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Business start-up guide

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Introduction Partners and Supporters Contributors 1. Have you got what it takes? 2. First steps 3. Preliminary market research 4. Your business plan 5. Financing your business 6. Premises 7. Costing your product or service 8. Pricing your product or service 9. Protecting your designs 10. Contracts and licensing 11. Marketing 12. Negotiating skills 13. Exporting 14. Working with agents and distributors 15. Getting your work manufactured 16. Dealing with buyers and galleries 17. Preparing for an exhibition 18. Presenting your work 19. Writing a press release 20. Working as a design consultant 21. Creating a website 22. E-commerce and the law 23. Tax 24. Continuing profesional development 25. Information resources 26. Further reading

Introduction (Summer 2005) The Business Start-up Guide for Designers and Makers 2005 represents a major updating. In its two previous editions the Guide has been widely used by would-be designers and designer-makers and also by the universities where designers are trained. The Guide is aimed specifically at designers who want to start their own business but find the prospect daunting. It covers the main topics that a fledgling business must address and provides continuous signposting to business support agencies and services. It is also an information resource that lists useful websites and publications. It forms the core of The Design Trust’s educational website, www.thedesigntrust.co.uk. The Guide should be read in conjunction with The Design Trust newsletter, which contains topical information about business support for designers and is published bi-monthly. If you want to be notified of newsletters as they go online, go to www.thedesigntrust.co.uk to sign up; there is no charge. Many students do not realise until they have left university that to be successful they need to have some understanding of the business and professional aspects of design. Without this, they will not know who is likely to buy their work or to employ their services as a designer. This Guide, which is based on The Design Trust’s ‘Getting Started’ seminars, is intended to help you answer these questions by introducing you to some of the essentials that you need in order to get started. The Guide also looks to the medium term of the creative business in its chapter on professional development schemes. These schemes are run by organisations which address the specific issues that face design-led businesses – businesses that have the dual targets of creative and of commercial success. Over the years, many people have contributed to our training seminars. The Guide enables us to share with you the business advice given by industry professionals at those seminars. Although the Guide does not provide all the answers, we urge you to use it to improve your understanding of what is involved in starting up a design business or working on a freelance basis. The Guide will help you to ask the right questions and will direct you to further information provided by relevant training and professional organisations, websites and publications. For the most part, contributions have been reproduced substantially in their original form, without significant editing. As a result, the various chapters can be used largely independently of each other, but inevitably there are some overlaps. This edition of the Guide, unlike either of its predecessors, is the result of a partnership between The Design Trust and other organisations. For this edition our partners have been the Crafts Council, Design Factory, Northumbria University School of Design, Surrey Institute of Art & Design University College and University of Central England – Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. Each of them has contributed to the Guide, both financially and in expertise and experience, and we gratefully acknowledge our debt to them. Our other generous supporters have been The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and Arts Council England. I would like to pay a warm tribute to Diana Woolf, this year’s Editor, and Kati Price, the Editorial Assistant. Both of them have worked to tight deadlines and without them this Guide would never have seen the light of day. They have also been a pleasure to work with. Finally, Rachel Moses, our Marketing Manager, has given a great deal of practical support and advice while the Guide was being prepared, and our grateful thanks go to her also. Peta Levi, MBE Director   Copyright Copyright is reserved by Design-Nation and this material may not be reproduced, transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, or published in whole or in part without the written consent of Design-Nation. However, designers and makers considering business start-up may reproduce any part of the text without charge for the limited purpose of use in their business. Disclaimer The views expressed in this Guide do not necessarily represent the views of Design-Nation. No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person by acting or refraining from action in reliance on the Guide can be accepted by contributors, Design-Nation or its partners.