Creative Entrepreneurship for 15 – 17 Year Olds
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Course Fee:
£525
- Start Date(s): 4 August 2025
- Duration: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, one week
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Course dates:
4 - 8 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
Launching your own creative business can sound daunting. This course is aimed at demystifying the know-how needed to take the first steps in unleashing your creative ideas and products to the world.
Imagine pitching your creative business idea to your peers, getting real feedback, and walking away with a business plan that could turn your ideas into reality. Throughout the week, you'll meet other like-minded creatives, learn how to market your work and explore the latest digital tools to bring your vision to life.
This is not a sit-back-and-listen kind of course – it’s an exciting, interactive journey where you'll brainstorm, collaborate, and innovate. From learning how to make your ideas stand out to discovering how to sell your products, this course is designed to spark your entrepreneurial mindset and give you the confidence to succeed.
Take the first step in shaping your creative future – and who knows, this summer could be the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey!
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Be part of a creative community in our design studio setting; one that promotes discussion and collaboration and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
Receive the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your ideas. -
Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor and hearing from guest speakers from creative companies -
On successful completion of the course you’ll receive a certificate of attendance from a well-respected University
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential Award and is an amazing opportunity to make new friends and memories. It will be fun and gently challenging, allowing you to follow your passion and discover talents you never knew you had.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
You must also attend the social events that are planned on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and you must plan and attend your own social activities with other participants on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
What you’ll study
If you're looking to supercharge your creative ideas and turn them into a real-life business, this course is the perfect launchpad. Whether you dream of designing unique products, building a brand, or starting your own creative venture, you'll get hands-on experience and the skills to make it happen.
Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) account for over 99% of the UK’s businesses. Playing a vital role in the national economy, many of these SMEs are creative micro-businesses specialising in design, craft, and retail.
The top skills needed to run a successful business includes:
- Creativity, originality and taking the initiative
- Technology, monitoring and control
- Analytical thinking and innovation
- Reasoning, problem-solving and ideation
- Critical thinking and analysis.
Social events
We appoint NTU Student Ambassadors who host social events on Monday and Wednesday evenings to help you make friends across the whole of our summer school programme for 15 – 17-year-olds, which are free to attend.
- The course will support you in:
- During this course, you will:
- There will be exercises in:
- After studying this course, you should be able to:
- Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll study (daily course outline):
- accessing the knowledge needed to launch a creative business
- developing your creative skills
- learning to innovate
- increasing your confidence in your ideas and ability
- bringing your creative business to market.
The course will help you develop new ideas through a fast-paced ‘business sprint’ approach. You’ll work together in groups to brainstorm ideas, present entrepreneurial ideas, and give and receive feedback. This process will help you reflect on your plans and make improvements. Building confidence in your business ideas will be key.
- Build confidence in your entrepreneurial ideas, learn how to validate your products and services, and explore creativity through innovation and design thinking.
- Develop your business strategy by defining your mission, vision, and values, while focusing on sustainable and ethical practices.
- Identify your target audience using consumer profiles, market research, and customer analysis, gaining a clear understanding of your customers, unique selling point (USP), and brand position.
- Create a business model and plan that includes financing, pricing, and feasibility, and leave the course with practical next steps to launch your business.
If you’re also taking part in a course the first week of the summer school, you can take everything you've made, designed, or thought about and use it as the foundation for your business brief during this course. It's your chance to develop your ideas further and imagine how they could work in the real world!
This intensive course is responding to this by introducing entrepreneurship to new creative practitioners. It aims to develop your current skill set by sharing new ways of thinking and exploring industry insights. It’s ideal for any young creatives who have not followed a business studies course in the past who are thinking about launching their own business in either the physical or digital realm.
- Entrepreneurship basics: the principles of starting and running a business
- Business planning: writing business plans, setting goals, and devising strategies
- Financial literacy: understanding cash flow, budgeting, taxes, and investment
- Marketing principles: branding, customer segmentation, and marketing strategies
- Market research: analysing competitors, identifying target audiences, and understanding market trends
- Technology and tools: using current technology to support starting and running a business.
- Create a practical and achievable business plan
- Show confidence in your ability to be innovative and entrepreneurial
- Show your understanding of key entrepreneurship concepts
- Build essential business skills and apply them to real-world markets
- Explore creative and sustainable business opportunities through research
- Present your business idea clearly and effectively.
Plus, with visits to real creative businesses and opportunities to present your ideas, you’ll leave with practical knowledge, new friends, and a certificate to boost your CV.
Day 1
- Introduction to entrepreneurship and what it takes to run a business
- Introduction to frameworks we’ll be using during the course
- Ideation and product planning
- There will be a visit to a local creative business or retail space to showcase product ideation and sales techniques.
Day 2
- Introduction to technologies and tools that support running a business
- Market research and customer segmentation
- How and where to sell products
- Creative product photography/videography using a mobile phone.
Day 3
- Writing a business plan
- Creating a financial forecast including creating a pricing structure for your products or services.
Day 4
- Building a brand and marketing strategy
- Creating a slide deck for your new business.
Day 5
- Building your confidence by presenting your slide deck to the group
- Q&A and peer-to-peer learning.
Throughout the week there will be opportunities for group discussions.
How you’re taught
This course will be delivered in person at Nottingham Trent University’s city centre campus.
Contact hours
You’ll receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to give you a real experience of university life, make new friends who share similar interests and develop your portfolio so that ultimately, you can make an informed decision about your future.
On successful completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.
Campus and facilities
You will be based in the Nottingham School of Art and Design on the City Campus.
You'll find inspiring classroom spaces to develop your ideas and create exciting work.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
You’ll receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.
Entry requirements
Level: Open to all
Entry requirement: You should have plenty of enthusiasm and interest in starting your own creative business and ideally have an idea of the type of business you’d like to explore.
You must be 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the course in order to attend.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £525.
Payment is due at the time of booking.
Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
All your materials and equipment will be provided, but you may also want to bring with you:
- Laptop or tablet (with Microsoft Office or Open Office)
- Ideas for a creative business
- Images or samples of the types of products or services you’re interested in.
Read our booking terms and conditions.
Need accommodation?
Accommodation can be booked separately to the course; the rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms, and cost £259 per week, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.
These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation.
If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian (to support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence and there is a dedicated Warden available).
If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian (you must book two separate rooms and let us know so we can place you in rooms next to each other).
This option is particularly popular with students completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award.
Find out more and book your accommodation here.
Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?
If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees (email the short course team with your order number to claim the refund).
How to apply
You can book this course via the NTU online store:
4 - 8 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
Browse all our summer courses for 15 – 17 year olds.
Any questions?
Contact the short course team:
Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813