Whether you are a startup business or been running one for while, you might be coming to the point where the next step is to get yourself a brick and mortar shop. There's always a lot to consider when thinking about getting your own premises, so always make sure this is 100% the right decision for your business. We have found some great little units that could work out as the perfect shop for you, in the Barnsley town centre. Take a look at these...



 

Formally K.T's, this unit is down the Victorian Arcade where there's already a good footfall of customers to neighbouring shops. It has a ground floor shop and a first floor storage space. See more info about it here:

propertytoolkit.agencypilot.com/(S(20d4preiz3i0ju2zrccdcqli))/PropertyDetails.aspx?siteid=34&pkey=34+1738

 

 

 



 

Based on Doncaster Road near the Barnsley Antiques and a few bridal shops, this formally Private shop consists of a ground floor space and storage to the back. See more info below:

propertytoolkit.agencypilot.com/(S(20d4preiz3i0ju2zrccdcqli))/PropertyDetails.aspx?siteid=34&pkey=34+2232

 

 



 

If a shop on a busy main road is what you are looking for, this end terrace shop on Sheffield Road near the Alhambra Roundabout is available with ground floor shop, first floor offices and basement storage. See more about it here:

propertytoolkit.agencypilot.com/(S(20d4preiz3i0ju2zrccdcqli))/PropertyDetails.aspx?siteid=34&pkey=34+328

 

 

 

If full front window displays is what you're looking for, this shop on Eldon Street North is up for sale, formally a bank society unit. This is a two storey end terrace shop with offices above and a basment. See more about it here:

sw.co.uk/component/virtuemart/commercial-property/retail/for-sale-town-centre-retail-unit-4515857-detail?Itemid=0



 

This shop is right next to a busy cafe and the Barnsley College on Church Street, formally a bridal shop with a front and rear room. More info below:

www.wilbys.net/property/details-3367

 

All pictures belong to the agents listed.

Our recent BFC Project Photoshoot with Something New Wedding Specialists was a great day and they recently went to the 'I Do Wedding Fair' in Doncaster, which is a large exhibition here in South Yorkshire. Laura used the beautiful photographs on her stand for the fair, so we asked her about how they helped her at the fair and what advice she has.

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What does having professional product photographs do for your business?

'It was great to show the dresses actually on someone as they don't always show best hung on the hanger. They also made the promotional material look a lot more professional and eye-catching.'

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How did they help your stall at the 'I Do Wedding Fair', compared to not having them at previous events?

'They really stood out especially as they matched the dresses that were hung up to the side of them. At other fayres I've just used customer photos but there's something a bit more special about editorial shots.'

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What image and style were you portraying at the fair with your photos and displays?

'I wanted to aim for pastel rainbow shades to stand out, knowing I was going to be opposite a bridal stand. The photos portrayed a more up-to date look and showed that I try to follow trends rather than just being another wedding supplier.'

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What advice would you give other businesses standing at large exhibitions and events?

'Try to make it look as professional and eye-catching as possible. Having great shots of your product at work really can sell it.'

We will soon be showing you the finished edited photographs from the shoot, watch this space!

Enterprising Barnsley is putting on a Startup Business event this Saturday, 4th of March inside the Digital Media Centre. If you are a recently new business, thinking of setting up or has become self-employed, this is a must attend event. They will help you get all the creases ironed out and put you on the right track for you.

You'll cover 5 areas on this full day of free training, from the what's and why's of your business, a 1-page business plan, how to do marketing and getting online, plus all the money stuff!



Starting your own business can be such a daunting task and not getting your plans in place can seriously hinder your growth, make your vision clouded and not reach the right customers. Taking on this day's seminar training will put you with other startups who are in the same boat as you, which could also turn out to be a great for networking and finding your first customer amongst them. You'll also have the chance to talk about your ideas with experts and ask all the questions (even the dumb ones!) to make sure you know what you are wanting to do is going to be right.

Register for free on their eventbrite page here and more info:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barnsley-start-up-saturday-tickets-31885455255

January. Good old January. To most, dreadful January. But from a business point of view, it can be Useful January. January is most commonly a quiet period, the calm after the storm of Christmas. It's also a retailer's nightmare after everyone is spent up and doesn't get paid again until the end of it. But don't fear, we have some tips on how you can use January to its full efficiency and make the most of it.

Accounts

Yes...accounts, we've all go to do them. Plus if you still haven't done your tax return, now is your chance. Getting all your finances in order makes for a clean running business and sets us off nicely for the rest of the year. Maybe you need to invest in a new accounts book, or start a new receipt filing system, this can help you out for the rest of the year. January is great for getting these money things in order and all worked out.

De-Clutter

Hands up if your workspace has been a mess since the start of December! Tidying is something that easily slips away in a busy period, but now that it's quieter and fewer orders are coming in, you can finally get round to it. Also take the time to throw out anything you didn't use this last year, sell on any materials you no longer need and pass onto a friend who might make better use of them. Bonus, you might come across something you completely forgot about and re-inspires you to do something with it!

Designing

If you're a product business, now is the perfect time to crack on with your next season of products. Start putting pen to paper with all your ideas, notes, drawings and diagrams for what you'd like to do this year. You've got this spare time to get exactly what you want (and customers want!) in your new line.

Business Planning

What's your 2017 goals for your business? Open a shop? Gain more followers on social media? Up your order quantities? Figure it all out now! And then break each goal down into how you plan to do it, following the how, what, when, where, who, why, etc. to make sure each plan is realistic and reachable (although don't be afraid to dream big!). Think of them as new year resolutions but for your business and stick at them all year-long. You could even put some plans together about how you'll tackle 2017's Christmas.

Re-Order

Now is a perfect time to re-order anything you'll need for the upcoming months, any materials, equipment, things like this because if you don't have what you need, you can't make your new product line. You never know as well, your suppliers could be having some January sales meaning you save yourself some pennies!

Take Time Off

If none of the above takes your fancy, have some time off. If you've been swept off your feet for the last couple of months, you deserve some you-time. Even if you just have a weekend, you'll feel better for the recharge time and come back feeling fresh-faced and clear-minded. If you can't get away, maybe switch your phone off for a couple of days, stay off social media or plan some quality family and friends time.

What else do you plan to do in your January? Leave a comment below.

 

 

 

Every business will have some sort of physical marketing materials. It might be leaflets, swing tags, posters, look books and more. These are often items that end up in the hands of your customers and they need to make a great first impression in order to appeal to them or make a repeat sale from them. Here's a few tips to make sure your materials are looking the best they can be and make money for your business.

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Colour Palette

The colour palette you use is really important. Try and choose a handful, maximum 5, colours that either compliment each other or are opposites. Your business' logo should also be of the colours to make sure it's all tie-ing in together. Above is a picture of Blue Lights Photography's gift vouchers, obviously the colour is blue but they've used tones of blue, mixed with black and white. This creates a really nice clean look and makes a more professional feel.

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Fonts

Fonts have a big impact on the look of your materials. Choosing the right ones that echo your business' style is the first thing to tackle. Make sure to keep to one or two font styles, maximum of 3 but pick one as your main font and the others for subheadings or other text areas. Using different text sizes and formats like Bold or Italics can put emphasis on certain areas that you want to pop out more to your viewers.

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Imagery

If you choose to have images such as photographs or graphical imagery, make sure they are always crisp photos and clear graphics, no blurred pictures on the physical materials. This can put your customers off straight away if they can't understand what your business is offering or looks confusing. These must always re-iterate your business' style, branding, voice and theme.

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Branding

Your branding is your business' personality and voice, so make sure these are on all your materials in the same sense. They can vary from piece to piece but as long as they match, your customers will always recognise who you are. You can read more on branding from our interview with Klue Doll that explains branding more, read it here.

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Multiple Materials

Most people will have multiple items that you use for marketing materials like business cards, swing tags, leaflets, packaging, banners and more and so you have got to make sure they all match each other. They don't need to be the exact same but as long as they have the same fonts, colour palettes and all of the above, you'll be safe. If you made each piece different, there would be no continual 'voice' for your brand.

All photos belong to each individual business and some to Barnsley Fashion Creatives. Contact for each copyrights.

Creative block is something everyone will suffer with from time to time and when you just don't have the time to procrastinate, it can be frustrating. The bigger problem is the fact that we already know how to combat it, but when we're in that block it's harder to see through the fog without some help. Here's some ways to remind you that you can push through, you can get re-inspired and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Take Your Mind Off It Completely

Whatever it is you're forcing yourself to do, stop. Come back to it another time because it's not going to happen right this second. Instead, take your mind off it completely and either go and relax, watch some mindless television or do a simple job like tidying your creative space or do the washing up. We all know that forcing something to happen won't come easily, so you might as well do something else and let it naturally come back to you.

Go Somewhere That Inspires You

This can be anywhere, it could be as close as your back garden, a museum or a walk through. You could go virtual like Pinterest, Instagram or even have a good look through all your photographs that you have stored on your computer. Anything that can re-inspire you can help deal with creative block because you're igniting those juices once again.

Change The Task

As said earlier, sometimes just simply changing the task you're doing can help. Go and do something more menial like checking your emails, updating your Facebook status, just something simple that doesn't require much thought until your block fades away and you can see more clearly when you come back to the original job. Sometimes completely pushing it to one side and moving past it can work better for others, tackle that other big job on your to-do list that doesn't require much creativeness like updating your accounts.

Make A List

Creative people tend to have so many ideas rattling around that they can become overwhelming and can induce the creative block. Getting it all out of your head in a list, no matter how scattered of a list, can help you see more clearly on each task. I am a big list person, if I don't make a list I try to constantly think of everything so that I don't forget anything. But as a result I push myself into that fog because I can't focus on one task at a time. The lists can be as neat as you like or as messy, just make sure you get it all out! Even the finer details if you've already thought them out, draw diagrams too if you like!

Do you have any other ways of combating Creative Block? Get in touch to be featured.

Thinking of standing at a craft fair, market or trade show? It can be hard choosing which ones you'll benefit most from and it can be a trial and error journey to find the good ones. But if you want to cut out some lost time and effort, here are some tips to go through before handing in that application form.

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Scope The Organisers Out

Do they have a website? Do they have social media accounts? Will they advertise the event as much as they can? Knowing who you'll be standing for is pretty important, it's almost like you're applying for a job and you research the company you'd be working for. Finding out vital information like was their past events a success, or do they have a quality standard they look for should all be taken into consideration when applying.

Check Their Past Events

Following on from above, checking their past events can you give you a lot of information just by coming across some pictures, a write-up about it or even last year's poster. It can tell you the tone of the event, the success, the footfall, what type of products were there, etc. If this is their first event, be careful, they won't be able to promise footfall numbers, what stalls they would normally accept or what kind of feel the event will have. This could still work in your favour however, it could be cheaper to stand as it's their first one and you might be able to bargain a larger space.

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Price

The price is quite a biggy. When you see the price, find out what you are getting for it. Do you get a table and what size is it? Do you get a gazebo for outdoors? How large of floor space do you get? What extra things are included? Find out all the details. Once you got all the facts, compare to other similar events and what prices they charge. Then work out whether you can possibly cover that stall fee and still walk away with a profit. Is it still worth your money for the length of time the event runs for? Are they charging you £50 for a 5 hour event and that just includes the floor space in the middle of a field? Weigh it all up, write down pros and cons and see what you come out with.

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Look Into The Venue

We're going to split this section up as there's a few things to think about. First off, what is the venue? Is it a hall? Is it a park? Is it a market? Research it. The venue type can be the deal maker or deal breaker. Do you want your high-end, luxury jewellery on a scuffed and chipped table in a working mens club? Believe me, I've been there and done it and I don't recommend it.

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  The Location Of The Venue

  
  

Where is the venue based? Is it in a busy town centre where there's a lot of organic footfall? Or is it further out of the way where people will need to purposefully travel to see you? Footfall is a big factor in the success of an event, but also knowing the type of people who are likely to come. Are they just looking for bargains or does it attract higher paying customers? If you are in a wealthy busy town, you should be good, but if you're in poundland city, don't expect them to be carrying a lot of cash in their pockets.

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  Go And See The Venue Yourself

  
  

If you aren't sure what the venue is like or the location of it, just go to it. Go and have a look it, look at the kinds of places nearby, is there a lot of footfall, does the venue look nice and appealing to customers. The best way to find all these things out are just to go and have a look!

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  What's Its Facilities And Loading

  
  

Either find this out on their website or when you go and visit, but have a look to see what facilities would be available to you. Are the toilets nearby, is there electrical plugs for you, would you have access to tea making utensils. All these little things that you might not think of at first but are things that could make your time there so much nicer and easier. For example, are the toilets on the next floor up and the other end of the building? Or are they likely to be portaloos that your still is right next to? If you know you have to leave your stall for at least 10 minutes to trek to them, would it be beneficial to have a helper come with you to watch the stall while you're gone. Or are you going to have to bargain with the organisers to move your stall away from them? Other things to consider is the loading area and times you can do it at. If the loading area is big enough and easy enough to get in and out of, all is good. But think it through what things you'll need to carry and how far you'll have to carry it for and then you can make suitable preparations for it like having a big strong man come and help you.

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Will Your Products Sit Right

As said earlier, make sure you products match the event type. Is it an artisan special event, or is it a Christmas handmade market, or is it their monthly fair? Does your products match their theme and their usual price points? You don't want to be the most expensive stall there, but neither the cheapest. Are your products the right type that will fit well with the other stallholders but still being individual enough to get noticed. You don't want to be the odd one out but still unique to have your own selling points above the others.

Ask Previous Stallholders

If they have had past events, find out who stood at them and drop them an email about it. Find out if they had a good time, what the footfall was like and other information they may have found out whilst they were there. This is like gold dust, direct experiences can tell you exactly what you need to know and how you can either improve on it or avoid it! If you can, ask a few people as they will all have different perspectives but if they are also standing at this year's event, you'll already have made a friend at the event before starting.

We hope you can be better prepared for choosing the right events to go to, here's the last check list for you:

1. Check out the organisers.


2. Look at past events.


3. Find out what the price includes.


4. Find out about the venue.


5. Make sure your products match.


6. Talk to previous stallholders.

All photos belong to Barnsley Fashion Creatives.

We all make silly mistakes even at the best of times and when running a business and facing your customers, the best corkers come spilling out. The thing is, we're only human and we all do it at times so don't beat yourself up about it because in the years to come, you'll laugh about it. Some things are just what we've learnt not to do and things to remember to do the next time we're in that situation, but these are all growing points for us and our businesses. Here's what some Barnsley Fashion Creatives admitted to..

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Emily Roberts of Emi B Designs, "At the start of my business I wasn't very organised at keeping everything in one place, such as writing down what I'd sold or keeping all my receipts in one place. It meant I had to hunt high and low for all the bits of paper with this information on when I needed it ! Now I am much more organised."

Here's a few things you can take from that, get a receipt book where it duplicates everything and then you have a record of everything you've sold, the day it sold and your customer gets a copy of it as well! In my own dressmaking studio I have a 'receipts tin', everytime I buy fabric or some other items to run my business they went in that tin until the end of the month when I log everything into my accounts and then go into monthly envelopes.

Nicola Whitfield Make-up Artist, "I Forgot my make up brushes on a photoshoot once, fortunately I had time to nip to the shop and pick up some to use, now I have a checklist so when I pack my kit up and I know I've not forgotten anything"

Lists can sound tedious to some people but are definitely an effective tool when done well (and you don't loose that list!). There's many ways to do list-making such as apps on your phones or tablets, special notebooks specifically for lists, a plain old pad or the ever favourable, post-it notes!

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Laura Fletcher of Something New-Wedding Specialists, "I do remember going to a dress fitting without my tape measure lol... the bride had to borrow one from a neighbour!"

If your business has a few main tools that let you do what you do, it's always good to have spares and stuff them in places where you're likely to be when you need them. For example, stuff some tape measures in a pocket in your car. Or have a couple in the zipper pocket of your bag. If they're small things that always come in handy, why not grab a few extras next time you go shopping.

Sandra Hill, "I used to just randomly pluck prices out of the air when I first started. No working out costs, profits etc, I've had to be more methodical in the business side of things."

This is always a tricky subject when working out your prices. Do you work at a cost that your customers will pay? Or work it out perfectly adding in all your costs and profits and hope that it's still an affordable price? It's a hard decision, but one thing you should remember is to never work at a loss! Make sure you are at least covering the material costs, otherwise you aren't doing business.

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Kellyann Garforth of Klue by Kellyann, "The only one I can think of is always forgetting my business cards and having to write my email down on random bits of paper, but then I still do this now "

Ok, some daft mistakes are still alright to happen and they aren't the end of the world. Like I said, we're only human! Do you have any things you used to do and have learnt from? Silly mistakes that you laugh about now? Comment below or drop an email to hannah456@hotmail.com

 

Blogging can be a huge leap forward for your business and when done right, it can funnel potential customers through to buying your products or services. Giving background information about you and your business can make your customers feel closer to you and get to know you better. They can see how you work, what events you go to and what your personality is.



Blogging can take some time, on top of the many other list of things you have to do with your business. But if you set aside just 2 hours a week and publish 1 good post a week, this can enhance the richness of your work. Say you did a fair that weekend, or you're working on a new product, or you have an exciting commission on the go, these can all be great content to put on your blog. Take photos throughout your event to create a journal of the day, or share some tips on getting commissions, there's numerous things you can put on it to share to your viewers. Be careful though, don't throw things on there, try and keep things either insightful or helpful to keep their attention. If you want to dive deeper into blogging, many bloggers post everyday or every other day but you don't have to! If you can commit to post once a week, or once every two weeks, then that's perfectly fine and your readers will know you post regularly.



There are so many free resources and guides on how to do blogs and there is no surefire way to do it, you just have to find your own rhythm to it and try and be consistent as you would with your other social media platforms. It can be more time consuming than say Facebook or Twitter but that's because its more content rich, you can say much more with text and images. Even if you're not much of a writer, photo blogs are just as popular if you just say a sentence or two of what the photos are and then post a few good quality images.


There's a few ways of getting a blog, Google's Blogger and Wordpress are the main ones, Tumblr is another but it is more image based. However if you already have a website, add a 'News' page and use that as your blog to update your readers. This can also attract more customers to your website as they're bound to search through the rest of your site once they've done reading. You just have to find what is easiest for you.

If you have anymore questions about Blogging, feel free to get in touch!

Whether your business is fashion based or not, it's strange how much it can influence all aspects around you. Many different industries look to fashion for their inspiration, they might look at the shapes, colours, textures or details. These can all transfer to different things like architecture, homewares, art and fabrics. This continuing circle or taking inspiration from each other can affect your own business whatever field you are in, therefore it's good to get in on the loop and know whats coming.

London Fashion Week, beginning next Thursday 15th September to Tuesday 20th, will be showcasing designer's Spring/Summer 2017 collections, meaning you can see what trends will be popping up after the winter. Planning ahead is a main component of all businesses and if you can decide what items you'll create for the next season, you can be right on trend when the time comes. Whether you just want to see the colours, beauty looks, fabric prints or shapes, it's all here at your fingertips because LFW live stream many of their shows onto their website. The Live shows don't start until the Friday but a lot of main contenders like Burberry, Jasper Conran, Mulberry, Topshop Unique are all live streaming and usually last around 30 minutes each.



Pop it on in the background whilst your working or schedule your day around which shows you really want to watch. Make sure to write notes of anything you see that keeps re-occurring or if there's anything that aligns with your own business' brand that you can work into your next season products. Doing all this means you will be on track and already have insider knowledge of what will be popular and what consumers will be looking for, which means more money in your pocket. You don't have to pick up on every single trend and stuff them all into your business though, pick just a few that already match your theme and ethos whilst still keeping your own style in the mix.

Keep track of the shows on the London Fashion Week website here: http://londonfashionweek.co.uk/