The main topics to get started with your creative business: how to choose and register your business name, how to set up your business legally, start to sell your creative products, launch your website or Etsy shop, and much more
Get started
- [free video training] feeling overwhelmed? 5 thought-provoking questions + solutions
- Why creating a collection is crucial for your creative business
- Must-read business books for new creatives
- The Design Trust’s favourite finance and money books for creatives
- [Free video training] 5 Confidence tips for creatives
- [free video training] have your got too many business ideas and goals? or none at all?
- How to select the best online creative marketplace for you
- Busting the myth of funding
- Where can I get funding for my creative business or project? Our recommended list of funding for creative businesses
- The 8 most common reasons small creative businesses fail. With actions to succeed.
- 5 steps to name your creative business successfully
Costing & pricing
- Real Life: 3 creatives share their costing and pricing tips
- The Design Trust’s favourite finance and money books for creatives
- 8 perfectly good reasons to raise your prices
- “Why do shops and galleries charge so much commission?”
- Confused about cost price, wholesale price, retail price? Price terminology easily explained for creatives
- How do you calculate your freelance design rate?
- Do you charge enough? 7 steps to calculate the cost price of your creative product
- What to do if your client thinks you are too expensive? 8 ways to respond
- 8 ways to increase your prices confidently, without losing any clients
Start to sell
- How to find and select the right craft fair for you?
- How much should I spend on marketing? 8 questions to set your crafts or design marketing budget
- What to do if you want to make more money as a creative? 8 strategic questions & actions
- 10 ways to get better traffic to your creative business website
- Online events tips from virtual creative event organisers
- Get to know your ideal clients with these 10 questions
- The 39 best places to sell handmade crafts online
- 6 top tips to avoid common sale or return problems
- 14 expert tips to grow your mailing list
- 8 expert tips to create better email marketing campaigns by Studio cotton
- 4 Expert tips to get selected for a design trade or craft fair
- How to apply successfully for a craft fair – behind-the-scenes insights from a judge
- Make the most of craft selling events: tips from 2 makers & 3 event organisers
- The 5 main options for selling crafts and designs online
- The ultimate 8 steps to creating a collection that sells
- My favourite marketing and social media books for creatives
- 5 steps to launch your creative collection successfully [with a mini-launch plan]
- 8 reasons why email marketing is effective for your creative business
- 9 last-minute marketing tips for craft fairs & design events
- “Why do shops and galleries charge so much commission?”
- Confused about cost price, wholesale price, retail price? Price terminology easily explained for creatives
- “Help, a jeweller is undercutting us”. A gallery owner’s perspective
- What to do if your client thinks you are too expensive? 8 ways to respond
Make more money
- What to do if you want to make more money as a creative? 8 strategic questions & actions
- 6 quick & simple actions to improve your website
- The Design Trust’s favourite finance and money books for creatives
- 8 perfectly good reasons to raise your prices
- What to do if your client thinks you are too expensive? 8 ways to respond
- 8 ways to increase your prices confidently, without losing any clients
Better & more clients
- Protected: Teach Your Creative Skills in person & online – tool kit
- Real life: illustrator & artist jo scott shares how she promotes, manages & prices her art commissions
- Real Life: 2 designer makers share how they manage & price their craft commissions
- 3 essential steps to increase your online sales (incl. your own website or Etsy)
- 10 ways to get better traffic to your creative business website
- Get to know your ideal clients with these 10 questions
- creative email marketing tips by illustrator Niki Groom of Miss Magpie Fashion Spy
- 14 expert tips to grow your mailing list
- 8 expert tips to create better email marketing campaigns by Studio cotton
- How to apply successfully for a craft fair – behind-the-scenes insights from a judge
Business support & resources
- The Design Trust’s recommended magazines for creative businesses
- The Design Trust’s 28 recommended podcasts for creative businesses
- [free video training] feeling overwhelmed? 5 thought-provoking questions + solutions
- The 7 lessons I learnt about intellectual property for creatives
- The Design Trust’s favourite finance and money books for creatives
- My favourite marketing and social media books for creatives
- A maker’s story: Imitation or inspiration? What to do when somebody takes your ideas.
- Useful intellectual property and copyright resources for creatives
- Busting the myth of funding
- 6 top tips to get funding for your creative business
- Where can I get funding for my creative business or project? Our recommended list of funding for creative businesses
Branding & photography
- Get to know your ideal clients with these 10 questions
- 9 top tips for photographing crafts and jewellery
- “Should I have more than one brand?”
Marketing advice
- How much should I spend on marketing? 8 questions to set your crafts or design marketing budget
- Get to know your ideal clients with these 10 questions
- My favourite marketing and social media books for creatives
Sell more
- Real Life: 3 design & craft fair organisers share their tips for successful selling events
- How to find and select the right craft fair for you?
- What to do if you want to make more money as a creative? 8 strategic questions & actions
- Real life: Online craft event tips from 3 creative exhibitors
- Online events tips from virtual creative event organisers
- Get to know your ideal clients with these 10 questions
- 14 expert tips to grow your mailing list
- 8 expert tips to create better email marketing campaigns by Studio cotton
- 4 Expert tips to get selected for a design trade or craft fair
- [real life] How to get more sales in my craft business – 4 successful creatives share
- The ultimate 8 steps to creating a collection that sells
- Why creating a collection is crucial for your creative business
- My favourite marketing and social media books for creatives
- 5 steps to launch your creative collection successfully [with a mini-launch plan]
Selling online
- Real life: 3 creatives share how they use email marketing
- 9 most common website mistakes creatives make
- 3 essential steps to increase your online sales (incl. your own website or Etsy)
- 10 ways to get better traffic to your creative business website
- [real life] 3 easy steps to sell handmade jewellery online by designer jeweller Carin Lindberg
- Real life: Online craft event tips from 3 creative exhibitors
- Online events tips from virtual creative event organisers
- 6 quick & simple actions to improve your website
- The 39 best places to sell handmade crafts online
- creative email marketing tips by illustrator Niki Groom of Miss Magpie Fashion Spy
- The 5 main options for selling crafts and designs online
- How to select the best online creative marketplace for you
Social media & email marketing
- Real Life: 3 Creatives share how they manage their email marketing
- Don’t know what to write about? 24 ideas for your next creative business newsletter, blog or social media
- Real life: 3 creatives share how they use email marketing
- 6 ideas to write about in your creative newsletter
- 10 ways to get better traffic to your creative business website
- [real life] 3 easy steps to sell handmade jewellery online by designer jeweller Carin Lindberg
- creative email marketing tips by illustrator Niki Groom of Miss Magpie Fashion Spy
- 14 expert tips to grow your mailing list
- 8 expert tips to create better email marketing campaigns by Studio cotton
- “How I use email marketing for my jewellery business” – by Emily Nixon
- 8 reasons why email marketing is effective for your creative business
- Stop wasting your time on social media – 7 habit-breaking tricks that really work
- The Design Trust’s favourite email newsletters for creatives
Galleries & shops
- 6 top tips to avoid common sale or return problems
- 20 of our favourite independent craft and design shops across the UK
- “Why do shops and galleries charge so much commission?”
- Confused about cost price, wholesale price, retail price? Price terminology easily explained for creatives
- “Help, a jeweller is undercutting us”. A gallery owner’s perspective
Business planning
- [Free video training] Create a simple one year business plan for creatives
- ‘How do you manage your time?’ Three creatives share their tips
- [free video training] have your got too many business ideas and goals? or none at all?
- The Design Trust’s favourite business planning books for creatives
Get stuff done
- What to do if you want to make more money as a creative? 8 strategic questions & actions
- [Free video training] Create a simple one year business plan for creatives
- [free video training] feeling overwhelmed? 5 thought-provoking questions + solutions
- ‘How do you manage your time?’ Three creatives share their tips
- Why creating a collection is crucial for your creative business
- The best time management books for creatives
- Stop wasting your time on social media – 7 habit-breaking tricks that really work
- [Free video training] 5 Confidence tips for creatives
- [free video training] have your got too many business ideas and goals? or none at all?
- My 14 favourite productivity tips for creatives
- The Design Trust’s favourite business planning books for creatives