This research used in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) with creative economy actors. They represent those involved in fashion, culinary, product design, TV and film sectors as well as the activists of creative economy communities, and regional bureaucracies, such as local development planning agency, industrial and trading agency, manpower, cooperatives and SME agencies. FGD has been conducted to confirm the mentoring model that the creative economy actors need. After conducting interviews with informants, creative economy actors and local government were invited to review the interview results to obtain a proper model of mentoring as an empowerment strategy.

The main tool of data analysis in qualitative approach is the researchers themselves instead of other tools. In the process of data analysis, the role of researcher is essential to interpret data. Researchers collect and interpret data from FGD and in-depth interview from mentoring model perspectives.

To obtain more reliable and valid data, this research only collected informants directly involved in creative economy activities. We also selected those who well understood the development of SMEs in creative economy sector as informants. Such triangulation of various data sources is used to confirm the process of data validity. Therefore, results of the research have a high degree of trust if they has been verified by triangulation of different sources but exhibit the same results.