The British Library -  Business and IP Centre (BIPC) 

BIPC network offers free events, workshops and one-to-ones plus the UK’s largest collection of business and intellectual property (IP) information to give businesses an edge.

Enterprise Nation

Whether you’re launching a new business or developing an existing one, Enterprise Nation connects you to the resources to help people succeed. 

Federation of Small Business  

UK’s leading membership organisation for small businesses and the self-employed. Fees are payable to join.

King’s Trust – support for starting a business 

The Enterprise programme is open to young people aged 18 to 30 years. Join the 91,000+ people they have helped to start a business.

Small business

Advice and ideas for UK small businesses and SMEs

Start & Grow – How to start a business in Berkshire  

Free start-up resources and useful local contacts.

Startupdonut 

Advice, resources and tools for starting a business.  Information on getting finance, business planning, hiring, IT marketing and much more. 

Startups – business idea, funding help and growth 

Starting a business? Find independent advice, tools, events and information for new businesses, start-ups, small businesses and ambitious entrepreneurs. 

Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce

Local Engagement. Regional Representation. Global Opportunity.

Nesta (Innovation for social good) 

The Creative Enterprise Toolkit 

• Explore your values and how they align with your business idea 
• Identify your customers and the relationships you need to build 
• Use blueprint modelling to visually map how your business will function 
• Develop your marketing messages 
• Learn financial tools to ensure you are in control of your business finances 

Creative Entrepreneurs

An online community connecting and empowering creatives to grow successful businesses. 

Being Freelance 

A place to share freelance stories, tips and advice. 

Jenna Rainey: How to start a creative business

Artquest

Artquest offers advice, opportunities, and insight for visual artists, including: 

• How do guides on a wide variety of areas including: 
• Copyright and intellectual property, Early career and new graduates,  internships and self employment, getting an exhibition, promotion and marketing, Public art and commissions, selling and pricing plus Artlaw: legal information for your art practice.

The UK largest artists’ membership organisation in the UK.  They advocate on behalf of their membership and provide tools, guides, insurance, bursaries, jobs, opportunities and events to their membership. 

How to start an Art business in the UK? London Review

The Design Trust
An specialist online business school for designers, makers and professional creative business owners. 

BECTU

BECTU is the union representing nearly 40,000 workers in the media and entertainment industries. Their members work in non-performance roles in live events, broadcasting, film and cinema, digital media, independent production, leisure, theatre and the arts. 

They provide advice and information for their members on a wide range of areas including including Employment law, Freelancers, Tax and Ratecards 

BFI (British Film Institute)

Including BFI funding and support programmes

Film & TV charity

Their ‘Get Support’ page offers lots of helpful advice. 

Screenskills  

Screenskills have a useful Freelancers Toolkit aimed at those starting their freelancing careers in film, TV, VFX, animation and games. 

 

Society of London Theatre
Works with and on behalf of their Members to champion theatre and the performing arts.
 
Theatre Craft
The UK’s largest free careers event for anyone aged 16-30 seeing off-stage roles in theatre.
 
The Young Vic Directors Network
The Creators Program is a space for directors, theatre makers, multi-disciplinary artists and producers. Through opportunities such as workshops, events, assistantships and chances to make work, it aims to equip artists for the reality of today and the future. 

The Arts Council
They are the national development agency for creativity and culture. They help people in every corner of the country to experience and benefit from creativity. We do this by investing in artists and organisations that make and deliver exceptional, inspirational work for our communities.

Please note that architects cannot start their own practice/ work freelance until they are fully qualified architects. See Prospects for architecture qualification route.

Archipreneur

Some tips in the ‘magazine section’ that can be accessed without paying fees to join. Provides information on marketing and growing an architecture practice.

RIBA Contracts Digital

Useful RIBA resource to buy contracts for the self-employed. 

RIBA Incubator  

The RIBA Incubator is ideal for small, emerging practices looking to grow. Members benefit from networking with their peers, along with a programme of support from the RIBA to help develop your business. 

Interior Design

Interior design could be an option for architecture students who are not fully qualified. The National Design Academy has a blog on becoming a Freelance Interior Designer.

Henley Enterprise Lab (HELAB) support for the enterprise and entrepreneurial ventures

Henley Enterprise Lab empowers University of Reading and Henley Business School students and recent graduates to create and build start-up enterprises. This support includes those starting side hustles, freelancing and contracting enterprises as well and business start ups. HELAB supports:

a) deliver a range of sponsored extracurricular initiatives that support the entrepreneurial journey of students and recent graduates;
b) collaborate with stakeholders, both within the university and externally, with regional, national and international entrepreneurial ecosystems;
c) work with the University of Reading and Henley Business School Careers teams to help students access work and opportunities to advance their entrepreneurial journey.

HELAB supports the following co-curricular entrepreneurship activities for students:

• Business Idea and Start-Up Clinic - helps students and alumni who have a business idea or a start-up business progress to the next level by offering tailored, one-to-one advice and step by step goals from a business expert. Appointments are bookable on MyJobsOnline.
• Henley Greenshoots Seed Finance Award Scheme - nurtures and supports start-ups by awarding cash prizes to start-ups that show the potential to grow and become sustainable businesses.
• Entrepreneurship Hub - provides current University of Reading or Henley Business School students with a workspace to develop their business ideas.
• IDEAFEST Student Business Idea Competition - a competition for Henley Business School and University of Reading students which seeks to find the best business ideas awarding cash prizes to the winners.
• Summer Start-Up Boot Camp - a hands-on, week-long workshop event for current University of Reading and Henley Business School students, alumni and local residents, held every year to give participants the confidence and skills to start a business and make money doing what they love.
• Entrepreneur Mentor Programme - supports University of Reading or Henley Business School student entrepreneurs by connecting them with a network of alumni that have gone onto become successful business leaders, offering their advice and support.
• Talks on Enterprise Development - a series of talks featuring business founders sharing how they have grown their enterprise and offering answers to questions such as ‘what was your best/worst business decision?’ and ‘what your best advice for someone who is starting their own business?'
• HELAB News - a regular newsletter, reporting news from HELAB initiatives to offer students and recent graduates an insight into the support they are provided.

HELAB also works with:

You can discuss your entrepreneurial ideas with Jurek Sikorski in a one to one appointment bookable via on MyJobsOnline.