New Beginnings Fair 2016

Overview

Sometimes it seems like every second person you meet at the pub is a small business owner. The democratisation of absolutely everything by the internet means you no longer need a corner office in a skyscraper and a salmon tie to be a kickass business person. But it also means that, before long, you might find yourself wading into the unfamiliar territory of ABNs and being your own boss. It’s a lot to learn and most unstable, fledgling businesses don’t give you the luxury of time to figure it all out.

Thankfully, there’s now a one-stop shop where all business babies can learn to walk. The New Beginnings Fair is on from February 26 to 27 to inspire you with talks, workshops and networking as well as answer all the tough questions like ‘When you’re self-employed, how often can you knock off early?’

The fair is tailored specifically to young people in creative and challenging fields and covers all the nitty gritty details you didn’t even realise are involved in running your own business. An array of speakers will school you on bizniz (that’s ‘business’ in street slang. First lesson: know your market) including Lisa Messenger from the dreamy monthly publication The Collective, the geniuses behind coffee body scrub Frank Body and copywriting agency Willow & Blake, and Kaylene O’Brien from Startup Creative, a startup that helps other startups start up. Neato.

They’ll also be running masterclasses in design, PR, business planning, social media, marketing and branding and bookkeeping — all the stuff you need to know to keep your business healthy and ensure you never go back to your boring office job.

And best of all, it won’t break the bank. A general admission pass starts at $35 for one day or $70 for the whole weekend, while a VIP pass for two days is $90 (and hey, consider that a tax write off).

New Beginnings is happening in Sydney right now, but Melbourne can expect their own fair later in the year.