Search results
How to find a venue for your gig
How to find and book the right venue for your live show.
How to approach gig promoters
Understand how gig promoters work and what they expect from you as a band or an artist.
Creative business support and funding
Discover where to find advice, funding and skills support for creative businesses in Northern Ireland.
How to promote your gig
There are many ways to advertise your gig – from traditional leaflets and posters, to social media promotion and email marketing.
Negotiate a gig deal
Find out what type of gig deals are there, how payments work in the gig business and how to negotiate booking arrangements.
How to pitch your music
Follow these simple steps to pitch your music to venues and to gig promoters.
Find an audience for your show
Learn how to increase gig attendance and use simple strategies to help you get more fans through the door.
Booking gigs: the basics
Understand the process of booking gigs, and find out what promoters and venue owners look for when choosing what acts to book.
Retail
Guidance on getting started in retail, improving your retail business, running a retail premises, retail and the environment, business finances and the law, and employing people in retail
Types of retail business
The various types of retail business, including convenience store, speciality store, supermarket, discount store, department store, warehouse, direct retailer and online store
Review your import readiness
Import planning and strategy, product, skills and finance checklist.
Ten top tips for starting a retail business
Ten top tips to starting a retail business successfully and staying afloat in the early days of trading
Assess your skills and resources for importing
Finances, personnel and other resources for importing.
Where to set up your retail business
Find the right place to set up your retail business in Northern Ireland by weighing the important options
Exporting to Great Britain
What you need to know about exporting to Great Britain, and how you can get help targeting this market.
Record-keeping best practice
Good record keeping habits and the "four S" approach: system, separate, security, storage.
Financial considerations when exporting
Understand how exporting could affect your cashflow.
Challenges of exporting
Challenges of exporting include market research, export paperwork and financing.
Decide your approach to importing
Keeping importing simple by dealing with experienced exporters in developed countries and using agents
Plan your import objectives
Setting goals and deciding your import objectives.