Get Training - Affordable courses from €10

Training is key to business confidence

This week I will be taking part in a 1 day business course with the Tolka partnership. The introduction to the basics of self employment course for €10 covers:

• Book Keeping and Taxation 
• Business Structures 
• Managing Your Business 
• Sales and Marketing Tips for the S.M.E.

Previously I have done training courses with the Dublin City Enterprise board for around €15 a day covering Social Media and marketing. The learnings from these courses were invaluable. There are many benefits to attending these courses over finding random information over the internet.

Benefits of local courses:

• Affordable - Many courses are available for under €40 (some are even free),
• Interactive - you are encouraged to ask questions,
• Applicable - Teachings are based on Irish business requirements,
• Flexibility - there are many dates to choose from,
• Short - Most courses are only 4-8 hours,
• Specific - you can find a lot of niche courses.

For me, I'm not confident that my accounts are being maintained properly, so I really want to take a course that will lay everything out clearly for me and answer my questions on the 'minimum standard'. So the introduction to business is the perfect course for me.

I find a lot of crafters also have many questions in various areas across the business, so a local course might be a good option to help teach and therefore provide business confidence.

Check out these options for courses:

• Dublin City Enterprise - http://www.dceb.ie/Event-Calendar/DCEB-Training-Course
• Craft Council of Ireland - http://www.ccoi.ie/content/view/173/296/
• Tolka Partnership - visit the office to check out their range of courses http://www.tap.ie/

1-2- Mentoring is also available with the above. 

Have you done any short courses? If so with who and would you recommend them? I would like to add more to the above list.

Crafty Ireland News + UPDATES.....

Greetings from the Crafty News Desk
I have just popped back to say hello.

Natalie from thebluesylph is taking on the job but wont be here until September, so in the meantime she has asked me to do one more report, a sort of round up on whats on in August and any relevant news for the coming months.

August is a very busy month on the craft front with loads of events and market opportunities happening all around the country.

• All the main events are listed on the Year of Craft website - craftinireland
• For a full roundup of events in Northern Ireland see - augustcraftmonth
• The main Craft Council of Ireland have listings on market opportunities, events for sellers, resources etc. and it is a great resource to use - ccoi
• Crafters Ireland organise craft fairs and events around the country - craftersireland
• August is craft month in Cork - cork
• Exhibition of the RDS National Craft Competition winners is on in the Westmeath Civic Offices 23rd August - 23rd September
• Outdoor painting workshop in in Avoca next Saturday - avocapaintingschool
• Glass Fusing course in Westport on 10-11 September - blueglasshouse

NEWS EXTRA::::

A very special Craft Day in aid of the Famine in Africa will be held in Dublin on 3rd September next in the Damer Hall, St. Stephens Green.  Loads of Craft Classes (I will be taking a beginners knitting and demonstrating wool spinning on my trusty spinning wheel) and lots of crafts to buy as well as coffee and cakes......  It would be great to see you there.  Information here ---- handmaidcraftday

If you have any events that you would like to highlight and add to the list either add them to the end of this report as a comment or contact me through my shop and I will add them to the main list.

That's about it for now.  I am looking forward to what Natalie brings to the News Reports and know that she will do a great job.  Best of luck Natalie.

Cheers
Mo
HUGGLEKNITS

Crafty News Desk

Greetings from the Crafty News Desk + UPDATES


This week I am sending out a Challenge to all of you Etsy Crafters in Ireland  - What's happening where you live?
Over the next 4 weeks I will be highlighting one of our 4 Irish Provinces and listing any events coming up.  This can include
- markets
- shows that include some of our Etsy clann
- exhibitions
- courses
- blog giveaways etc. etc. etc

Let all of our Etsy family know whats coming up in the area and keep our followers up to date with where they can find you or "like" you....
Also if any of our followers would like to share some information with the Irish Etsy clann feel free to contact me with your details.
So the posting dates are:
Connaught on Monday 28 February
Leinster on Monday 7 March (incl Dublin)
Munster on Monday 14 March
Ulster on Monday 21 March
so get your thinking caps on, ask around your area and get in touch.  You can contact me through my shop at this link -----  CONTACT MO and get the details in by lunchtime on the day before.

Some news items for you

• 24 Hour Print Pop Up Project, Limerick 26 - 27 February Limerick
• ‘Make a Botanic Print’ Workshop at Airfield, Dublin, 10 March airfield
• The Design Basket is a new gift website that will be launching in approximately 6 weeks showcasing the products of Irish designers & crafts people.   Free to set up - 25% commission on sales.  If you are interested in joining or would like some further information, please contact Sarah Jane Lynch on 086 826 4612. Alternatively, please send an email to sarahjane1980@gmail.com
• news in from Angela from wheretheresawool  of  the Dublin Alternative Wedding Event at the Guinness Storehouse this Sunday 27th February.  She will be there with her hand made crochet wedding favours.  As there may still be stalls available you can contact Linda McAllorum of One of a Kind Weddings on 087 295 1578.

That's about it for now
So get your thinking caps on and get in touch soon.
Cheers
Mo

Crafty News Desk

Greetings from the Crafty News Desk.  Happy Valentines Day to you all.

Check out some great collections of hearted loveliness from our members and vote for your favourite here >  voting-for-love

Now for the newsie bits from hither and yon......

• Check out the new series of articles, started last Saturday, by Fintan O'Toole in the Irish Times.   "Unearthing the long history of our island, one object at a time"   irishtimes 
• Dublin City Enterprise Board new craft initiative for the Year of Craft  Dublin Enterprise Board
• Exhibition - Crafted Creatures at the Ark - starts tomorrow 15 February and runs until 27 March  crafted-creatures-at-the-ark
• Exhibition - Ballinahown Spring Craft - See the work of artists from Counties Offaly and Westmeath spring-craft
• Course - Illustration Course in Dublin - starts on 22 February  illustration-course 

Markets News
Crafters Ireland is delighted to announce their new dates for the start of 2011….

Feb 20th – Crowne Plaza Hotel Dundalk, Co Louth - 11am -5pm
Feb 27th – Dunboyne Castle Hotel Dunboyne, Co Meath 11am -5pm
March 6th – Hilamar Hotel Kinnegad, Co Westmeath - 11am -5pm
March 13th – The Riverside Hotel Eniscorthy, Co Wexford - 11am -5pm
March 20th – Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey - 11am -5pm
March 27th – Carlton Abbey Hotel, Athy Co Kildare - 11am -5pm
These professionally run events give your business the perfect opportunity to showcase your services or wares, make sales and contacts, network with other businesses and promote your business to the wider community.
To apply for a stand or get a booking from please email: craftersireland@gmail.com

That's it for this week
Loads of St Val hugs to you all
Cheers
Mo
huggleknits 
mosbitsnpieces

CRAFTY NEWS DESK.....

News just in .......

2 items of interest have just come in to the Crafty News Desk....

• Andrea stopped by to tell me about a new Show and Tell starting on her blog this Friday 25th. Full details here: http://lushstuffstore.blogspot.com/p/lush-friday.html


• Geraldine from STITCH, that great little craft spot in Santry, has news of a tempting workshop on Saturday next 26th on making cute crochet tea cosies . . . Full details here: http://www.stitch.ie/crochet-tea-cosy/

Thanks to Natalie from http://www.etsy.com/shop/thebluesylph I am working on a calendar of upcoming events and will be bringing you a weekly update. If there is anything of interst happening please let me know. We would also like to hear how the events went. Use the button on the side to get in touch.

Cheers

Mo http://www.huggleknits.etsy.com