Professional Studies 26/11/2013 Self Employment

Self-employment

What is self-employment, where would I choose to work what materials would I need to get? Who would I contact after I graduate some people choose to work for themselves and also work for a company, I may choose to be self-employed, I even may choose to work for a agent. Then I would be responsible for invoices to the company. If I was a designer maker I would have to sort my own tax out etc.

The types of self-employment I could look at:

·         Sole trader

·         Partnership

·         A co-operative  

·         Limited company

·         Franchise

Realities of self-employment

You have to put in a lot of hours but you can choose where ever you want to work, I could work from home, hire a studio and I could also work anywhere in the world. If I worked for myself I can do what I want and I don’t have to follow trends whereas if I worked for someone else I would have to follow their brief. I would have to brand myself and my products I would look at my business cards and marketing material I would have to tell the HMRC, to register any sale I make, I may not always have a regular income from been self-employed, whilst getting on your feet you can claim working and child tax credit. There is lots of help out there. If you work from home its important you inform the correct people, it can be lonely working from home but you could employ people to work with you. You can use some of the bills and offset it against your tax. Studios you can network and socialize with others there may be open days to sell your work, you can discuss issues with other designers. Your own shop or gallery could be a good place to work, you have to consider public insurance in case anyone has an accident, but you have a great opportunity to sell work as you make it. It will be an investment to start off with.

Where can you work?

·         From home

·         A studio

·         Your own shop or gallery

Devolving contacts

Social media is important and as a personal assistance can be useful to get your name out there both public and trade can see this word of mouth and press can be very important so you can get the word out about you so you want it to be good. Blogs can be good and using copyright to protect your work, work experience can be very useful and helps you develop contacts you could even get a job from this. 

Setting up

A business plan is a way to visualize your ideas and get some clear ideas of what you are doing you can claim job seekers allowance when setting up your business and there’s also quite a bit of free money out there to help you set up and there is lots of information on the website. You can ask banks for a loan but you have to pay it back, you could get a loan there is also national funding agencies that you can look at that will help you. 

Professional studies Cv's 19/11/13

CV

Extend knowledge and develop CV

Techniques for finding information                                                          

Types of CV's

Expectations of industry

Use it software

Gather information on yourself

Use word

What type are there

Summary of personal details, you need one to give to employers a chance to sell yourself

Jobs always for CV

You can hand them out in trade shows people that you select

List 4 good and bad points

Bad

1.       Providing irrelevant personal information

2.       Burying important information

3.       Spelling errors, typos and poor grammar

4.       Lying or misleading information

            Good

·         Well presented

·         Making the most of experienced

·         Keep cv up-to-date

·         Include references

What should be on a CV

Name

Personal details address phone number email blog or website

Profile and objectives

Skills keep relevant

Education reverse order

Employment

Interests

References one academic one from employment and one from work experience

Keep it simple to read

Layout shows flare for creativity

Keep too to pages as max

Short and simple

Highlight important facts

Page one must have impact

Font size and layout must be readable

Check spelling and grammar

Make a visual impact  

Academic language

Cover letters are important

Quality paper

CV types

Conventional

Skills based

Academic

Electronic save as a PDF file

European

Scientific

Creative CV

Skills based CV

·         Communication

·         Teamwork

·         Flexibility

·         Initiative  

·         Leadership

·         Commitment

·         Interpersonal

·         Numeracy

·         Problem solving

*Always back up what you say 

Professional Studies Copyright 12/11/13

Copyright

You cannot own an idea only the expression and documentation. Copyright lasts the designer’s lifetime plus 70 years after they decease. This intellectual property can be bought, sold or licenced Copyright does not protect the ides for work, only the work itself is fixed, e.g. in writing. Copyright is difficult with design, one slight change can change a design significantly causing copyright issues, e.g. ready to wear is copied by many high street stores.

Designer Makers and Designers have different copyright issues:

As a designer maker you retain the copyright and can make multiple products with the same imagery. A designer maker must be aware of bigger companies being influenced by you and using your ideas. You must copyright your own work. You must also make sure you are not influenced to the point where copyright may be infringed by yourself in new designs by becoming inspired by/including others intellectual property in the work produced by yourself.

A designer sells an idea or prototype, the copyright fir these ideas or prototype is usually sold. You sell the idea as a designer! By selling the copyright a designer receives a bigger fee. You cannot use the same motifs on different design/garment shapes even if it is a different colour. But if the first motif was printed and used on different designs but changed considerably this is ok.

Tips to avoid copyright issues:

Don’t use images found on the internet or in other published material as they will sue you for copyright, thus use primary work e.g. go and take your own photographs.

Acid are a company associated with intellectual property, also Dacs. Read up on these for more copyright information.

How to copyright work:

On the reverse of your work/photographs/photocopies mark with a ‘c’ with a circle around it ‘©’, your name and date of creation.

Place images in an envelope, seal them and post them to yourself. Keep the sealed envelope with the date and stamp unbroken. This way you can open the envelope in front of a solicitor if copyright issues emerge.

Keep your blog up-to-date so everyone can see when posts were made with the date and time displayed. Images of work on your blog and can also help copyright

Save folders of digital images with titles, such as Autumn/Winter 2013, and date modified will be proof when the work was completed.

Keep a digital log up-to-date including sizes of material, material used etc.

Print photographs with the date in corner or on the reverse.

For more information see the Design council website which explains copyright clearly (designcouncil.org.uk/resources-and-events/designers/guides/legal-issues/)

Professional studies 05/11/13 Trade shows, sales paperwork, presenting yourself and your work

A trade fair..... 

Is a good way to market yourself, there are big events that can be held in exhibition halls, trade shows are international events, product areas are linked to together for better sales,  a trade show is an international platform to sell your work, it’s a great opportunity to meet lots of people, it can also be a social event, it’s a good launch pad for new collections, in trade shows there are too main seasons, for fashion and interior, samples can be shapes, rectangular, or in shape of the garments, you can sell and talk big orders on the stands, there is lots of different markets to sell your work to on the stand, some people will be looking out to see what’s happening, you can apply for trade shows, but sometimes you wouldn't be accepted depending on the ‘look’ the trade show wants. You work doesn't have to relate to trends, some trade shows only sell designs or products some trade shows will mix designer makers and designers together.  In Trade fairs designs can be sold at Indigo, Vision, Surtex, Heimtex, Decorex and Direction. Presentation of my work, buyers is normally employed from companies, I would sell my work at a trade fair price, I will sell my work presented in collections, and qualities must be a high quality. Samples are often goo d to have on show, then the work can be ordered I could also take a brochure of my products, you can put together repeats to show customers how my work could be used as a repeat, I will present all of my work on white paper headers.  It’s very important how you look your stand, you could put business cards on your stand, packing is very important you must be organised I will need good communication skills and I must have realistic time scales.  It’s important I take into account different cultures and different people, Paperwork, how do I want my business cards to looks, invoices, and terms of sale is important would I have order forms, do I off discount for more than one, receipts are important. Have lots of stationary, I.e. black pens, Look at designing a press release in case you are asked for one. After the show I would need invoices, delivery notes, receipts. Funding with trade shows, at college there pay for stand but when you have finished you look at regional funding options, north east finance northeast access to finance, Northumberland business survives, UKTI help fund trade shows and many more.