2026 The Business Club mid year
the 2026 mid-year business club membership
are you ready to Make the rest of 2026 your strongest sales season yet?
The Design Trust Business Club offers practical business and marketing training for makers, artists, designers, illustrators, craftspeople, photographers, and other creative professionals who are ready to improve their profitability, marketing, and sales.
This 6-month online training programme is designed specifically for creative sole traders and led by Patricia van den Akker & Anne-Marie Shepherd who each have worked with creative professionals for over 20 years. With a monthly focus and creative guest speakers and experts from the creative sector – handpicked by us.
No matter where you sell – your website, Etsy, fairs, galleries, wholesale, or commissions – The Business Club helps you build stronger marketing, boost your sales, and get more organised during the quieter summer months, so you can end the year strong.
Join us now for an inspiring & focused 6-month Business Club membership (till 31 December 2026). Each month we offer 4 live, timely sessions PLUS immediate access to 80+ video training recordings – to learn at your own pace from your own home or studio space.
PLUS: You’ll get 15% off The Design Trust’s other online workshops and courses in 2026 too.
3-DAY SALE … join the 2026 business club below by this thursday 18 june at 8pm uk
6 months of live training | 4 live sessions each month | 80+ expert trainings & recordings | Learn live and at your own pace
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OUR 2026 BUSINESS CLUB MID-YEAR MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN FOR 3 DAYS ONLY – till Thursday 19 July at 8pm (UK)
Next intake: early January 2027
You can pay in 3 monthly instalments by selecting Paypal Later at checkout.
the key facts about the 2026 business club:
- Get the fundamental business & marketing training you need to get sales – with a monthly, seasonal focus for small creative businesses
- 4 live sessions EACH month: a workshop or masterclass with an expert, an interview with a creative, a group learning/coaching session + an accountability/implementation session
- Learn directly from us + our hand-picked experts + honest, successful creatives – in live & recorded sessions
- Structured, but flexible – watch over 80 audio-visual recordings whenever you like, as often as you like
- Month-by-month you will grow your business, finance + marketing skills, knowledge + experience to get more + better sales
- PLUS you’ll get 15% off our other online workshops & courses too
- Especially created for: Ambitious, creative sole traders and business owners who want to improve their business + marketing skills. Most member businesses are between 5 – 10 years old.
- Time commitment: Really up to you! Join any of our 4 monthly live sessions, or access the Library whenever you want to focus on a specific business or marketing topic.
Being a creative sole trader means doing everything, not just making, but marketing, photography etc. The Business Club helps me in the areas I’m not so sure about. As an established older creative, it really helps me work smarter rather than harder, so I can slow down a little, but still earn the same.
Karin Celestine, Celestine u0026 The Hare, Artist
‘The different topics each month mean that I am continuously improving the business and moving it forward in ways that help it grow, rather than aimless tinkering!’
Chelle Mullen, Storm and Grace, Jeweller
A big bonus of being a Business Club member is meeting amazing artists and becoming friends and accountability partners with people I would have never met. I stay a member because of the community that has become an important part of both my business life and support network.
Kim Joy, Glass artist
You’re talented at what you do. But Running the business side is another story.
You’ve developed your technical skills, built your creative practice, and created work you care deeply about.
But getting consistent sales and knowing how to market yourself & your work in a way that feels manageable is another challenge.
Does this sound like you?
- You’re busy making, but marketing often gets pushed to the bottom of the list
- You leave promoting your work until the last minute – especially before events, launches, or Christmas sales
- Your website or Etsy shop looks good, but isn’t bringing in enough sales
- You struggle to price confidently and undercharge, whether that’s your products, commissions, or wholesale
- You’re selling already (either through online, at events or with galleries) but frankly you’re winging it and a bit hit-and-miss, not strategically
- You know you should email your audience more consistently … but never quite get round to it. How to get more sign ups? What to write about?
- You’re tired of generic “just post more on Instagram” advice that doesn’t really fit creative businesses
- You want to stop guessing and feel clearer about what actually will make your business more profitable.
The problem isn’t your creativity or your motivation.
The problem is that most creative professionals were never properly taught how to market, price, and grow a creative business.
At the same time, as a sole trader or small business owner you need to juggle a lot … making, marketing, selling, admin, family life, and everything else that comes with running your own business.
And when the Christmas sales season starts creeping closer? It becomes even easier to feel behind.
Creative businesses work differently. so, your business training should too.
Creative professionals often juggle multiple sales channels, seasonal income, launches, commissions, making time, admin, and visibility, all while still trying to create meaningful work.
You are by yourself, and not running a standard business.
You are balancing:
- selling through different sales channels: your website, Etsy, events, and often also wholesale, commissions and workshops too
- seasonal up-and-down-sales cycles with very quiet and then extremely busy periods like Christmas
- the pressure to stay visible, while still having the headspace to create quality work
And yet so much business advice assumes:
- predictable sales cycles
- unlimited time, energy, money & knowledge to do it all
- simple sales funnels
- businesses that are not constantly balancing creativity and commerce
No wonder so many creatives feel overwhelmed or unsure where to focus!
That’s exactly why The Business Club exists.
We offer practical, creative-business-specific business and marketing training designed to help you:
- improve your price levels & what you pay yourself
- strengthen not just your marketing skills, but also your selling CONFIDENCE
- improve your website and online offer to attract the right visitors and turn them into clients
- drive REGULAR traffic to your website, through keywords, beautiful email marketing, social media and traditional marketing
- prepare for fairs, commissions, wholesale, and seasonal sales opportunities
- use more personal & creative ways to stay in touch and promote yourself incl. local marketing, pracical outreach and send something in the post!
- make clearer, more strategic & confident decisions – for YOUR business & life
No jargon.
No one-size-fits-all formulas.
No generic “just post more on Instagram” advice.
join THE BUSINESS CLUB today!
Boost your business & marketing skills, knowledge & confidence to get more sales this autumn and Christmas with …
- Monthly, timely thematic sessions: month-by-month you’ll learn, implement & grow
- 4 live online sessions each month – with an expert & a successful creative professional, and a group community session & accountability/co-working session to learn & grow together
- Learn at your own pace – immediate access to over 80 video training sessions
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“The finance workshop helped me understand why it is so important for me to try and earn a decent living from what I do. It is about so much more than the figure on the bottom line.”
Anna Scott, Embroidery Artist
I’ve used Mailchimp for years…but have always felt a bit confused about segments! I’ve learnt so much from Claire and I can’t wait to revamp my Mailchimp campaigns.
Catherine Lucktaylor, Ceramicist
‘Thank you! My social media posts are usually all about the sales chat, which is why it probably bores me to tears! [This marketing session] was helpful to get me thinking about what I could talk about and use it as a creative writing exercise.’
Kate Kelly, Kaper, Paper Artist
Trusted business training for creative professionals since 2011
The Design Trust is the creative business school for makers, artists, designers, illustrators, photographers, and other creative professionals who want to create stronger, more resilient businesses.
Led by award-winning creative business adviser and trainer Patricia van den Akker, The Design Trust has helped thousands of creative professionals strengthen their business and marketing skills over the past 25+ years.
Patricia took over The Design Trust in 2011 and launched The Business Club membership in 2013, making it one of the first memberships dedicated specifically to teaching business and marketing skills to creative professionals. Together with Business Club Manager Anne-Marie Shepherd, Patricia continues to deliver and refine practical, specialist training designed specifically for the realities of creative businesses.
what we believe you need to do in 2026 to get sales as a creative business
The Business Club is especially designed to help creative professionals strengthen their business and marketing skills.
In the current economic climate you need to work a little SMARTER to get sales
Just randomly posting on social media, or sending last minute emails a few times a year is NOT what works.
This is why we guide you step-by-step through all the fundamental areas throughout the year.
To create a long-term plan & sustainability, improve your finances & pricing, your website & marketing, visibility, and ultimately sales with specific creative opportunities, including online, at events, galleries & wholesale, higher end & commissions, and making the most of Christmas.
No quick fixes, but regular improvements.
Because creative businesses do not grow in a straight line. They grow through seasons, sales cycles, launches, experimentation, and steady improvements over time.
how the business club works
GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO 80+ SMALL CREATIVE BUSINESS video RECORDINGS
When you join our Business Club you have IMMEDIATE access to 83 online, audio-visual recordings (nearly 150 hours of useful small business training, including masterclasses, practical workshops and creative interviews – all created especially for creative sole traders like you!).
You can learn at your own pace, from your own home or workspace, to get creative & business inspiration to focus on the areas in your business that need some attention and improvement. Choose what you want to work on, whenever it suits you!
Each recording is between 30 min – 2.5hours. Pick & mix different topics, choose quick inspiration or in-depth masterclasses. Always learning from our hand-picked experts and creative professionals:
1. Start with a strong foundation
We invite you to start with the big questions: What is your business dream? What is your vision and what do you really want to achieve, do & learn by the end of the year? You can watch Business Club recordings on:
- Create a longer term, sustainable & resilient business with our director Patricia van den Akker; creative business planning & setting goals for the year; a creative interview with ceramicist Jo Davies how she has grown and developed her business over many years; create a more sustainable business with Katie Treggiden, and business planning with ADHD.
- Create profitable business, set financial goals, create better financial systems and an introduction to costing & pricing with Patricia; and creative interviews & expert sessions with Swedish furniture maker Olof Davidsson of Odform talking about pricing work and commissions; an introduction to fundraising; and organising your finances with artist Karin Celestine.
2. Position yourself & your work
After these big fundamental questions it’s time to focus on what you really do & create, who your ideal clients are, and what makes you stand out. Do you want to be affordable, in the middle or higher end?
You can immediately watch Business Club recordings on:
- Fundamental Marketing, incl. online masterclass sessions (2 hours each) with Patricia creating a marketing plan, identifying your idea clients, building your profile & credibility, practical outreach; local marketing; creating a database; and inspiring presentations with successful creatives like Eppie Thompson of The Fabled Thread and designer Hannah Nunn – both honestly sharing what they do to get online & event sales, wholesale orders and commission
- Create & Launch Collections Successfully: How strategic are you with developing new products & collections? Watch Patricia’s 2-hour masterclass with the 7-steps to launch your new & existing products & services at the right time (saving you a lot of money & stress!); learn from successful woodturners studio Ash & Plumb about creating & selling collections; and from experts such as Senior Product Manager Ruth Wassermann (ex-Made.com) and how to work with UK manufacturers with Kate Hills of Make it British.
3. Your website & driving traffic
A beautiful and easy-to-use website needs to be at the heart of your business – if you want to get online sales, trade orders or commissions.
- Get proud of your website again! Watch our online workshops on creating a beautiful website using categories, images and calls-to-action better, learn how to write better sales pages in 90mins, identify keywords and how to use them. Watch the website expert session with Aime of Studio Cotton and with ceramicist Amanda Banham and artist Lennon Bone how they get online sales.
- Drive traffic to your updated website with better email marketing, SEO keywords, social media & traditional marketing. What short & inspiring workshops on: how to get more signups for your email list, create a content plan, a brilliant masterclass with Patricia on segmenting your email list, and Anne-Marie’s very recent sessions on The Latest of Instagram & Pinterest.
What we’ll focus on in the live sessions in the second half of 2026? 4. sales channels!
Joining mid-year does not mean you are behind. In fact, the next 6 months are often the most important for creative businesses, especially if you want to improve sales, strengthen your marketing, and get ready for the Christmas sales season.
So, guess what we’ll be focusing on from July – December in our monthly themes? Getting ready to get sales!
Here are the exact details of what’s coming up in our Business Club in the next 6 months:
July: Selling Wholesale & Trade
Want to get more or better stockists or work with interior designers?
You can join us live for: We’re very excited about an upcoming interview with Sam Rhodes, the Director of the Ruthin Craft Centre talking about how they work with creatives in their art space and shop; designer Anthony Burrill will talk about how he gets sales, commissions and projects from galleries and museums; and a Q&A session to answer all your questions around selling wholesale and B2B.
You can also watch recordings of interviews with: Rachel Wicking – the Gift Buyer at Kew Gardens (!), Jade Mellor – buyer at Gill Wing Jewellery Gallery, and Karen Whiteley from Maud & Mabel. As well as two interior designers. And an intro session on selling to galleries if you’re starting out in this area.
August: Branding & Photography
A creative topic for the quieter summer month! Strengthen how you present your work. Learn how better branding, photography, and visual storytelling can help customers understand your work and feel more confident buying from you.
Join us live for: a masterclass with Patricia to turn your niche into a brand; a group review sessions of members’ photography with Anne-Marie; and learn how to do your own photography with Ian Olsson.
Watch inspiring recordings in our Business Club Library on: photography & styling tips, and making stop-motion films for social media.
September: Selling at Events
Get ready for the busy autumn and Christmas selling season … plan, promote, and sell more effectively at fairs, exhibitions, markets, and pop-up events without the last-minute panic.
Join us live for sessions with: a selling event organiser and a creative will share honestly too; and a Q&A on marketing at events with Anne-Marie (who used to be the marketing manager of Made London & Made Brighton!).
Watch recordings, including: a 2-hour masterclass with Patricia on planning stress-free events, a practical workshop with Anne-Marie on marketing for events; and interviews & presentations with event organisers Roseann Moore of The Makers’ Market, Tillie Peel from The Pop Up Club, and Michael Czerwinski of The Illustrators’ Fair.
October: Selling Higher-End Work & Commissions
Want to attract better commissioning clients or create higher-value work? Learn how bespoke work, luxury products, and commissions can become exciting creative and financial opportunities.
Join us live for sessions with: a buyer or commissioner and a creative selling at the high end (names TBC). Join Patricia for a Q&A around managing & selling higher-end and luxury products and commissions.
Watch recordings in our Business Club Library, including: a masterclass with Patricia on on how to present & sell higher end products & services; and interviews with artists Eleanor Lakelin, Adam Nathaniel Furman, Estee MacLeod, Kate Jones of Gillies Jones Glass, illustrator Nikki Groom and ceramic designer Sue Pryke.
November: Last Minute Christmas Marketing
Bring it all together! And make the most of the busiest sales period of the year.
We will have short & practical live sessions with an expert and a creative, as well as our group session to share your questions or challenes at this busy time of the year.
Watch any of the recordings when it suits you, including practical workshops on writing better promotional emails, outreach, Christmas marketing planning, Instagram & Pinterest and local marketing.
December: Managing Yourself
Sustainable businesses need owners who can take care of themselves too. Especially at this time of the year!
At the end of the year we have 2 live sessions to help you manage your time, energy, and workload during busy periods, without burning yourself out. With time to reflect too.
Learn from experts. Hear what actually works. Put it into action.
The Business Club is especially designed to help creative professionals stop guessing and start making clearer, more confident business decisions and take the right marketing actions to get sales.
Each month we offer 4 live sessions around monthly theme (see above): with a hand-picked expert, group sessions, creative professionals, and accountability, and spread over time so you can actually apply what you are learning. This helps your business keep moving forward, even when life gets busy.
week 1: expert session
We invite the best experts, buyers, fair organisers, social media experts so you get real life and up-to-date advice.
Learn directly from people working in the creative industries to see what works in 2026.
Join live so you can ask them question too! But all expert sessions are recorded, so if you are unable to join us live you can catch up whenever you like.
week 2: Group & community sessions
Got questions or challenges around marketing, images, selling at events? Every month we have a gropu session to learn from each other, and to inspire or be inspired by our fellow Business Club members. From Q&A sessions and ‘Hot Seats’ to website reviews. Join live to make the most of these sessions (not recorded due to confidentiality & to encourage you to join!). So you can:
- stop overthinking
- get unstuck faster
- make clearer decisions
- feel more confident taking action
week 3: SUCCESSFUL Creative PROFESSIONALS
Hear directly from successful makers, artists, designers who truly understand and LIVE the realities of running a creative business too. We are always amazed how honest they are! You’ll learn what worked for them, what did not, and how they built sustainable, successful businesses.
Creatives like … knitwear designer Lauren Aston, award-winning woodturning studio Ash & Plumb, Silvina da Silva of My Papercut Forest, Aime Cox of Studio Cotton, artists Adam Nathaniel Furman and Eleanor Lakelin, illustrators Nikki Groom and Estee MacLeod.
Because being inspired AND learning from people who actually understand creative businesses makes all the difference.
week 4: Co-working & Accountability Sessions
Learning something and actually doing it are two different things …
So, at the end of each month we have a dedicated 2-hour session, guided by Anne-Marie, to work on your business, ask questions, and make progress alongside other creative professionals. So you can …
- actually implement what you are learning
- stay accountable and celebrate your achievements
- make more consistent progress
- Get to know other like-minded professional creatives – and becoming part of a community as it can be lonely to work by yourself!
A monthly focus approach to learning and implementing
Rather than overwhelming you with everything at once, The Business Club helps you focus on one key business area each month, giving you time to learn, reflect, implement, and improve step by step.
Each month includes practical teaching, expert insight, Q&A, and accountability to help you actually apply what you are learning in your business.
You do not need to attend every live session or watch every recording to get fantastic value!
How you use The Business Club depends on what your business and your life need right now …
are You serious about growth?
- Want to improve your business and marketing skills properly?
- We recommend joining one or two live sessions each month and watching a few recordings that match your priorities. That usually means about 2 – 3 hours a week of learning and putting things into practice. This is enough to make real progress without feeling overwhelmed.
This works particularly well if you want to improve sales, strengthen your marketing, or make bigger business changes over the next six months.
Are you busy but want focused guidance?
- Already juggling a lot?
- Choose 3–4 focus areas across the year and dip into the sessions most relevant to your business. Whether it is pricing, Christmas marketing, wholesale, fairs, email marketing, or improving your website, even a focused few days can create real momentum.
Or do You want light-touch business & marketing inspiration?
- Need practical guidance, accountability, and occasional expert insight? Join a couple of live sessions, ask questions, and dip into recordings whenever you need insight or inspiration.
You can use The Business Club as much or as little as fits your current business and life situation.
THE BUSINESS CLUB IS Designed to fit around real creative lives
Cannot make every session live? No problem!
Join live when you can, catch up later, and revisit recordings whenever you need them.
Whether you are balancing family life, another job, fluctuating energy, caring responsibilities, or simply a busy making schedule, The Business Club is designed to work around real creative businesses.
Let us help you to make the most of christmas
For many creative businesses, the second half of the year matters most.
That’s when you get the most sales: Christmas sales, fairs, commissions, wholesale orders, exhibitions, open studios, launches, and seasonal promotions often bring in the biggest portion of your annual income.
But too often, preparation starts once the pressure has already kicked in.
Suddenly you’re:
- rushing your product photography and pricing
- scrambling to promote events or launches
- sending last-minute emails
- updating your website too late
- second-guessing pricing or stock decisions
- trying to market your work while still making stock or working on commissions
The creative businesses that tend to do best during busy seasons usually are not the busiest.
The ones that often do best are who started preparing earlier.
That’s why joining The Business Club now matters.
Over the next 6 months, we’ll help you step-by-step with a monthly focus to strengthen your marketing, improve each of your sales channels, and get ready for the Christmas sales season with practical training, expert guidance, accountability, and real-world creative business insights.
what our business club members say …
This is why I love The Business Club. You don’t get this kind of specific targeted help normally, at least not without paying for one-to-one advice. This Expert session will really move me on with how I can use my email list.
Rauni Higson – Silversmith
Very interesting creative interview! So good to hear from an illustrator. I’m wanting to do more blogging, and this covered just about everything.
Joanna Martin – Illustrator
I’ve found it invaluable to be part of The Design Trust’s Business Club. I love the interviews, learning from the experiences of other creatives. The co-working sessions are a great opportunity to connect and feel part of a community while working on my business.
Tania Ashton Jones – Textile Artist
is the 2026 DESIGN TRUST business club for you?
The Business Club is for you if …
- You’re a creative professional selling your own creative products or services (e.g. commissions, teaching) You’ve got a website or Etsy shop, you might (want to) sell at events, in shops or galleries, or (want to) offer bespoke work. Most of our current Business Club members are designer makers, craftspeople, visual artists, illustrators, photographers, designers, or you sell homewares, giftware, stationery, craft kits or art.
- You’ve been selling for at least 18 months and are registered with HMRC (or your tax office). Both part-timers and full-timers are very welcome, and we have creatives from across the UK and international members too. Most of our current Business Club members have been in business for 5 – 10 years.
- You are ready to get serious about improving your business & marketing skills this year, you want to get more sales & orders, you want to get more knowledge & confidence. You want to invest time & a bit of money in your own learning & development – not just hoping somebody will buy from you ‘some’ day.
The Business Club is probably not a good fit for you if … you are thinking about starting a business, but have not got any products for sale right now; you create products as a a hobby; you’re looking for a quick fix or overnight success; you do not want to think about marketing or selling at all; you expect someone else to ‘do it for you’.
If you have any questions about the suitability of The Business Club then email us on [email protected] and we will give you an honest answer!
meet the 2026 business club team
Anne-Marie Shepherd
The Design Trust’s Business Club & Social media Manager
For the last 8 years Anne-Marie Shepherd has been our Business Club Manager. She manages & hosts most of the Business Club sessions, including the interviews with creatives, and co-working sessions.
She really loves to engage our members during the sessions, answer any of your small creative business or marketing questions (during the sessions or afterwards in our private hub) and to see what you will do with your new knowledge, skills & confidence!
Anne-Marie has been working with creative professionals and organisations for 20 years as a marketing, social media and event expert in the creative sector.
Patricia van den Akker
Director of the design trust
Patricia started The Business Club membership in 2013 – one of the very first online business & professional development training programmes for creative professionals.
She has been a creative business adviser, trainer and coach for over 25 years, and has worked with 1000’s of creatives, and partners such as GNCCF, Kings Foundation, University of the Arts London/Central St. Martins, QEST, Cockpit Arts, Space Studios London and many other organisations.
Patricia will share her expertise in several Business Club expert sessions this year, as well as hosting some of the group coaching and Hot Seat sessions. She is known for her practical, thought-provoking and action-taking approach to creative business development so get ready to make changes in your business!
JOIN THE BUSINESS CLUB MEMBERSHIP today
Get the fundamental business & marketing skills, knowledge, group support & accountability you need to create a better business that’s ready for more sales.
The Business Club doors are open for 3 days only (Tue 16 – Thursday 18 June at 8pm UK time)
The next intake is January 2027.
Want to pay in 3 monthly instalments? Then select Paypal Later at the checkout.
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What if I can not join live?
No problem at all. All the expert & creative sessions are recorded and posted in our Business Club Library, so you can catch up later and revisit training whenever you need it.
The community sessions are not always recorded (depending on the confidentiality of the topic and the format). The Accountability/Eat the Frog sessions are not recorded as they are about taking part!
We do not recommend that you join EVERY Business Club session … many Business Club members dip in and out depending on workload, events, family life, energy levels, or busy selling seasons.
Join live when you can. Watch recordings when you need to.
How long & when are The Business Club sessions?
Most sessions are 1 hour. We have got a few practical sessions (e.g. website topics) that are a bit shorter.
The mastermind sessions with Patricia are often 2-3 hours, but they cover a topic in more depth e.g. Financial forecasting, creating & launching collections strategically.
The live Business Club sessions usually start at 1pm or 8pm UK time, but sometimes we have morning sessions.
We deliberately vary the days of the sessions (Mon – Fri) to enable as many Business Club members to join us.
How much time will I need?
That depends on your business and life!
- Many of our Business Club members dip in and out (from 2-4 hours per month): They join live sessions and watch recordings when they want to get extra inspiration or need to focus on a business or marketing topic. They choose the monthly themes that they want to focus on or select specific recordings.
- Our regular Business Club members join 2 – 4live sessions per month They watch recordings too. Most importantly … they make time in their diary to actively implement what they learn (8 – 12 hours per month).
- If you’re serious about growing your business, then I recommend that you spend 2-4 hours per week ON your business, so that’s watching recordings, joining live sessions and actually doing the work.
Even a few focused hours a month can make a real difference when you are learning skills that directly improve sales, marketing, pricing, and visibility.
We send 2 emails per month with the dates of the upcoming workshops so you can book live sessions in your diary 3 – 6 weeks in advance.
I haven’t started my business yet. Is The Business Club for me?
The Business Club is especially for creative sole traders and business owners who have been in business for 18 months or more, already have work to sell and want to strengthen their business and marketing skills.
The topics we cover in the Business Club do not include start-up topics such as: how to start your business legally, costing and pricing or how to start selling, but focus more on growth topics including business planning, marketing, selling online & driving traffic, finance and social media.
We do not recommend that you join The Business Club (yet!).
Why is The Business Club now a 6-or 12-months membership only?
The Business Club now offers a one-stop programme that covers ALL the fundamental business & marketing training you need to get more sales, trade orders & commissions- delivered by experts and successful creatives, with group support & accountability for you month-by-month.
If you join us in June then you can access all the sessions & topics we covered in the first part of the year, and join all the live sessions till December.
We want to work with creatives who are committed to improving or growing their creative business. And who want to connect with other creative professionals and become part of our growing online community. Hence we offer a 6- or 12-months membership only.
In the past The Business Club has been available as a monthly, quarterly and annual membership (and for current members it will continue to be that!) but we believe that if you are serious and want to get more sales then you’ll need to work on different parts of your business e.g. business planning, financial forecasts, costing & pricing, as well as marketing, website, branding, driving traffic.
Will The Business Club help me with Christmas sales?
Yes, very much so.
The second half of the year focuses strongly on different sales channels, visibility, events, commissions, marketing, and seasonal planning to help you make the most of your busiest sales season.
Rather than scrambling in autumn, we will help you to focus each month on a topic and you will have time to strengthen your marketing, improve your website, prepare stock, think strategically about events, and plan your Christmas sales more intentionally.
Can I watch or share The Business Club membership with others?
Sorry, you can’t.
When you join The Business Club it’s for you only and you get a license to access for one person.
If you work in a formal business partnership then you can share it with your business partner or one employee, but please do not share with creatives who have not paid for the membership.
If we become aware that you have shared content with others then we will terminate your membership immediately and we will not provide any refunds and block you from future training too. Like you, The Design Trust is a small creative business and The Business Club is based on our 25 years+ experience and that of all the guest speakers and successful creators (we pay all of our speakers by the way!).
It’s full of our and their proprietary knowledge and copyrighted strategies. Please do not share it with others. You wouldn’t like it if others would ‘use’ your ideas either, would you?
If you are an organisation and would like us to develop similar online or in-person training for your group then do email us on [email protected] Happy to discuss whatever creative business or professional development training you need.
Do you offer any discounts or payment plans?
You can pay in 3 monthly instalments by selecting the Paypal Later option at the checkout. The amount will be divided by 3 and you will pay on the same day in July and August.
We have offered our current Dream Plan Do VIP Club members and recent Business Club members a 15% discount coupon code too, which is for their own use only. Please see our emails or get in touch by email asap.
Do you offer cancellations or refunds?
We offer a short no-quibble-cancellation period until Monday 22 June 2026 at midnight UK.
You can cancel by emailing us on [email protected] for a full refund. Please check that we have received your email on time.
After this date we do not give any cancellations or refunds, only in exceptional personal circumstances.
If you are unable to attend the live sessions then remember that the expert and creative interviews will be recorded and posted in The Business Club hub within 2 working days.
If you live outside of the UK and your country has longer cancellation laws then we will oblige by them.
PLEASE AVOID CANCELLING … as a small business the admin for cancellations is considrable and a bit soul destroying to be honest.
We recommend that you do not spend money that you do not have, and also join our behind-the-scenes tour on Weds 17 June at 1pm to get a good feel of what The Business Club has got to offer.