Grow your business with printing.com

A Spring clean... and a new blog & website

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:51:00 +0000

We've been Spring cleaning! With all of this sun and showers, we've been inspired to update a few things round here and one of those things is our blog and website.

All of the previous content is still available here but to find out what we've been up to since the beginning of April, please follow us to:

https://businesstonik.wordpress.com/

Take a look and tell us what you think!

KanTeq: An example of why a brand is more than just a logo.

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:05:00 +0000

I'm constantly banging on about the difference between having a logo and having a brand. It's a common misconception and it amazes me how many people think they have a brand where in fact they have an identity, and sometimes not even that!

A great brand creates an experience and a journey. It sets up an expectation of what it will be like to deal with that company through its image, its voice and its marketing and then it delivers on that promise. And as a result of delivering on it, it gets people raving about it. A great brand is not just tangible, it should connect with it's audience emotionally.

I recently came across a great example of what a brand is all about which I wanted to share with you partly because it is a great example and partly because I think this particular company deserves some recognition. This company is KanTeq.

For those of you who don't know, I own a horse called Alfie. He's still a youngster but my aspiration is to compete with him. There's tons of kit to buy when you get your first horse and one of the most important choices you'll make is which body protector to invest in. There are lots on the market but one that particularly caught my eye was the Kan Body Protector.

There is much talk on various horsey forums about this body protector (BP) with it being new to the market. Plus those who have one are raving about it. BP's are not a rider's favourite piece of gear but Kan wearers actually love wearing it!

I also liked the fact that it is geared towards women, being shaped in all the right places. So, I visited the website and this is where my customer journey began.

The Kan is not the cheapest BP on the market. It sits somewhere in the middle, being £235, but to my mind, you can't really put a price on a piece of safety kit. Afterall, this piece of kit might be responsible for saving my life one day! And besides, KanTeq do a good job of justifying their cost.

The website is very easy to get around and there is a lot of emphasis on the key differences of this product, including the fact that it is incredibly safe and incredibly comfortable. The company makes excellent use of third party testimonials, with many very genuine reports of how the Kan has worked, especially in the case of bad falls.

There is also great use of video both for customer testimonials and from Wendy McCaughan, the company's founder. Also, even though this is a safety item, you still want to look good wearing it. The fashion-style imagery helped create the right impression of how wearable this product is.

Every company needs a story and KanTeq has one. Wendy is extremely passionate about what she does and this comes across on the website, in the videos and on the phone when I called to discuss my order. Wendy spent time with me going through the best fit for me and went to great pains to convey how important it was that I was 100% happy with my purchase. This promise was then borne out when I found that I needed to have the fit altered having changed shape over the course of a few months. Wendy readily accepted the BP back, made the necessary changes and got the BP back to me quickly in time for an event.

I know that it cost her to sort this out for me but she stated that it was more important that she had happy customers out there wearing her product as she saw this as the way forward to growing her customer base.

So, what makes KanTeq a great brand? Here's my checklist... how does your business compare?

The positioning is clear - designed by a woman for women
The proposition is unique - there is no other BP like it on the market
It is innovative - it uses technology not currently used in the equestrian industry
It has a clear visual identity - the logo is easily identifiable and the image is one of efficiency, reliability and technology (in colour psychology terms, the Winter colour palette is used which is entirely appropriate)
It instills confidence - through the image, the language used and testimonials
It has a story - we know how this company and product has come about, making us care
It creates a buzz - Kan wearers like to 'share the word' and tell others, creating loyalty
It delivers on it's promise - my experience has been everything I expected it to be

I had the opportunity to try out my Kan yesterday. I can confirm that it really is extremely comfortable and stylish. Fortunately, I didn't need to experience its safety credentials!

A win in the Annual Design Awards for third year running

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Every year printing.com runs their Annual Design Awards. Open to over 200 creative agencies across the UK, the competition provides an opportunity for the 'best of the best' to be recognised for their creative services.

We always enter and we always come up tops and this year was no exception.

I am very pleased and proud to announce that Oliver came 2nd in the 'Prestige' category with his booklet design for Amy Karim of Crystal Bridal Accessories and 1st place in the 'Seasonal' category for his voucher card design for Rachel Hague of The Schoolrooms.

It's fantastic to be recognised for our design offering but even better is to hear the feedback our clients give us. Interestingly, a recurring theme in the work that gets the most accolades is that the client invests realistically in the design time and allows us creative freedom to produce what we believe will work best.

1st place - 'Seasonal' for The Schoolrooms Butchery~Deli~Cafe

"I'm really pleased to hear that my voucher card has won this award. I enjoy working with the Sheffield printing.com team because they make things easy for us. I am very busy and often will provide a loose brief of what I'm looking for but then leave it to the team to come up with the solution. They understand our brand ethos and what we are trying to achieve and their designs interpret this perfectly. Importantly, what they do actually helps us to win business. The voucher card was a success, it brought in people and this meant more sales. We will definitely be running this campaign again next year!" Rachel Hague, The Schoolrooms

2nd place - 'Prestige' for Crystal Bridal Accessories

"I am ecstatic with the results of the style guide brochure – it is professional, high quality and very well-designed. The design process itself was stress-free and I was impressed with the way all our ideas, thoughts, likes, dislikes were discussed so that the end product reflected our image perfectly! We were given detailed information about paper types, styles and finishes which helped us to make the right decision about the look of our final brochure. Thanks for an excellent service and a beautiful brochure. We will definitely be recommending you to all our colleagues in the industry." Amy Karim, Crystal Bridal Accessories

What a fantastic start to 2012, don't you think?!

We love to design... An e-booklet for a Sheffield events company

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:51:00 +0000

There's no denying that online approaches to marketing are evermore popular and so often I hear that offices are going 'paperless' and sending out less printed materials. Whilst I'd argue that printed materials should have their place in the overall marketing strategy, that debate is for another article entirely.

Whether you're printing or online, one things for sure - you should still invest in great design. If you're trying to win work, the impression you make counts and certainly, poor design will only create a hurdle that none of us need in current times.

One company that understands this is Speakers from the Edge. This seriously driven company organises inspirational speakers for events, with those speakers consisting of explorers, mountaineers, adventurers... people who are amongst the most inspirational you are ever likely to listen to!

Directors Rebecca Varley and Kerry Galvin approached us to discuss how best to develop the corporate side of their business. More often than not, when approaching businesses, they were being asked to email information but were coming up against large file sizes and attachments. People are never keen to receive large PDF's and often firewalls will stop the email coming through, remove the attachment or put the email into junk... all bad.

So, our solution was to design and publish an e-booklet which would provide a link that could be pasted into an email or added to the website to download.

Oliver worked through three different creative approaches for Rebecca and Kerry to choose from:

And then once they'd chosen, the style was applied to the whole booklet. The e-booklet is completely interactive, easy-to-use and allows click-throughs to the website, emails, links and so on. Importantly, it can also support the printed article as the same files are used. This means that you're covering all bases. Not everyone wants something in the post and not everyone is happy with just an email. Personally, I find doing both makes the biggest impact.

My photography doesn't do this project justice so to view the live e-booklet, take a look at the following link: Speakers From The Edge e-booklet

I think the crucial thing with this project is that Rebecca and Kerry gave Oliver his head with the design. Whilst he still worked within the brand constraints, having understood the brief Oliver had free rein over the approach and as a result, Speaker's had three highly creative, unique and eye-catching approaches to choose from and a final result that will, we have no doubt, help Speakers from the Edge to win the clients that they want.

"We came to talk to printing.com Sheffield about a new innovative way to market our motivational speakers to potential clients. We wanted a fresh, eye-catching and interactive way to engage our clients that would complement our existing website and drive traffic to it. Given their marketing know-how, we asked the team for their advice, and they suggested designing an e-booklet.

The team were extremely enthusiastic and totally understood our brief. The entire process, from concept to design through to the final product was expertly driven by the team. We now have a stylish, fully interactive and user-friendly e-booklet which is central to our marketing strategy. As always, printing.com Sheffield were a pleasure to work with and we would highly recommend this particular service to any company looking to grow their business."

We love to design... a retro design for an accountancy firm near Sheffield

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:45:00 +0000

Opposite this post you'll see that I recommend my 'straight-talking accountant', Robert Tippett of Leesing Marrison Lee & Co.

I thought I'd write a quick post on a little project we've just completed for them to advertise their new referral scheme. Robert, like many of our clients, wanted us to 'just put something together' for them. So, we came up with a little concept which we think will help grab the attention of his clients.

So often I see the professional services opting for the same old, same old... pictures of people in suits, the stereotypical 'shaking hands', the boring 'we're serious about business' blue. I wanted Robert's promotion to look different because Robert isn't your stereotypical accountant (this being a good thing!).

So, we went for a retro, tongue-in-cheek approach. Retro is all the rage at the moment and I know that the theme isn't new but I think this is the best approach to getting the promotion noticed against the usual paperwork that you get through from your accountant. And I don't think it ever does any harm to inject some humour into your marketing, so long as it doesn't undermine the professionalism of the company.

So here's a couple of pictures of the flyer, produced on a high gloss finish for maximum impact. Simple but effective, I'm sure you'll agree:

I'm very pleased with how they look and I'm looking forward to finding out how the campaign works for Robert. And of course, if you decide to use Robert's services once you've read this post, make sure you tell me because I'll be onto Robert for my commission!

Sarah

The diary of a new brand... Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:12:00 +0000

I've committed a heinous crime. The crime of not updating my blog. I've neglected it for nearly 2 months and have come back to it to find it smelly, stale and in need of some tender loving care. But here's my excuse....

We are in the middle of launching a new brand... for ourselves. We have for some years now delivered a high standard of design and for many of our clients we also provide logo design services, copywriting, web design and marketing support but we do feel we're hiding our light under a bushel, so to speak!

We know that we're only delivering half of the solution when it comes to launching a successful brand for our clients but we also know that to attract the right projects and instill confidence in our abilities, we've got to re-position ourselves. Don't get me wrong, the printing.com side of our business will continue to run as it alway has but as with any good business, we also recognise the need to adapt and change.

And so, I think that there's value in me sharing with you our journey, in anticipation of our new brand's eventual launch.

So, what does it take to launch a new brand? Well, there are in my experience and opinion a number of steps to be taken:

1) Identify an opportunity or gap in the market - is there actually space for you or do you need to create that space?

2) Establish what your brand will represent - what are your core values, your core purpose and business model? Write this all down and share it with your team as your brand, crucially, starts from the inside.

3) Position yourself - who are your potential customers, your competitors and how will you differentiate yourself?

4) Identity - what will your brand name be? What will your logo look like? What will your corporate identity look like? Does the look, feel and colour palette convey the right message to the customers you wish to attract?

5) Communication - internally, how will you ensure that your company lives the brand? Externally, how will you market your brand?

6) Delivery - a brand only grows if the promise it makes is delivered on. How will you ensure this happens and how will you measure it?

I'm pleased to say that we are now at stage 4 of this process but boy, has it been a tricky journey so far!

So, what do you think so far of our plans? And what do you think it takes to launch a successful brand? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Keep checking back to learn more about how we've approached each stage and for the final unveiling....

We love to design... a slick look for a start-up training company

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:57:00 +0000

We love to work with start-up businesses. We find that start-up's get the most out of our services because they recognise that our input can add value and they tend to trust our judgement. Start-up businesses are also a sponge for information and expertise and it can therefore be very energising working with them.

Gemma and Anita of Global Hair Training were no exception to this. Having just launched a hair training company through which to deliver their own extensive expertise, they needed an eye-catching, slick and professional image to roll out their company. As with many start-up's, budgets were tight but this never changes the standard of the final results - we just ask the client to do a bit more of the legwork than normal!

Oliver started off by creating a simple and low cost logo. The ladies gave us a rough idea of what they had in mind and we created is graphically so our creative input was hugely reduced, thus minimising costs in this area. However, even a quick job by us looks hugely professional!

Gemma and Anita really liked the idea of a shaped card with spot UV for maximum impact. By using an offer on our StarMarque business cards coupled with a voucher for free shaping, we managed to get the most out of the budget allocated to the cards. The cards look fantastic and the ladies are getting a lot of attention and positive feedback from them.

We then sent Gemma and Anita off to get together the content for their hand-out and to source imagery. They did a great job of selecting images that really enhanced the overall look.

The final stage of the project was their website. The brief was to create a website that would create an online 'shop front' that hairdressers and the like could go to, off the back of the business cards and hand-outs, to find out more about Gemma and Anita and the courses they are running. With a tight budget, we had to come up with quite a few work-arounds, including PDF click-through's rather than link pages.

The site is a simple solution and whilst it is not intended to drive business (since it is not SEO'd), it does provide an excellent solution for the stage that GHT is at currently.

We weren't the first choice for GHT, as the following feedback shows, but we think that Gemma and Anita are pleased they found us in the end:

"We were originally recommended to use printing.com by a friend but, thinking that all printing.com's were the same, made the mistake of going to a store closer to us. We had our meeting but felt that our ideas weren't taken seriously and no feedback was given so we approached the team originally recommended in Sheffield. We found them very approachable and we had a number of meetings with them in which they gave us great ideas to promote our business. The design was fantastic and we've had lots of positive feedback about the business cards, hand-outs and website, all of which have a very professional look and feel."

Are you missing key opportunities to win more business?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:25:00 +0000

Considering how tight cash is these days, I continue to be amazed at how sloppy many businesses are when it comes to winning business. Let me give you a couple of examples.

Last year, when we were looking for someone to carpet our house, we put the opportunity to two local businessmen. Both visited the house. One supplied a quote instantly. The other procrastinated... and procrastinated... finally supplying his price after the job has been done and dusted!

My second example is a company that we subcontract to from time to time. It's taken no less than four phone calls to place an order and I'm still chasing them up to get the order moving so that our client receives their goods on time! It's infuriating me and it goes without saying, we won't be using them again.

So, are you doing everything possible to win your share of the business out there?

Here are my 5 top tips on those fundamental things that you should be doing in your business to up your chances.

Answer your phone in a professional manner.
How your business number is answered forms the first impression that a potential client will have of your company. Sloppy answering means sloppy company as far as I'm concerned! It should be clear to the caller that they've reached the correct company and who they're speaking to. On this topic, if you can't always answer the phone, be sure to have an answer machine with a professional, recorded message and it is good practice to respond within 4 hours. Better still, use a remote PA service (I can put you in touch with a few).

Build a database.
How many times have you called a business to ask for a price but not been asked for any contact details? Building a database of enquiries and clients is crucial to business growth and frankly, if you're not going to take details, you might as well chuck your marketing budget in the bin! Without contact details you can't follow up, you can't market ongoing and you can't build a relationship with your client base. There are plenty of excellent CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems out there but even Excel will do the job on a smaller scale.

Provide a price promptly.
I'm a big believer that the way you do business before you've won the order is a good indication of how you'll handle the contract once you've won the order. Be prompt and efficient and above all, don't wait to be chased up! I'm aware that there's a school of thought that advocates appearing not to need the work in order to add more value to what you do but I personally think that this is a risky approach to take. I think that sloppiness at this stage just demonstrates that you're disorganised and will likely carry through to the entire order process. That's just my opinion but also my experience.

Follow up.
You wouldn't believe how much work we win because we bother to follow up our enquiries. It's not always about price. Sometimes people just want to work with people who want their work and being keen to win the job demonstrates that you'll fulfil it to a high standard. Really, this is just the final stage of the standard sales process - closing. Asking for the order is the thing that many people struggle with but is most likely to secure the sale. What's more, following up allows you to handle any objections or concerns about moving forward.

Deliver on your promises.
It sounds obvious but if you don't do what you say you will, when you say you'll do it by, you'll be unlikely to secure further work. Printing.com has a fantastic guarantee - it's on time or it's on us - and boy, does it keep our service sharp. What type of guarantees could you implement into your service delivery? And what processes do you need in place to ensure you stick to those guarantees? The key elements of my business are communication, project management and traceability of the order and from the feedback I receive, we don't let our clients down. This is all part of growing a trusted brand.

These things are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to growing your business but in my experience are some of the most crucial things.

Why not stand back from your business for a moment and assess whether you've got the basics in place? It could make all the difference.

We love to design... an elegant new brochure for a bridal accessories company

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:19:00 +0000

I think it's time I updated you with what we've been up to in the design studio this month!

We've recently completed a project for fabulous bridal accessories company, Crystal Bridal Accessories. Crystal is owned and run by the very driven and focused Amy Karim.

Amy clearly has her finger on the pulse when it comes to ideas for accessorising your wedding outfit and I love the way that she's approached her business as a fashion advice resource. Often it can be difficult for people to visualise what should go together or how to create a particular look but Amy has made this easy for her customers, with lots of advice, imagery and a blog. I particularly love the vintage-style accessories and looks, evoking art deco imagery.

Amy was keen to bring a selection of her products and inspiration together into an elegant brochure which customers could purchase as a handy guide to creating their perfect wedding outfit.

Amy was fantastic to work with, providing a clear vision of how she wanted her brochure to look but allowing us to have our creative input and responding to advice in a way that allowed us to add real value to the project.

Amy opted for a square format with silk inner pages and a matt laminated cover, which adds to the elegance and finesse of the finished brochure. We were given beautiful, professional photos to work with (half the battle won in a product brochure!) and Amy provided visuals of where we were heading. It was then up to us to realise her vision. Amy had this fantastic feedback for us:

"I am ecstatic with the results of the style guide brochure – it is professional, high quality and very well-designed. The design process itself was stress-free and I was impressed with the way all our ideas, thoughts, likes, dislikes were discussed so that the end product reflected our image perfectly! We were given detailed information about paper types, styles and finishes which helped us to make the right decision about the look of our final brochure. Thanks for an excellent service and a beautiful brochure. We will definitely be recommending you to all our colleagues in the industry."

Thank you Amy! It was great to work with you and we are equally pleased with the results!

Check out Amy's site (www.crystalbridalaccessories.co.uk) and tell your friends about her, especially if they're planning their wedding or have a special occasion coming up. And order your own Bridal Accessories Style Guide before they sell out!


Inspiration and direction

A simple cover using elegant typography

Clear instructions on how to order

Eye-catching headlines that categorise the range

Magazine style spreads that offer fashion advice

Individual styling for each page

Clear contact details to drive website traffic

Marketing advice for a fashion label

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:14:00 +0000

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I love Dragon's Den. I'm finding that it's a great source of inspiration for this blog and Sunday's episode was no exception.

There's always lots of discussion about the strength of a company's brand and this week, the focus was on cult fashion label Brat & Suzie.

The label is headed up by twins Polly & Charlotte Vickery, who braved Dragon's Den to pitch for investment to grow their business.

The twins are lovely - very cute, very quirky, very driven and pretty damn persuasive. There's no doubting that their clothes range is unique and I shall definitely be making (a few!) purchases.

But what was painfully missing was a visible identity and brand.

Polly and Charlotte appeared in Dragon's Den with just a clothes rail and wearing items from their range.

There was no corporate identity, no marketing materials, nothing to remind you of their name. In fact, I missed their name at the beginning of their pitch and only found it out when they explained that the name came from their kittens when they were kids - quirky but befitting considering their range features animals.

They clearly have a unique product, especially judging from the amount of magazine coverage they've achieved. The problem is that the twins are the company and without a strong brand to carry their ethos, story and personality, I don't see how they can scale up their operation.

So, this would be my advice to Brat & Suzie:

Invest in a unique logo.
It can be tough when you're working on a budget but I passionately believe that it's essential to invest in a unique identity that has been designed specifically for your company. No free fonts, no matter how great they are these days - anyone can use them and this doesn't bode well for differentiating your identity.

Create an eye-catching corporate identity.
The illustrations that Brat & Suzie use are so stunning and kitsch, I find it amazing that they didn't enter the Den with visuals that would demonstrate their identity. How about clothes labels, banners, postcards? They could have given each Dragon a little branded package of goodies which would really have emphasised their message. Unfortunately, even the clothes rail was pretty uninspiring in its presentation and did little to promote the fabulous range of designs.

Build a compelling brand.
There's a story behind Brat & Suzie and you warm to the girls instantly. However, there seems to be little out there about the girls and the website does little to draw attention to the story with just an 'about us' link at the bottom of the page which I missed several times. Girls! Let us in on who you are and what you're about so that we can buy into your vision, not just your clothes!

As I'm writing this I'm wondering if I've missed the point - maybe it's cool to be so invisible, maybe that's what makes it 'cult' - but then why appear on Dragon's Den looking to expand?

That said, what better coverage can you get? Maybe this is just the start of their strategy for expansion and according to reports, their website crashed during the show so at least now they're getting the attention they deserve. Now I'm off to get me a Victorian Rabbit Top!

Why free design is bad news for your business

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:21:00 +0000

Times are tough, there's no secret about that. And with tighter and tighter budgets, it can be tempting to look at ways to cut corners. The lure of free design is a tempting proposition and one we often find ourselves up against but here's why I think it's damaging for your business.

Something has to give.
I passionately believe that when design is 'free', something has to give. When someone isn't making money from something, how much effort will they be putting into your design? And remember, a great design is crucial to a piece of print working. If the design doesn't communicate your offering in the right way, you'll be reducing your chances of a response. Do you think someone doing free design for you will be giving your company the consideration and time it deserves?

Who takes the hit in the end?
Along the theme of 'something has to give', money has to be made somewhere. If the designer is also producing the print for you, and they're doing the design for 'free', then the profit has to be in the print and this can often mean cheap, flimsy papers and cards. Think about the impression you'll be giving of your business if you hand out cheap business cards featuring a shoddy design at your next networking event (Vistaprint, anyone?).

Get to the back of the queue!
How long are you prepared to wait? If there's no money in it for the designer, how likely are they to prioritise your job? Chances are they'll stick you way behind the people who are paying or they'll have so much on because they're working for free, you'll be waiting a long, long time for a piece of sub-standard design work. You'll likely lose more money waiting to get your marketing out than you would have paid to have a professional design produced!

A false ecomony.
On a practical level and in our experience, companies who give away their services for free are rarely around in years to come. This can often mean that your design files, or even your website, can disappear with them. On this point, a company that has longevity must be doing something right in their own business. Taking note from successful suppliers can do wonders for your own!

Give your company the attention it deserves.
Why use someone to produce design for your business who undervalues their own service so much that they'll give it away for free?! You have to question a designer who is having to give away their service in order to win work. Or maybe they simply don't have confidence in their own skills. The cost of a designer often reflects their skills and knowledge. Pay nothing and you're likely to get nothing of value in return. Invest in your business and you'll see the return.

"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair, American Oil Well Firefighter

7 tips for achieving your goals

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:16:00 +0000

I finally bought my horse this week.

This has been a lifelong dream and my main motivation for being self-employed since I figured I'd have better control over what I can earn and what hours I work - both useful prerequisites of horse ownership!

What is interesting about achieving this life goal this year is that when I wrote down this year's personal goals at the start of the year, buying a horse was on that list. In fact, throughout my life, my lists have lead to me buying my first car, buying my house, buying my business... so on and so forth.

So, what is it about the power of the written word when it comes to achieving your goals?

A recent study conducted by the Dominican University supported the positive effect of written goals: those who wrote their goals down accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals.

So, here are my 7 tips on goal achievement:

1. Write down your goals - this makes them tangible and real and helps provide focus.

2. Tell your friends and family about your goals - this creates accountability and you'll be more inclined to provide updates on where you're up to which is hugely motivational.

3. Break each goal down into manageable chunks - a big goal can be overwhelming and might only be achieved through other smaller goals being achieved. Work it back to achieving the smaller goals and the overall goal tends to happen organically.

4. Make your goals SMART - that's specific, measureable, agreed, realistic & time-based. Just writing down a list of your life's desires will not always turn into reality (although it still increases your chances) but planning each goal in detail will help with point 3.

5. Create visible reminders of your goal - if you're a procrastinator like me, you'll need visual prompts to motivate you. I've had a picture of me riding as my laptop screen background which has triggered conversation with clients about why it's there!

6. Review your goals regularly - maybe once a quarter to see how you're getting on and to make any neccesary changes to the grand plan.

7. Tell everyone once you've achieved your goal - you'll find people will celebrate in your achievement and crucially, it is also self-affirming to acknowledge that you have achieved yet another one of your goals!

So, with this in mind, here's a picture of my beautiful boy... all I need to do now is set another goal that will allow me to afford his huge food bills!!!

A strong brand is what?!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:03:00 +0000

I love Dragon's Den. It's a great mixture of entertainment, inspiration and, let's face it, self-efficacy!

I was especially intrigued this week by Evan Davis's summary of a strong brand being 'more than just a logo, it's a whole visual identity'. I know, I'm being picky - he was using this as a lead on to the three popcorn chaps - but my instant reaction was 'that's not what a strong brand is all about'!

He is, of course, not the first to get confused about the differences between a logo, a corporate identity and a brand. It's a potentially confusing topic, especially as many people hope they have a brand, but rarely do.

So, let's iron this out simply.

A logo is an icon, symbol or font style that represents your business in it's simplest form.

A corporate identity is the visual aspects that represent the brand, such as letterheads, signage and packaging.

A brand is an emotion or gut instinct about the company. Your brand is not what you think it is but what your audience's perception is.

HEALTHY... FRESH... TASTY... FUNKY... DESIRABLE... SUSTAINABLE... ETHICAL... FOCUSED...

Creating a strong brand does include an effective logo and it does include a fantastic corporate identity but the brand is driven by ensuring that everything that the company does, says and projects fulfils the values, aims and ethos of the overall business.

It therefore goes without saying that you won't have a strong brand without planning at a strategic level. This planning will drive the 'promise' of the company, which is often communicated through the company's mission statement which will in turn drive everything about the way the business conducts and communicates itself - both internally and externally.

Crucially, a brand will only grow strong when the 'promise' is consistently delivered on.

So, do you have a brand? Do you know what people think of your company and does this match with what you want them to think of your company? And if not, do you know what to do to change perceptions?

Having a strong brand reduces the need to compete on price because your market comes to you rather than you chasing them. I'd say that alone makes it well worth the investment in time, funds and headspace!

Credit goes to Innocent Drinks for the use of their logo etc. to illustrate what a great brand is all about!

Are you making enough of an impact?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:07:00 +0000

It's tough getting noticed these days. We're bombarded with thousands of marketing messages on a daily basis and whilst you may have something great to sell, getting people to sit up and take notice can be difficult.

One way of getting your message noticed is to choose a finish or shape for your promotional literature that catches people's attention and encourages people to hold onto your literature for longer than average, giving you a better chance of your message being read.

Of course, this isn't the complete answer. Your message and copy must be compelling. It must answer that age-old question of 'what's in it for me?' and you must instil confidence in the reader, usually through the use of testimonials. Crucially, you must also include a 'call to action' so the reader knows what to do with the information if it's of interest to them!

But back to that interesting finish or shape....

I thought it might be useful to share with you some of the ways that we have created a more unusual piece of marketing that moves away from the typical flat leaflet or flyer and therefore works a lot harder as a piece of print.


No more stuffing letterboxes... just hang it on their door!

Create a pretty and interesting shape to complement the design
(design courtesy of Charlotte Thomson Art & Illustration)

Want them to keep hold of your brochure? Create quality with high gloss

Grab attention with an interesting shape and shiny bits!

Draw the eyes with elegant gloss highlights

Launch party invite? Make them feel special with something to keep

Shaped and starmarqued for maximum impact

Give your clients' a voucher to keep hold of at Christmas

Excellent use of Spot Uv on a corporate business card

Quirky use of shaping on a flyer that people can play with!

Brochure and folded business card all in one

I think these examples show perfectly how a printed piece of marketing can make an impact in a way that is difficult to replicate via email or web... you've just got to be creative about how you use a piece of card!

Where do I start with this 'ere Twitter thingy then? (Part 1 - The Basics)

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:37:00 +0000

I attended a business meeting last week where a large amount of discussion surrounded the use of social media in business. It would seem that there is still a lot of reticence about the place of social media when it comes to business. Does it have a place or is it just another distraction that we don't need and doesn't add any value?

Personally, being B2B, I can't comment on Facebook. I use it for personal stuff but I haven't got my head around its commercial use. Where I do see value is in Twitter, LinkedIn and blogging, especially as I find they can work well in conjunction with each other.

I'll focus on Twitter first....

Twitter has a reputation for being about gossip and tittle-tattle and therefore being a waste of valuable time. It can, of course, be all of those things and there have been times (I hold my hands up!) when Twitter has provided me with a great 'opportunity' for procrastination.

However, used correctly Twitter can be of benefit to your business in a number of ways:

It can be a route to market and a way of finding your customers.
It can be a way of gauging opinion about your business.
It can be a way for your customers to give you feedback.
It can be a way of researching and testing your market.
It can be a way of broadcasting your expertise or offering.
It can be a way of finding new suppliers.
It can be a way of 'breaking the ice' with local businesses.
It's great for giving customers and potential customers a valuable insight into your company, how you work, your approach, your ethos, your personality, even what you do outside of the business - in a world where customer loyalty is becoming harder to win against cheaper and cheaper prices, I believe that 'letting your customers in' can be a driver to building relationships that stick.
It provides an opportunity for a dedicated marketing campaign, as printing.com's hugely successful Shameless Plug competition demonstrated.
It's excellent for SEO on your website (speak to im3 about this).

So, should you use Twitter in your business? The first thing I would say to anyone thinking of including any social media in their marketing strategy is don't do it if you can't commit!

There's nothing worse than going onto a company's Twitter account to find that the last time they tweeted was 8 months ago. Twitter is a reflection of you and your company and an out-of-date Twitter account is no different to an out-of-date website or old posters in your shop window. It doesn't look good.

Clearly not that excited - last update in September!

By 'commit' I mean tweeting at least 2-3 times a day, with a good mixture of topics (more on this later). Some tweet significantly more than this (although there is software out there that can create the impression of frequent tweeting) and others are more intermittent. For me, it drifts between the two approaches and I'm mindful that I need to be more consistent to make Twitter work better for me.

So, let's start with some basics.

1) Choose your Twitter name. I went for SheffieldPDC because I wanted the place name reference since my strategy is to connect mainly with local businesses rather than national/international. However, in retrospect, I wish I'd just gone for my name. This would have been more flexible as my business develops since I will remain the constant! You live and learn.... Fortunately, people can still find me if they google my name.

2) Get an avatar (the little picture next to your name). Since this is about building personal relationships to drive business, I believe that your avatar should be a picture of you, not your company logo. Make sure the picture is well shot, interesting or eye-catching. Don't go for an iPhone pic of you out on the lash with a cone on your head... it won't reflect the right image. I'm also not keen on boring 'shirt & tie' business shots. But most importantly, don't just stick with the standard avatar that Twitter give you - it makes you look like a spammer and will stop people following you! I like to use the same picture across all of my social media to create a personal brand.

3) Write a catchy profile bio. This is the snapshot of text that people will see when they view your Twitter profile. For me, the bio helps me to decide whether to follow back or not. I'd not quite realised the branding power of the bio until I decided to change my own bio last month and had people contacting me to ask where my 'smart and sassy' trademark text had gone to. Hence, it's back! Your bio should tell people what you're about and provide some insight into your personality (assuming this will be a compelling reason to follow!)

4) Sort out a tailored background. Twitter has plenty of backgrounds to choose from but having a tailored background is so important to your overall brand recognition. I use our trademark brown paper and polaroid photo-style, along with Rockwell font for the testimonial. This matches with our printed marketing materials, website and blog and therefore supports our brand.

Next article: What am I supposed to talk about then? (Part 2 - What to tweet about and how to get followers)

Logo Identity - more than just knowing which buttons to press!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:17:00 +0000

In my previous post, I showed you the logo identity project we have recently completed for Sheffield SEO company iM3 (www.im3.co.uk).

Simple, clean, impactful and timeless. But what's involved in producing an effective logo identity? I mean, surely you just find a font and colour you like and type out the letters....

Good design is a considered process. There is the initial consultation, the understanding of the client's business and market, the research into the client's market and competitors. Next comes brainstorming and sketching.

You saw in my previous post the four ideas we put to iM3 but preceding this, Oliver, our designer worked through a variety of ideas and approaches, all on paper:

Once Oliver has chosen the ideas he wants to develop, he'll then create these graphically and explore the different options. Below you can see the exploration involved in creating the final chosen logo (click on the image to enlarge).

Each option has had typographical adjustments to the font style. Each and every logo we produce is tailored to the client. We never just pick a font and type it out since this does not fulfil the overall balance and look of the logo nor does it create a unique identity. As you can see here, Oliver has made subtle adjustments which pull the typeface together into the final chosen identity.

Finally, colour is added. A good logo identity should work in its purest form - monotone. Colour is the personality of the brand. Colour creates a feeling and emotion and draws the eye of the buyer but the identity should be strong enough to stand up on it's own without colour.

We'll only present the client with 3-4 different ideas that we believe are the best. If we were to present whole sheets of ideas, it would be overwhelming to the client and make it hard for the client to focus on a choice. However, you can see here the amount of development that goes on behind the scenes to reach the final logo identity!

Here's what Oliver had to say about his work on iM3:

"To enforce the honest, confident approach of im3, a strong bold slab serif was sourced. The final logotype is edited so that the 'i' and 'm' feel connected without being physically joined.

The removal of certain serifs allows the kerning (space between the letters) to be tightened, reducing unwanted empty space and providing balance, while lengthening the outer serifs makes the type even bolder and increases prominence.

A geometric san serif typeface was selected for the tag-line to compliment the hard edges of the logotype. The typography and colour palette create a modern logotype which represents the individual personality of im3."

Neil Palmer of iM3 said:

"Really happy with our new brand identity and logo set, the designs reflect exactly what we wanted and needed. Very tangible service, quick and efficient. Looking forward to creating more designs for our websites."

Investing in a professional logo identity and brand is essential for winning business, especially in today's highly competitive environment.

Is your identity and brand winning you business or losing it? It's worth some consideration.

We love to design... a new identity for Sheffield SEO company iM3

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:34:00 +0000

We are often approached by established companies who have launched with a 'quick fix' identity but find, down the line, that a unique and considered identity becomes crucial in taking the brand forward.

Often these companies have established themselves and their offering but hit a wall when it comes to projecting the right message to the clients they want to win.

Neil Palmer of iM3 approached us with such a dilemma and naturally, we were happy to get stuck into the project.

iM3 (www.im3.co.uk) are a Sheffield and London-based SEO company. They have built up a reputation for delivering affordable, results-driven SEO solutions to the SME market.

Their name stands for 'Internet Marketing to the power of three'. Google this concept and you'll find a lot out there about the 'power of three' but in the context of iM3, Neil wanted a strong, clear logo that reinforced the company's tagline 'Powerful Internet Marketing'.

Here is their old logo, which we felt was dated in appearance and certainly was underselling their fresh and approachable attitude to SEO:

'The power of three' has lots of meanings - religious, cultural and mathematical - as well as being symbolised through the triangle. We did lots of research but were wary of getting too caught up in the various meanings, wanting instead to create a very clean, instantly appealing identity that would work for iM3's culture and approach.

Here are our four ideas, all different in style, and then the final choice. Click on each image to see how we envisioned each logo being used in black and white and on dark backgrounds - all considerations with any logo identity:

Neil chose the following logo as his final identity, with tagline added. We like the freshness of the lime colour against the professional grey - a modern logo, with clean lines and striking typography which will stand the test of time. What do you think?

Neil Palmer of iM3 said:

We're looking forward to working with Neil on the next stage of creating a professional, eye-catching business card and design elements for the iM3 website which we hope will create a more customer-friendly interface to match the new brand!

"Can you do me some free print?"

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:51:00 +0000

In my line of business I am often contacted by individuals and charities asking me to produce free print. Every cause is as deserving as the next but what really frustrates me in the majority of cases is the way in which the matter of 'sponsorship' is approached.

I've had everything from one line tweets to demanding phone calls. I even had one guy put the phone down on me when I explained that not only do we already have a charity we work with (The Tree Appeal) but that his opening statement ("We're looking for free print") was hardly compelling at a time when many printers are laying off or going bust.

Let's be clear about what 'sponsorship' entails. It should be mutually beneficial, should be relevant to the sponsor and it should create a commercial advantage for the sponsor. It is not a donation and it is not a given right. It is a business relationship.

As such, when approaching a potential sponsor, it is important that you do it in exactly the same way as you would approach a potential client. It requires research, planning, a considered pitch and relationship building. And crucially, when you win your sponsor be sure to deliver on what's agreed in return.

So, what will create a compelling pitch? Here are a few pointers on how to get those crucial funds and contributions:

Research the company - don't assume that because a company has something that you want, that they will necessarily be interested in what you do. They will need to feel an empathy or affinity with your cause and if they're already involved with another charity then they may not want to spread their budget to others.

Be prepared - have a pitch prepared, know your 'facts and figures', have an idea of what type and level of contribution you're looking for and be ready to answer questions about the charity and its cause.
Reciprocal offer - believe it or not but "we'll let you put your logo on the leaflets for free" is not particularly persuasive! When you ask for a contribution, it's likely the potential sponsor will be weighing up the level of return they could generate in other ways with that money.

You will need to be very clear and structured about how you will promote your sponsor. Some ways that offer a valuable return are:
- Doing a PR piece with your sponsor for the local papers and publications
- Getting onto local radio and bringing your sponsor with you to talk about your cause
- Introducing your sponsor to your business contacts so that they might win new clients and opportunities
- Including your sponsors logo, website link and contact details on your website, marketing materials, email footer, event invites, event banner stands, projected onto a screen, t-shirts
- Involving your sponsor. Invite them to the event, let them bring their clients (great networking opportunity) and ask them to address your audience
- Being sure to understand your sponsors business, mention your sponsor during public addresses and champion what they do
- Encouraging your sponsor to use your charity's name to demonstrate their corporate responsibility to the business community and potential clients

Deliver! - once you've agreed the sponsorship package, make sure you do everything you've agreed. It is failure in this area that has left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to sponsorship and whilst it can be difficult when you're so focused on running the event, it's crucial to obtaining future sponsorship and maintaining a good relationship with local businesses.

There's actually a lot of work involved in looking after sponsors - they are, after all, investing in your cause - but building a mutually beneficial relationship with a company can do wonders for both parties - it just takes the right attitude.

For the record, Tree Appeal is perfect for us - it reflects our ethos and approach, allows us to give back what we take out of the environment, allows us to win work from clients interested in ethical suppliers and we even get to meet the charity's patron, Sir David Bellamy! What more can you ask for?

Until next time!

Sarah

We love to design... another wild success!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:24:00 +0000

We love a project that we can get our teeth into and one of our latest design projects for Aim 4 Africa provided just that.

Aim 4 Africa is a fantastic Sheffield-based company run by Nancy Cutinha. Nancy organises high quality, tailor-made holidays to the heart of Africa. Nancy is clearly passionate about what Africa has to offer and this comes across whenever we speak to her. Our briefing meetings are always fascinating since we get an insight into the sort of holidays she organises... animal safaris in the Maasai Mara... relaxing on the beaches of Zanzibar... gorilla treks in Rwanda... and so many beautiful images to accompany the stories.

And so it goes without saying that the opportunity to create a company brochure for Aim 4 Africa was well received!

Nancy's holidays are not 'run of the mill'. They are those special holidays that will stay with you forever and for many people, they are honeymoons. So it was important that the brochure portrayed the quality and individuality of these experiences. It needed to be eye-catching and compelling to the reader. Nancy also attends exhibitions and shows and therefore she needed something that was cost-effective enough to hand out and handy enough to pop into a handbag without becoming lost. I believe that the objectives of the project have been achieved and it would seem that Nancy agrees:

"We would highly recommend printing.com in Sheffield for their excellent design services. We've recently had our company brochure designed and printed (30 page booklet) with Spot UV colour and the result is simply amazing. Joe and Oliver, from the initial meeting to discuss the brief, have been incredibly helpful with lots of practical suggestions and advice particularly on improving our image to a more "cleaner" yet professional layout. Oliver, with his great flair for design took the project from our inital concept and developed the booklet through various forms of artwork design through to proofing. The outcome is a professional booklet that we are very proud of. I am sure our clients will be equally captivated by our booklets and entice them to book a holiday with us!"

You can visit Aim 4 Africa at www.aim4africa.com and follow them on Twitter @aim4africa.

If you're looking for a professional company brochure that will sell your products and services, why not give us a call to arrange a free consultation to discuss the possibilities - remember... there's more to us than printing!

Until next time,

Sarah

Should you share your personal story?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:11:00 +0000

I felt compelled today to put a few words down about what seems to me to be a bit of a trend recently in marketing your business - sharing your personal story as a means of promoting your business.

I'm in two minds. I'm a big believer in personal brand being one of your strongest assets. It's so true that people buy from people and by sharing your personality with your clients and potential clients, demonstrating that there's a real person behind the business, you can create buy-in in a way that is unique - after all, there's only one of you!

Certainly for me, it has been a constant source of frustration that people view my business as part of a big corporate beast. In the early days, when I'd first bought my business, I still had the odd customer trying to go above my head if I didn't give a discount or asking to speak to 'my manager' if they didn't like a decision I'd made (clearly the girl in the office can't possibly be the owner!).

Having just invested over £100k in my business, this type of behaviour was nothing short of insulting so I set about educating the Sheffield market about who I was, what I stood for and what I was looking to achieve. I'm not completely there with this but I've made some serious in-roads and my business has changed for the better as a result.

What I'm not sure I'm so 'down with' is a growing propensity to tell what can come across as a sob story, a 'look how tough it's been for me' story - "please buy from me because things have been so hard that now I deserve some success".

Don't get me wrong, I love a 'rags to riches' story. It's life affirming, gives you something to aspire to and reminds you to keep going when things are tough.

However, in some stories I've read, the contents have been rather disturbing, maybe a bit too much detail, not unlike those horrific stories you read in such esteemed publications as Chat Magazine. In others I've felt something close to pity... but not in a good way!

I guess what I'm saying is that there are plenty of people out there who have had an extremely tough time growing up, people who have experienced awful things and come through to run amazing businesses.

Should the horrible details of your life be the thing that people remember you for? I'm not so sure.

Of course, clever copywriting, selective of the details and pitched in the right way can create the kind of story that makes people want to work with you.

In the words of the T Mobile advert, 'Life's For Sharing'. Just don't share everything!

What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/lifesforsharing

Until next time,
Sarah

And the winners are....

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:59:00 +0000

Great design - design that is eye-catching, that attracts business, that instills confidence in the reader, that represents the business professionally and that works on a commercial level - is intrinsic to ensuring that your marketing works.

As I'm sure you'll know by now, we're very proud of the standard of design service we deliver to our clients.

And to prove that our design is as great as ever, I am very excited to announce that our fabulous in-house designer, Oliver, has for the second year running landed the overall prize in the printing.com Annual Design Awards.

Pitching his designs against a UK-wide network of over 300 creative businesses, Oliver won the 'Identity' category for his work on Green Directions and the 'Websites' category for his work on Relocation Angels.

Green Directions, Mark Woodward (twitter @GreenSheffield)

"Working with Oliver on my corporate identity and promotional material was a very rewarding experience. From the start I was impressed by the quality of Oliver’s ideas and the effectiveness of his response to my business needs. By listening well, Oliver gained a good understanding of my business objectives. He then developed some strong ideas that we refined into a powerful identity that represents the values of my business very well. I am equally pleased with the promotional material that he produced for me which uses the identity in imaginative ways to enhance customer impact."

Relocation Angels, Julie Durrans (www.relocation-angels.co.uk)

“Relocation Angels are immensely delighted with the Sheffield team at printing.com.We found the team totally committed to our project. Their approachable and individualistic service was second-to-none, providing attention to detail, on-going guidance and an excellent standard of quality throughout the entire process.The design teams’ efforts in creating our company logo and image were outstanding and Relocation Angels can now launch their new business with great confidence. The team at Relocation Angels would not hesitate in recommending the services at printing.com.”

Remember, design is an investment, not a cost. Investing in design will be one of the best things you ever do for your business and our constant award-winning proves that having us do your design could also be one of the best things you do for your business!

Until next time,
Sarah

Are you compliant?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:50:00 +0000

As I sit at home writing this article, looking at the foot or so of snow in my back garden, I wondered how what is being cited as the coldest winter in 100 years could be linked to global warming.

With a little Googling, I have found out that if it wasn't for global warming, these cold snaps would actually happen more often. In the 40's & 50's, it was a regular occurance. The reason we are so damn surprised when the weather turns is because it is now so unusual. And that is the problem.

The environment is everyone's responsibility and as a business, we take it very seriously. As a printing company that has undergone the extensive commitment to achieving the environmental standard ISO 14001 and as the only printing company working with the charity Tree Appeal (www.treeappeal.com ) we are doing all we can to lower our impact on the environment.

Closer to home, I recently commissioned the services of Airmaster UK (www.airmasteruk.com). Ian Fisher, the Maintenance Manager at Airmaster, attends my BNI networking group. Ian is a great character, very passionate about what he does and full of mind-boggling facts and figures about the environmental impact that poorly maintained air conditioning can have.

I shamefully failed to have the air conditioning system in our new office serviced for well over a year, despite the fact that it was wracking up a massive electricity bill and doing pretty much nothing in return. Anyway, having pulled my finger out, I got the guys from Airmaster in who have sorted out my problem. We now have a warm office, an efficient system and we are, importantly, compliant with current regulations.

So, are you compliant with F Gas Regulations?

Did you know that if you operate refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump equipment in your business you are now legally required to maintain records covering the maintenance of equipment and any refrigerants added to or reclaimed from your systems?

Poorly maintained units run the risk of refrigerant leakage during winter due to higher than usual running pressures. Ian explained to me that with the size of my air conditioning units, a slow undetected leak could result in the same environmental impact as driving a car 28,065 miles!!!

If you want to know how that calculation was worked out or what your environmental impact is, why not speak to Ian at Airmaster yourself?

Ian has offered a special rate for those people coming through printing.com where you will go straight onto their lowest contract rate of £32/hr & 55p/m (instead of £38.50 & 60p) for any site attendances and 10% off your first maintenance bill if you choose to accept a contract with Airmaster. Just contact Ian at ian@airmaster.uk.com and quote 'printing.com'.

Hopefully I've given you one idea on how you can make an environmental difference in your business - other than using printing.com - and with that, I shall leave you with my favourite video so far to come out of this excess of snow....

Snowboarding on the streets of Sheffield!

Sarah

Inspiring Development in Others....

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:24:00 +0000

It's always difficult to know if what one has to say is in the least bit interesting to other people.

What does seem to be certain though is that when it comes to running a business, the opportunity to tap into others' experiences is hugely important for motivation and direction.

I was recently asked to sit on the panel at an E3 dinner event (www.wearee3.com) held at The Sheffield College (www.sparksrestaurant.co.uk). The topic of conversation and debate was focused on the future for entrepreneurs, in light of the government's new initiatives and The Sheffield College being chosen as one of only three places in the UK by Dragon Peter Jones to set up his National Enterprise Academy.

I've never sat on a panel before and I've done little public speaking (albeit it's an area I wish to develop in) so it was with some trepidation that I agreed to participate!

Thanks go to Jill White of E3 for succinctly capturing some of the key messages that came from each of the three panel members, which I'd like to share with you:

Sarah Simpkins, printing.com (Managing Director of a flagship printing.com store & Territory Franchisee, overseeing eight franchisees):

1. Passion and Personality – she has her own personal brand, is comfortable with it and loves what she does.
2. Taking Action – feeling the fear and doing it anyway. The relocation of the business, although huge, was the right one... and it worked and paid off financially.
3. Creating Multi Income Streams – the franchise route and the printing.com bolt on package offer routes to passive income. I’m sure she’d be happy to talk to anyone interested in looking at this as an add on to an existing business.

Michael Ord, Frooly (serial entrepreneur and founder of Frooly (www.frooly.com) which allows retailers and service providers the opportunity to set up their own online shop or website without the normal associated costs):

1. Spotting Opportunities – being driven and keeping going whatever. Persistance pays and he is persistant!
2. A 'Can Do' mentality – the business has taken much longer to develop, the revenue stage has continued to be delayed, monies have kept on running out but he continues to find ways to keep on keeping on!
3. Finding and keeping the right support network around him – mentors have played a huge part in his business career (he currently has two), he employs good staff, seeks out like-minded people and of course he’s an active E3 member!

Sophie Maxwell, AW Education (www.aweducation.co.uk - a company set up to strengthen and support the curriculum, helping teenagers to foster independence and motivating reluctant learners through engaging, practical sessions aiding in both personal and social development):

1. Vision, Vison and more Vision – she knows what she wants and will do whatever it takes to get there. Education system look out!
2. Drive and Determination – utilising her own experiences and creating opportunities for others from them. Nothing is wasted, hostel living created her enterprising spirit and a spell in hospital has led to a brand new project opportunity for her.
3. Listening and Learning – again skills she acquired along the way. If you listen, you hear opportunities. You can then respond back with solutions. Problem seeker, problem solver creates great opportunities for all.

As well as being inspired by the stories of those around me, I also discovered that I do have a story which is interesting and inspiring to others. The feedback I've had has been fantastic and has done wonders for my confidence in terms of having something to offer entrepreneurs-to-be and those already running businesses.

Now I'm on the lookout for the next opportunity to pass on my experiences!

Catch you all soon,
Sarah

We love to design... a logo revamp and shiny new brochure for StairSteady

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:17:00 +0000

I first saw Ruth Amos of StairSteady (www.stairsteady.net) present at an E3 Event a couple of years ago and was blown away by her.

Coupled with her fascinating story of how she'd got into business, having invented her product at 16 as part of a GCSE project, she also has an impressive demeanor - intelligent, driven and a true ambassador for entrepreneurialism. Having won the prestigious 'Young Engineer for Great Britain' award for her invention, her abilities speak for themselves.

Without getting too gushy, I was therefore extremely chuffed to be approached by Ruth to design her brochure.

Testament to the power of Twitter, Ruth had been encouraged to contact me by some of my Twitter followers, who are also clients and friends.

Ruth was very focused about what she wanted from her brochure, what it needed to do for the company, who it was targeted at and what values it needed to communicate. This worked well alongside her willingness to take our advice and input and we were able to run with the project.

Oliver began with a simple re-vamp of the existing logo, which we were concerned looked dated and therefore not representative of her innovative product:

Next, I took Ruth's supplied text and spent some time re-working it into compelling copy which focused on the company's core values and USP's. We were able to pull out key phrases which would create 'buy-in' from Ruth's market, and focus on these throughout the design. Ruth supplied us with some great images to work with and Oliver put these to good use to create a visual story of the product:

"I found working with printing.com to be a stress free and very pleasant experience. All the staff were helpful and went out of their way to make sure that we ended up with something that we are very proud of. It has given us a leaflet that embodies the company at this time and a logo that has given our brand a whole new feel. We are so happy with the work they have done and will be using them again as they went above and beyond what was expected of them." Ruth Amos, StairSteady Ltd

You can probably tell that this is yet another project that we've really enjoyed being involved in and we're looking forward to watching Ruth's business prosper.

Finally, if you're interested in networking with my colleagues and I, there will be an E3 Event at Sheffield College on 2nd November - 'Future Faces: The Future for Entrepreneurs'.

And guess what.... I'm one of the panel members sharing my stories, theories and opinions so please come along to support me and you may even meet some great new contacts into the bargain! You can book at: www.wearee3.com

See you there!

Sarah

Are you making a lasting impression?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Simpkins) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:45:00 +0000

I am often asked about what kinds of marketing activities go on in my business and what works best.

I'm a big believer in doing the whole mix - direct mail, telemarketing, email marketing, PR, social media, networking - to win new business but what we are also very good at is retaining clients.

Whilst this is clearly something that will be affected by standard of service and price (both of which I'd say we're damn good on!) I also believe that finding ways of being in front of your clients on a monthly and yearly basis is extremely important.

Don't underestimate the power of marketing tools which last throughout the year. I'm talking about pens, calendars, notepads, pen pots, rulers, trolley coins, cloth bags and so on.

Here's a few stats from recent research carried out by the Promotional Products Association International (P.P.A.I.):

Out of 800 business travellers researched, 71% had received a promotional product in the last 12 months
Out of these 800, 33% had the product on them!
76% could recall the name of the advertiser on the product
52% conducted business with the advertiser after receiving the product
Of those who hadn't ordered, half said they expected to and half said they had a more favourable impression of the advertiser

So, why do these items work? Very simply because the frequency of exposure is inordinately higher than, for example, a magazine advert.

Every time your prospect or client uses the item, they are exposed to your brand, logo and message. Each impression lowers the cost per impression for the advertiser, making these products some of the most cost-effective marketing methods available.

I'm always pleased when I turn up at a networking event to see someone using a printing.com pen to make notes in their printing.com pad or when I visit a client and they have our calendar on their desk. I'm willing to bet that they won't forget us in a hurry!

So, if you need advice on how to become more memorable to your clients and prospects, give us a shout here in Sheffield. It's what we're great at.

Sarah

printing.com product range