Dear Design Doctor I am the founder of a new furniture and product brand. I set up the business last April and our first furniture range is being sold with a major retailer nationwide. I am writing a new business plan and would like to read about the size of the UK industry to understand [...] Read more »
The Design Trust Guide to Start & Run a Successful Craft Business
I wrote this guide to help creative people get clarity and direction in how to start and run their own small craft business. It gives lots of practical advice and information, but also looks at the big picture. Setting up as a freelancer or sole trader can be really daunting. There are so many things [...] Read more »
How to boost your creative thinking for your business
For most creative people coming up with new ideas, being innovative or ‘think outside the box’ is pretty easy, it’s part of their DNA! Often they struggle with too many ideas, rather than too few! Often I am rather surprised how conventional many creative businesses are when it comes to doing their business planning or [...] Read more »
Exclusive Business Club webinar: Making sense of your business plan with Alison Lewy of Fashion Angel
A business plan provides information about your business, its markets, operational details and finances. It forecasts events and enables you to review actual events versus forecasts, and then make appropriate corrections. This webinar podcast is for people who: might not have a business plan at all, but would like more direction for their business. did [...] Read more »
The Design Trust 5 favourite books on business planning for design & crafts businesses
Writing a business plan is most people’s idea of hell …. I actually really love it! It can be a very creative process, mapping out the journey ahead in a visual way, imagining what you want to do, and then to check on a regular basis if you are still on track. Here is my [...] Read more »
What is your vision? Get clarity through these 7 big questions
That was the first question I was being asked when I started my coaching training with the Coaches Training Institute in early 2009. A big question. A scary question. A powerful question! So just give yourself some time now, to stand still and ask yourself this first question: 1. What is your dream? And to [...] Read more »