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A Forfar mum who built the UK’s largest K-pop community is now wanting to use her networking skills to boost Angus businesses.

Freya Bigg was first introduced to Korean pop music, known as K-pop, on a school trip to Japan in 2010.  Then a fifth-year pupil at Broughty Ferry’s Grove Academy, she wanted to find more people who shared her passion.

So she started a Twitter page which, within a month, had more than 500 followers.

Having connected with other K-pop enthusiasts, they came together to form Unitedkpop.

Reporting on K-pop news and shows, the passion project grew to have more than 20,000 social media followers, with tens of thousands more reading its website.

She said: “It came from me staring to write about everything that was happening.  It had a really good reputation.

“We interviewed quite a lot of different K-pop stars and I went on a trip to Korea in 2015 that was paid for through the Korean Tourism Organisation.

“After seven years, I woke up one day and thought I wanted to give it up.  The next day I found out I was pregnant with my son.

“I passed the site to my friend who kept the site going.

“It wasn’t even about making money.  It was about sharing a passion and building a community.”

The concept of sharing and networking has informed Freya’s new venture, Angus Business Hub.

The Duncan of Jordanstone graduate found it hard to know all the business resources available when she started her graphic design business Faeble Arts.

She also discovered the power of networking as a way of winning clients.

Freya said: “At the start of being freelance, networking was my idea of a nightmare.

“But I think a lot of people overlook presence as part of their marketing.

“You need to be seen, whether it’s in person or online.  In person is better because you make a connection.  It’s been vital for me.

“Sometimes you talk to a business owner and realise you know someone else who might help them.  That’s where Angus Business Hub has come in.

“Going through my start-up year, I saw there were gaps that could be brought together.”

Freya runs Angus Business Hub with Fiona Fotheringham, a local Utility Warehouse franchisee.

They set up a Facebook group in June last year and registered the community interest company in September.

It holds between two and four events a month and will launch its own magazine this week.

Mum-of-two Freya said: “We have run networking events and a few skills workshops.  We put people into groups and people can share problems they are looking to get input on.

“It’s a chance to get lived experience from other business owners.”

Angus Business Hub will hold a launch event for its magazine at the Reid Hall in Forfar tomorrow (8 January) from noon to 2pm.

This article appeared in The Courier on 7 January 2026