The importance of support

It has been Business Week in Shetland and lots of free events have been going on. The range has been very varied; from the use of dialect for business to social media discussions. One was very useful indeed to us.

A group of makers from the isles got together for a chat about what matters most to craftspeople and how those needs could be met. I was privileged to be part of this gathering and the discussion was very informative and illuminating. 

The things that we all seem to want are support to help us grow our businesses, and ways to help us with practical matters like "How do I price my work" or "How do I get my products out to a wider range of people". These things are perennial problems, and we all struggle with them. Pricing particularly is a hard one, especially if you are doing something that no-one else is doing. I guess that is what a network of supportive makers would do; help, encourage and give us the confidence to do what we need to in order to make a living in the creative sector. After the discussion this week, I am feeling very positive about what could be next, and will let you all know what happens.