Artists’ Advice Ōtepoti: How to deal with money and get paid

There’s a lot of free and useful information out there, so do your homework and start developing your healthy financial habits.

• The Ministry of Business and Innovation site business.govt.nz will help you get set up from start.
• Get a NZ Business Number (NZBN) It’s free and makes life easier when dealing with government agencies and other organisations. It can also help to legitimise your practice.
• Make friends with ird.govt.nz and stay on top of your tax and any student loan obligations.
• Keep good records: save invoices, receipts, records of commissions and contracts. Some of these will be tax requirements.
• Use a spreadsheet to track what’s coming in and what’s going out; if this is too time-consuming for you, investigate online accounting management services.
• Ask other professionals working in your area for their best tips.

Our cheat sheets also have some useful tips about:

• Setting - and getting - good value for your mahi.
• Things to think about when setting up a budget.

Creative Partnerships at the Dunedin City Council

The small Creative Partnerships team works to ensure that Ōtepoti’s arts, cultural, and creative life is as vibrant and engaging as its inhabitants and that all those who call Ōtepoti home have a place in the city’s creative landscape.

At the core of what Creative Partnerships does is building relationships and supporting projects that help realise Ara Toi Ōtepoti – Dunedin’s Arts and Culture Strategy.

We are here to support Ōtepoti creative practitioners with advice, resources, and advocacy so that they can do what they do best, whether it’s public sculpture, improvised theatre, or a spontaneous trombone concert. We’re delighted to share our resources with you.