Business Blueprint for Creatives & Makers
A 6-part workshop series designed to help creatives & makers confidently navigate where art and business intersect.
About the instructor: Katie Thornsvard is a CPA with extensive finance leadership experience at UNC, Duke, and in the nonprofit sector. She is also an active artist who sells her work through her business, Wild Thorn Collective, at markets and online.
Disclosure: These business classes are offered through Katie Thornsvard Consulting, MAC, CPA, PLLC. Wild Thorn Collective is my separate art business. If you have questions about this business workshop series, please email me at katie.thornsvard@gmail.com.
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All 6 Workshops
Workshop 1 is free, due to the generous support of Cecy’s Gallery. The remaining workshops are $60 each.
Register for all 6 to receive $50 off
Cost: $250
Please see workshop blocks for individual workshop descriptions.
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Workshop 1:
Starting Strong: Building the Foundation of Your Creative Business
Date: Tuesday, September 30
Time: 6:00-7:30PM
Location: Cecy’s Gallery, 417 Foster St., Durham, NC
Cost: FREE due to the generous sponsorship of Cecy’s Gallery & Studios
Whether you’re just getting started or have been selling for a while but wonder if you’re set up the right way, this workshop will help you take the first steps toward building a solid business foundation.
Topics:
Hobby vs business
Business structures (e.g., sole proprietor vs LLC vs S-Corp)
Managing funds (bank accounts/separating funds)
Annual business lifecycle
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Workshop 2:
Untangling Sales Tax - What Creatives Need to Know
Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025
Time: 6:00-7:30PM
Location: Cecy’s Gallery, 417 Foster St., Durham, NC
Cost: $60
Topics:
Registering with NC Department of Revenue
Collecting & remitting NC state sales tax on sales
Disclosures/signage for your art booth
Use tax obligations on purchases
Recovering sales tax paid on resale items
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Workshop 3:
From Shoebox to System - Organizing Your Finances
Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Time: 6:00-7:30PM
Location: Cecy’s Gallery, 417 Foster St., Durham
Cost: $60
Topics covered:
IRS recordkeeping requirements
Deductible expenses
Categories creatives may miss
Tracking receipts from different payment systems (Square, PayPal, Venmo, cash)
Tracking inventory
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Workshop 4:
From Records to Returns: Income Tax & Quarterly Planning
Date: Thursday, February x, 2026
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
Location: Cecy’s Gallery, 417 Foster St. Durham, NC
Cost: $60
Topics Covered:
Federal income tax reporting
Self-employment tax
NC income tax
Quarterly estimated taxes
1099-K reporting
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Workshop 5:
Untangling the Money Knots: Payments & Cash Flow Made Clear
Date: Thurday, March X, 2026
Time: 6:00-7:30PM
Location: Cecy’s Gallery, 417 Foster St., Durham, NC
Cost: $60
The hidden traps of payment systems (e.g., Square, Paypal, Venmo, Stripe, etc.)
Streamlining money flow
Cash & market sales
Reconciling the chaos: payments & records that match
Making payments work for you
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Workshop 6:
Profit with Purpose - Budgeting, Revenue Streams & Growth for Creatives
Date: Thursday, April X, 2026
Time: 6:00-7:30PM
Location: Cecy’s Gallery, 417 Foster St., Durham, NC
Cost: $60
True cost awareness (pricing basics)
Budgeting & cash flow
Tax & savings set-asides
Growth & scaling
Revenue streams