Covid-19: Where's The Help For My Creative Business?

10th September 2020

Information, advice and funding opportunities seem to be popping up everywhere but how to manage all the alerts, emails, follow the feeds, and stay sane and focussed on what's important whilst keeping FOMO to the minimum.

One way is to manage what you read, where you check for updates and how long for.

1. When? Set a time and time limit for your research that works for you at home.

2. Where am I? Where you are geographically will heavily influence the business support available. There is currently lots of duplication of the main sources of government support but by keeping in touch locally you can stay abreast of any local support as it becomes available. Think local; regional; national.

3. Who am I? Support is generally geared towards specific types of legal entity, trade or sector or a combination therein.

Are you a Sole Trader, Freelancer, Partner, Social Enterprise, Community Interest Company, Trust, Business...? Are you a writer, craft person, filmmaker, photographer, musician, or programmer... ?

Follow and communicate with your trade bodies, most advocate for their members and for the wider sector in some manner, many offer free information and signposting to non-members and many distribute support opportunities that are sector driven on behalf of others. Remember, they also want to engage with you and share their message.

4. Why am I here? Introspection aside, what do you need? Is it money, mentoring, audience, customers, investors? Many providers have core services and expertise that has not changed, but everyone is stepping up to support how and where they can.

Below is a range of resources to get you going - places you might want to strategically bookmark, pin, follow or subscribe to.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) continues to update on business and social enterprise support for the region: https://www.hie.co.uk/support/browse-all-support-services/covid19/

For very long list of web site that might help if you work in the arts go to https://xponorth.co.uk/resources/covid-19-coronavirus-resources