An Introduction to self-employment

First thoughts

• What are you going to do/sell/make?

• What are you good at?

• What do you know about the sector/market you’ll work in?

• What do you know about the sector/market/profession?

• Where do you fit in within this context?

• What will you make your money from? Will it be more than one thing?

Sole Trader (self-employed))

• Easiest, most popular, way of starting in business

• Just register with the Inland Revenue• Unlimited liability• Limited access to funding• Artquest website - “Seven Steps”

www.artquest.org.uk

Partnership)

• Like sole trader except a collection of individuals

• Can be time limited to one project• Always get details of agreement in

writing• Unlimited liability Like sole trader

except a collection of individuals - you are liable for the others

First things first

What do you need to do to get up and running?

Best Business Practice & Processes**…legal structure…registration*…writing a business plan…

• Studio/desk space; Filing cabinet Rolodex

• Sharing?

• Are you missing any skills and knowledge…what additional help do you need?

The studio debate:

• Do I genuinely need a separate studio all the time?

• Must it be self-contained?• Could it be a desk space?• Could I hire temporary space as

and when, or sub-let?• What should I expect to pay?• Waiting lists and places to try:• www.ACAVA.org - all over London• www.cell.org - east• www.spacestudios.org - east and south• www.acme.org - east and south• www.cubittartists.org.uk - The Angel

Money stuff - Tax, NI, income and expenditure

• What are your outgoings? Personal and business?

• What do you need to make per day/week/month?

• How many days off will you have - no weekends and evenings

• What can you claim back?• Good book-keeping• Tax return - Accountants are your friends

Getting your work out there:

• Website

• Portfolio - strong and carefully considered - get advice

• Printed postcards, publications etc.

• Exhibitions

• Networking (?)

• Public relations (PR)

• Marketing and advertising

‘Networking’

• Real relationships• DO YOUR RESEARCH - who and where? Be specific• Don’t be London/UK-centric, Scotland, Europe, America• Trade fair exposure• Call all your friends, family, peers, tutors• Proactivity - polite appointments• Nurcture your relationships - clients, peers etc, ask for

recommendations• Do you want an agent or do you want to fly solo? 40%• Always say ‘yes’ to relevant opportunites• Be good, say thank you, behave well

Selling your workCorporate/Art Consultancies

• Polaroid• Ernst and Young• Deutschbank• Monsoon

Commercial RepresentationMan and Eve, Associates, Limoncello, Paradise Row, M + R, Lounge GalleryArt Fairs: Frieze, Zoo, Basel

• Private Collectors• People you know

Public• Universities• Galleries• Museums

Basic Pricing

• Compare yourself to your peers• What is the going daily rate? - ACE• What do people pay for what you do?• What is your expenditure in materials• What are your other overheads• Brief calculation - does this seem realistic?

Additional options

• Part time job - related• Part time job - unrelated• Working in education • Support in kind• Funding, patronage and philanthropy

Part-time job: related - feed your creativity

• Galleries/MuseumsTechnician/curatorial

• CinemasNFT/BFI/ICA/Roxy

• Arts and Crafts organisatons: V and A, Carfts Council, Tate etc

• Bookshops• Art College

Technician/Librarian• Designer’s Assistant

Part-time job: unrelated

• Temping/office/admin• Bar/shop work• A separate career• Alys’ story - New York

Nanny

Support in kind etc.

• Residencies• AA2A• Internships:

Chisenhale/Whitechapel/Gasworks/Iniva etc.

• Graduate loans/family/exchange for work/postgraduate funding

Residencies:

• artistscommunities.org• www.resartis.org• www.re-title.com• www.artquest.org.uk• www.artsadmin.co.uk

• Invent your own…

Education work

• Higher and further education

• Schools• Gallery education

departments• Workshops: special

needs/adults/prisons etc• Private classes - knitting

etc.

Commercial work within your medium:

• Painting and decorating• Photography• Architectural drawing• Video editing• Saskia’s story -

Architectural Photographer

• Ellie’s story - Opera

Funding/Sponsorship/advice

Funder Finder-Creative Careers, Davies Street, ECCA

• Arts Council www.artscouncil.org.uk

• Design Council/Crafts Councils www.craftscotland.org

• Princes Trust• NESTA www.nesta.org.uk• Prizes and Awards plc Dewi

Lewis• Library/publications• Artquest

www.artquest.org.uk• British Council

Where to go for support, advice and information:

• Employability Adviser• Creative Careers• ECCA - one to one sessions

at LCC• ACE artjobs subscribe at

www.artscouncil.org.uk• A-N www.a-n.co.uk• SPACE

www.spacestudios.org.uk• Tutors/peers/other artists/graduate

week

SWOT etc:

• Strengths• Weaknesses• Objectives• Threats• Short/long term goals

In other words:What do I REALLY want to do, what am I good at?

Go be it!

THANK YOU

Where to find us:

Student Hub, Davies Street - HQ

CSM, Innovation Centre

LCC, Elephant & Castle

www.ecca-london.org

info@ecca-london.org