Screen News Special Edition: Screen Biz

The Official Newsletter of the New Zealand Screen Council

SPECIAL EDITION - SCREEN BIZ

The New Zealand Screen Council wants to help you take your screen production business to the next level…

SCREEN BIZ

The New Zealand Screen Council is proud to present a two day workshop that provides business training, specifically tailored for small to medium sized screen production businesses, giving them the tools to run and to grow sustainable, profitable businesses.

Course content will include:
Structuring
The way in which businesses are structured from the outset is key and yet often not well thought out, particularly in the creative sectors. A well structured business will give consideration for owners’ protection of their own personal assets, the nature of the business operations (often project based, often high risk in screen production) and for future exiting of the business. This section of the workshop will cover these factors and attendees will be encouraged to speak to their own specific situation and ask questions to ascertain if their business is structured optimally.

Business Performance
This part of the workshop will focus on the necessity of receiving regular information on business (and in particular, financial) performance. Skills to analyse and interpret financial information will be covered, along with areas to focus on to improve profitability.

Business Planning
Business planning will be discussed as a means to encourage a more considered approach to achieving growth for each of the businesses attending. Many creative businesses (or those supplying to the creative sector) progress in an ad hoc and responsive manner. A more planned approach is essential for sustainable profit-making given the fluctuations in a changing and often fickle industry such as screen.

Management vs Leadership
Participants will develop awareness for their own management and leadership styles, their strengths and weakness and how these styles will ultimately be influencing the performance of their businesses. We will develop tools for dealing with problems as they arise, for encouraging others, conveying a vision (even under stress) and for building strong teams for each project.

Budgeting & Cashflow Planning
Budgeting and cashflow techniques will be discussed, with the emphasis being “keep it simple and meaningful to you”. The importance of cashflow planning and cash management will also be covered with an overall objective being to understand how to manage during times of little or no cash inflows.

Taxation
Taxation issues specific to the industry will be explored. These include the rate of withholding tax to be deducted from resident and non-resident contractors, per-diem allowances that can be paid to contractors and resident & non-resident entertainers in the screen production industry. The ability to claim a tax deduction for expenditure in the area of entertainment, motor vehicles and home office costs will also be discussed, along with key taxation payment dates to remember.

Performance Management and Conflict Resolution
Getting the best from contractors and permanent staff requires a systematic approach to communication, feedback, delegation and providing clear guidelines. Common challenges facing the screen industry include the high number of contractors used, the lack of continuity of employment agreements, dealing with deadline driven behaviour and more. Techniques and skills to overcome these challenges will be explored in groups and practical exercises.

Participants will learn how to deal with conflict professionally and within the law.

Other Key areas covered will include: employment law, occupational health & safety (OSH) and exit planning.
COURSE LOCATION AND TIMES

Christchurch: 1, 2 June - 10am to 6pm both days (location tbc)
Wellington: 8, 9 June - 10am to 6pm both days (location tbc)
Auckland: 19, 20 June - 10am to 6pm both days (location tbc)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Screen Biz is designed for companies that have been working in the industry for three years or more and is only eligible for business owners or key senior staff. It is part of the New Zealand Screen Council’s business training initiatives, the first of which, Enterprise Tasman, was successfully run earlier this year and will include marketing training, in association with the Australian Film, Television and Radio School later this year.

Spaces are limited and there is a course fee of $95.00. An application form is attached to this email. All information collected by the Screen Council will be held in the strictest confidence.

Please email application forms to info@nzscreencouncil.co.nz or post to:

NZ Screen Council
P O Box 8041
WELLINGTON

Applications close on the 15th of May and successful applicants will be notified by 22nd May.

For further information on the course please contact

The New Zealand Screen Council
Ph. 04 9140148
Email: info@nzscreencouncil.co.nz

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