british museum business plan

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British Museum gears up for radical modernisation project

New details have emerged of the impending radical overhaul of the British Museum’s building and displays.

The so-called “Rosetta Project” will see the London landmark comprehensively redisplay its permanent galleries, as well as modernising the deteriorating fabric and infrastructure of its 170-year-old building.

According to a report in the Financial Times, the project is forecast to cost around £1bn, with the museum’s new chairman, the former UK chancellor George Osborne, tasked with raising funds from a mix of private and public sources. It is likely to be the most expensive museum refurbishment in the UK to date – although a museum spokesman said the budget and timeline reported by the newspaper were “unfamiliar”.

The museum recruited a curator last year to lead its Reimagining the British Museum scheme, which aims to give greater prominence to parts of the collections that are currently under-represented in its displays, including those from Africa, Oceania and South America.

The curator is tasked with developing curatorial briefs for new suites of permanent galleries, as well delivering pilot projects to test and evaluate different collaborative methods and narrative approaches. The temporary post is currently due to run until mid-2023.

The Rosetta Project will also see the museum replace its mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and improve its environmental sustainability, as well as reopening its circular Reading Room, which has been closed to the public since 2017.

Outgoing chairman Richard Lambert wrote last year that the British Museum is “entering one of the most exciting phases in its long history”.

“The transformation will restore the fabric and infrastructure of Bloomsbury, and at the same time rethink the permanent galleries in such a way as to give more prominence to parts of the collection which are at present under-represented in the public spaces, and to make it easier to compare and contrast the different cultures around the world and across the millennia,” he said in the institution’s 2020-21 annual report.

“At its heart, the project will pioneer new ways of working in partnership with our networks, nationally and internationally, to expand the museum’s impact and outreach. No other museum in the world has the capacity to help us understand our common humanity in this way. It’s a thrilling project that will take some years to complete and will require financial and intellectual support from both the public and private sectors.”  

A museum spokesman said: “We are developing a strategic masterplan to transform the British Museum for the future. It will involve actively renovating our historic buildings and estate including our infrastructure and galleries.

“We will improve our visitor experience and this work will provide the collection with a new and powerful presence so the British Museum can continue to tell the stories of the world well into the future.

“Our board maintain strategic oversight of this important project. We are at an early stage of development and can confirm that as the project develops we will be engaging with our partners, stakeholders and benefactors. We aim to secure the optimal mix of investment from public and private sources.”

The museum has been in the international spotlight this week as it opens its long-awaited blockbuster, the World of Stonehenge, its first ever temporary exhibition on Neolithic culture. Many objects in the show have never been displayed before, including a prehistoric chalk drum buried alongside three children in East Yorkshire, which has only just been made public after its discovery in 2015.

The World of Stonehenge runs 17 February to 17 July and will feature in the March/April issue of Museums Journal

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Under Its New Director, the British Museum Reveals Plans for a Major Cross-Cultural Overhaul

The 10-year plan will reintroduce the museum's iconic Round Reading Room.

The British Museum in London yesterday revealed a plan to redisplay its entire collection, as well as to revitalize the currently defunct Round Reading Room, in a bid to “take the museum to the next level,” according to director Hartwig Fischer.

Fischer, who joined the British Museum just last year, used the disclosure of the museum’s annual review as an opportunity to provide insight into his 10-year plan for the institution. “Our vision will be to create a museum which tells more coherent and compelling stories of the cultures and artifacts we display to allow more comparisons to be made across cultures and timeframes,” he said in a statement.

“In a fast-changing and sometimes frightening world, the British Museum has to continue to play its part in explaining the connectivity of cultures and our shared humanity,” Fischer added. “Never has this been more necessary.”

Aside from rearranging the permanent collection—a major task the museum intends to carry out while remaining open to the public—details on the agenda include three major new or refurbished permanent galleries focusing on China and South Asia, Islam, and Japan, as well as a reintegration of the Round Reading Room into exhibition programming.

The Reading Room has become somewhat of a head-scratcher in recent years, as the museum has struggled to find a purpose for it after the removal of its books in 1997. The current proposal simply states that the space will hold objects from the permanent collection as a general introduction to the museum.

Though exact plans for the iconic room have yet to be ironed out, Fischer confirmed its role in the overhaul: “The Round Reading Room is at the center of our planning… I can promise it will look absolutely stunning.”

Caroline Elbaor

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Posted on 8th April 2021 — Updated at 14th April 2021 — By Jamie Larkin

Museums and New Business Models

Covid-19 has upended many aspects of museums’ established business models. typically, museums in neo-liberal economies have focused on monetising the in-person experience through ticket sales, the museum café, museum retail, special events and site rentals..

However, sustained national lockdowns have devastated this model. In the UK, over 70% of museums are independent of core government funding and rely primarily on commercial revenues: the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, for example, generates 90% of its annual income from visitors. 1  With income streams curtailed, many museums have found themselves in dire financial straits.

It is difficult to know when tourist numbers will return to previous levels, particularly international arrivals. Further, the climate crisis is bringing the potential incompatibility of mass tourism and sustainability goals into stark relief. As such, ongoing innovation and diversification of museum business models is vital. Namely, museums must develop methods of creating experiences and products they can offer directly to the public, thus building dispersed supporter communities rather than solely relying on attracting visitors to a site. While this model poses conceptual challenges to a sector that sanctifies the in-person experience, it also presents opportunities to create compelling forms of engagement in light of the developing digital economy and changing modes of cultural consumption.

Going Off-site

• Sale of museum-related products

Retailing has often been the only commercial activity to continue at museums during the pandemic, albeit in a limited capacity, and has pushed many into e-commerce. Museums adapted by producing culturally themed products pertinent to the conditions of lockdown including jigsaw puzzles and face masks. While it has long been the case that museum retailing has the potential to showcase collections and create connections with visitors, e-commerce presents opportunities to develop sustained relationships with external audiences. For example, Muzeo in Anaheim, California, has begun selling a quarterly subscription box containing art prints and materials ‘designed to spark your creativity and cultivate a deeper connection with local art and culture’. Such initiatives require a shift in thinking from souvenir-focused merchandise to creative ways for audiences to engage with museum collections beyond their walls. Moreover, they have the capacity to increase income streams while expanding meaningful learning opportunities.

• Sale of digital content, stories and experiences

During lockdown, museums created or reconfigured digital content to maintain audiences, utilising social media, sharing existing digitised objects and exhibitions, and providing access to online learning resources. Two distinct challenges have emerged. The first is the need to shift digital storytelling techniques from ones replicating in-person experiences (such as online catalogues and virtual exhibitions) to more dynamic forms of digital creation for which visitors are willing to pay. This may include narrative-driven content, bespoke curator tours, or live events like virtual escape rooms. The second is to find appropriate methods of commercialising such content, an approach sometimes at odds with long-standing attitudes within the sector of maximising access. An initiative that creatively re-imagined the digital experience was The Met Unframed, a time-limited experience at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, which encompassed animated artwork, interactive games, and virtual loans that allowed the visitor to experience the museum in new ways. The Met Unframed was free (sponsored by commercial partner Verizon), but the experience could easily be monetised through ticketing or charging for additional extras, such as the loan of virtual artwork (similar to in-app payments). This could be a single payment or provided as part of a digital membership scheme.

• Building digital communities

Throughout lockdown museums have used digital platforms to launch fundraising appeals to avert insolvency or to support online programming. Engaging with supporters in such ways presents opportunities to build monetisable digital communities. This can be understood as an extension of traditional museum membership schemes, which typically incentivise repeat in-person visits through perks like free exhibition entry. Subscription platforms such as Patreon bring together geographically dispersed communities around digital content creation. Patrons receive perks like exclusive access to content or involvement in the material created and are motivated by a sense of belonging to a community. For example, The Tank Museum in Bovington, UK, has 1,002 followers on Patreon, who can sign up for four levels of membership at $5, $15, $30 or $200 per month, which offer accumulating in-person and digital perks. Currently this generates $9,120 per month for the museum. 2  Similar strategies are used by non-profits to encourage regular donations, by ‘rewarding’ users with access and assuring them they are part of the ‘team’ making a meaningful contribution to the cause. While creating special content for those willing to pay a fee may appear exclusionary, it is arguably less elitist than member lounges and exclusive receptions, which are often a feature of membership schemes. Such digital communities can reduce barriers of physical and social capital to an actual museum space (although it could also erect barriers to those without Internet access), shifting emphasis to supporting a museum’s cause. This could create a broader community of supporters, providing an additional regular income stream.

Collaboration is Key

The development of off-site revenues relies on convincing visitors they can meaningfully connect with a museum without being on-site. This can be achieved by engaging audiences through sustained off-site retailing, engaging and exclusive digital content, and digital membership schemes that provide a sense of community. The resources needed to achieve such diversification may be daunting, but it also presents opportunities to collaborate with entities across the creative economy, such as startups, universities or other museums. This might see smaller museums with a thematic link pooling content (e.g. a subscription service providing access to stories from different railway museums each month). Alternatively, content may be centralised with a national subscription programme (similar to the UK’s National Art Pass) whose revenues support museums in general. These off-site strategies are not designed to detract from the experience of visiting museums, but to encourage the creation of meaningful experiences that can be delivered beyond their walls, in order to expand audiences and generate the resources needed to ensure their future financial resilience.

This article was co-authored with Dr. Paul Burtenshaw and first published in the  International Council for Museums ‘ ‘ICOM VOICES’ feature

References and Resources

1 Bosner-Wilton, H. 2020. ‘With the coronavirus shutdown, smaller heritage sites such as the Mary Rose face a fight for survival’. The Art Newspaper. Available at:  https://www.theartnewspaper.com/comment/mary-rose-coronavirus-help  [Accessed 14 March 2021]

2 Patreon. 2021. ‘The Tank Museum’. Available at:  https://www.patreon.com/tankmuseum  [Accessed 14 March 2021]

More about the Muzeo subscription box:  https://muzeo.org/product/muzebox-a-quarterly-subscription-box/  

Narrative driven content at the Museum of London:  https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/event-detail?id=282008  

Virtual escape room experience at the Newark Museum of Art:  https://www.newarkmuseumart.org/virtual-escape-room-experience

More about the Met Unframed experience:  https://www.metmuseum.org/press/news/2021/the-met-unframed

Tank Museum Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tankmuseum

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• Emergency preparation, response and recovery

Business continuity planning for museums and galleries

Guidance from DCMS on how museums, galleries and other public buildings can prepare for an emergency or disaster.

A business continuity plan ( BCP ) is a documented strategy for avoiding or minimising adverse impacts on your business operation should a disaster or failure occur.

This guidance on business continuity planning is for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s sponsored bodies.

Benefits of business continuity planning

Effective business continuity planning ( BCP ) ensures an organisation is prepared for emergencies or disasters. By limiting damage and having a recovery plan, disruption to normal operations can be kept to a minimum.

For museums and galleries, the BCP might include a list of exhibits in order of importance, and have a dedicated recovery team available to evacuate those exhibits to a safe location in the event of an incident.

In the event of a major catastrophe, for example nuclear war, a different response would be required. Carrying out a risk assessment as part of creating the BCP ensures appropriate measures would be in place.

Alternatives to commercial insurance

Public bodies are not normally permitted to take out commercial insurance. The civil service estate covers a vast number of buildings and assets, and no insurance could cover its estate adequately. Instead, civil service buildings are covered by the Government Indemnity Scheme .

The scheme also covers the contents of national museums and art galleries, where insurance costs would normally be prohibitive.

A similar situation exists for smaller museums that house items of national importance. Trying to insure those exhibits would prove costly and potentially ineffective (as the artefacts themselves are usually irreplaceable).

Evacuation plans

The decision to evacuate items from a museum or gallery should be made by public bodies themselves, not DCMS . This process should be considered through the risk management process, including an assessment of the likelihood of an incident which would trigger the evacuation.

A full evacuation of ‘national treasures’ might only be necessary - or practicable - if war were declared, as there would at least be time to carry out an organised evacuation.

In the event of sudden nuclear, biological or chemical attack, little warning would be given. It is unlikely there would be time for an organised evacuation. In addition, the building(s) would need to be evacuated and decontaminated, which would require a security presence. Guarding specific items may be necessary due to the lack of policing in the contaminated environment. It may be useful for public bodies to co-operate on a mutually beneficial solution.

Information systems security

Organisations which use electronic information systems should have security measures in place to protect their data from threats including system failure, natural disaster and cyber-crime.

We publish Information security guidance for sponsored bodies , which offers guidance on introducing and managing secure systems.

More guidance is available as follows:

• IS 17799, IS 27001, BS 7799-3, IS 27005 and IS 18044 can be ordered from the British Standards Institution ( BSI )
• the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ( BIS ) publishes best practice security guidance
• Get Safe Online - a joint initiative between government, law enforcement, leading businesses and the public sector - publishes guidance for home users and small businesses

You can contact the following for further information:

• Des Livings, DCMS Head of Information Systems - [email protected]
• Robin Moses, Moses Security Services Limited - [email protected]

Keeping staff records

Employers have a duty of care to their staff. They should possess next-of-kin data for all permanent, casual and temporary members of staff. A copy of this information might be kept off-site in case of a disaster. However, this information must be kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Written agreement will be needed to keep anyone’s details in this way.

Collaborative working group

We have set up a group to share and promote best practice and procedures around evacuation, conservation and restoration of national art treasures.

For more details or to register, please contact Gerry Boulton:

• email - [email protected]
• tel - 020 7211 2055

Registered individuals and organisations can visit the Emergency planning group web pages (password required).

The following documents (Microsoft Word format) contain guidance on completing forms and templates listed in the next section:

• Common business areas step-by-step approach (Word 39kb) - processes/elements common to those sponsored bodies with a basic knowledge of business continuity
• Common business areas - practitioners’ approach (Word 38kb) - processes/elements common to those sponsored bodies with a working knowledge of business continuity
• Documents, templates and guidance (Word 39kb) - as referred to in guides
• Business continuity strategy options (Word 155kb) - guidance on considering options
• Business continuity strategy report (Word 465kb) - guidance notes on finalising recommendations and preparing the report
• Business impact category guidelines 1-10 (Word 56kb) - guidelines for potential adverse business impact analysis interviews
• Checklist (Word 156kb) - checklist to compare organisations current business continuity arrangements with guides and AGORA material
• Risk and risk-reduction controls (Word 107kb) - guidance on risk assessment

Forms and templates

• Implementation plan for the agreed risk reduction and business continuity plan supporting measures and controls (Word 89kb) - template for implementation plan and guidance notes
• Business continuity plan template (Word 222kb)
• Business continuity strategy report template (Word 90kb)
• Business continuity test evidence report (Word 26kb) - templates and guidance notes
• Business continuity test plans (Word 50kb) - template and guidance notes
• Business impact analysis form (Word 35kb)
• Template for guidance notes on business impact analysis and business recovery requirements (Word 63kb)
• Business impact analysis results (Word 60kb)
• Business recovery requirements (Word 91kb) - template for document / letter recording interview results
• Business recovery requirements form (Word 76kb) - form for recording results
• Business recovery requirements summary report template (Word 130kb)
• Possible business continuity strategy options form (Word 212 kb) - with guidance notes
• Consolidating business recovery requirments by business area and location form (Word 183kb) - example of completed forms together with template for short report (including guidance notes)
• Logistical elements of business continuity strategy (Word 55kb) - form and guidance notes for considering requirements
• Risk reduction controls report (Word 135kb)
• Testing strategy (Word 50kb) - template and guidance notes
• Awareness reminder plus emergency card for staff (Word 52kb) - format suggestion and example of an emergency contact card
• Example business impact analysis form (Word 68 kb)
• Example business recovery requirements form (Word 114kb)
• Example disaster-failure alert, alert tracking and alert closure forms (Word 53kb)
• Example introductory letter to senior managers completing the business impact analysis and business recovery requirements forms (Word 175kb)
• Example preparatory actions (Word 48kb)

Workshop materials

We run regular workshops with our public bodies to help them develop individual business continuity plans.

These workshops explore the 5 stages set out in the Business continuity planning guide (PDF 938kb) which explains how to introduce and maintain a business continuity plan.

The aim of the workshops is to give participants an individual, quality-tested business continuity plan in place to protect the business interests of their organisation.

The main materials used are available for download as follows:

• Introductory presentation (PDF 80kb)
• Reading materials (PDF 44kb)
• Case study documents 1 (PDF 133kb)
• Case study documents 2 (PDF 209kb)
• Case study documents 3 (PDF 157kb)
• Answers to exercise 1: completed business recovery requirements forms (PDF 455kb)
• Answers to exercise 2: possible risk reduction controls (PDF 37kb)
• Workshop 3 agenda (PDF 20 kb)
• Introductory presentation (PDF 116kb)
• Reading materials (PDF 45kb)
• Case study and exercises 1 (PDF 134 kb)
• Case study and exercises 2 (PDF 1.3mb)
• Case study and exercises 3 (PDF 75kb)
• Answers to exercise 1: a possible business continuity strategy solution (PDF 434kb)
• Answers to exercise 2: example business continuity organisation (PDF 28kb)
• Workshop 4 agenda (PDF 12 kb)
• Introductory presentation (PDF 158kb)
• Introduction and organisation charts (PDF 133kb)
• Case study notes and exercises (PDF 360kb)
• Exercise 1: example action task lists (PDF 187kb)
• Exercise 2: example business continuity plan appendices (PDF 20kb)
• Workshop 5 agenda (PDF 16kb)
• Introduction and organisation charts (PDF 192kb)
• Case study notes (PDF 298kb)
• Case study appendices and attachments (PDF 76kb)
• Case study exercises (PDF 25kb)

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Business Development: Forward Planning for Museums

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Section 2 of the Accreditation standard requires museums to: ‘Plan ahead and have the resources to deliver your plan’ and to evidence this by submitting: ‘An approved Forward or Business Plan which covers the current and subsequent planning year’

See below for guidance and also editable and printable templates for:

• SWOT Analysis (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis)
• TOWS Analysis (Enhanced SWOT)
• PESTLE Analysis (Political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental analysis)
• Action and Resource Plan (Developing strategic aims and objectives)

Note: it can be helpful, if appropriate, to work with your Museum Development Officer or your Accreditation Mentor.

1. Before you start

Drawing up a Forward/Business plan is an empowering and creative process.  It involves:

• Time and commitment
• Input from colleagues at all levels in your museum
• Input from external stakeholders and users
• Data and research

Be sure to keep everyone informed and give yourself plenty of time

2. Check: your museum’s Vision and Statement of Purpose (Mission)

Vision – an aspirational statement that is compelling to people inside and outside your museum community

Statement of purpose (mission) – a statement that expresses the museum’s purpose:

What? Who? How? Why? Are they still appropriate, clear, meaningful?

3. Review: your museum’s previous Forward Plan

• What has been achieved?
• What didn’t go so well?
• Why was this?
• What could have been done differently?
• What lessons can be learnt?

Include others in the discussion, internally & externally

4. Research: your current internal and external operating environment

• Internal: Visitor numbers, profile & trends; Financial position & income generation record; Governance; Workforce; Collections; Events & Activities; policies & plans that guide activity.
• External: competition; social, financial & political trends; supporters & potential partners.

Gather the facts to be able to make informed decisions

5. Carry out: a SWOT and PESTLE analysis

Useful tools to help analyse the operating environment

• Strengths & weaknesses: internal factors
• Opportunities & threats: external factors
• Political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors – are they opportunities or threats?

Use TOWS (enhanced SWOT) to analyse the results, draw conclusions and identify priorities

Use our templates at the bottom of this page to help you.

6. Develop and agree: Strategic Aims

They focus on the key areas of work and priorities identified through the preceding analysis.

• Spell out your mission in more detail, expressing broadly how you plan to carry it out.
• Ideally you will focus on a maximum of 5 aims, fewer if you are a very small museum.
• They may take longer than the term of your plan to achieve.

Do they connect back to your vision & mission?

7. Identify and agree: Specific objectives

Your objectives are the specific steps that your organisation will take to deliver your aims.

• Each Aim can usefully have three or four objectives, but there is no set number.
• Objectives must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-limited).

Do your objectives provide clear indicators of success to measure performance against?

Be realistic: Project or ongoing objective?

Your Forward Plan covers the improvements you want to make in the way it operates, it looks after collections, it caters for users.

It covers work that you will do in addition to the day to day operation of the museum so it is important that you are realistic in the number of Aims and Objectives you identify.

By parcelling up internal, on-going work into ‘projects’ with defined timetables and resources, their impact on your museum’s capacity can be measured and they can be included in the plan.

Include projects that you plan to do to realise a Strategic Aim, even if funding isn’t certain yet – raising the necessary funds should be included in the action plan.

By including these 2 types of project in the plan, you can assess the impact of any unforeseen happenings on the likelihood of achieving your Aims – for example, if you take up the opportunity presented by this exciting digital project, how will this effect the collections care improvements we planned? What’s the risk?  What are our priorities?

8. Draw up: an action plan

• The steps you need to take
• The resources you’ll need (money, people, kit)
• The time they need to be done in
• The success criteria

Is the action plan a clear working document, able to be understood and used by the people tasked to carry out the actions and those tasked to monitor progress?

9. Draw up: a budget

• Include capital and revenue expenditure.
• Identify restricted and unrestricted funds
• Ensure your predicted income is realistic
• Identify potential sources of additional funds
• Include a contingency sum

Have you taken account of seasonal cashflow?

10. Carry out: an analysis of risk

Throughout the business planning process ask:

• How likely?
• What could we do if?
• What might happen if we don’t?

11. Write: the plan

• Executive summary
• Vision and mission
• Introduction to the museum: history, collections, visitor profile, funding, recent achievements, summary of current operating environment – be brief: detailed figures can be included in appendices
• Strategic Aims
• Specific Objectives
• Analysis of risk
• Action plan

Is it an easy to navigate, intelligible, readable document?

12. Use: the Plan

• The Vision, Mission, Strategic Aims and Specific Objectives must be formally approved by the governing body
• The Governing body and management team should use the plan to monitor progress at least quarterly
• Circulate the plan: on your website, to friends, stakeholders and funders
• Ensure those that are tasked to deliver the plan – paid staff and volunteers – are briefed about it and have access to a copy to guide their work programme

Celebrate success when you achieve a milestone in the action plan

13. Follow: our Top tips

• Allow plenty of time to develop the plan – time spent now will save time later
• Spread the load: a small team with one lead person
• Consult and invite input from others at the review and planning stages: workforce, friends, stakeholders, funders
• Update the action plan at least yearly, the rest of the plan every 3 to 5 years

Begin the planning process again every three to 5 years – do not use cut/paste or find/replace to update an existing plan

Resource types

• Case study (17)
• E-learning (5)
• Template (21)

Resource categories

• Accreditation (9)
• Audience and Digital Engagement (21)
• Case Studies (3)
• Collections (35)
• Environmental Sustainability (5)
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (14)
• Evaluation and Forward Planning (5)
• Governance and Business Development (13)
• Introductory Resources (2)
• Managing and Supporting Volunteers (2)
• Policies Planning and Procedures (13)
• Volunteer Recruitment (8)
• Volunteering (35)
• Workforce (0)

How to Start a Profitable Museum Business [11 Steps]

Business steps:, 1. perform market analysis..

Performing a market analysis is a critical first step when planning to start a museum business. It involves researching and understanding the current market conditions, the audience you intend to attract, and the competition you'll face. Here are some essential aspects to consider:

Are museum businesses profitable?

2. draft a museum business plan..

Drafting a business plan for a museum involves outlining strategies for attracting visitors and managing collections. It's important to focus on both the educational and financial aspects. Essential components include:

How does a museum business make money?

3. develop a museum brand., how to come up with a name for your museum business.

Coming up with a name for a museum business can be a challenging task. First, try to think of words that are related to the type of museum you plan to open. Consider the themes you’ll be exploring and the missions you want to set. Brainstorming with friends and family can also help come up with ideas. Secondly, research what names other museums have used and find out what kind of response they’ve gotten. Lastly, pick a name that is memorable, appropriate to your mission, and conveys the feel of your museum - something that will spark curiosity when people hear it.

4. Formalize your business registration.

Resources to help get you started:.

Explore crucial materials designed for museum entrepreneurs, providing market trends, operational best practices, and strategic business growth advice:

5. Acquire necessary licenses and permits for museum.

Starting a museum entails complying with various legal requirements to ensure the legitimacy and smooth operation of your establishment. It's crucial to acquire the necessary licenses and permits, which may vary based on your location and the type of exhibits you plan to showcase. Below is a guide to help you navigate this step:

What licenses and permits are needed to run a museum business?

6. open a business bank account and secure funding as needed., 7. set pricing for museum services., what does it cost to start a museum business.

Initiating a museum business can involve substantial financial commitment, the scale of which is significantly influenced by factors such as geographical location, market dynamics, and operational expenses, among others. Nonetheless, our extensive research and hands-on experience have revealed an estimated starting cost of approximately $$227,000/month for launching such an business. Please note, not all of these costs may be necessary to start up your museum business.

8. Acquire museum equipment and supplies.

Starting a museum involves careful planning and acquiring the right equipment and supplies to ensure the preservation, display, and security of your collections. Here's a guide to help you identify and procure the essential items needed to run your museum smoothly and professionally.

List of software, tools and supplies needed to start a museum business:

9. obtain business insurance for museum, if required..

Securing the right business insurance is a critical step in safeguarding your museum against unforeseen events and liabilities. It's essential to consider the various types of insurance that can protect your investment, your employees, and your collections. Below is a guide to help you understand the types of insurance you may require.

10. Begin marketing your museum services.

11. expand your museum business..

Global Sheffield: Broadening horizons, supercharging start-ups

This event is part of Business Finance Week 2024, hosted by British Business Bank and partners, from 24 September to 3 October.

Date and time

Kelham Island Museum

About this event

• Event lasts 2 hours 30 minutes

Building on the success of last year's event, the British Business Bank is once again partnering with Sheffield Technology Parks, a key hub of innovation in the city's vibrant startup ecosystem. Together, we will host an inspiring breakfast event featuring the region’s most exciting founders, expert panellists, and keynote speakers focused on innovation and international business scaling.

Targeted at founders with a growth mindset and ambitions extending beyond Sheffield and the UK, this event will provide invaluable insights into scaling startups and seizing the opportunities available to take your business beyond Sheffield.

A panel of Sheffield founders will share practical advice and real-world examples from their recent experiences in scaling up and securing investment. Attendees will also have the chance to meet with trade advisors and investors, who will outline the support available to entrepreneurs with international aspirations.

Our speakers are - with more to share shortly!

Tom Wolfenden, CEO, Sheffield Technology Parks

Mark Roberts, Entrepreneur/NED/Angel Investor, Red Line Foundry

Melissa Chambers, CEO & Co-Founder, Sitehop

This event is part of Business Finance Week, hosted by British Business Bank.

The British Business Bank is 100% Government owned, but independently managed. We bring together expertise and capital to the smaller business finance markets. Our mission is to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK, and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by improving access to finance for smaller businesses. For more details about how British Business Bank processes personal data, please see our Privacy Notice.

Frequently asked questions

By car- Limited free parking available at the museum car park as well as an overflow car park and other public car parks near by. By tram- The venue is a short walk from Shalesmoor tramstop. Train - The venue is around a 25 minute walk from Sheffield train station or can be accessed by local buses

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A Walk through British history in central Moscow

The Red Square and Varvarka: First English merchants and craftsmen

The first known Brit to visit Moscow was Richard Chancellor, who accidentally reached Arkhangelsk in August 1553, while seeking the North Sea route to India. This was reported to the Russian czar at the time, Ivan IV, who invited Chancellor to Moscow, treated him as an important guest and agreed to establish duty-free trade between the two countries.

Thus, the first Englishmen to begin living in Russia were mainly merchants; they used a stone chamber-house not far from the Kremlin (on 4 Varvarka) as their residence.

The house also served as a storage chamber and the English Embassy. One of the rare remaining examples of 16 th -century architecture, the building now houses a museum called The Old English Yard, which was opened in 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their visit to Moscow.

Englishmen and Scotsmen worked in Moscow as merchants, doctors and craftsmen. Their skills were in demand in the 17 th century—a time of rapid technical development for Russia. Scottish architect and engineer Christopher Galloway was hired by the first Romanov, Czar Mikhail, to assemble a clock for Spasskaya Tower.

The clock was unusual: The dial-plate moved and its only hand stood still. Galloway explained that, “the Russians are unlike other nations, so their clock should be different from the others.” In addition, Galloway contributed to the image of Spasskaya Tower by creating its famous tented roof in 1626.

From the German Quarter to Sukharevka: Scottish friends of Peter the Great

In late-17 th -century Moscow, the British were mainly living in the German Quarter on the banks of the Yauza River (contemporary Basmannyi District).

Peter the Great, who frequented the German Quarter as a boy, later had Scotsmen at his service: Patrick Gordon, the best foreign general in Russian service; and James (Yakov) Bruce, the general, engineer and scientist who is still remembered in Moscow to this day.

The latter’s house was situated near Sukhareva Tower (demolished in 1934) —a spectacular 196-foot building from 1695, located in where Sukharevskaya Square now stands.  

Bruce hosted the first Russian astronomy school, which used the tower for observations; he also executed experiments in chemistry and predicted the solar eclipse of 1709—all of which made Muscovites believe he was some kind of warlock.

In reality, James Bruce was a senator, a minister in the Russian government, and a fearless war commander who accompanied Peter I on his harshest campaigns.

His descendant, Yakov A. Bruce, was governor general of Moscow (1784-1786) and the first governor of Moscow to inhabit the house on 13 Tverskaya, which has been the residence of city’s head ever since.

Around Tverskaya: English club and Victorian gothic church

As the English manufacturers and merchants multiplied in Russia, they found themselves in need of a social club. On March 1, 1770, the first English club was organized in St. Petersburg. One year later, an English club opened in Moscow.

The club became hugely popular among Russian nobility: In 19 th -century Moscow, to be a member of the English club meant to belong to the elite. From 1802 to 1812, the club rented a house on 15/29 Strastnoy Boulevard, which became the setting for the ceremonial dinner in honor of Russian Cmdr. P. Bagration, described by Leo Tolstoy in “War and Peace.”

In 1831, the club moved to a permanent location on 21 Tverskaya, which was the former palace of Count Razumovsky. The club boasted a huge library of Russian and European periodicals, and the club’s cuisine was considered the best in Russia.

Many famous Russian writers and officials were members of the club, including Alexander Pushkin, Nikolay Gogol, Mikhail Kutuzov, Leo Tolstoy and others—so the club certainly had an influence on Russian culture. Today, the building of the club houses the Museum of Contemporary Russian History, with some historical interior still intact.

In the 19 th century, the number of Englishmen in Moscow increased, along with industrial growth and the rising popularity of the English language among Russian nobility. The British society of Moscow now required an English church, which was founded in 1829 as a chapel on 8 Voznesensky Lane.

In the 1870s, it became clear that the chapel was too small for the growing parish, so a new Victorian gothic building—designed by English architect Richard Neil Freeman—was erected in 1884. The church was sanctified in the name of St. Andrew, as the most important people of Moscow’s British diaspora were Scottish.

Apart from a church, the building also housed a library, meeting room and an archive. The church was closed in 1920, and, in Soviet times, it was used as a dormitory. Later, because of the fascinating acoustics of the building, the church served as a recording studio for Melodiya—the Soviet Union’s largest record label.

The church re-opened in 1991, and, in 1994, it was visited by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Teatralnaya Square: The British in the cultural life of the capital

Another symbol of Moscow, the Bolshoi Theatre, began its history as an Englishman’s enterprise. In 1776, Petrovsky Theatre was opened at this location by English entrepreneur Michael Maddocks. The theatre was a huge success, as it was open to the wider public, not only to the nobility.

Petrovsky Theatre hosted 425 plays before it burned down in 1805. Its foundation and three walls were used as a base for the famous building of the Bolshoi Theatre, which was designed by the Russian architect Osip Bove. Michael Maddocks later retired and became the head of a big family, whose descendants live in Russia to the present day.

In 1898, Savva Mamontov, a famous Russian merchant and patron of the arts, opened a contest for a project involving a hotel and cultural center to be located across the square from the Bolshoi Theatre.

The jury awarded the job to renowned Moscow architect Lev Kekushev, but Mamontov himself chose the project of English architect William Walcot. After Mamontov was jailed for fraud, the building site was taken over by Petersburg Insurance, and Kekushev was assigned as a co-architect.

Walcot and Kekushev hired outstanding artists and architects—A. Golovin, V. Vasnetsov, K. Korovin, N. Andreev and others—to decorate the building. Metropol became the largest pre-Revolution hotel, famous for its magnificent “Princess of Dreams” mosaic panel by Mikhail Vrubel.

William Walcot was also the architect of Gutheil House (8 Prechistensky Lane) and Yakunchikova House (10 Prechistensky Lane), and a dormitory for English governesses at 9 Spiridonievsky Lane—all very fine examples of English decadent art nouveau architecture.

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Ukraine-Russia war - latest updates

Follow our Ukraine war blog for all the latest developments, reaction and analysis. Got a question on the conflict or its wider implications? Submit it below and our experts will answer a selection.

Monday 22 July 2024 13:17, UK

• Everything you need to know as war enters new week
• Your questions answered: Could internal dissent lead to Putin's removal from power? | Has the West been honest about Ukraine's failures?

Ask a question or make a comment

It's been another big week in the conflict, with world leaders met for a NATO summit and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to the UK to attend a European Political Community meeting. 

We haven't been able to bring you live coverage today, but here's an overview of where the war stands at the moment to kick off the new week... 

Secret labs across Ukraine building 'robot army' to fight Russia

Ukraine is hoping to assemble swathes of cheap, unmanned drones that it hopes will kill Russian troops and save its own wounded soldiers and civilians.

An ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops across Ukraine are building this robot army at a fraction of the cost it takes to import similar models.

Estimates believe around 250 defence startups across the country are creating the killing machines at secret locations that typically look like rural car repair shops.

Costing around $35,000 (£27,000) to build, employees at startups like those run by entrepreneur Andrii Denysenko can put together an unmanned ground vehicle called the Odyssey in four days from a shed.

The 800kg Odyssey prototype can travel up to 18.5 miles (30km) on one charge of a battery the size of a small beer cooler.

It acts as a rescue and supply drone but can be modified to carry a remotely operated heavy machine gun or sling mine-clearing charges.

Russia and China conclude naval drills

Russian and Chinese ships used joint naval exercises in the South China Sea last week to successfully rehearse several combat drills, Russian state media reports. 

Russia's Pacific Fleet was cited as saying that the two navies had carried out about 30 combat exercises, including joint artillery firing at sea, coastal and air targets, and joint search and rescue operations at sea.

The drills, dubbed "Maritime Cooperation 2024", have now concluded. 

China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in 2022 when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.

Russia's Kharkiv advance halted, Zelenskyy says

While speaking at the European Political Community summit, Mr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had halted Moscow's forces completely in Kharkiv. 

The Ukrainian president made the comment while trying to convince leaders to help with Kyiv's air defence capability.

"We have stopped the Russian advance on Kharkiv - period," he said.

"Putin has sacrificed tens of thousands of his citizens but has achieved nothing significant," he added.

Russia launched a surprise attack on Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region in May, opening up another front for Ukraine to defend.

Trump and Zelenskyy have 'very good phone call'

On Friday, Donald Trump and Mr Zelenskyy had a "very good phone call", according to the former US president, after he promised to end Russia's war with Ukraine if he was re-elected.

Mr Zelenskyy "congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States", he said in a post on the social media app Truth Social.

The pair agreed to "discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting", according to Mr Zelenskyy in a post on X.

That's all for our live updates on the war in Ukraine for today. 

We'll be back tomorrow with all the latest. 

In the meantime, here's a reminder of today's key events: 

• Ukraine said Russia was "testing new tactics" after it launched its fifth drone attack on Kyiv in two weeks;
• Russian fighter jets stopped two US strategic bombers from violating the country's airspace, Moscow's defence ministry said;
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated calls for countries to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons after Russia's overnight drone and missile attack;
• Russian state media reported Moscow's troops had captured two settlements in Ukraine - Rozivka, in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, and Pishchane Nizhne in the northeastern Kharkiv region;
• Russian forces launched a "double tap" attack on first responders in Sumy, the Ukrainian state emergency service said;
• Mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko warned the Ukrainian president faces "a very difficult" time in the coming months. 

Ukraine is developing AI systems to help fly a vast fleet of drones. 

A number of startups in the country are working to roll out AI-enabled drones across the front line in the hope of overcoming Russia's unmanned aerial vehicle power. 

Swarmer is developing software that links drones in a network, allowing decisions to be implemented instantly across the group. 

"For a swarm of 10 or 20 drones or robots, it's virtually impossible for humans to manage them," Swarmer chief executive Serhiy Kupriienko told Reuters. 

The company is one of more than 200 tech firms that have sprung up since the war started. 

Mr Kupriienko said that while human pilots struggle to run operations involving more than five drones, AI will be able to process hundreds.

The system, called Styx, directs a web of reconnaissance and strike drones, both large and small, in the air and on the ground. 

Every drone would be able to plan its own moves and predict the behaviour of the others in the swarm, he explained. 

Swarmer's technology is still under development and has only been trialled on the battlefield experimentally, he added. 

Two Ukrainian photojournalists have been injured after coming under Russian fire. 

Olga Kovalyova and Vladyslav Krasnoshchok had been documenting the situation in Donetsk from a trench near the front line when they came under attack. 

Ms Kovalyova, who works for the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), was evacuated and hospitalised after being hit by shrapnel, the organisation said. 

"I was saved by a bulletproof vest and a helmet. The shrapnel got to a place where there was no protection," Ms Kovalyova said, according to UAPP's statement. 

"It's a pity that it happened on the first day of the business trip."

Mr Krasnoshchok suffered a concussion but did not require hospital treatment, it added. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will face a "very difficult" time over the coming months, the mayor of Kyiv has warned. 

Speaking to Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, Vitaliy Klitschko said the Ukrainian president will have to make hard decisions that could lead to "political suicide". 

He warned that Mr Zelenskyy may have to launch a referendum in Ukraine if a territorial compromise with Russia is put on the table. 

"The coming months will be very difficult for Volodymyr Zelenskyy," he said. 

"Will he have to continue the war with new deaths and destruction, or consider the possibility of a territorial compromise with Putin?" 

"Whatever move he makes, our president risks political suicide. Let's be honest, we have to win the war, but the situation is getting more and more difficult. It depends on the help that comes from the allies. It would be a nightmare if we had to fight for two more years." 

More than 270 Ukrainian Telegram channels have been hacked today, news outlets in the country have reported. 

Hackers sent a message to Ukrainians telling them to "lay down their arms", according to Suspilne. 

Messages also appeared accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of starting the war, it said. 

In a Facebook post, Ukraine's state security service said the cyberattack was carried out by the Russian FleepBot service. 

"On July 21, mass publication of messages of a provocative nature was recorded in a number of well-known Ukrainian Telegram channels that used the FleepBot software to post news," it wrote. 

"We would like to once again emphasize the danger of using any software of the aggressor country."

FleepBot is a Telegram tool that allows users to schedule posts to go out automatically. 

Russian forces have launched a "double tap" attack on first responders in Sumy, the Ukrainian state emergency service has said.

Emergency workers had been dealing with the aftermath of an overnight missile attack on the northeastern city when they came under fire. 

They were extinguishing one of five fires at a residential building at the time, the service said. 

No casualties have been reported. 

The "double tap" tactic, which has been used by Russia throughout the war, sees an area come under a second attack shortly after an initial strike. 

In several cases, the second attack has come while rescuers are trying to help those who have been injured. 

In March, more than 20 people were killed in the southern city of Odesa in a "double tap" attack. 

At the time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as a "despicable act of cowardice". 

By Lara Keay , news reporter

The establishment of the "axis powers" in the 1930s paved the way for the Second World War.

Agreements signed between Germany, Italy, and Japan in 1936 united them in their expansionist interests and hatred of Western allies.

Amid Russia's war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and China's repeated threats of invading Taiwan, some security and military analysts say we are on a similar path again and that Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are the "new axis powers".

The last time a similar term was used was in 2002 by former US President George W Bush, describing Iran, Iraq, and North Korea, as an "axis of evil" in the wake of 9/11.

Ahead of a new UK defence review, former defence secretary and NATO leader Lord Robertson described Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea as a "deadly quartet".

There have also been warnings more than one of them risks triggering a third world war within the next five years.

Here Sky News looks at the risk they pose and how it could affect life in the UK...

People living in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region have been left without water, a Ukrainian organisation has said. 

The region was illegally annexed by Russia in 2022, but is not fully controlled by Moscow. 

When Russian troops occupied the area, they attempted to build a pipeline to pump water from the River Don to the region. 

But the Ukrainian Centre of National Resistance has said the pipeline has stopped working due to a power outage. 

It claimed there had been ongoing issues with the system due to fighting in the region, but repairs have taken months and the situation has "worsened". 

"Due to the power outage in Russia, the pumping stations of the newly built canal have failed, and the water supply has stopped completely," it said. 

Russian troops have captured two settlements in Ukraine, state media has reported. 

The village of Rozivka, in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, and Pishchane Nizhne in the northeastern Kharkiv region have both been taken, according to the reports. 

TASS news agency said both villages were captured in one day. 

It quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying: "As a result of successful actions, units of the West group of troops liberated the settlements of Rozivka in the Luhansk People's Republic and Pishchane Nizhne in the Kharkiv region, and also occupied more advantageous lines and positions." 

Russia illegally annexed Luhansk and three other regions (Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia) in 2022. 

The international community still recognises the areas as part of Ukraine. 

Kharkiv has been one of Russia's targets since the early days of the war, but the region became more of a focal point in May when Moscow's forces launched a cross-border incursion. 

Ukrainian officials have previously said the incursion had been contained, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the Kharkiv advance had been "halted" in an address to world leaders earlier this week. 

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