Monthly Archives: February 2014

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Insurance is important

Buying insurance is vital for your business

 

Buying insurance is vital for your business

Buying insurance is vital for your business

Now that you are in business and selling products you need to get yourself insured, particularly in this culture of suing.

Cover yourself
We live in an increasingly litigious society which means that, perhaps more than ever before, creative business owners need to consider purchasing business insurance.

This is really important if you are considering selling at craft fairs, shows, public events, open studios, workshops etc.

There are two main insurance types you should look at:

  • Public Liability Insurance: covers you against claims made against you by a third party for accidental injury to people (including death), accidental loss or damage to other people’s property and, depending on the policy, may also cover legal fees, costs and expenses, hospital treatment claimed from you (check the small print!)
  • Product Liability Insurance: covers you in the event that you are held liable for damage or injury arising from defects in your product, design or manufacture, even if you have not been negligent.

Legally products must be “fit for purpose” so if you make or supply a faulty product which causes damage or injury to someone (this includes products which are given away and not just sold) you may be subject to a claim against you for compensation. This type of insurance, however, won’t necessarily cover you against financial losses to a business or person caused by a faulty product you made, supplied or repaired so check with your insurer.

How much do I need to insure for?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions and ultimately will come down to a personal judgment as to what is appropriate for your particular business but, generally speaking most insurance companies offer insurance between £2 million to £5 million as relatively standard.

If you shop around you will find an insurance company/broker that will give you a good package not just for your premises and goods but also to cover you if someone should hurt themselves, either at your craft stall or by your product.

Here are some places that you can start:

Next page Marketing your wares

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Marketing your wares

A virtual shop on Facebook Handmade by Shelley
A virtual shop on Facebook Handmade by Shelley

You can set up a virtual shop on Facebook

Being effective in your marketing will make potential customers aware of your work and therefore increase your chance of making sales.

Many craft people choose to use social media to promote themselves or set up a website.

This can be very beneficial, and you don’t need to leave the comfort of your home.

But there are other ideas for getting yourself known apart from the internet, these include:

  • Printing and distributing your leaflets, you can print an A4 leaflet
  • Putting a postcard in shop windows
  • Selling through local retailers
  • Advertising in newspapers and magazine
  • Selling to large organisations like factories, office etc
  • Advertise in directories

If you provide work of good quality at a competitive price this could lead to repeat business.
Marketing your craft work will be made easier if you have a clearly defined range of products to offer potential customers and a strong brand identity for your business.
Next page Using Facebook as a tool

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What is Mixed Martial Arts?

Mixed Martial Arts or MMA as it is referred to is a full contact, combat sport.

kick

As opposed to boxing, karate, judo etc, it is isn’t just a single form a martial art. It encompasses many forms of martial arts and that’s where the sports gets its name from.

Although it can take in any martial art, there are 5 main styles of combat that are the base of MMA. These styles are:

  • Boxing – A style of combat, where the punches are the main focus. It is a form of stand-up striking that fighters use in MMA when they are on their feet.
  • Kickboxing – A style of combat, very similar to boxing but kicks are added into the equation. Again it is a form of stand up striking that is used while standing up in MMA.
  • Muay Thai – It also is a stand-up striking combat but where elbows and knees as well as kicks and punches are allowed. Also it incorporates the ‘clinch’ which is where a fighter can grab the head and the body of his opponent while standing and manipulate their movement.
  • Wrestling – A style of combat where the main goal is to seek the ‘takedown’. This is when you manage to get your opponent to the floor on their back and control them.
  • Jiu-Jitsu – A style of combat where the takedown is also a goal but once that has been achieved the aim is to ‘submit’ your opponent. This can be done by making them tap out through locks, or chokes that either cause the opponent pain causing the tap or by restricting blood flow to the head causing the tap.

To see a live MMA event there are many UK based promotions. The main UK based promotions are BAMMA and Cage Warriors.

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Five tips for starting to play Guitar.

By far one of the most popular and appealing instruments to any aspiring musician, here are five tips that should help you pick up a guitar and start learning today.

  1. Choose your style. With lots of different styles of acoustic and electric guitars on the market, it can be confusing for any beginner to know what to go for. Acoustic guitars around £50 – £80 are ideal for beginners. You can often get bundle backs with a free carry case, or a strap etc. with a good quality guitar as well. Once you have learnt the basics and are moving onto intermediate skills, then it may be time to purchase your first electric guitar and amplifier.
  2. Learn some things online. Not every player can afford one to one tuition and guitar lessons. Don’t worry, there are lots of online resources aimed at developing players of all abilities. Ultimate Guitar has free lessons for various skills. YouTube also has lots of channels dedicated to guitar tutorials and lessons, Mahalo is highly recommended.
  3. Don’t get too frustrated. Learning guitar is a very complicated hobby, it takes years for some players to develop their skills. Players often get too frustrated when they can’t do something, a good motivational tool is to picture yourself a month ago, then look where you are now, and see how much you have improved!
  4. Don’t rush the basics. Too many people pick up the guitar and stop playing because they aren’t Jimi Hendrix after a week of practice. Taking time to perfect your knowledge and playing abilities of major and minor chords, single notes, barre chords and more, will undoubtedly benefit your chances when you come to learn anthems and harder guitar songs.
  5. Enjoy it! Without doubt the most important factor, whether you are playing along to songs in the comfort of your own bedroom, or jamming with your friends in a rehearsal room, playing guitar can make you relaxed, excited and proud of yourself.

For readers who are interested in buying an electric guitar, but are unsure which amplifier to play it through, check out Hobby Umbrella’s guide to amplifiers!

Now go and enjoy learning guitar!

 

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Maybe try basketball?

basketballBasketball is a team game, but as a hobby it can be played on your own or with friends. It is a physical sport and helps keep the body fit and it can exercise your mind through having fun.

Although it originally is a team game, it doesn’t have to be. This is because a hobby is all about having fun, and fun can be enjoyed with others or by yourself.

How would you get involved?

  • On your own or with friends: All you need is a basketball and a hoop. The beauty of this is that it is very cheap to play the only thing you need to buy is the ball, then seek out a local court and start playing.
  • Join a club: You may want to start playing basketball in a more serious manner where not just basketball skills will be involved but also fitness programmes too. Obviously the may be joining fees and weekly/monthy fees to pay but there are basketball clubs everywhere that are looking for players so don’t be afraid to join one. You can find basketball clubs all over the UK.

At the end of the day, if your looking for a sporty hobby that keeps you fit and active basketball may be the hobby for you.

Check out the video below, no one is expecting this from you but you may find it inspiring, if not, at least entertaining.

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