“WorldSkills” event project

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We successfully completed a local project for Palmer’s College. They put on a “Have a Go” event that was to give students the opportunity to see what was involved in sports related careers. It covered Sports journalism through to PE teachers and Football coaches.

We were asked to create flyers, posters, pop-up banners, outdoor and website banners. All needed to be designed, printed and delivered in 2 weeks!

The concept was to use relevant sporting images and base it on the national branding. Not only did we do the designs, I also went along and ran the Aerobic workshop. It was great to see so many teenagers interested in sport and taking on board advice for possible career paths.

WorldSkills “Have a Go” is part of the WorldSkills London competition and enables a fun, interactive, engaging way of getting young people involved across the UK whilst learning a new skill.

A great project to be involved with!

Thurrock Network Group

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When I first set up my business it was pretty scary. There was so much to learn and I received great advice from family and friends. One of the major aspects of starting a new business is getting the name out there, in a cost effective way. I found that the best way to do this was by networking. I went to as many free events as I could and starting meeting other businesses. I didn’t expect anything to happen over night as you quickly learn that business is only done once a relationship and trust is formed within the group.

There wasn’t a Network group in Grays, so I decided to set up my own group and with the support of the FSB, the Thurrock Network Group was launched! We meet on the 3rd Thursday of every month and chat over tea, coffee, pastries and bananas. It is a great opportunity to meet with other local businesses to discuss ideas and issues. I have also arranged guest speakers to come along and talk about certain issues relevant to all businesses. I think the funniest one was when Ray, an Osteopath talked about posture in the work place. Everybody certainly sat up straight and took the advice on board!

I wanted the group to be quite relaxed and informal which has proved to  be a success with over 30 companies attending every month. We even had a first year anniversary party and invited local MPs who came along and met with all the businesses. The best thing of all is that it is free. I now see new businesses coming along and I remember what it was like to be in that situation. I feel like I am doing my bit to support them. The group has a wealth of experience and it is great to see businesses sharing their knowledge and doing business with each other.

The Thurrock Network Group is held at The Learning Shop in Grays and doors open at 8.00am.

Graphic Design New Year Resolutions for 2012

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Well the year has flown by and it’s time to look back and take stock of 2011. This year has been really busy – we have worked on some great projects and worked with some great clients.

The Thurrock Network Group I run is going really well. It is a platform for local businesses to meet and grow their business and deal with local issues. I am so pleased with the numbers that continue to turn up on a monthly basis. We always get new businesses that complement the existing members. We all know how difficult it is as a new business starting out, and so to attend a FREE network group is the best way to get your name out there and meet with other businesses. Our group has a wealth of experience and I like to think I am doing my bit to help the new start-ups. If I have to pick one achievement from the year, then being the organiser of the group and taking it into its third year is definitely up there! Thank you for everybody’s support.

Now is the time to look back over the year and make 5 New Year Resolutions for 2012.

1. Learn from 2011
As we all know, we should learn from mistakes. Any mistake can be turned into a positive. I make notes and then think about ways to improve things so it can’t happen again. We don’t beat ourselves up if things have gone wrong and we always give ourselves a pat on the back when we’ve achieved great results. As long as we know we have done everything to the best of our ability, then that is all that matters. We pride ourselves on having great working relationships with all of our clients and want to keep this up!

2. Keep building the Thurrock Network Group
I am so proud of this group and the number of members we have. The group is growing stronger and stronger and I am delighted with this. I want to keep this going. Getting new businesses along every month and helping as many local companies do business with each other is great. We are establishing a good relationship with the local Council, which recognises that local business is the lifeblood of the area and I want to build on this so all local companies benefit from being part of the group. As a collective, all members of the Thurrock Network Group have a very, very loud voice!

3. Give ourselves a treat
We shouldn’t forget to say well done when we’ve done a good job. Sometimes we concentrate on pleasing our clients too much and forget to say well done to ourselves. When we’ve done something we’re proud of – we will shout about it!

4. Work on the challenging projects too!
Ok, so we’ve all had projects that fit into the “challenging” category, but let’s turn it into a positive and learn from the situation. Take reflection on certain projects and think how best to improve on them. We will remember to ask lots of questions and get clarity before starting a project. If clients don’t know what they want, we’ll guide them. Remember that we have the experience and expertise in our field (and if clients insist on thinking they know what works well, we should gently tell them otherwise!). We aim to stay firm, tough, but gentle.

5. Keep learning and step outside our comfort zone
There are always so many things to learn on a daily basis. It is so easy to stick with our comfort zone but sometimes it’s good to step outside of this and push the boundaries. Try things we wouldn’t normally do. We shall experiment with new colour schemes, play around with new fonts and learn new skills and techniques.

So, after a successful 2011, let’s look forward to a busy and profitable 2012!