Monday, March 16, 2020

Creative enterprises...


Creative Enterprises
How are they made?
When making a creative enterprise you must think about a variety of things, such as legislations (copyright, trademarks, etc), they would also need to think about laws, funding, branding and regulatory frameworks. Many businesses create a business model or a business plan.

To start a creative enterprise, you would need some sort of funding, this would also be included in your business model or plan. Ways of getting money for a creative business could include;
  •          Factoring- This is a finance method where a company sells its receivables (amounts owned to a business, regarded as assets) at a discount to get cash up-front.
  •          A Bank Loan – Businesses may need a business plan.
  •          A Credit Card – Using a credit card for a business could be incredibly risky, however if they’re used responsibly, they could extend your accounts payable period to shore up your cash flow.
  •          Crowdfunding – Some businesses are started using websites such as Kickstarter. This can be a fun, yet effective way to raise money for a relatively low cost, creative project.
  •          Raise money from friends and family – Receiving money from family and friends in one of the most common ways to finance a start-up.
  •         Get a microloan Microloans are often so small that commercial banks can't be bothered lending the funds. Instead of a bank, you need to turn to a microlender. a non-profit organization that works differently than banks. Microlenders offer smaller loan sizes, usually require less documentation than banks, and often apply more flexible underwriting criteria.”


How are they realised?
There are a variety of ways in which you can market a business or organisation. Some ways could include;
  •        Business Cards – Business cards could be given to anyone who you may be socialising with.
  •        Billboards or mobile billboards – Billboards and mobile billboards can be used to attract the attention of people in the streets.
  •          Social Media – Social media is used by millions of people and its’s a great way to gain exposure. Social media has become a necessary time investment for every business to make and there are a variety of platforms in which you can promote a business or organisation, such as; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube or LinkedIn. Social media could also be a good way for consumers to get in touch with you or give you feedback.
  •          Blogging and writing (Advertising) – Getting in touch with a local newspaper could be an easy way of promoting a business. Starting a blog could a great way to connect with your consumers more directly. Another way to market a business could be through publishing articles in a magazine.
  •          Press Releases – Sending out press releases could be great way to get some free business promotion. Press releases must contain newsworthy information that is engaging enough to get people’s interest. 
  •         Buddy marketing – Buddy marketing is where you join up with another business (or businesses) and pooling your resources to promote all your businesses, this could be a great way to extend your reach.
  •          Hand out “Freebies” –You could hand out anything from pens, t-shirts, mugs, hats or badges. You could also use them regularly as customer rewards. 
  •          Radio/Talk shows – A local radio station or cable TV station may have programs that are looking for guests, this could be a great low-cost way of promoting a business. Many people listen to radio stations while they’re driving or going to work etc.
  •          Websites – Many businesses have websites. A website can be a great way to promote products or share information about your business. You can also link your blog or social media to your website, which means that customers can find you on different platforms more easily.
  •          Create an app – Mobiles devices are used by a great number of people. An app can be downloaded straight on to any device and can be an easier way of purchasing products etc.
  •          Podcasts – A podcast could also be a great way to talk about your business.


How are they developed to manage their own profile and brand?
Creative enterprises could be developed to manage their own profile and brand by hiring people for different jobs. For example, you could hire someone to do marketing or control business’s social media. If your creative business becomes popular or more well known, it could be a good idea to develop the company by increasing the amount of people who work for you because if there is a small amount of people working for you, but a large amount of customers, the business could be more difficult to manage due to pressure.

How Effective Are Business Models?


How Effective Are Business Models?


"A good business model uses its resources to improve its market position, adding new products, features and customers or expanding into new applications." - https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/176530 

A business model is a plan for the successful operation of a business, identifying sources of revenue, the intended customer base, products, and details of financing. 

I think business models are effective if they are done correctly. An effective business model considers how customers pay. When customers buy a certain product or service, they usually have several payment options. The most common choices include paying one large amount or paying monthly installments. Some businesses also give their customers the choice to pay as they go or prepay for unlimited usage of a product or service. However, some companies also invite customers to buy or to rent, to finance their purchases, or to lease products instead of purchasing them. 














Case Studies - Links


GYSMA
·         http://www.gysma.co.uk/

The Orchestrate! Project


Twoset Violin
·         https://twosetapparel.com/

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

More Cultural Policy - Norfolk Music Service


Cultural Policy 2020
Norfolk Music Service
Thousands of people have joined together by signing a petition to stop major cuts to Norfolk Music Service. Norfolk County Council plans to make cuts to its schools music service in a bid to reverse a £700,000 budget deficit. The council wants to halve the number of tutors it provides and increase the cost of lessons to parents by almost a fifth. The cost of tuition to parents would increase from £34 per hour to £40 per hour, while tutor numbers in the county would drop from 44 to 21. This would mean that a large number of tutors would then be made redundant and therefore be losing their job.  Tutors with a teaching qualification would be made to focus more on the school curriculum, while tutors without a teaching qualification will be focusing more on giving tuition. The council said that tutors would also be expected to “retrain” to teach multiple instruments and work in specific areas to reduce travel times. They also said there would be a focus on “whole class” and “group tuition” to ensure schools and low-income families “do not miss out.” The council has also added;
  •       “All pupils will still be able to hire an instrument free of charge.”
  •      “Pupils eligible for free school meals will continue to receive subsided tuition – and lessons will be free for children in care."
  •        The council is currently consulting staff on the proposed changes, which would come into effect in September.

The council says the service has run at a "substantial" loss over the past two years, due to "unsustainably low" tuition fees, "significant" travel costs and increased staffing costs. The council are proposing to make changes which see tutors teach more than one instrument and work in specific parts of the county. More than 270 schools make use of the music tutors for one-to-one instrumental tuition for pupils. 

The cost of tuition is also being increased, would make it more difficult for people to afford tuition and therefore decrease the amount of people doing music, even more.


A petition made by clarinet student, Emily Crook, from Notre Dame High School has well over a thousand signatures to stop these changes that are supposedly due to be made in September.

My Thoughts

I think that what the council is doing is wrong and should most definitely be stopped. The increased costs of tuition would make it harder for people to afford tuition, this means that the Norfolk Music Service would mainly be used by people who can afford it (such as private tuition, etc). Cutting travel would mean that fewer people will be learning instruments. The council said that tutors would need to “retrain” to learn more instruments.  This, to me, suggests that the council obviously don’t understand the struggles of actually learning a new instrument. You cannot learn an instrument in a matter of a few days. The council also said there would be a focus on “whole class” and “group tuition” instead of one – to – one tuition. This would mean that rare instruments, such as the bassoon, would basically become extinct in this county, due to the small number of tutors and students that play them. Group tuition is quite good for beginners who are starting to learn an instrument. However, when advancing with an instruments and taking different examinations, one- to - one tuition would be much more effective. It is also quite hard to find a tutor in this county that actually teaches or plays rare instruments such as the bassoon. Music in Norfolk has been declining for quite a while. The costs of tuition at the moment is already quite high and means that some people are unable to afford it. Although some schools teach music and do instrumental lessons or clubs. There is still very few students that play/perform or choose to carry on with an instrument. For example, I am in three orchestras, each in Norfolk. One is a keyboard orchestra with plenty of students, mainly because the keyboard is quite easy to pick up. The other orchestras, GYSMO and The Orchestrate! Project, are traditional youth orchestras. Orchestras usually have 12 violins first violins and second violins. GYSMO, overall, has one violin. Which is me. Therefore at the moment there is no one on second violin. GYSMO also has, 4 Clarinets, 3 Trumpets, 1 Trombone, 1 Euphonium, 5 Flutes, 5 Saxophones and one percussionist. Gysmo is an orchestra organised for any grade. The Orchestrate! project is designed for grades 4 and above, the highest level of playing we have is Diploma. The Orchestrate! Project contains; 5 First Violins, 3 Second Violins, 1 Viola, 3 Cellos, 2 Double Basses, 5 Flutes, 2 Trumpets, 1 French Horn, 1 Trombone, 1 Bassoon, 1 Clarinet and 3 Percussionists. To some non-musicians, this probably sounds like more than enough people in an orchestra. However, both of these orchestras would be considered incredibly small, due to the lack of musicians. To go into more detail, Although First Violins lead the orchestra, many pieces contain a melody played in the French horns or Trumpets.  

Many of the tutors who work for Norfolk Music Service work there because they love Music and enjoy teaching it. Many of the tutors have specialized in their specific instrument for quite a few years, some have even performed in professional orchestras and even toured around the world.
Teaching from these tutors is of incredibly high quality. Many of the tutors at Norfolk Music Service, provide students with high quality ensembles, however, without one-to-one tuition it would be hard for students to join these ensembles or for these ensembles to even be provided. One - to - one tuition allows students to develop musically. It allows students to build a professional relationship with their teacher, but also means that the student is able to ask questions and develop as a musician. This also allows tutors to spend more time with students and help them improve on things that they find difficult.   

Links