From all of us at Creative Futures we are wishing you the very best for you and your business in 2012.  We be posting more articles and resources to help your business grow. In addition, we will highlight some of the business we have helped through the Creative Futures programme thus far.

We have talked about Crowdfunding before but now we are compiling a comprehensive list of crowdfunding sites here in the UK.  D

Here are some links to sites that we will keep adding to:

• Crowdcube (http://www.crowdcube.com)  – UK s leading source of crowd-funding equity investment for small businesses.
•  Civilized Money http://civilisedmoney.co.uk - who has used crowd funding to raise money for his new venture.
• People Fund It f www.peoplefund.it – a newly launched UK version of the infamous US Kickstarter crowd-funding portal.

Check out this listing of useful tools:

http://www.creative-choices.co.uk/tools-resources

The Business Benefits of Going Green

Climate change is a reality that is already shaping our lives and our cultural experiences. This year’s festival season was a visible, and tragic, example when several events around the world were cancelled and Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium turned into nothing short of a nightmare due to extreme weather damaging event infrastructure. These occurrences are a world apart from “business as usual” for many of us, but a harbinger – albeit a dramatic one – of the new challenges we will all be coming up against as climate change progresses. Every individual and organisation has a place in responding to what a new and adaptable economy will look like, including the creative industries.

If you’re not yet convinced about the benefits of making environmental sustainability a business priority, it’s a good time to re-engage. For subsidised organisations a key driver is that the Arts Council England has added a requirement to all NPO funding agreements that organisations need to have environmental policies and action plans in place by 2013. For commercial and subsidised organisations alike, the proven cost savings that go hand in hand with sound environmental management are a compelling reason to act.

Organisations that worked with Julie’s Bicycle between 2008-2010 collectively saved over £1million through reductions in energy use and efficiencies, and over the next 3 years the music, theatre and visual arts sectors alone could save £35million using the same efficiency measures (and that’s without a rise in energy prices – which have already jumped up this year). For example, Lovebox Festival reduced energy use by 33% in 2010, and three other festivals saved £15,000 between them by reducing their waster to landfill. The Theatre Royal Plymouth also saved £10,000 through water saving initiatives in 2009.

How have they done it? The first thing that’s crucial with saving carbon and cash is to understand what your environmental impacts are by measuring them.

Julie’s Bicycle has developed practical tools and resources to help organisations do this: our online “IG Tools” carbon calculators enable venues, festivals, offices and tours measure their carbon emissions, and our website offers practical guides and top tips for individuals and organisations wanting to take action.

Once you’ve measured, an environmental policy and action plan helps set targets and commitments that your company – and staff – can make to reduce environmental impacts.

Julie’s Bicycle is offering London-based created SME businesses free environmental support in 2011/12 through the Creative Futures programme. We’ll provide a snapshot audit of your carbon emissions using our IG Tools, and work with you to write an environmental policy for your company.

For more information contact: sholeh@juliesbicycle.com

Our Latest Campaign

Better Batteries

Julie’s Bicycle also runs campaigns around specific actions people and organisations can take. Our latest is the Better Batteries campaign, which brings together the music and theatre industries in a drive to switch over to rechargeable battery systems and increase the rate of recycling for both disposable and rechargeable batteries in line with government regulation.

Rechargeable batteries have 32 times less impact on the environment than disposables throughout their lifecycle; they put less pressure on natural resources, create less pollution from the manufacturing process, less waste and less carbon emissions resulting from transport and distribution. Recycling is necessary to reuse finite natural resources and prevent the release of harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury or cadmium.

In practical terms, the most compelling reason to switch is the proven reliability of rechargeable battery systems, and the cost savings that can be made. The company of WICKED on Broadway has been using rechargeables since 2008, and they’re saving around £2,600 per year. WICKED at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, London, has been using rechargeable batteries since June 2011 – they’ve already paid back the cost of the rechargeable system and have made savings of over £500.

Better Batteries aims to get at least 100 venues and individual companies to make the switch in 2012, so get online to find out more and sign up: www.BetterBatteries.info

Many of the videos are available on the Roundhouse site and on The Media Festival site.

There videos are of particular interest because they address the wide spectrum of issues that is facing the the arts and how media, communications and collaboration might be able to help.

Due to high demand MusicTank will no longer be taking on any more Creative Futures participants – but don’t miss the wealth of free information and resources at your fingertips by visiting www.musictank.co.uk and signing up for our newsletter.

As you may have seen, the Prime Minister and the Mayor of London have set out a number of support measures for businesses affected by last week’s riots. These include:

• Businesses damaged will be able to seek compensation under Riot Damages Act.
• A new £20 million high street support scheme to help affected businesses get back up and running quickly.
• Local authorities will be given the ability to grant business rate relief, by funding at least three quarters of their costs, to minimise the costs facing businesses.
• Tax payments will be deferred for businesses in greatest need, through Time to Pay and other practical support.
• Government has instructed the valuation office to immediately stop liability for council tax and business rates for houses and businesses that have been the most badly damaged.
• Unnecessary planning regulations will be weeded out to ensure that businesses can get back on their feet and feel secure as quickly as possible.
• Urgent funding is immediately available through a new £10 million Recovery Scheme to provide additional support to councils in making areas safe, clean and clear again.

Further details can be found on the BIS website.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has also announced £50 million investment in long term improvements to town centres and high streets in London that have been damaged by the recent disturbances.

We will continue to liaise with the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police on issues which have arisen from the public disorder. In the meantime, if your business has been affected, this guide to legal and insurance issues may be useful. As we receive further details of additional support that will be provided to businesses that have been affected we will keep you informed.

Step #2 is an important piece of advice.  Knowing where to strategically place information is vital to spreading the word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The benefits of hosting and running an event are obvious. In one fail swoop, your influential speakers will draw in guests who could end up being potential partners, consumers or even investors.

Your event will be the toast of the digital town, elevating your brand in a dynamic way. The only drawback? The niggly fact that everybody wants a slice of the events pie. So what to do?

In such an overcrowded market, strategic planning and promotion can see your event being firmly pencilled into the diaries of those that matter. But navigating the choppy waters of promotions can be tricky for even the savviest of marketers, so we’ve come up with four easy ways to promote your event.

#1. Don’t be boring and do your research

This may seem obvious but all the promotion in the world can’t hide an ill-thought-out event.

Once you’ve decided to create an event with a scintillating subject give it an interesting name. Think “JavaScript Nuts’n'Bolts” (real) and not “Conference, Debate and Speech on Technology in 2011″ (not real).

Start reading popular blogs like TechCrunch, NextWeb and Mashable to get an idea of the kind of people who are leading the tech debate as they could be possible speakers at your event.

#2.List your event

Take advantage of websites such as Linkedin, Eventbrite, Lanyrd, Plancast and of course Chinwag and post up details of your event, accessing a mammoth web community, for free.

Remember, once again, wording is everything. The title of your event for instance will not only be a great signposting for your event but a searchable tool for prospective attendees. Keep this in mind when writing copy.

#3. Get social

We quite like social media and think that with the right tweets, facebook updates or blogs you can create a dialogue around your event which is essential for making your event seem credible and creating sought after buzz.

#4. Get some competitive edge

Another great way of creating buzz could be to set up a competition to win tickets to your event. You could even offer something more inventive for potential winners like a CV Clinic with one of your more dynamic speakers.

Consider finding partners blogs, magazines or forums where you could give away tickets or running something in tandem, such as special discounts or extra event goodies.

If all this has piqued your interest consider adding your event to our listing page and let us know about the best (or worst event) you’ve been to this year.

Read more: http://chinwag.com/blogs/diana-yeboah/chinwags-4-step-guide-brilliant-event-promotion#ixzz1SqD9QQUT

The solar-powered, Hackney-based Premises Studios was the recipient of the inaugural Julie’s Bicycle Green Business Award, presented at the Music Week Awards at the Roundhouse, London in May 2011.

Tony Wadsworth, Chair of Julie’s Bicycle, presented the award made from sustainably sourced wood in recognition of:

• The implementation and success of environmental initiatives;
• Management support and overall staff commitment to sustainability;
• Methods used to track environmental impacts
• Relationships with and influence on audiences, customers, suppliers and other clients;
• New and original campaigns and ideas.

Premises Studios launched Europe’s first solar powered recording studio in 2005. It was built using 80% reclaimed and recycled materials, fitted with a low energy SSL console and insulated so well that it never requires heating, even in sub-zero conditions. In 2010 Premises established a bee-keeping project on the Studio roof with The Golden Company (an organisation working with disadvantaged young people).

High-profile artists such as Lily Allen and the Klaxons are among Premises Studios’ clients, and several of them have voiced their support of Premises’ campaigns around raising the profile of the Feed-In Tariff (2009), their collaboration with Friends of the Earth on the Big Ask campaign (2009), and the environmental problem caused by declining bee populations (2011).

Julie’s Bicycle launched the Green Business Award in partnership with the Music Week Awards in order to recognise the environmental achievements made by companies working in the UK music industry.

This is the first environmental award of its kind for the UK music industry, and the standard of applications was high, especially given that this is the Award’s first year. The shortlisted applicants were:

• Firefly Solar CIC
• KOKO
• The NEC Group
• The Sage Gateshead
• Truck Enterprises

All of these companies are also making outstanding achievements in understanding, reducing and communicating their environmental impacts.

Alison Tickell, Director of Julies Bicycle said, “The Premises took the initiative to go green well before it became common place, and they were the first commercial studio in the UK to install solar panels.

“Proving that engaging with issues of public concern can be a business win, they used a government grant to speed up their investment payback, and have used their green credentials to give them a marketing edge. They have also successfully campaigned for better renewable power incentives that benefit the music industry, as well as UK homes and businesses more broadly.

“It’s also impressive the way The Premises have used their solar panels and more recent initiatives like their beehives to engage with artists, other studio users and young people in their Hackney community – this is a really important step and its impact cannot be underestimated.

“By seizing the business opportunities while making the ethical choice, The Premises is a powerful example of the opportunities that environmental sustainability offers: an ethical business base that will sustain it into the future.”

Julia Craik, Director of Premises Studios said, “The Premises Studios are delighted to receive the first Julie’s Bicycle Green Business Award. We aim to combine solid business sense with real environmental action and this award is recognition that our model works. Julie’s Bicycle is a great organisation and their endorsement is a real honour.”

Michael Gubbins, Content Director of Music Week said, “Music Week is proud to have worked with Julie’s Bicycle to launch the Green Business Award, and we consider it to be one of the most important of the Music Week Awards. Premises Studios has set an example which we expect to see followed by a great many other companies, in an industry which is becoming increasingly engaged with environmental sustainability as a core business priority.”

For further information:

Sholeh Johnston, Julie’s Bicycle
sholeh@juliesbicycle.com / 020 7078 4885