Financing Your Creative Business with Rise Asset Development, Alterna Savings and ACCESS Community Capital Fund

This workshop is a part of the Artscape Launchpad Business Skills for Growth Workshop Series

Financing Your Creative Business
As an artist or craftsperson, creativity has been your driving force. If you want to take that creative passion and turn it into a business, you may need a small amount of financing to:

• Purchase inventory or supplies
• Purchase equipment required to your produce your art
• Prepare your works for galleries or other showings
• Pay for exhibition fees
• Create marketing materials

Obtaining financing from a traditional bank for an arts-based business can be very difficult. Poor credit, lack of assets or a steady source of revenue may mean that the bank would say “no”. However, there are alternatives. This workshop will present a variety of small business financing options to help you start and grow your creative business.

Who is this workshop for?
If you are a designer, filmmaker, performing artist, content producer, craftsperson, writer, musician, artist, or someone interested in accessing financing to create or grow a business fuelled by these practices, this workshop is for you.

This workshop will help you to:
• Meet three organizations with small business financing programs accessible to the arts community
• Learn about their lending and business support programs
• Understand what these lenders are looking for in a successful loan application
• Learn the importance of having a business plan
• Here success stories of their lending clients in arts based businesses

Rise Asset Development provides low interest business loans, training and mentorship to entrepreneurs with a history of mental health or addiction challenges who are unable to access traditional financing.
Alterna Savings is a credit union offering the financial services and products you’d expect from a financial institution, but here, you’re a member, not ‘just’ a customer. They offer a Community Micro-Loan Program that places an emphasis on character, commitment and ability
ACCESS Community Capital Fund helps individuals without collateral or credit history obtain an affordable loan to improve their standard of living through entrepreneurship.

Registration:  Register online using the form below by selecting “Register”. Participants will be registered to attend the workshop once the registration form and payment are successfully completed.  If you would like to pay by cash or cheque, you can do so in person at Artscape Youngplace. We recommend making an appointment to register and pay by contacting ginger@torontoartscape.on.ca 

Step by Step Instructions: How to Sign up for a Workshop (pdf)

Important Payment Note: Completing your payment over PayPal doesn’t mean you’re registered – there’s one more step! You must ‘right click’ and navigate back to the summary page – you will then see the money in your wallet – click ‘continue’ and you’re registered!   Email ginger@torontoartscape.on.ca if you are having difficulties.

This workshop is being held in partnership with Artscape Launchpad as a part of the Business Skills for Growth Series. Artscape Launchpad will be a new creative and cultural sector entrepreneurship centre connecting the creative community with the tools, knowledge and space to establish and grow small businesses and commercial projects.
Sign up to receive updates on other Launchpad Workshops and Programs: http://eepurl.com/QlPOH 

Interested in more Artscape Launchpad offerings? Check out the full list of upcoming workshops here: http://artscapeyoungplace.ca/artscape-launchpad-spring-workshops/