BUSINESS: Useful Business Resources

UK Handmade is pleased to introduce you to some of our favourite business resource websites. We've brought them together here for your covenience.

The Academy:

A great new resource and learning community for independent business owners in the creative industry. The blog is the brain child of Isa Maria Seminega, the face behind Noisette Marketing, a full service creative agency and consulting firm specialising in marketing, PR, and branding for creative businesses. The aim of this new business blog is to to inspire, educate and support whilst helping to grow your creative business.

The Academy is written by Isa and her team of contributors, a group of talented designers and marketers committed to supporting and promoting independent business owners. The Academy offers advice on running a small business, public relations, social media, packaging, photography, start up tips, design trends and more!

Here's a taster on what's on offer:

• Creating a lookbook
• Styling a photoshoot
• What is PR and how can it benefit your small business?

Artists in Business:

Artists in Business is aimed at all self employed artists and artisans whether you are a WAHM (work at home mum), social network seller, sell via a website, own a B & M shop, just completed your art education, returning to the arts after a break or have been selling your work for a lifetime. The blog is run by talented glass artist Jo Whitehead of Glassprimitif.

The blog is a great resource offering:

• Support for artists who are starting up in business;
• Advice on working in Community Arts (e.g. how to become a community artist);
• Information about The Arts Market which is run by Artists in Business and has two venues in Haworth and Ilkey where artists, designers and makers can sell their wares directly to the public; and
• Information about Workshops.

Craft Blog UK

Craft Blog UK is a fantastic resource devoted to celebrating the hard work of the UK's best craft bloggers. The blog is run by the very lovely Hilary of Haptree.

The blog offers:

• regular features on talented crafters;
• helpful articles for bloggers about how to make their handmade blogs a success; and
• A pretty comprehensive directory of craft blogs by category (sewing, jewellery, knitting/crochet etc).

Here's a taster of what's on offer:

• Customise you blogger template with no html
• Using @ tagging with Facebook to promote your blog
• Twitter Basics - A guide to Twitter for Craft Bloggers