Caron's article in the Nottingham Evening Post

CREATIVE USES FOR WEBSITES

A Desire to establish a home base and to stop touring with theatre companies was behind the launch of Caron-Jane Lyon's business PCM Creative. Nottinghamshire female entrepreneur Caron-Jane's (CJ) successful career as stage manager for some of the leading UK theatre companies led her to diversify into more creative ventures with arts practitioners and fine artists as a creative projects manager.

For her next career move CJ looked beyond the theatre industry for projects that would equally satisfy her creativity and enable her to keep in touch with her theatrical roots.

She said: "I enrolled on an internet service provider course with the National IT Learning College in Newark and began learning new skills to help me move into digital media.

"My aim was to offer website design and IT training to creatives who were unfamiliar with the business and corporate world."

Although a very successful freelance stage manager, CJ was keen to run a small business but knew that her knowledge in this area was limited so she contacted Business Link.

She said: "Contacting them enabled me to connect with the business world and fill the knowledge gaps that hindered me starting my own business. They have been a great help and do cater for the creative and cultural industries too. I wish I had contacted them sooner."

PCM got off to a strong start and the result is a growing business that focuses on new media and events organising.

Recently CJ has been establishing the business formally to provide services to the wider arts community and small businesses in Nottingham.

She said: "PCM's event launch package is designed to celebrate key landmarks in business ventures such as the launch of a web site.

"I am also exploring new digital platforms such as Type pad, PBwiki, Facebook, Etsy.com and Second Life to find ways of incorporating into web sites' existing web 2.0 channels to promote businesses and keep costs low.

"This means clients can maximise the potential offered by the rich array of new media facilities online."

CJ recently established a Second Life presence for a York based theatre company, Pilot Theatre.

She says Business Link helped her acquire the knowledge she needed to get PCM Creative off the ground.

"Through the regional Business Link service I have accessed workshops, been put in touch with specialists, gained information and received impartial, one to one advice. Thanks to this support I am now refining my unique selling point and targeting the client base I need to enable my business to flourish."

CJ advises artists or creative practitioners who are isolated, work alone, or work short contracts to contact Business Link (0845 058 6644) for guidance. She also suggests moving on to new ventures if the career you are doing no longer offers what you originally began it for.

Visit the Nottingham Evening Post article

Featured in the business section Tuesday 21 August 2007

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