Plan Do VIP Club, the Festival and the Business Planner Handbook is right for you before you order.
Read the descriptions about who it is for and who it is not for, as it gives you a very clear indication. Join any of our info webinars to find out more.
We really want to avoid refund & returns!!! We are a very small business, and increasingly find that people order and return too easily (just like ordering various sizes in clothing!).
BUT WE ARE NOT A BIG BUSINESS and returns of the planner handbook especially are a costly & a big practical issue for us, as we rely on the pre-orders for our cash flow but also to predict how many sales we might get.
Returns frankly are costly and frustrating, adding to our admin, and often the returned planner will not be in a good enough condition to sell so that’s a loss for us. So please think a little more carefully before you order and if this is the right investment for your business.
If you have any questions or concerns then do email us on [email protected]
If you want to cancel then please do so BEFORE we send you your Business Planner Handbook in mid/end of November, as this saves us a lot of time and effort with the returns!
If we have sent you your Business Planner Handbook and you decide it really is not right for you (and do not have a creative colleague to pass it on to or sell to), then please return your order within 14 days of receiving it. You are responsible for postage. Please send in the original packaging and ensure it’s properly packed so it’s in a saleable condition.
If it’s damaged in any way when returned then we have the right to deduct £35,- of your the refund to compensate for the loss of the planner and additional admin costs.
We do not accept any cancellations after 31 December 2025 (unless for very personal circumstances).
Remember that the Dream Plan Do Festival sessions in January 2026 will be recorded so if you are unable to make them live then you can watch the recordings till 31 December 2026.
The VIP Club sessions will NOT be recorded.
Do you offer discounts? Can I pay in instalments or have you got payment plans?
We think that the Dream Plan Do VIP CLUB, with the Festival and the Business Planner Handbook is extremely good value for money.
We really want you to see this as an investment in yourself and your business, and that you will save a lot of money, time & energy because of what you will learn and do as a result of Dream Plan Do in 2026 and beyond. If you do more marketing as a result that it’s very likely your sales, commissions and bookings will improve and you will get your money back very soon!
You can choose to also pay in 3 monthly instalments with Klarna or if your credit score with PayPal is good, then PayPal will offer you the option to ‘Pay In Three’. When you are at the checkout you will notice the Klarna and the PayPal icon below the amount to pay, and you can then use this to pay in 3 monthly instalments with PayPal directly.
PLEASE do not spend money that you do not have or get into debt unnecessarily.
Can I get the 2026 Business Planner Handbook on its own? Without the Dream Plan Do Festival or VIP Club?
No, it comes as a package with either the Festival or the VIP Club only as the planner is part of a bigger planning system that Patricia developed over the last 10 years.
For us (as an online training business) the main purpose is the specialist creative business training, support and accountability that we provide during the Festival and throughout the year for the VIP Club. The Business Planner Handbook is ‘only’ a tool to help you to make your goals and dreams happen, and to work on your creative business throughout the year.
We really believe that the Festival or VIP Club will add so much more value to your business planner and business planning turning your business ideas into action. Over the years too many creatives told us they hadn’t really used our diaries/planners/journals and we don’t want that to happen.
And honestly, there is a cost issue here too … the costs to create, write, design and print the Business Planner Handbook in the UK are very high. The cost we would need to charge for the planner on its own would be too high, and as too few creatives would be prepared to pay that it is not viable for us as a small creative business.