Uncategorized | Corner House Design

Corner House Design Uncategorized Jun 25, 2018 0 Comments

Are you missing out on a great marketing tactic?

They say that the best form of marketing is meeting people face to face and building relationships. But how do you meet new contacts – you can hardly go knocking on doors? We have found that done correctly Exhibitions and Networking events are ideal opportunities to start to build and nurture relationships with potential clients and suppliers.

The 31^st May 2018 saw us return to GMBiz Expo for the 4^th year running. This is a fantastic event, which has a buzz about it you can’t find elsewhere. The range of businesses not only exhibiting but also visiting was better than ever, ranging from local SME’s through to corporate organisations. We highly recommend you check it out for next year!

We made some valuable connections, not only prospective clients, but potential suppliers which will allow us to provide more services to our clients.

We always have a prize draw – they’re great for “breaking the ice” this year it was ‘guess how many paperclips are in the jar’ and we’re delighted to announce that Tom Morris of Barclays’ Market Street branch was the lucky winner of our Half Term “Goodie” bag. For those wanting to know, there was a grand total of 353 paperclips in the jar.

Exhibiting alongside our strategic partners, Owl Tree Web Solutions allowed us to bring a fantastic Start-up SME offer incorporating logo, stationery and web design which was well received at the expo.

Thanks to all for visiting our stand, we look forward to seeing you all at our next expo in 2018!

To close we thought we would share our top 3 tips for expos,

There are 3 top tips from Corner House Design when attending an exhibition

Be Prepared!

This is the most important tip! After investing in an exhibition to promote your business the last thing you is to realise the day before that you have no marketing materials. We advise that 2-4 weeks before the expo you check that you have sufficient marketing materials. After all if you require an urgent print job you will pay the premium for the turn around. We would also recommend if it’s the first time you’ve exhibited – set up a trial run in your workplace to check you are happy with the stand layout.

Ensure you have a way to track and follow up leads

Its all well and good going to exhibitions and events to meet new contacts and build potential leads but do you have a way to record these? Do not rely on the power of your memory, even the best of us forget things. To increase your chances of conversion make detailed notes and be sure to make contact ASAP.

Wear comfy shoes

This may sound silly but is far from it! Make sure you wear a pair of shoes that you will be comfy standing in all day. We would highly encourage you NOT to sit down on your stand – it puts people off talking to you and its not very welcoming. Finally it’s hard to smile and chat if you’re standing on feet with blisters!!

We hope you found our expo tips useful, if you wish to give us a call to have a chat about your expo stand or even for some advice please feel free to make contact with one of the team at Corner House Design.

Corner House Design Uncategorized May 17, 2018 0 Comments

The importance of your Brand when building your business

Branding makes all the difference to a business. Get it right, and you can reap the rewards; get it wrong, however, and you could be stuck on the starting block.

Your brand is what defines your business in the eyes of others. For small businesses wanting to upscale especially, branding must be a key part of their strategy.

As specialists in branding, based in Manchester, we help our clients shape their brand identities and express the essence of what they’re about through excellence in design.

Branding is a Strategy

Branding only works if it is part of a strategy. In other words, it’s not simply about having a logo and applying it willy nilly.

While a memorable, well-designed logo is important, it will only work as part of an overall approach to branding that takes your target audience and market into account, and understands how your business fits in.

Brand strategy is the how, what, where of your communications, and, crucially, to whom you want to communicate.

You must, therefore, know your audience to make your branding effective.

You need to know who your target audience is inside out. What are their interests and habits and, most of all, their concerns, worries and pain points?

Research them and then use this knowledge to build your brand.

Where do you advertise, and what are your distribution channels? These should be as much a part of your brand strategy as the content of your communication and messages.

How Do You Define Your Brand?

For any business, this is a journey of self-discovery.

Consider your tone of voice. Your branding is more than visual. It must encompass your business’s values, and express these in a consistent way that will resonate with your audience.

To get to this point, you must ask certain questions about your own business:

What are its aims?

What are the benefits of its products or services?

What qualities do you want your prospects and customers to associate with your business?

What do your prospects and customers actually think of you?

These are not always easy questions for you to answer, or to ask, but they are essential in getting to the basics of what forms your brand.

You must do your research diligently.

Brand Integration

Your brand is your promise to your customer. From it, they should understand what they can expect from you, and how what you offer is different from your competition.

You are raising awareness through your branding. This means developing a distinctive visual presence, but going beyond a distinctive– to all your channels, from physical marketing material to online communications.

But it goes deeper than this. It informs how you answer the phone to enquiries, your email signatures, your overall customer service. This is brand integration.

What is Brand Equity?

Brand equity is the added value a strong brand brings to your products or services. A strong brand rewards your business by bolstering it, allowing you to charge your customers more, because they recognise what your brand is worth.

When it comes to branding, small businesses should think bigger. Branding cannot be successful if it is piecemeal or half-hearted. Develop your brand as if you were already a successful, nationally, or even globally, known name. Treat it as something that should enhance your credibility.

How We Can Help Your Branding

Branding is a full-time commitment. If it feels like a challenge, then now is the time to get professional help, advice and support with your branding.

We can develop your brand, find your voice and help you position your business more strongly in front of the people that count, your target audience, prospects and customers.

Give us a call on 0161 777 6000, or email chdesign@globalnet.co.uk

Corner House Design Uncategorized Jan 19, 2018 0 Comments

20 Years in Business – An Interview with Alex (heir apparent)

Alex Evans, Corner House Design & Print

What was your first job?

General joey at Corner House Design but officially at the age of 16 I was a checkout boy at Sainsbury’s.

How many years have you been working in the creative industry?

Officially since I was 16 but have been working within CHD since I was a youngster.

What was your biggest drive to work in the family studio?

I’ve always helped in the studio since I was a kid, whether it was helping mum with filing and keeping the books up to date or doing the cleaning, or if I got really lucky, I got to work on a live job . I attended college and worked at the studio during the holidays – these were two hugely contrasting situations, one being months to finish a brief the other being hours! I took the plunge at 18 and knuckled down from there. Having seen the hours of hard work Dad put in I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy ride and like, every kid, I dreamed of following in my dad’s footsteps. And here I am today after 6 years!

Whats your secret to be able to work with the family for so long?

Don’t live with them! – in all seriousness I knew from 18 that if I was to be spending 8 hours plus in the studio with my Mum and Dad the last thing I wanted to do was go home and be told off for leaving my washing on the floor by my boss. The key is to separate work and family life, although a bit of integration in the studio is also essential. We leave things at the door and don’t bring home issues into work or work issues home.

What is your key to building a strong and trustworthy team?

Honesty and accountability. A good friend will be proud for hearing those words. I’ve never once seen any of the team duck and dive and pass the blame, when we are honest we learn from our mistakes to prevent the issue arising again. Oh and you have to be able to make a good brew here!

Over the past 6 years you have seen the business develop into a heredity business, what has the biggest change over the past 6 years been?

Being allowed more freedom, having established more of a business development role over the past few years I’m now undertaking more responsibilities including client meetings, networking, exhibitions and much more. I still do a lot of design work but getting to know the clients is key and tailoring each of our services to their requirements helps reduce stress for our clients.

If you could pass one piece of advice on to any business owner what would it be?

Never stand still! You have to constantly be evolving and forever learning.

Over the past 20 years there have been huge developments in technology, what do you feel is the most beneficial and what is the most frustrating?

The million dollar question! The most beneficial clearly has to be the hardware we use, the Apple Macs. These reduce production times massively and something which may have taken a week to fix 10 years ago can be done in hours now! I think the biggest drawback though is availability. With so many people being able to access the software etc. it has made the industry very cut throat and has opened up the door to people who are not trained designers. I’m sure its like this in most sectors though!

Who is your biggest influence when it comes to your determination in business?

My family, it’s a cliché that I’m sure a lot are fed up of hearing about but they truly are. The sacrifices my family have made over the years for the business shows me their determination and passion to keep on going, through thick and thin we all stick together and help and this reflects in our workplace. Although honestly I hate to pick one person it has to be my Dad, his hard work over the past 20 years, the determination, the sacrifices when we were kids and the hardships he has been through yet he still arrives in the studio every day with a smile and ready for his brew!

Since the integration of digital marketing and specifically social media being key to businesses, how do you feel you have adopted to it.

Rather well, I remember the days of MySpace and then the big switch to Facebook, some of the old ‘on this day’ posts are rather embarrassing!

It has been something that has been forever evolving for my generation and it still blows my mind with the capabilities now! Although there has got to be a point where we get fed up of reading about other peoples lives and like to talk face to face instead! I do have to laugh when my Dad talks about ‘Twittering’

Are there any people you wish to thank over the past 20 years?

Firstly its got to be my Mum and Dad otherwise I wouldn’t be working here today. Kasey my partner: she’s put up with the many long hours we put in and I thank her for just being there. Janet, our studio manager for putting up with our family tiffs for so long and all the shared advice. There are also a couple of other business associates who I would like to thank for their advice: Warran, Ian, Ann, Mike and anyone else who has passed on words of advice.

Corner House Design Blog, Uncategorized Nov 21, 2017 0 Comments

20 Years in Business- An Interview with the MD

Dave Evans, Managing Director, Corner House

As we celebrating 20 years in business, we’ve put together a series of interviews with key members of staff.

First for the hot seat is, our Managing Director, Dave, let’s see if we can find out what his secrets are.

What was your first ever job?

Producing printing plates in a Reprographic department

How many years have you been working in the creative industry?

40 years! From the age of 16

Why establish your own design studio?

The vision of working for myself – More control over my future

Whats your secret to be able to work with the wife for so long?

At work I’m the boss, At home Julie’s the boss – Simple

What is your key to building a strong and trustworthy team?

Knowing that each of my staff have different strengths but work well as a team

What has the biggest change over the past 6 years been?

Welcoming my son, Alex, into the business & the change in technology

If you could pass one piece of advice on to any business owner what would it be?

Concentrate on what you know! Work to your strengths.

Your business survived through the worst financial crisis of our generation, was there a time that you were ever worried and if so what did you do to counteract it?

Cut back where necessary, don’t panic, look where you can make savings, plan plan and keep on planning.

Over the past 20 years you have seen a huge development in technology, what do you feel is the most beneficial and what is the most frustrating?

You have to keep up to date with software, its amazing that with Apple you HAVE to update your Hardware as well!

Who is your biggest influence when it comes to your determination in business?

Brian Maley (MDA) – I run my business the way he ran his, a mentor and fantastic business man, very fair!

Since the integration of digital marketing and specifically social media being key to businesses, how do you feel you have adopted to it.

Social Media is new to a dinosaur like me, that’s why Alex takes the reigns

Are there any people you wish to thank over the past 20 years?

My wife Julie for working with me through the good and the bad. Brian Maley for teaching me all I know & Phillip Jenkins for his wise words.

Corner House Design Uncategorized Nov 08, 2017 0 Comments

The Great Christmas Card Offer 2017

This year’s Seasonal Offer for Christmas is for traditional Christmas cards. Unsure whether it’s a good idea to be sending physical cards rather than an email this year, why not check out our blog Top Tips for Sending Christmas cards to your Clients

Our Season Offer includes:

Bespoke design & artwork for £50 – a saving of £25.00

Print prices:

50 £55

100 £90

250 £190

500 £275

Envelopes:

50 £5

100 £7.50

250 £12.50

500 £25

You’ve only got until the end of November to get your order in. So why not delight your clients and contacts this year, with a bespoke Christmas card.

Give us a call on 0161 777 6000 or email us at chdesign@globalnet.co.uk

Corner House Design Uncategorized Nov 05, 2014 0 Comments

Corner House’s meet the team…Questionnaire

When developing our website here at Corner House we played with the prospect of having Bio pages for each of our staff allowing clients to get to know us. This was purely during the development stages and after finalising the layout/look of the site we decided against it!

So what do we do with this information we collated from our staff? Well we are going to put it into this blog post for you to have a fun light read. So read on to learn a little more about our staff:

Corner House Design Uncategorized Oct 31, 2014 0 Comments

Corner House’s big step into the world of digital media!

November 2014 sees the launch of Corner House’s website! This is a first for us despite working on various different digital media jobs for clients we had yet to step into the huge virtual world! Our website has been in the pipeline for the past 12 months but like most businesses we had struggled to get the time to organise our own development work and had always given priority to clients projects!

Corner House has now established various social media pages such as: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ to interact with current and prospective clients. This new venture is a learning curve for all and after a unanimous vote this responsibility has been passed to the youth of the team Alex!

Keep your eyes peeled on all media accounts for updates and up and coming projects!

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