Creative Enterprise

Planning or thinking about setting up a business within the creative industries?

Perhaps

a design business
a production company
an arts practice
or going freelance

The creative industries are the fastest growing part of the UK economy. They are defined as “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property” - Creative Industries Federation

Want to be part of it?

The following resources, which focus on the creative degree subjects offered at Reading, provides a great start to exploring and developing your ideas, together with information about the support available to you as a University of Reading student and graduate.

Architecture

Archipreneur - Digital home for business innovation and creative strategies within the architecture industry.

Guide to Starting an Architecture Practice

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.

Art

Artquest
Advice, information and opportunities for visual artists. Lots of useful information including:
•  A self- employment section www.artquest.org.uk/how-to-category/self-employment specifically for visual artists, plus specific advice on-
•  How to price your artwork.
•  Gallery commissions
•  How To - knowhow for visual artists looking for advice and insight
• Art law - hundreds of articles on all aspects of art and the law.

a-n the Artists’ Information Company
The largest artists’ membership organisation in the UK with over 22,000 members. Whether it’s finding a job, gaining professional development, making use of insurance, campaigning to improve your profession or contacting like-minded people, a-n membership opens up a range of benefits for artists, arts professionals and students. Includes the Artists’ Fees toolkit, which can be accessed once a member.

Design

Film and TV

BECTU
The UK’s media and entertainment trade union; sectors covered include broadcasting, film, independent production, theatre and the arts, IT and telecoms, live events, leisure and digital media.
They provide advice and information including Freelancers and Tax

BFI (British Film Institute)
BFI have a number of Schemes for investment in skills, business development, research and digitisation.
• BFI Future Film Skills Programme.
• Digitisation Fund, BFI’s Unlocking Film Heritage Digitisation Fund.
• National Cluster Growth Fund, supporting the development of screen clusters with international potential across the UK.

Creative England
Film Enterprise will invest £2m over four years to improve the growth and sustainability of film-related businesses in England outside of Greater London.
They have a focus on TV, film, games and digital media. From direct investment and soft loans to business mentoring; they champion the best ideas of talented people and their businesses. They work with a wide range of partners and investors from commercial brands and companies such as Google, Facebook and KPMG to local authorities, cultural bodies and universities, national government, and the European Commission. Good contact and networking opportunities at their events.

Support at Reading

The Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship (HCfE)

The Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship (HCfE) was established in 2007 with a remit to provide entrepreneurship education within Henley Business School and across the University of Reading, to conduct high quality research in the field and to engage externally with the local business community and public organisations.

The Business Idea and Start-Up Clinic, run by Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship, gives an opportunity for students to talk through their business idea with an experienced entrepreneur. You can book a 30 min appointment on Wednesdays with the team who can evaluate your business idea and offer advice and guidance to help turn it into reality.

Email Alex Baker a.j.baker@henley.ac.uk to arrange an appointment and be sure to provide the following:

A full CV or LinkedIn profile, outlining your education and employment experience
A summary of your business idea/newly formed business and why you believe it can succeed (250-500 words)
A list of three questions that you would like answered during the appointment

IDEAFEST Student Business Idea Competition

This is an annual competition for students at University of Reading and the Henley Business School – which seeks to find the best business idea capable of being commercial and an opportunity to practice entrepreneurship. You have the chance to win cash prizes!

Henley Summer Start-Up Boot Camp – sponsored by Westcoast Group

A hands-on week long course for students and local budding entrepreneurs to help you learn about setting up a business from scratch, led by the Rebel Business School and hosted by Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Think about joining the Reading Students' Union Entrepreneurship Society to meet like-minded students and have the opportunity to hear great speakers.

Careers at Reading has support for self-employment looking at the options available as well as importantly thinking about if self-employment is a good career choice for you.

You can also take a Student Enterprise module MM1F10 as part of your degree programme which introduces students to key concepts of business start-ups. Students work in teams to identify and develop a new business opportunity and then seek to test their ideas. Students are introduced to key concepts of entrepreneurial management including design thinking, business model creation, entrepreneurial finance and marketing. It is a highly interactive and practical module, with a focus on experiential learning.

General advice

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

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

Start a Business in Berkshire – free startup pack

Federation of Small Business
All age, all types of business, business membership organisation.

Princes Trust – support for starting a business
The trust work with 18 to 30 year olds to turn big ideas into a business reality through their Enterprise programme. From training and mentoring support to funding and resources and help with writing the infamous business plan. They do support graduates who are looking to start a business within the creative industries, as long as you are under 30!

StartBiz – National Business Register
Useful for checking the name of your new venture, and that someone doesn’t use it already. It also provides information on becoming a sole trader, forming a partnership or limited company, registering for tax, and getting your website created.

Theatre

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
This network has existed for over ten years, offering young directors a unique opportunity to exchange experiences with peers and be part of a network of talented directors, producers and designers working and living in the UK.

The Arts Council
The purpose to champion, develop and invest in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives. They support activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections.

Explore your career options