Training & Workshops
Practical skills. Real outcomes.
Structured, expert-led training for SME owners and managers who want to lift their marketing capability - and actually use what they learn.
We build capability. We don't just do the work for you.
Every programme is designed to close a specific management capability gap - giving your team a skill they keep using long after the session ends, not a deliverable we hand back to you. This is distinct from our consultancy work, where we execute marketing on a client's behalf.
Who it's for
Built for people who run businesses, not agencies.
These programmes are designed for SME owners and managers who are doing marketing themselves - or managing someone who is. They're practical, hands-on, and structured around real business needs.
No prior marketing experience is assumed. Sessions are available for individual enrolment, or as bespoke in-business workshops delivered to your team.
SME owners doing their own marketing
Managers newly responsible for marketing in their organisation
Teams wanting to lift digital marketing capability
Operators transitioning from word-of-mouth to structured marketing
The curriculum
Programmes & courses
A growing curriculum of structured, practical marketing programmes. Delivered in-person (Queenstown / Southern Lakes region, and nationally) and online.
Canva for Beginners
Delivered in partnership with Southern REAP
Audience
SME owners and managers with no prior Canva experience who want to create professional-looking marketing materials in-house.
Format & duration
In-person workshop
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person - Queenstown & Southern Lakes region
Learning outcomes
- Navigate the Canva interface confidently
- Create on-brand social media graphics, flyers, and basic marketing materials
- Use templates effectively without losing your own brand identity
- Understand basic design principles (hierarchy, contrast, whitespace)
- Export files correctly for digital and print use
Canva Intermediate
Audience
Participants who have completed Canva for Beginners or who already use Canva regularly and want to work faster and smarter.
Format & duration
In-person or online workshop
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Build and maintain a brand kit inside Canva
- Create multi-page documents and presentations
- Use Canva's scheduling and team collaboration features
- Build reusable templates for your team
- Work with video and animated content
Canva Advanced
Audience
Regular Canva users wanting to work at a professional level and get more from the platform's advanced features.
Format & duration
In-person or online workshop
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Use Canva Pro features for advanced design and brand management
- Create data-driven presentations and reports
- Integrate Canva with other tools in your workflow
- Manage multi-user brand kits and approval workflows
- Produce high-quality assets for print and digital campaigns
Digital Marketing for SMEs
Audience
SME owners and managers who want a clear, practical understanding of how digital marketing works and how to prioritise it for their business.
Format & duration
In-person workshop or half-day session
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Understand the digital marketing landscape and where to focus effort
- Identify the right channels for your business type and audience
- Build a simple digital marketing plan you can actually implement
- Measure what matters - basic metrics without overwhelm
- Avoid common mistakes SMEs make with digital marketing spend
Social Media for Business
Audience
SME owners and managers who want to use social media strategically - not just post and hope.
Format & duration
In-person or online workshop
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Choose the right platforms for your business and audience
- Develop a simple content strategy that's sustainable to maintain
- Create content that builds trust and drives enquiry
- Understand basic algorithms and how to work with them
- Build a posting rhythm that doesn't require a full-time social media manager
AI Tools for Business
Audience
SME owners and managers who want to understand how AI tools can save time and lift the quality of their marketing and communications - without the hype.
Format & duration
In-person or online workshop
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Understand which AI tools are genuinely useful for small business marketing
- Use AI to draft and refine marketing copy, emails, and social posts
- Build prompts that get useful outputs (not generic rubbish)
- Understand the risks and limitations of AI-generated content
- Integrate AI tools into your existing workflow without over-relying on them
LinkedIn for Business
Audience
Business owners and managers in professional services, property, and construction who want to use LinkedIn as a genuine business development tool.
Format & duration
In-person or online workshop
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Optimise your LinkedIn profile for credibility and search
- Build a content strategy that positions you as a trusted voice in your industry
- Use LinkedIn to generate referrals and warm leads - without being salesy
- Understand what the algorithm rewards and how to show up consistently
- Build meaningful connections rather than just a large follower count
Social Media for Businesses
Audience
Business owners running their own social channels who want a more strategic, sustainable approach across platforms.
Format & duration
In-person or online workshop
Half day (approx. 4 hours)
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Audit current social media presence and identify gaps
- Plan content across multiple platforms without duplicating effort
- Understand basic paid social options for small budgets
- Build a simple monthly content calendar
- Track the metrics that actually indicate business impact
Marketing Planning for SMEs
Audience
SME owners who want to build a simple, usable annual marketing plan - and actually follow it.
Format & duration
Workshop (half or full day)
Half day to full day
Delivery
In-person or online - NZ-wide
Learning outcomes
- Identify your target customer with clarity
- Choose the right marketing channels for your goals and budget
- Build a 12-month marketing calendar you can realistically execute
- Set meaningful goals and simple metrics to track progress
- Leave with a draft plan ready to implement - not just a framework
Your trainer
Training built on real experience
We bring an unusual combination of formal training credentials, real business experience, and 18 years of coaching experience to every workshop we deliver.
18 years coaching competitive sport isn't an aside - it's the lens through which we approach adult learning: complex skills broken into clear progressions, delivered at the learner's pace, with the goal of genuine independence.
Active IQ Education & Training Certificate
Formal qualification in course design and training delivery
Postgraduate Diploma - High Performance Coaching
Formal coaching methodology applied to workshop facilitation
Master's Degree with Distinction
Academic grounding in strategic marketing and business
18 Years Competitive Coaching Experience
Competitive sport - structured skill progression, coaching methodology
Workshop facilitation - Mackenzie Consulting (est. 2016)
Brand strategy, leadership, and customer engagement workshops
Canva for Beginners - delivered through Southern REAP
Practical training delivery track record across the Southern Lakes region
MC & Panel Facilitation
Including MoneyHub Business Summit
Participant feedback
What participants say
Iona was engaging and approachable, and tailored the class to the group's needs.
V.S.
Canva for Beginners participant
Really enjoyed the course and found it valuable as an intro into developing my Canva skills.
K.
Canva for Beginners participant
The basics were covered well. I'll put into practice the skills learnt, and I'm looking forward to the next course.
T.
Canva for Beginners participant
In-business training
Bring training to your team.
All Tartan programmes can be delivered as bespoke in-business workshops - tailored to your team's current skill level and your business's specific tools, channels, and goals.
Particularly suited to teams of 4–12 people wanting a consistent marketing capability lift.
Enquire about in-business training
Send a message via the contact form and select "Training enquiry" - include your team size, location (or preference for online), and the topics you're most interested in.
Make a training enquiry