Project Management for Creative Businesses

Level(s) of Study: Professional
Course Fee:
£295
Start Date(s): 1 March 2027, 7 June 2027
Duration: Monday and Tuesday 10 am - 4 pm, two days
Study Mode(s): Part-time
Campus: City Campus
Entry Requirements: More information

Introduction:

Are you spending more time managing projects, chasing clients and dealing with administration than doing the creative work you enjoy?

This practical two-day course will help you take control of your workload, streamline your processes and manage client projects more effectively. You'll learn how to plan projects, set clear boundaries and introduce simple systems that save time, improve the client experience and support the growth of your creative business.

You’ll be part of a design community that promotes collaboration and experimentation.
With a limited class size, you'll receive the attention needed to gain new skills which you can then apply to your profession.
Benefit from learning with a tutor who brings established links to the profession and current design thinking to the course.
Study in-person (rather than online) and explore ideas in our studios.

What you’ll study

Running a successful creative business involves much more than delivering great creative work. From preparing proposals and managing client expectations to keeping projects on schedule and handling invoices, the administrative side of running a business can quickly become overwhelming.

As your client base grows, managing multiple projects, deadlines and competing priorities can become increasingly difficult. Without clear processes in place, it's easy to lose track of tasks, spend too much time on administration or find yourself taking on work beyond the original project brief.

This practical course will help you take a more structured approach to managing your creative business, giving you greater control over your time, projects and client relationships.

You'll explore how to design a business that works around your goals and lifestyle, rather than constantly reacting to client demands. You'll learn how to define your services, scope projects accurately, establish clear expectations and create repeatable processes that make your business easier to manage.

You'll also discover how project management tools, simple automations and AI can help you stay organised, reduce repetitive tasks and keep work moving.

Working with your own business and projects throughout, you'll develop practical frameworks and processes you can adapt to your needs.

Whether you're an established freelancer, creative entrepreneur or agency owner, you'll gain the confidence and skills to manage your workload more efficiently and create more time for the work you enjoy.

During this course, you will:

explore how to design your business processes around your goals, priorities and working style
review your services and develop a clear, profitable offer structure
learn how to scope projects effectively, including deliverables, budgets, timelines and boundaries
create repeatable processes for proposals, client onboarding, communication and offboarding
develop strategies for managing multiple clients and competing deadlines
explore project management software, task management apps, automations and AI tools
identify opportunities to reduce administration and improve your workflow
develop practical systems and processes to help you manage your business more effectively.

You'll explore how to take a more intentional approach to running your creative business, from defining your services to planning projects and managing client expectations.

Topics include:

understanding the 'by design' approach to running a creative business
identifying where your current processes are costing you time
developing a clear and profitable offer structure
defining project scope, deliverables, budgets and timelines
setting boundaries and managing client expectations
creating efficient processes for proposals, onboarding and offboarding.

You'll focus on managing multiple projects, improving visibility across your workload and using practical tools to reduce administration.

Topics include:

managing multiple clients, projects and competing priorities
creating systems to track tasks, deadlines and opportunities
exploring project management software and task management tools
identifying opportunities for simple automations and AI
improving client communication and project workflows
developing processes and frameworks you can implement in your own business.

By the end of the course, you'll have a clearer approach to managing your projects and practical frameworks to help you streamline your business operations.

How you’re taught

You'll learn from an experienced creative business owner and educator through a combination of teaching, live demonstrations, group discussions and hands-on exercises.

You'll have opportunities to share experiences, receive peer feedback and explore solutions to common challenges faced by creative professionals.

Practical exercises will encourage you to apply what you've learned to your own business, using a current or recent client project as a working example.

There will also be opportunities to ask questions and troubleshoot specific challenges you're experiencing with your own processes and workload.

The course focuses on accessible, practical techniques that can be adapted to businesses of different sizes, without requiring previous project management training.

Contact hours

This practical course is delivered over two days, with 12 hours of tuition in total.

Tutor Profile:

Vicki Wallis is a freelance designer, creative business owner and educator with over ten years' experience running her own fashion design business.

For the past five years, she has also supported freelance designers and creative professionals through her education platform, Freelancing Simplified, helping them develop the business skills, systems and strategies needed to run their creative practices.

Having managed clients around the world throughout her freelance career, Vicki brings first-hand commercial experience and a practical, approachable teaching style.

Her teaching focuses on helping creative professionals develop efficient ways of working, manage client relationships and build businesses that support their professional and personal goals.

Careers and employability

This course is designed for creative professionals who want to strengthen their business management skills and develop more efficient ways of working.

It's particularly relevant for freelance designers, illustrators, photographers, creative entrepreneurs and agency owners who are already working with clients and want to improve how they manage their projects and workload.

You'll develop practical project management skills that can help you deliver a more professional client experience, manage your time more effectively and reduce the administrative demands of running a creative business.

These skills can also help you prepare for future business growth, including managing larger projects, working with collaborators or introducing subcontractors.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

develop a clear offer structure that supports your business goals
define project scope, deliverables, timelines and budgets more effectively
establish repeatable processes for proposals, onboarding and client communication
manage multiple clients and projects with greater confidence
use project management tools and simple automations to improve your workflow
identify opportunities to reduce administration and create more time for creative work.

Certificate of attendance and digital badge

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a digital certificate of attendance and a digital badge powered by Accredible.

Your digital credential is secure and verifiable, with information about the skills you've developed during the course.

You can share your achievements with clients, collaborators and potential employers, including on professional platforms such as LinkedIn.

Entry requirements

Level: Beginner in formal project management. Suitable for established creative professionals and business owners.

No previous project management training or qualifications are required.

This course is particularly suitable for creative professionals who have experience working with clients and want to improve their business processes, project management and day-to-day organisation.

You don't need a formal educational background to benefit from the course.

You must be over 18 to attend this course.

Fees and funding

The fee for this course is £295

Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.

Your course fees cover the cost of studies, including 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.

Please bring with you to the first session:

A laptop, tablet or notebook.
A current or recent client project that you can use as a working example during the course.
A list of the tasks, processes or activities that currently take up the most time in your business.

No advance reading or preparation is required.

You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.

How to apply

You can book your place via the NTU online store:

1 - 2 March 2027, Monday and Tuesday 10 am - 4 pm, two days

7 - 8 June 2027, Monday and Tuesday 10 am - 4 pm, two days

Any questions about booking this course or tailored training opportunities?

Contact the short course team:

Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 2813