Online Resources
Places for ideas, support, networking and more for creative types
Venture Navigator
VentureNavigator is a free online business support service offering business information resources and business assessments for creating and growing a new business. VentureNavigator also provides assistance for startups via a community of entrepreneurs sharing startup advice. www.venturenavigator.co.uk
Creative Enterprise Network
T-Shirts and Suits is all about bringing together creative people with smart business thinking.
Free international network for creative entrepreneurs
www.creative-enterprise-network.com
Lancashire Creatives
Group for people involved in creative businesses, cultural organisations and creative industries support in Lancashire, England.
www.creative-enterprise-network.com/group/lancashirecreatives
Creative Boom
Creative Boom is an online magazine and network community that aims to celebrate, inspire and support the creative industries throughout the UK. There is a dedicated NW section too.
http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/
Kin to Kin
This is a website for people working in creative businesses in Liverpool and Merseyside. Kin will provide you with opportunities to connect with other creative people, share ideas and access new contacts, news, advice and information.
Creative Choices
Creative Choices° is the first online service to provide the tools, knowledge and networks to support every individual and business to get in, and get on, in the creative industries and cultural sector.
'The Creative Business' is a new resource in 12 modules for creative entrepreneurs - online now.
The Chest
The Chest has been created with funding from the North West Centre of Excellence to bring together buyers and suppliers making it easier for businesses to find out about new sources of potential revenue and to grow and develop to the benefit of the local economy.
Hire an Illustrator
Hire an illustrator! is not an agency. Hai! is portfolio website and promotional service. We contact art directors, publishers and illustration commissioners and put them in direct contact with the illustrators and agencies we represent... and we don't take commissions on any of the jobs we produce.
My Headspace
An excellent online resource for the creative community. Explore fantastic toolkits, share information and connect with other like minded people. This network is an invaluable resource for any creative person looking to develop and build their business.
NESTA Enterprise Toolkit
Enterprise Toolkit to help creative individuals take their bright ideas and turn them into successful businesses. The toolkit provides guidance, activities, downloadable worksheets and case studies to challenge individuals to draw on their creative and personal strengths.
Smarta
By entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, Smarta provides a one-stop-shop where you can access the business advice you need, when you need it.
Northern Creatives
Northern CreativesTM is a new T-Shirts and Suits® project in partnership with NorthernNetTM to help creative enterprises to innovate and make profitable collaborations across the three regions of the North of England.
IP Guide to Digital/New Media Industries, Fashion, Film & Video and Visual Art
If you know that intellectual property (IP) is important to your business, but you're not sure where to start, then Own-it's helpful IP Guides could provide you with the background information that you need to make a start.
IP Guide to Digital/New Media Industries
Creative Industries Marketing Toolkit
UK Trade & Investment - The toolkit brings together key messages, facts and figures that can underpin and reinforce your own promotional activities. The messages in the toolkit capture and celebrate the successes of the UK Creative Industries.
BBC introducing
BBC Introducing, support unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar musicians.
Authonomy
If you're a writer, authonomy is the place to show your face - and show off your work on the web. Whether you're unpublished, self-published or just getting started, all you need is a few chapters to start building your profile online, and start connecting with the authonomy community.
Social networking tips
The explosion of social media has transformed the relationship between a business and its customers. Back in the day, the worst that a business could expect from a defective product or a bad customer experience was an irate phone call and one lost customer. In today's world of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, one angry customer can turn into 100 or 1,000 with surprising speed.
PHP North West
PHPNW is a community of web developers, web designers and anyone else interested in PHP, from the North West.
Tunited
Tunited is a new community website for independent music. Dreamt up by Live 8 legend Midge Ure, Tunited is set to make the independent music industry a better place, a fairly traded kinda place. Music makers get paid more money from downloaded music - Tunited does not profit from downloads. Streaming is pay-as-you-go. Music lovers can build up a bank of streaming credits when they get friends to join the site, buy merchandise, promote or download music they love.
information
Creative Lancashire is a Lancashire County Council creative business development initiative.
