Category Archive: We are AsOne

1. Aiming for Success

   September 12, 2019 11:14 am Comments Off on Aiming for Success

   It’s been quite the summer, hasn’t it! From scorching heatwaves to downpours from above – and that’s just one day most of the time – that hasn’t stopped us at AsOne having a great time whilst we’re boosting our client’s businesses. As a home for our marketing agency, Manchester has such a huge variety of leisure activities on offer; and over the last couple of months, our business targets aren’t the only ones we’ve been hitting!

   

   In June, we turned our hand to axe throwing and we discovered the true meaning of wanting to stay on the right side of the boss, with Joel demonstrating a medieval level of accuracy with the axes on his way to being crowned champion. It was a great night out and the ability to go axe throwing in the middle of town shows just what a great city for a marketing agency Manchester is to be based in.

   Where the axe throwing showed how strong we are as individuals, August’s night out at Flight Club showed our team working skills, as pairs of us were pitted against each other in darts-related challenges. Across the evening, out of all the different pairings, and thanks to a last-minute buzzer-beating checkout from her teammate Joe, it was Tracey who amassed the highest total number of podium finishes on the night – but it really was all about the fun we had along the way.

   The final piece of news that we’d like to update you on our long-anticipated move to Manchester; and the good news is that we are in the final stages of signing all the required contracts and paperwork on a swanky new office in the City Centre, and we will be a marketing agency Manchester city centre can be proud of. All things going to plan, we should be moving across in November – a lovely early Christmas present for us! That being said, we will be incredibly sad to leave Tameside, where we have been based for all 19 years of our existence. 

   If you need a marketing agency, Manchester is home to the best one – us! Get in touch to speak to one of our expert team about your digital projects.

2. A Very Busy Start to 2019

   April 2, 2019 3:46 pm Comments Off on A Very Busy Start to 2019

   The start of 2019 has been a very exciting time for AsOne – between enacting our social responsibility programme, arranging to visit a large business expo and taking on a new member of staff, we’ve been very busy!

   We’re really pleased to be able to see the continued expansion of the AsOne team, and in March we brought in Joe Glyn-Davies as our Digital Marketing Assistant. With a background in social media, and fresh out of university, we’re excited to add his skills and expertise to the team. His arrival puts us in a better place than ever to deliver tailored, precise and holistic digital marketing strategies for your business.

   

   This year, we’re taking our corporate social responsibility more seriously than ever; and we had a great night attending the Tameside4Good fundraiser in March. The dinner was Indian themed and featured a guest performance from a talented Guinness World Record breaking Bollywood dancer – and it wasn’t just our social responsibility that was impressing the attendees.

   

   Our very own Nik Lovely won the Bollywood dancing competition, showing off his limitless ability with a complex routine. Cheered on by the AsOne team, Nik shimmied and swayed to the win – but the real victory here was for Tameside4Good, who raised £1200 to be put right back into the local community. Nights like these make us proud of our Tameside roots; all the businesses attending showed great social responsibility that night and came together in aid of others.

   

   Finally, we’re happy to announce that we’ll be attending the North East Business Expo in Newcastle on May 2nd – so if you in the area come and say hello! Tickets are free and can be booked here. If your business is based in the North East, get in touch with us – you might be eligible for up to 40% off your digital project with us.

3. Another Successful Year For Our Digital Agency – 2018 Christmas Closing Times

   December 11, 2018 9:57 am Comments Off on Another Successful Year For Our Digital Agency – 2018 Christmas Closing Times

   With Christmas just around the corner, people are starting to look forward to the new year and the annual leave that it entails. This includes our merry digital team here at AsOne, as of 5 pm Friday 21st of December our office will be closed for the winter holidays and returning on Wednesday the 2nd of January 2018 at 9.00am.

   Although we are closed for the holidays, critical/urgent support requests raised via our Support Ticket System will be investigated during our closure as normal. Server issues will be dealt with automatically as per our normal service agreement. Any non critical update requests, questions and queries will be dealt with when we return from the holidays.

   With these dates fast approaching we just have time to reflect on what has been another successful and momentous year here at AsOne. From our new business partnership with Zoo Communications at the start of the year through to picking up an award in November with plenty of memorable moments in between, it’s been quite a year!

   On March 7th we announced the merger between ourselves and Zoo Communication, a highly respected London agency. This partnership came as a natural evolution for us as working with Zoo Communications previously it became apparent that we both have the same passion to achieve excellence. Becoming part of this digital group has maximised our capabilities as an agency. Our experts in our Digital Business Development, eCommerce & Digital are now accompanied by professionals in film & animation, branding & licensing and the luxury brand hotel sector. This partnership has already proved a successful collaboration of minds and skills, bringing some of the most talented, creative and innovative professionals together from around the country, inspiring new ideas and scope for growth that we share with our customers.

   

   During the year the team took part in many team building exercises but none quite as memorable as the ‘Via Ferrata Xtreme’ in August. The entire team signed up to what was described as “An extreme way to see some of the most spectacular and hard to reach cliff sides and outcrops in the Lake District!” The course was by no means easy – scaling rock faces, walking tightropes and battling extreme heights in questionable conditions. The team however battled the elements, conquered everything in front of them and even managed to put on a brave face for a group photo at the top of mountain.

   

   With the year drawing to a close all attention turned to the business awards and our 2018 achievements. Being shortlisted in 2 categories at the Pride of Tameside Business Awards we hoped all our hard work would result in a repeat of last year’s win. The awards night did not disappoint. We proved that by sticking to our core values – promoting long term success through digital business development we were able to replicate our 2017 success and win the Technology Business of the Year 2018 award. The night held other surprises as it wasn’t just a night to celebrate our own success we were also proud to celebrate with Matthews Environmental Solutions who picked up the Export Business of The Year Award. We have been working with Matthews Environmental Solutions for a number of years now, developing their digital prowess and to see them lift their award was another sweet moment.
   

   

   All in all it has been another very successful year for AsOne. With our expanding capabilities, award winning innovation and dedicated team, we can’t wait to go even further in 2019. If you’d like to find out more about AsOne and what we can do to help your business in the new year, we’d love to hear from you.

   From everyone at AsOne we would like to Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

   

4. Another award for an award winning digital agency

   October 31, 2018 10:36 am Comments Off on Another award for an award winning digital agency

   We are delighted to announce that for the second year running at this year’s Pride of Tameside we were pronounced ‘Technology Business of The Year’!

   It was another successful night at the Pride of Tameside Business Awards as we proved that hard work, dedication and success can be replicated year after year. Winning the ‘Technology Business of The Year’ award in 2017 was quite the achievement and we knew that we would have our work cut out to be considered for the award let alone win again it in 2018. Sticking to our core values – promoting long term success through digital business development we were once again able to demonstrate to the panel we were worthy winners. We can look back and can once again say in 2018 we were an award winning digital agency.

   

   Joel the Digital Director at AsOne commented on the success saying “It’s been another successful year and to once again be acknowledged as the Technological business of the year in Tameside was a special feeling. Winning this award for the second year running is down to the incredible work that goes on behind the scenes, without the set of strong individuals we possess at AsOne we wouldn’t be the award winning digital agency we are today!”

   The Tameside region boasts an ever expanding technological and digital presence and to still be recognised as the number one Technological business in the area by the panel of judges was a fantastic achievement. The judges said “AsOne are currently thriving in a competitive marketplace. Creating a fantastic offering for the future through a strategic, tech led approach, while maintaining a strong focus on apprentices.”

   It wasn’t just a night to celebrate our own success we were also able to celebrate with Matthews Environmental Solutions who picked up the Export Business of The Year Award. We have been working with Matthews Environmental Solutions for a number of years developing their digital prowess and to see them lift their award was another sweet moment.

   Matthews Environmental Solutions impressed the panel of judges at this year’s Pride of Tameside Business Awards because their export achievements in 2018 were not just limited to overseas waste incineration plant sales but also their pet cremation and human cremation equipment thriving in international markets.

   At AsOne we are always looking to help local businesses explore digital development and real growth in their industry. If your looking to work with an award winning digital agency in the Tameside area, feel free to contact us and find out how we can help you succeed and become an award winner!

5. AsOne Will Once Again Support The Greater Manchester Business Awards!

   October 17, 2018 3:00 pm Comments Off on AsOne Will Once Again Support The Greater Manchester Business Awards!

   Entry to the Greater Manchester Business Awards 2019 closes on October 20th.

   It’s that time of year again where individuals and companies around the world are being recognised for their outstanding business achievements. Manchester is no stranger to outstanding business accomplishment so it’s only fitting the area celebrates these successes annually at The Greater Manchester Business Awards. Awards are something you can never get used to but being an award winning agency ourselves we know what it means to have your successes celebrated at the highest levels. This year once again we will be supporting the awards and all the entrants on their successes. October 20th marks the final date you and your business have to put yourselves forward to be recognised at the Greater Manchester Business awards. So if you would like the attention of the GMBA panel and have your business successes celebrated you need to act fast and apply today.

   2018 Greater Manchester Business Awards

   Last year’s awards held at the Radisson Edwardian Blu Hotel Manchester on Friday 9th February 2018 were special for us for many reasons. Not only did our very own Business Development Director Tracey Rush form part of the panel but we saw some of our own clients have success. Tracey said “It was great to be a part of the Greater Manchester Business Awards panel and witness businesses from our area celebrate their successes in 2018. I’m excited for next year because so many more businesses and individuals in Manchester can achieve what these guys did by exploring new tools and strategies, I can’t wait!” We were over the moon for Matthews Environmental Solutions who are an exceptional international business who were pronounced Business of the Year (Organisations of between 10 – 50 Employees). We have been working with Matthews for a number of years and supporting their incredibly hard work in waste incineration, pet and human cremation. On top of our own successes awards were given to a range of small businesses and individuals who said “The PR opportunities that come even with being a finalist – let alone winning – are fantastic!”

   The 2019 awards ceremony on 8th February promises to be the most prestigious yet with the Awards Dinner itself taking place at the Imperial War Museum North, one of Manchester’s most iconic venues. Designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, IWM North is a remarkable experience. The first UK building created by this architectural genius, it is innovative and inspiring. A fitting venue for such an incredible night of celebration where we hope to replicate our 2018 successes.

   How To Enter

   If you think it’s time to be recognised for your successes and have your reputation bolstered by winning at the 2019 Greater Manchester Business Awards you need to apply now! Applying is easy all you need to do is submit a brief submission online for your desired category. For help on getting your application right visit the help page online. If you’re ready to apply don’t hesitate, your time is running out!

   APPLY NOW – DEADLINE OCTOBER 20TH 2018

   If you’re looking to work with an award winning digital agency focused on business development and achievement in the Greater Manchester area, feel free to contact us and find out how we can help you succeed and become an award winner!

   

6. AsOne Join The Zoo Family

   March 7, 2018 10:10 am Comments Off on AsOne Join The Zoo Family

   

   Here at AsOne we pride ourselves on the excellent standards we set for our clients and the work we produce. We continually look to push the boundaries and provide a level of service that is unparalleled in our field. As a multi-award winning agency we are recognised in the digital field throughout the North West. On March 7th we announced that AsOne had been acquired by Zoo Communications, a highly respected London agency.

   The Zoo Communications acquisition is a natural evolution of AsOne as we share the same passion to achieve excellence. The drive to deliver innovation, outstanding customer service and provide industry leading expertise allows for a strategic alliance of minds. AsOne have been on a journey of growth with new international client gains across all areas of the business and through this new strategic partnership, we are able to service our clients across a greater number of disciplines.

   “AsOne have been a leading force in digital excellence in our region for over 17 years. The next step in our journey will enable us to facilitate our growth plans while raising our profile to a wider commercial audience. Our new strategic alliance allows us to combine the key strengths of each business to provide a service level unmatched within our industry. I am looking forward to what 2018 can bring to our clients” comments Tracey Rush

   Our growth plans have accelerated with the aid of the acquisition due to AsOne becoming part of the Zoo Communications family. Each element of the Group of Companies specialises in different areas of digital excellence.  From the Luxury goods sector, film and animation, Branding & Licensing to Digital Business Development, eCommerce & Digital Marketing as provided by AsOne. The growth of AsOne as a member of the Zoo family will allow us to deliver our services and excellence to a wider customer base while bringing the skills and experience from the wider group to our well established client relationships.

   The wider implications will demonstrate that, as a client of AsOne and now Zoo Communications, customers will benefit from a wider pool of specialisms to facilitate growth. The new strategic partnership allows AsOne to provide world leading services from multiple specialist agencies within our media group.

   AsOne and Zoo Communications have been working in partnership throughout 2017 and this is the next logical step in the evolution of both companies. The ability to facilitate a wider range of digital clients from a broader pool of industries allows us to promote the AsOne vision globally. This naturally moves us towards our key objectives of growth and innovation. Dedication to our clients and the ability to service them better, makes this move positive on all counts.  

   Joel Rush, stated ““This partnership will allow our rapidly expanding team to offer even more services to our core clients, in an ever-demanding communications landscape. With Zoo’s enviable credentials in branding, creative and film we are confident of growing our reputation in the North West of England and beyond.The AsOne team will continue to serve our loyal and valued clients from our current offices and look forward to introducing the full expanse of the Zoo family creative experience to the North West.”

   As part of the acquisition Zoo states  ”Having worked on a number of projects together it seemed logical to bring them into the Zoo family, freeing up management time to focus on ‘next generation’ digital and e-commerce solutions”

   If you wish to discuss how our new strategic partnership can benefit you, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our account managers.

   Group Companies include:

   Zoo Communications

   For over 20 years Zoo have been at the forefront of hotel marketing, working with some of the biggest names in the business. Based in London with a very experienced team of creatives and multimedia designers, they can offer full service support, or enhance in-house and agency teams with specialist advice and services. Visit Zoo Communications.

   Alice – Brand Wonderland

   Alice offers companies, in the luxury goods sector, the practical tools, support and experience to achieve their business goals. Alice has developed a 360 strategic model which not only provides advice on launch, positioning, brand and packaging, but also delivering marketing plans. Visit Alice.

   LittleVoice.tv

   LittleVoice is a film and animation agency providing varied technical skills and creative backgrounds to produce beautifully crafted, technically integrated and infinitely measurable content for online audiences. Visit LittleVoice.tv

   Powerstation Studios

   Powerstation know branding and licensing, and the pit falls. They don’t do identikits and never ‘knock out style guides’. Treating each brief as a new opportunity to achieve excellence and to create value for their Clients. Put Powerstation Studios to the test and let them write the next chapter in your brand’s story! Visit Powerstation Studios.

7. Christmas Closing Times

   December 11, 2017 5:19 pm Comments Off on Christmas Closing Times

   With Christmas just around the corner, people are starting to look forward to the new year and the annual leave that it entails. This includes us, as of the 5 pm 22nd of December our office will be closed from for the winter holidays and returning on the 2nd of January 2018 at 9.00am.

   Although we are closed for the holidays, critical/urgent support requests raised will be investigated if you use our Support Ticket System. Server issues will be dealt with automatically. Any updates questions or queries will be dealt with when we return to the office.
   

   From everyone at AsOne we would like to Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

   

8. Digital Agency success with our client Todaysure Matthews!

   November 7, 2017 3:44 pm Comments Off on Digital Agency success with our client Todaysure Matthews!

   As a leading digital agency, we have a history of excellence both in the work we produce as well as the service we provide to our clients. One of our clients was also lucky enough to be another successful winner at the Pride of Tameside awards.

   Todaysure Matthews based in Hyde were nominated in 2 categories and were the winners for the Export Award. Todaysure Matthews are acknowledged world-specialists in combustion technology and their internationally acclaimed products meet a wide cross-section of global demands including performance standards, environmental responsibility, user safety, fuel efficiency and compliance regulations.

   The export award recognises the businesses which export goods globally and reflect the skill and passion of Tameside.  Matthews Environmental Solutions operate globally with an industry leading reputation and unmatched distribution system. They identified that due to their unique value proposition of British craftsmanship this allows them to capitlise on market places in the Middle East, The Commonwealth & emerging marketing which are experiencing a rise in per capita GDP and consumption rate growth. Targeted marketing campaigns including the use of content, email marketing, paid search through Google & LinkedIn & expansion of their agent system have provided company growth which is providing the return on investment required.

   They have seen exports going to markets such as Pakistan, Australia, Africa & The Middle East while still servicing the rest of the world. As a truly global company Todaysure Matthews have installations on 5 continents including Antarctica. How is that for raising the bar for Tameside exports?

   As a key strategic partner of Todaysure Matthews, we are delighted in their success and we look forward to continually developing their international marketing message as the business continues to grow and adapt. We have relished the challenge of developing a global marketing strategy for an industry leading company which has provided a clear return on investment. As a digital agency we work closely with our clients to ensure that all marketing messages regardless of market remain consistent with the brand value.

   We look forward to next years awards where we will be defending our title and pushing the boundaries of technological advancement further.

   

    

   

9. Award Winning Digital Agency

   November 6, 2017 11:53 am Comments Off on Award Winning Digital Agency

   The annual Pride of Tameside awards were held on Thursday 2nd November at Dukinfield Town Hall. AsOne are delighted to announce we continue our journey as an award winning digital agency by picking up the Technology Business of the Year award.

   As an award winning digital agency, we continually push the boundaries of what is possible in web development and digital marketing. What makes the Pride of Tameside award so special is that is judged by our business peers and highlights the business strengths of the borough.

   Tameside, part of the Greater Manchester region, has a strong innovative spirit. The Pride of Tameside awards celebrate this and allow regional business to celebrate achievements at a local level. With a clear vision, Tameside continues to develop and we expect the growth of innovation for many years to come.

   The event was a great success with most of Tamesides high profile business leaders in attendance. To be nominated was prize enough however to win was validation of all the hard work that has gone into making AsOne the Tameside Champion it is today.

   Our very own Joel Rush, creative director at AsOne had this to say

   “Winning Technology Business of the year is no mean feat in an industry that changes so rapidly, almost on a daily basis. To stay at the cutting edge for our clients we have to have a thirst for knowledge and a desire to harness every leap forward in technology. All the winners at the business awards tonight are leaders in their fields for exactly that reason, they are not satisfied with how things have always been. The winners have shown that they drive their businesses forward and should be applauded for their hard work and determination not to settle for second best.”

   In the spirit of the Pride of Tameside Awards, AsOne would like to congratulate all businesses that won or were nominated.

   

   

   

   

   

10. Award Winning Agency

    October 3, 2017 3:04 pm Comments Off on Award Winning Agency

    What makes an award winning agency and how does this impact your business?

    AsOne Digital Business Development are delighted to announce we have been shortlisted for 3 prestigious awards surrounding eCommerce and digital marketing. After a successful year of business growth and client, acquisition to be rewarded is a validation of all the hard work we have placed into the business in 2016/2017.

    Firstly, we have been shortlisted for the eCommerce Developer of the Year award at the Digital Entrepreneur awards. To qualify for this award we had to show outstanding technical and commercial awareness to aid our clients to deliver a high volume eCommerce solution with close attention being paid to end user experience.

    With the projects, we have undertaken for our clients we were also able to demonstrate how we have been pushing the boundaries with new techniques and systems. We are able to create extraordinary transactional websites at an international level, highlighting the digital skills within the UK.  

    AsOne as digital business development agency we understand the positives of being recognised in your industry and we look forward to meeting our fellow nominees on the night of the awards.

    Our second and third awards are something a little closer to home. We have been shortlisted in the Pride of Tameside Awards. For the Pride of Tameside, we entered 2 categories and are delighted to announce we were successful in both. Being an award winning agency, AsOne has seen success with the Pride of Tameside awards before winning Most Creative Use of Technology in 2013 & Innovative Business of the Year in 2011.

    We have been shortlisted for Digital, Creative or Media Business of the Year & Technology Business of the Year. Being a digital leader in the Northwest & based in Tameside we pride ourselves on the level of service we provide our clients and that this has been highlighted with the shortlisting. The Pride of Tameside awards celebrate the outstanding work of the business from different sectors and inspirational individuals from across the region.

    To make the evening of the awards even more special one of our clients has also been shortlisted for two awards. Todaysure Matthews has been nominated for the Export Award & Manufacturing award. At AsOne, we understand the value of partnership and we look forward to seeing our client collect an award as we are sure they will win.

    If you are looking for an award winning agency which puts customer service at the heart of each campaign look no further than AsOne. We have a long history of success stories and we look forward to developing our clients further for many years to come. Contact us today.

11. Greater Manchester Business Awards Success!

    May 22, 2017 4:06 pm Comments Off on Greater Manchester Business Awards Success!

    On Friday the 19th of May Innov8 held their very first Greater Manchester Business Awards at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

    The night was an success and we was pleased to be apart of the experience with Director Tracey Rush participating as one of the judges. Tracey used years of experience within business development to help make the appropriate choices and all judges were outstanded by the level of professionalism and work that was presented to them.

    The event was a chance to celebrate Greater Manchester for the fantastic and vibrant city that it is and the hard workers that are based here. The event was a sold out success and people partied the night away!

    The event highlighted the excellent work that companies around the Greater Manchester area had achieved in the past year.

    Below are the winners of the prestigious event.

    
    The 2018 Greater Manchester business awards will be open for applications in June 2017 at the Trafford Business Expo where they will be hosting a stand. Come along and join them to find out more about next year’s awards. The Greater Manchester awards are a way to increase the credibility and profile of your company. It also is an opportunity to be recognised and rewarded for your team’s hard work and efforts throughout the year.

    If you would like to see images from the night take a look at the Innov8 gallery.

12. KOB Limited gets a professional look with new website

    May 10, 2017 11:00 am Comments Off on KOB Limited gets a professional look with new website

    

    KOB Limited are an chartered accountancy and a business consultancy operated by Kevin O’Brien.

    KOB Limited is helping change the way that individuals within commercial organisations of all sizes manage and perceive their profession.

    With extensive experience in accountancy he has established himself as someone who doesn’t just understand accounts but also business. They have worked with a wide range of companies from different industry sectors. Boasting an impressive background within some of the UK’s most highly regarded accountancy firms.

    With services such as Statutory accounts, management accounts, tax consultancy and much more, KOB Limited has a wealth of experience to offer potential customers.

    Additions to the website like their Tax Table gives clients a quick and easy way to establish the tax threshold for many different areas from income tax to Corporation tax.

    KOB Limited approached AsOne Creative Digital Marketing for a WordPress website design that would look professional but simple. At AsOne we can work to the clients briefs, even those with strict deadlines. We worked with Kevin to meet his budget and time frame. We executed this project within the requirements and deadlines set.

    Kevin O’Brien wanted to create a website which reflected his company’s ethos. This was a business which removes the mystique that surrounds accountancy, by giving a personal and pro-active approach.

    There was a lot of emphasis placed on having correct and well written content on their website. We worked with Kevin O’Brien and the copywriter to make sure that the content mirrored the tone which the business wanted to reflected to the client. This was to be clear, concise and informative.

    Kevin left this testimonial – “Very pleased with Joel, Tracey & the team at AsOne. Great service, love the website, very professional.”

    It was a pleasure to work with a professional company such as KOB Limited.

    Are you looking for an agency who will work to your briefs and complete your project within the deadlines set? At AsOne Digital Business Development we will work with you to meet the requirements outlined. We can help you to develop a lasting digital and online impression. Contact one of our team.

13. National Superhero Day!

    April 28, 2017 11:45 am Leave a Comment

    Today marks the day of national superhero day!

    We have all dreamed at some point in our lives what we would be like if we were to have our very own super powers. We would be able to move mountains, scale buildings and create money out of thin air. Some of us would just like to be able to create desserts out of nothing (Some of us are easily pleased!).

    So for national superhero day, we asked our team members to dream up their very own superhero alter ego. Who they would like to be if they had the chance to save the world every day.  Take a look at the superhero’s hidden within our team members:

    Click on the images to zoom in.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    So who was your favourite superhero that our team created? National superhero day shows that there is a hero in each and every one of us just waiting to burst out! We enjoy getting to see the individuality of our team members and what their imagination can come up with.

    Who would you be if you were given the chance to be your very own superhero?

    Let us know on our Facebook or Twitter page!

14. National Tell a Story Day

    April 27, 2017 2:26 pm Leave a Comment

    Today is National Tell a Story Day! We asked several of our team members to come up with their very own stories for National Tell a Story Day. These were the tales that our team members had to tell:

    Richard’s Story – Are you joking?!

    There was once a girl named Lauren, who started life as a peasant girl in rural Clayton. Life was hard for Lauren and she spent her days farming the land & dreaming of a better life where she could run free without all of the hardship.

    One day, on a cold December morning a magical machine appeared with all of its bright lights flashing. From inside the Machine appeared a man called Daniel who said, “Lauren if you want to escape this hard life come with me and enjoy a life on the road”. Lauren was so mesmerised by Daniel the trucker she got straight in and waved goodbye to her life in Clayton. Daniel & Lauren travelled for many days and nights until they arrived in Hastings where Daniel lived. Upon seeing Hastings for the first time, Lauren was excited for her new life and eager for it to start.

    After a few days, Daniel & Lauren went into the town to do some shopping. To Lauren’s horror, Daniel left her abandoned there, screaming “ARE YOU JOKING!”, she would never see him again. Alone & distraught Lauren wondered what she would do and after a few nights of sleeping rough, she decided that she must go home to Clayton. Lauren went to the local council office and begged them for help. They put her on the first train back to Manchester & her heart was lifted.

    Upon seeing Clayton, Lauren was so emotional to be home that she broke down and stated that she had never been happier. Lauren went back to her shack and started the process of rebuilding her life. However, while she was gone, the shack she called home had been torn down by the council and she actually had nowhere to live. Deciding that her life is going to change, Lauren found a new house and converted her attic to a painter’s studio where she now works with pink bobbles in her hair. Best of all, her new neighbour and Spirit brother “Sherri-joe” took Lauren under his wing and showed her how to make the most of her new life.
    Sherri-joe & Lauren now have their very own shack together on the original land Lauren used to work all those years ago now wearing those pink bobbles while raising her quails. Daniel, on the other hand, can be found at a truck stop near you, just don’t get into his van as this only leads to broken promises.

    Laurens Story – I shouldn’t have eaten that – The life of Richard de’Lioncourt

    There was once a small boy called Richard. Richard fantasised of the day that he could venture out into the big open world and follow his dreams of becoming a supermodel. However, Richards mother Kim was very strict and did not like the idea of Richard becoming a supermodel, instead Kim wanted Richard to follow in his brother Daniel’s footsteps and become a truck driver – Kim thought this was more realistic and would guarantee food on the table each week.

    This was the last thing Richard wanted to do. So instead, Richard set out a plan to fulfil his dream and become the next Naomi Campbell. Richard had the looks, personality and charisma to succeed in the industry but how would he even get started?

    Richard had an ‘acquaintance’ called Lauren who he knew could help him be in the right place at the right time and with the right people. All he would have to do then is make himself known and remembered. What everyone seemed to forget though was Richard was an elaborate individual, who could command the presence of a room in an instance.

    Lauren arranged for the pair of them to go to an event at Rhodes studio in Manchester. The event was going to be filled with numerous stars and industry professionals looking for the next ‘big thing’. Could this be Richard De’Lioncourt?

    The pair arrived in their best attire – Lauren in a beautiful couture dress and Richard wearing what could only be described as a Balenciaga dream. All eyes were on Richard.

    The first person to make contact was global megastar Madam Rhodes herself! Richard found himself engaging in light conversation and ‘banter’ with the star.

    But what happened next could only be described as.. well… commanding the presence that was needed.

    Did Richard do enough to become the next rising star? Find out in the next chapter of ‘I shouldn’t have eaten that’.

    Joels story – The story of how _______ and ______ _____

    

    As you can see we have some creative minds here at AsOne on National Tell a Story Day! Keep up to date with the strange and wonderful national days on our Twitter and Facebook.

15. AsOne have fun for Easter!

    April 13, 2017 11:12 am Leave a Comment

    At AsOne we enjoy getting involved with seasonal holidays by doing some fun office activities that help to wake our office up early in the morning! This weeks activities brought out the creative side of our team. We took our team members back to school with some creative Easter activities!

    Our first activity which we took part in was creating an Easter inspired design using the available decoration tools. All of this had to be done in under 5 minutes, so the pressure was on to create something spectacular!

    We were impressed with our team’s  imagination even if the finishing product was very questionable!

    Our winners were Sherridan Rhodes and Richard O’Brien! They won an Easter egg for their efforts!

    

    Our second activity of the week was an egg decorating contest just like the ones that used to be held in school. The task was simple, we had 5 minutes to decorate an egg and whoever was chosen as the best won!

    It was up to director Tracey Rush to decide the winner. This is what she had to say about each egg –

    Richard’s Egg Basket – ‘The chicks with the basket are very cute and represent a true traditional easter image.’

    Lauren’s Mr Bump – ‘I love Mr. bump, it’s very obvious who he was even without the nameplate.’

    Sam’s Mr. Googly Eyes – ‘Mr googly eyes are charming but his nose and mouth could have had more work.’

    Joel’s Ninja Egg – ‘Same goes for the black ninja, his eyes were the focal point so could have been more emotive.’

    Alex’s Spiderman – ‘Spiderman was really well done too but if I have to be critical I have to say the eye smudge let him down a little.’

    Sherridan’s Tree Eared Creature – ‘But my winner is The little green eared creature because it’s got a real docile expression that is almost cute and it’s nothing I can relate it to. It’s completely out of someone’s imagination and yet so simply put together.’

    So there you have it Sherridan’s green eared creature won!

    It was great to get our team into the Easter spirit with these simple but fun office activities.

    

    Keep a lookout on our Twitter and Instagram for more fun office activities that you can do with your team at work.

    If you’re interested in ways that you can motivate your team then take a look at our previous blog on team motivation.

    We will be closed over the Easter holidays 14th – 17th of April. If in this time you require support please log a support ticket on www.asone.co.uk/support/.

    We hope you all have a great Easter!

16. Ways to improve your team motivation

    April 10, 2017 10:39 am Leave a Comment

    

    At AsOne we believe that team motivation is key to a successful working environment. Especially on Monday mornings when waking yourself up can prove to be difficult. No one looks forward to that alarm clock going off after a relaxing and fun weekend, whether we love our jobs or not.

    That is why we have come up with 5 ways in which you can improve team motivation long term and short term.

    Morning Huddles

    Our huddles also give a chance for staff to share what work they have on for the day, allowing them to alert everyone as to what they will be up to. It also gives the chance to brainstorm ideas if someone finds themselves having a mental block. A fresh insight can help to improve your work and productivity.

    One of the ways that we keep our own team motivated is through our morning huddles. Each week a different team member is chosen to present a motivational activity in the morning. These have ranged from quizzes to treasure hunts. The purpose of this is to help wake our team up in the morning and get them active. Activities like these can help to bring out the competitiveness of your team helping to motivate them early in the morning. It helps to get us all talking and shake the cobwebs of the morning away.

    Appreciate your team

    One of the easiest ways to motivate your team is to simply let them know that you appreciate the hard work that they put in. If they achieve a goal, make sure that it is recognised whether that is privately or publicly. This can be a great motivator and help to increase individual productivity. This will help to make your team members feel like a valued part of the team and create a positive company culture.

    Support new ideas

    For many people it can be difficult to open up and share their ideas. So when your employees share ideas make sure that you support the act of bringing ideas forward. Even if the idea is something which you can not do, it is great to encourage your team to put forward their thoughts. Your team members will feel more encouraged to present future ideas.

    Keep it fun

    Work doesn’t always have to feel like hard work. It’s great being productive and making sure that you get your work done but many people can become blinkered if they don’t step away from their desk. We believe that you should take time out of your day to refresh your mind and have a laugh together. Having a break can help to motivate your team and send them back into their day again with positive spirits. Getting the balance between work and time away from the desk is key. It would be no good to overwork your team, having a fun work environment can help combat this.

    Good working environment

    Research has shown that employees care more about their working environment than the money that they earn. It is important that your environment is one in which people can grow in and draw inspiration from. Plain walls and dull colours can leave people feeling lacklustre. A pop of colour, a few images and an open space can work wonders for your team’s mental productivity.
    
    Having a motivated team not only benefits the team mentally but can help to improve productivity in the office. You don’t have to do grand gestures to improve team motivation. The little things like appreciating your employees can help work wonders to help motivate your team. If you would like further inspiration you can check out the hashtag #MotivationMonday on Twitter. This can help inspire your team with what other companies do to keep their team motivated.

17. AsOne Served a Helping of Humble Pie for Red Nose day

    March 29, 2017 9:00 am Leave a Comment

    At AsOne we always strive to do our part for charity and help people from around the world who do not have the same start in life as we do. This year we decided to get involved with Red Nose Day on the 24th of March.

    We didn’t however, want to just do something simple we wanted to make sure that all of our team members were involved and something which people would definitely want to donate for. That’s when we came up with AsOne’s Pie to the Face. We gave people the opportunity to see one of our team members have delicious pies thrown at them by other team members. We knew that many could not pass up the chance to see one of us get pied!

    The rules were simple, people voted for who they wanted to see get a pie in the face by donating to our funding page. £1 was equivalent to 1 vote so the more people donated the more votes the chosen team member received.

    After nearly 3 weeks of voting and raising an amazing £261, our eventual winner was Richard O’Brien! He took the serving of humble pie with a smile on his face!

    We even had a guest pie thrower! Diane from The Rubbish Removers came along to our event to help us with throwing the pies. (We think she enjoyed it a bit too much!)

    Thank you to all who donated!

    

18. AsOne Continues Look Out for Emerging Manchester Talent

    March 16, 2017 11:20 am Leave a Comment

    After the success of the Digital Skills Festival and meeting some amazing young talent we held an assessment day at our offices on the 14th of March. The day gave us a chance to look for young Manchester talent to offer the opportunity of a work placement over the Summer with AsOne & our team.

    We shortlisted a group of candidates who expressed keen interest within Digital industry who were interested in sectors such as marketing, copywriting, web design, graphic design and much more. They also showed enthusiasm with working with our company AsOne because of the diverse clients we work with. Giving them the opportunity to fully immerse themselves within many different areas of the digital industry.

    

    This type of placement opportunity gives many university students invaluable experience which can help towards their course and getting a job once they have graduated. More Businesses can help do their part for the future generation by offering placements, work experience or apprenticeships.

    If you have an interest in offering young students a chance to work for your company on a placement basis there are many ways you can do this. You don’t have to go to events such as the Digital Skills Festival in order to find talent. You can contact schools, colleges and universities directly to express your interest. They can then help you find the perfect candidate.

    We encourage business to offer placements, work experience and apprenticeships to young adults because it brings a fresh perspective to your business. An extra pair of hands can help your productivity. The injection of new enthusiasm in your team will help to bring a new wave of excitement with the added benefit of a fresh mind and opinions.

    If you would like to hold a day like ours where you bring in a group of young talent we recommend that you prepare for the day. We choose to give our candidates assessments which were relevant to the placement we would be looking to fill. This allows individual candidates to shine and show you their knowledge.

    We work closely with the DCN to highlight the benefits of employing young and aspiring talent especially those looking towards an apprenticeship. It is our continued mission to find the best emerging Manchester talent, giving them the opportunity to reach their potential in the Digital industry.
    
    It was inspiring to meet many enthusiastic students who are keen to begin working in their chosen sector. We are looking forward to working further with the young talent of Manchester.

19. Use Google Remarketing to Capture Your Audience’s Attention Time and Time Again

    March 13, 2017 9:00 am Leave a Comment

    

    Google Remarketing uses the AdWords platform and the Google Display Network to serve highly targeted ads to people who have already viewed pages on your website or in your app.

    It is a really effective way of improving the ROI of your campaigns, by ensuring that you stay at the forefront of your audience’s minds even after they’ve left your site.

    How does it work?

    Remarketing is a highly effective method of re-engaging your website visitors, but it requires your content to be properly tagged, and your AdWords campaigns being appropriately synced to use these tags.

    If this is not something you’re familiar with yourself, you can use a PPC agency like AsOne to manage it for you, start to finish.

    The process works as follows:

    1. Pages on your website are tagged using a snippet of code supplied by Google
    2. Targeted adverts are created using Google AdWords, relevant to each of the tagged pages
    3. People who view these pages are automatically sent a cookie file, which allows Google to track them
    4. When these people navigate away from your site, they will see your targeted ads on other sites based on which tagged pages they have viewed. These pages can be strategically selected to ensure the right message is presented at the right time.

    For instance, if you have a page on your site that is tagged as “cuddly toys”, you can create an ad that specifically relates to cuddly toys, and will only appear to people who have already viewed that page.

    This is especially effective for products that have a slow sales cycle, where people are less likely to make an impulse purchase. They might have had a look at your service, and even though they liked it they decided they needed more time to think about it.

    Remarketing enables you to send a subtle reminder of the product they were interested in to entice them back to your site.

    Make Remarketing part of your online acquisition strategy

    When used in conjunction with other marketing methods, such as social media, paid search, or SEO, remarketing is a really effective way to ensure that you capture your audience’s attention again and again.

    As with any other digital marketing methods, access to data and analytics is really important. Google provides detailed reports outlining how many times your ads have been viewed and clicked, and we analyse this data to optimise your campaign and ensure you are getting the best results.

    At AsOne we have expert knowledge of how these techniques can be used as part of a broader, integrated marketing campaign to help drive your business forward.

    
    If you’re interested in finding out how remarketing could work for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch and one of our account managers will be able to talk you through your options.

20. AsOne Raising Money for Red Nose Day

    March 9, 2017 10:12 am Leave a Comment

    

    Do you have a favourite team member at AsOne? Or is there a particular team member that you would like to see a pie thrown in their face, just for fun? You now have the opportunity to do so. Support AsOne on the 24th of March for Red Nose Day and see a pie thrown at the face of one of our team members!

    On Red Nose Day we will be revealing the person who will receive a pie in the face. Could it be Richard who has made you write content or maybe Sherridan who has forced you through the daunting task of eShot creation? Only you can decide!

    We will invite down a guess pie thrower from the list of all those who have voted. They will be invited to take part in throwing a pie into the face of the person who has been voted for the most. So if you have ever wanted to throw a pie at one of the AsOne team (Who hasn’t wanted to do that?) you now have the perfect opportunity to do so! You can even vote for the directors, I’m sure we have all wanted to see someone’s boss get a pie in the face!

    All you have to do to take part is go to our Funding Page and leave a donation of your choice with a comment of the chosen team member in the comments box. £1 is equivalent to one vote so the more you donate the more votes they receive! Whoever then has the most amount of votes will be receiving a face full of pie! So choose your team member wisely!

    You can choose from the following team members 

    

    

    The money donated will help to transform people’s lives across the UK and Africa. Your generosity really will help to make a world of difference to people living unimaginably tough lives. Their work in Africa will be helping to fight the Malaria disease. Just £4 can help to fully vaccinate a child against five deadly diseases in Africa.

    Thank you to all those who take part and we look forward to revealing the results! Cast your vote here.

21. Participating in National Career Week

    March 6, 2017 4:30 pm Leave a Comment

    National Career Week with Russell Scott Primary School!

    We are looking forward to supporting Russell Scott Primary School tomorrow by participating in an inspirational day of activities as part of National Careers Week. The career week event for 9 – 11-year-olds, aims to begin to open pupils eyes to the wide array of careers and jobs by inviting industry representatives to share their stories and experiences in the industry.

    Joel Rush, AsOne’s Director & co-founder member of The Digital And Creative Network, will be talking about his journey into his career within creative digital media and what inspired him to move into the world of technology when as a boy he was more interested in building with lego, holding a childhood ambition of becoming an architect. Joel hopes to inspire his audience during the career event by sharing his story and that of his own son, who at the age of 10 years old took his first steps into mobile app development with the use of simple and accessible online software.

    

    The event aims to provide an insight into the world of careers and give an understanding of the minimum level of basic skills required for the vast majority of jobs. It’s widely recognised that young people often leave education without a true understanding of the commercial expectations of the workplace. This career week event will help to close the gap between education and business whilst engaging in an inspirational day for everyone to enjoy. We are looking forward to attending the event and meeting the future generation.  

    The Digital and Creative Network has a vested interest in the next generation of creative and digital minds to ensure that the digital and creative industries remain strong both locally and nationally. If you would like to know more about the digital and creative industries in relation to education, please get in touch and contact the DCN.

22. Helping Tomorrow’s Talent Prepare for Employment

    February 24, 2017 10:13 am Leave a Comment

    February proved to be a busy month for AsOne in terms of supporting the local community.  Tracey Rush represented digital industries, alongside other companies and sectors in and around the borough, by attending Alder Community High School to help the students learn more about youth employment.

    Tracey helped students prepare for employment by hosting mock interviews. Each student having completed a job application form would be interviewed to assimilate a real live opportunity, followed by a critique of how the interview went and what considerations could be given to improve an application. This allowed students to experience first hand what a real job application & interview would be like and helped them learn from the experience, taking valuable comments, advice and ideas away that might increase their success rate in the future.

    The aim of this day was to build students confidence when considering applying for a job whether that be part time or full time. This was a skill which many students of Alder felt that they were lacking and made the prospect of going out and getting a job a more daunting task.

    The contribution from director Tracey Rush and the other volunteers on the day has helped to build the confidence of those who participated and many hope to use the experience to aid them in finding jobs over the summer.

    Tracey adds, “I have two boys of my own, 14 & 18, very different personalities and I am sure both would have found the day a challenge to say the least. The students of Alder Community High School did a fantastic job of keeping calm under the pressure. It is unrealistic to assume every individual, youth or not, is able to represent themselves to their best ability when put into such an environment. Having activities around careers and preparation for careers within schools will definitely better support youth employment by preparing young people and encouraging them to be more proactive in their approach for employment”.

    AsOne will be looking forward to further helping support & educate the next generation in youth employment and the options that are open to them after education.

    If you would like to learn more about how we are helping the younger generation then take a look at our latest visit to the Digital Skills Festival in Manchester.

23. Digital Skills Festival

    February 21, 2017 10:18 am Leave a Comment

    

    The Digital Skills Festival landed in Manchester last week and AsOne Creative Digital Marketing were proud attendees of the event. The Digital Skills Festival, is an annual, four-day event that includes a skills conference; the largest digital careers fair in the UK and opportunities for young people in education to progress into a rewarding career in the digital industry.

    The event organisers Manchester Digital outline the purpose of the event. “Manchester has an ambition to become a digital city and in order to achieve this we need a highly skilled digital workforce that is big enough to serve the needs of an ever-growing industry. We need a pipeline of talent that will leave school, college and university with industry standard, work ready, digital skillsets.”

    AsOne has always taken a vested interest in the next wave of talent that will be entering the digital and creative industries as our success with apprentices has shown. With our attendance at the Digital Skills Festival we wanted the opportunity to showcase our unique value proposition and how we can further develop the careers of the next generation. AsOne believes that your environment is an extension of your skills and that through continual learning and development there is no limit to your potential. This is the style of creativity we delivered during the Digital Skills Festival to great result.

    The highlight of the event for us was the passion, drive and dedication from the future generation of web masters and digital marketers. The sheer will of talent that was evident at the event highlights the growth potential within the industry. Also, AsOne understands that from a sustainability standpoint, business growth is dependant on the talent pool that will be entering the market. With this in mind, we have a vested interest to ensure the next generation of people who wish to enter the digital world as a career do so with the best equipment available.

    Manchester, historically has always been a digital city. We have some of the finest universities in the country and we are a focal for students around the world. Manchester is home to the largest student population in Europe and with the talent that is within the city the digital sector will continue to grow.

    After our time at the Digital Skills festival it has become abundantly clear that the strength of the digital sector in Manchester is in safe hands with the next generation of digital creatives. Here at AsOne we have a deep understanding that we play a role in this. We are here to guide and develop the next generation of talent to ensure our industry stays buoyant and strong. We have built a solid foundation on work ethic and the continual learning ensuring that when an apprentice or new member of staff joins they are given every opportunity to succeed.

    If you would like to know more about the development opportunities here at AsOne, please email cv@asone.co.uk with a CV, covering letter and examples of previous work.

24. AsOne helping youth development

    January 26, 2017 11:13 am Leave a Comment

    

    Every teenager at the end of High School will face the daunting task of choosing whether to continue with education or to go into the working world. It is not an easy choice to be made with many teenagers not having first hand experience of what a working life would entail for them. Many pupils are not fully aware of the options that are presented to them at the end of high school. However with a full understanding of the avenues open to young people they can make an objective decision on the course of their life which can include further education, vocational training or entering the workforce.

    AsOne will be attending Alder Community High School on the 8th of February to help young people comprehend what life can be like outside of full time education. The concept is to help them understand the options that are available to them when their time at high school ends.

    The students of Alder Community High School will sit a mock interview with the Director of AsOne, Tracey Rush. This will allow students to experience first hand what they can expect from an interview in a practical setting. This will help with their personal development and confidence when preparing themselves for both workplace interviews and for those which may be a necessity for college and university. Having an understanding of what to take to an interview or the questions which may be asked can help to alleviate pressure that many face when undertaking an interview for the first time. The interview will reflect the real life expectations of employers, helping pupils to develop the life skills that they will need when applying for their chosen careers.

    When a student is preparing to leave school, they are told of all the way that college would benefit them. However, they are not fully informed in the ways in which an apprenticeship could be the best foot forward for their chosen careers.

    At AsOne we have a passion for facilitating youth development, guiding them through training to achieve a rewarding and successful career in the Creative and Digital industry.

25. Children 4 Most investing in the children of Tameside with website launch.

    January 15, 2017 11:14 am Leave a Comment

    

    The Children 4 Most website is now live. They are a chain of 3 nurseries based across Tameside. They aim to provide a high standard of quality care and specialist Early Years education to raise standards of compulsory education. They wanted a small business website design which reflected their care and devotion to children. This is done through having personalised pages featuring images of the staff which give parents an insight into their nurseries.

    Children 4 Most is built on the WordPress platform and features a full page slider on their homepage. Their modern website helps to reflect that they’re nurseries are of high standard. This is shown through their gallery which features images of the environment which a parent will be placing their children in. This is a great feature for those who prefer visual aid as well as a description to know what a nursery will be like for their child.

    The call to actions on their homepage is clear and concise. We know that many parents will be busy with their child so this helps them to navigate the website effectively allowing them to contact the nurseries without having to leave the homepage.

    The blogging system allows them to keep parents and staff up to date easily with the latest news and events. This helps the nursery to keep connected in an engaging and effective way.

    Enquiring about nursery dates for a child is made simple with their contact form. This features a clear layout and collects the required information from the parent.You are able to fill in start and end dates as well as the times which a parent will need for their child. This is to help speed up the amount of time which people will spend on their website. This will be favoured by those who have a busy scheduled as well as looking after a child.

    Children 4 Most had this to say about their website – ‘We are pleased with how the website turned out and are looking forward to using the training shown to us in the early stages.’

    If you are looking for a small business website design then get in contact with us. Every website is made with attention to detail whether you are a big corporation or a small local business. Please contact us on 0161 368 9100 or email here@asone.co.uk.

26. End The Fear website helping to raise awareness of domestic violence.

    December 1, 2016 10:11 am Leave a Comment

    

    The End the Fear  WordPress website is a Greater Manchester based organisation run by the GMP which helps those who are victims of domestic violence. They wanted a website which had the connotation of hope with their use of bright colours. The yellow couch was an idea of End The Fear which generated the hashtag #SittingRightWithYou so those who visited the website knew there was a place for them to go to.

    The site itself was built on a WordPress  website with a bespoke theme and build. End the Fear has an any easy to use navigation, which has been built with a clear intention of being quick due to the subject matter at hand. Those using the navigation will be able to obtain information quickly and clearly. With the clear boxes over the yellow sofa it is a striking visual that people will not fail to notice. They wanted to make sure that no matter who you are or what your level of experience with computers is, that you would be able to easily navigate their website.

    One of the WordPress websites USP’s is that the website is built with your protection in mind. End The Fear has a “Hide this website button’ which sends users to the BBC news web page, leaving no traces of the user being on End The Fear. End The Fear is to support the victims of domestic violence, user safety is a main priority when using the website. This button allows for those who may be in immediate danger or who wish not to raise attention to exit the website in a efficient and discreet manner. This goes along with a ‘Cover your tracks’ button which takes user to a page which holds information on how they can cover their track while they are online.

    The website itself is fully mobile responsive with many customisable features such as the sidebar which the clients can log in to and edit. The website has an integrated newsletter sign up for those who wish to receive news from them.

    We received this feedback from the client –

    What did you think about the individual team members involved on your project, did you find them helpful during the development of your project?

    A- We definitely found them helpful, would have been nice to meet them all. They gave us good communication all round throughout the project

    One last question, is there anything you feel we can do to improve our service?

    A – No, everything was great, excellent even.

    At AsOne Creative Digital Marketing we build a WordPress website to meet a specific brand ethos, offering a bespoke approach to the build of your website. We have the knowledge and expertise to develop a website that showcases your business effectively. Contact one of our team by emailing here@asone.co.uk or calling 0161 368 9100.

27. Bespoke website created for high end interior design specialists Langley Interiors.

    9:09 am Leave a Comment

    

    The langley Interiors bespoke WordPress design website is now live. Langley Interiors create bespoke furniture that is individually hand crafted for their clients needs. That is why they wanted a WordPress design with their own bespoke theme.

    The Langley website features a mega menu for ease of navigation which is accompanied by a detailed navigation so their customer can select the page which is most specific to them. This features a drop down menu which gives a short description of the different types of rooms which they can create bespoke furniture for. The content within the navigation and the website pages can be changed by the client in a simple and efficient way. This allows for the client to keep their website up to date with their latest designs. Their website is also made customisable with custom fields that can be managed by the client, meaning that they can choose which content they would like to feature and how it will be displayed.

    The website features their testimonials throughout the on their ‘Rooms’ pages. This enabled Langley to display the feedback from clients which is specific to the page which you are on. This is featured in the Footer along with an embedded Google Map which is clear for the viewer to see.

    The website features a parallax which can be seen at the top of the Bathrooms page. This helps to increase the visual aspects of the website letting them showcase their best work. This is made simpler with the use of a gallery plugin that allows for easier image management. The use of column shortcodes gives the client more control over their pages look, making their website as bespoke as the furniture which they create.

    Finally the website is fully mobile responsive with an added WordPress design blog for adding content which allows for them to achieve better rankings in Google when optimised to a high standard.
    At AsOne Creative Digital Marketing we can create a bespoke website which is as unique as your business. We have the skills and the expertise to create you a website which reflects your business brand and ethos. Contact our team today to learn more about what we can do for you.

28. Calmia Website is now live

    November 22, 2016 2:58 pm Leave a Comment

    The Calmia website has now gone live. Calmia has an OpenCart eCommerce system which sells equipment that is designed by yoga devotees and tested by yoga teachers to enhances

    your wellbeing. They want to bring peace to their customers lives without having to leave their home.

    The Calmia website had to reflect this message of peace and serenity. There are many features on this website that reflect this ethos making this bespoke website.

    The first striking feature of this eCommerce system is the mega menu for an easy and clear navigation with a full page slider. The built in Instagram feed allows Calmia to keep their website updated with the latest pictures from their account. This paired with their integrated newsletter signup and embedded YouTube videos let the customer keep up to date with Calmia in different ways.

    Calmia have the added benefit of an autocomplete search system. This gives the customer the convenience of typing in a product and giving suggestions as to what they may be searching for. This feature helps to find products in a quick and efficient way. Shopping is made easier with the Wish List system that allows for their customers to save products for a later date. This helps to enhance a customer’s experience on the website for a stress free and relaxed shopping experience.

    The Calmia website has been built with the customer in mind. That’s why on their product category pages you can filter their products by category, size and/or colour.  They are then sortable by New Arrivals, Highest Rated, Most popular, Alphabetically or Price. The product images change to show different product colours when selecting a colour swatch (on the category page)

    The product pages themselves allow for customer to zoom in and out of images. Its also has GIFs/YouTube videos embedded of their products. With product images changing depending on colour selected. These features allow for the customer to see with ease the product which they are buying. This kept the ethos in mind by having a website which is easy and comfortable to use as the products they sell. Each function including  the product suggestion section has been designed with a focus point of making the customer experience simple and efficient.

    The website has an integrated blogging system with featured images, tags, social sharing options and save to read later buttons. The blog has categories which customers can select from so they can find what they are looking for in a quick and easy way.

    There is an easy to use account system for customers which includes their order history and wish list. The simple to use design means that yoga enthusiast of all ages will find the website and account system easy to use.

    At AsOne Creative Digital Marketing we create websites that are unique to you. With an in depth plan set in place we will make your visions turn into reality. Contact us today to find out how we can help you create your bespoke website.

29. Pennine Garage Doors is now live

    November 18, 2016 5:03 pm Leave a Comment

    The Pennine Garage Doors website is now live. Pennine Garage Doors create bespoke modern, high tech garage doors. They have a extensive portfolio of contemporary and modern designed garage doors that are made unique to every client that they sell to.

    The Pennine Garage doors website is built on a WordPress Content Management System (CMS) and is fully mobile responsive. The features include a revolution slider integration which the client is able to change themselves.

    Their mega menu allows for customers to navigate their website with ease. This is made even easier as the menu scrolls down the page with you. This also has the added benefit of an internal navigation system to jump between the similar services on the website.

    An integrated testimonials banner and customer reviews system allows for them to showcase their feedback from previous work which they have undertaken. With a built in PDF viewer and installed Google Maps this website is as modern as the services they provide.

    They have a blogging system with a search engine friendly blog which allows them to optimise their blogs effectively in a easy to use way. Having a blog allows them to add relevant content to the website. When optimised correctly this can help increase their Google search rankings, helping to drive organic traffic back to their website.

    With simple call to actions it makes browsing their website an easy experience. Customers can easily request a quote with their form which allows for them to select their planned project.

    Mark Kenyon from Pennine Garage Door  said that he felt ’100%’  supported throughout the whole development. We asked him how he found the management of the project and if we met his expectations, he responded with ‘More than he imagined’. We asked him about the individual member involved – ‘absolutely brilliant, tuned in, especially the Project manager. They didn’t mind even when the goal posts were moved.’

    If you are looking for a sleek and modern built on a Content Management System  that will stand the test of time like your products then get in touch with us and we can help you. Email us at here@asone.co.uk or call us on 0161 368 9100.

30. AsOne Bake Off Final

    November 8, 2016 5:32 pm Leave a Comment

    This week was the final week of the AsOne Bake Off. We have seen some amazing bakes come through our doors over the last 9 weeks. Yesterday was the turn of Sherridan Rhodes to see if she could steal the top position from Kim.

    Sherridan tried to make a vanilla, lemon and orange cheesecake. Tried being the main word to use. She made two over the weekend and both unfortunately did not set. That being said the flavour was still good and allowed Sherridan to gain 4th from last with 105/135.

    Sherridan had this to say about her bake: ‘I usually love making cheesecake but this put me off making it for life. Someone really did not want me to get this right. Its was more like a melted ice cream than cheesecake. I contemplated baking a back up cake at 1am when I saw it has not set but I knew that 3rd time would not be a charm for me. Though it went down a lot better than expected as I thought I was going to come last! I guess if you moan enough about how bad it is people feel sorry for you!’

    That means that Kim Pemberton is our AsOne Bake Off winner!

    Congratulations to Kim who made a checkered malteser cake and wowed the AsOne team with the effort and skill she used to make the cake.

    

    The final official leaderboard is:

    1st – Kim Pemberton ‘Malteser Cake’ 126/135

    2nd – Joel Rush ‘Brian cake’ 125/135

    3rd – Tracey Rush ‘Butternut squash and Orange cake’ 112/135

    4th – Alex Singleton ‘Marauders Map’ – 110/135

    5th – Lauren Jones ‘Piggy Delights’ – 108/35

    6th – Sherridan Rhodes ‘Cheesecake’ – 105/135

    7th – Ana Basto ‘Moist Choc Cake’ – 104/135

    8th – Danielle Dowling ‘Victoria Sponge Cake’ – 88/135

    9th – Richard O’Brien ‘Cake Surprise’ – 87/135

    Follow our Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the AsOne team.

31. AsOne Bake Off ‘Brian’

    November 1, 2016 10:54 am Leave a Comment

    There is now only two bakers left until we find out who the AsOne bake off champion is.

    This Monday was the turn of Joel Rush who embraced Halloween and went with a day of the dead cake called Brian…

    This cake impressed our team with it’s unique design. Joel baked a red velvet cake smothered in fresh cream cheese frosting and raspberry coulis. Joel’s cake was made to look like a skull in the spirit of the day of the dead. It was hauntingly good. The Cake was so good it even received positive feedback from a fellow competitor –  ‘Best tasting cake we’ve had in the competition so far’

    Joel was scored on the following:

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to execute the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires little skill, but if everything is homemade this will be classed as more skillful.

    Joel had this to say about his bake: I realised that buying a cake is far easier and you could put vinegar in a cake and it still taste good. It’s been years since i made a cake but it might not be as long next time … who am i kidding, i’m off to the cake shop!

    

    Joel scored the following:

    Presentation – 43/45

    Skill – 38/45

    Taste – 44/45

    Total – 125/135

    1st – Kim Pemberton ‘Malteser Cake’ 126/135

    2nd –Joel Rush ‘Brian’ cake 125/135

    3rd – Tracey Rush ‘Butternut squash and Orange cake’ 112/135

    4th – Alex Singleton ‘Marauders Map’ – 110/135

    5th – Lauren Jones ‘Piggy Delights’ – 108/35

    6th – Ana Basto ‘Moist Choc Cake’ – 104/135

    7th – Danielle Dowling ‘Victoria Sponge Cake’ – 88/135

    8th – Richard O’Brien ‘Cake Surprise’ – 87/135

    Next week is the turn of Sherridan Rhodes. Will she be able to beat Kim’s Malteser Cake with high score of a 126?

    Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date.

    Help us score Joel’s cake!
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32. AsOne Bake Off ‘Malteser Cake’

    October 25, 2016 3:52 pm Leave a Comment

    We have seen and tasted some great cakes over the last 2 month but on Monday a new bar was set. Kim Pemberton wowed everyone with her Malteser cake. Kim definitely went for a cake which required skill and a lot of patience.

    Kims cake featured a checkered centre which stumped some people as to how she managed the design. Kim explained that she baked 4 cakes, 2 chocolate and 2 vanilla sponge. They were then cut out into rings and she then put the cake back together with alternating rings of vanilla and chocolate cake. She then covered her cake in a chocolate ganache topped with Maltesers.

    Kim was scored on the following:

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to execute the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires little skill, but if everything is homemade this will be classed as more skilful.

    Kim had this to say about her bake – ‘I am not a fan of baking as I am aware that I can probably buy a cake ready made for the fraction of the cost, my kitchen stays clean and it probably would taste better!!!  It helped on the day that my husband decided to spend the day with his mother and took the dog with him.  Therefore I could take my time (5 hours in total) to produce my masterpiece. I bought considerably more Maltesers than needed but I had to try a few just to be sure they were ok. I was happy with the result but you are never sure that it has worked until the cutting ceremony! The most stressful part was sitting the cake on my passenger seat of my car and driving into work, I had to avoid pot-holes, children and pets but the most embarrassing part was a learner driver pulling out in front of me and speeding off in front, I was going very slow which is not normally in my nature but the cake and I arrived safely for the judging. I was proud of the reaction I was getting from my colleagues and the score was amazing. I am very happy that my part is now over’

    

    Kim scored the following:

    Presentation – 43/45

    Skill – 45/45

    Taste – 38/45

    Total – 126/135

    This puts Kim in first place with an amazing 126/135! Meaning she knocks Tracey out of first place by a mile! Will any the last three baker’s be able to beat her score?

    1st – Kim Pemberton ‘Malteser Cake’ 126/135

    2nd – Tracey Rush ‘Butternut squash and Orange cake’ 112/135

    3rd – Alex Singleton ‘Marauders Map’ – 110/135

    4th – Lauren Jones ‘Piggy Delights’ – 108/35

    5th – Ana Basto ‘Moist Choc Cake’ – 104/135

    6th – Danielle Dowling ‘Victoria Sponge Cake’ – 88/135

    7th – Richard O’Brien ‘Cake Surprise’ – 87/135

    Join us next week as Joel Rush tries to beat Kim’s impressive score. Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest bakes.

33. The Greater Manchester Business Awards

    October 24, 2016 3:25 pm Leave a Comment

    

    The Greater Manchester Business Awards are now open for entry for you to put your company forward. The awards are a chance for us to celebrate professionalism and excellence of Businesses and Organisations within the Greater Manchester area.

    All of the awards are judged independently by a panel of 8 judges including Director of AsOne Creative Digital Marketing, Tracey Rush. The Greater Manchester Awards want to promote a fair and open judging system by ensuring that you win on your business’s efforts, strengths and excellence of business alone.

    The Greater Manchester awards are a way to increase the credibility and profile of your company. It also is an opportunity to be recognised and rewarded for your team’s hard work and efforts throughout the year. The awards goals are to make this a award ceremony which is judged on your company’s performance.

    Entrants can be placed in the following categories:

    • Business of the Year – (Organisations of over 50 Employees)
    • Business of the Year – (Organisations of between 10 – 50 Employees)
    • Business of the Year – (Organisations of under 10 Employees)
    • Customer Service Excellence Award – (Organisations of over 50 Employees)
    • Customer Service Excellence Award – (Organisations of between 10 – 50 Employees)
    • Customer Service Excellence Award – (Organisations of under 10 Employees)
    • Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Award
    • Start-up Business of the Year Award (Organisations of under 2 years since formation)
    • Business Person of the Year Award
    • Young Business Person of the Year Award (Individuals under 25 Years of Age)

    If you believe your business has achieved outstanding results throughout the year and have an official office in the Greater Manchester area only. Then enter to be in the chance of being recognised for your businesses excellence within the above categories.

    To enter the Greater Manchester Business Awards please take a look at the guide to entering, to make sure that you tick all the right boxes.

    Submissions are free and should be e-mailed to info@innov8-conferences.co.uk no later than 15th December 2016, and should state which award they are in relation to. We are determined to make this the most honest awards process ever.

34. AsOne takes on London

    11:23 am Leave a Comment

    Our AsOne web developer James Collins took on a local London office for a friendly game of football and came out on top against the Shoreditch office. Read James game report of the game and how he helped lead his team to victory.

    Our Whitechapel team was made up of: Koran Murphy-Saffet, Tomi Ladi, Andrei Croitor, James Collins, David and Adam Groves (actually from the Shoreditch office)

    Andrei guaranteed we would win before we had even kicked a ball and turns out he was right!

    Destined for glory we started the first match, our Whitechapel team already known as the Whitechapel Massive (thanks to Andrei) were playing in an intimidating all black strip vs the White team (Shoreditch team). We made a great start with James getting the first goal of the tournament within minutes. After conceding a soft penalty while still adjusting to the rules we went on to win the match 7-1, striking fear into the rest of the opposition. A brilliant start, but it was still early days and a long way to go to reach the final.

    The fixtures were set in our favour and as luck would have it we played the Red team (more Shoreditch people) immediately after they had just finished their first game. Hoping to take advantage of their fatigue we made a good start but a resilient comeback from the Reds meant our second game ended up 5-5. James picked up a slight injury towards the end of the game. Worried he would make it worse by playing had to be substituted for the rest of this game.

    Our final game of the league group came against the Green team (City office) who had yet to win a game but they were getting better with each match. We played very well in this match reminiscent of Barcelona at their best,  with James scoring a hat trick including a cheeky back heel flick just like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeOhnaBARqA

    We then had a 40 minute wait until the grand final where we would face the Reds after they made an impressive comeback from 5-1 down to win 6-5 in their final league game. There was a mixture of excitement and nerves in the air while we waited knowing we were one match away from endless bragging rights.

    Finally we were ready for our final challenge and after a nervous start the game was 3-3 after 10 minutes. We pushed hard for victory, picking up a few bruises along the way but we managed to contain the Red team in their half of the pitch and score a few vital goals. The match was finely balanced with a  slender 6-4 lead with 5 minutes to go, luckily we managed to grab two vital goals and finish the game 8-4 with James scoring another hat trick.

    So Andrei was right from the start and we dominated the tournament with James picking up 12 goals along the way.

    Congratulations to our web developer James for representing the AsOne name and winning!

    

35. AsOne Bake Off ‘Chocolate Cake’

    October 18, 2016 4:53 pm Leave a Comment

    There is only three weeks until it is the final of our AsOne Bake Off and it has been an exciting competition up to now!

    This week saw the turn of Ana Basto baking a cake of her choice. Ana went for a very moist chocolate cake decorated with an abundance of strawberries. Ana said that she got her cake as moist as possible by adding melted chocolate and lots of extra butter! This gave the cake the texture of a brownie with a slightly cracked top. However the team loved this compared to your normal fluffy cakes we have previously seen.

    Ana was scored on the following:

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to execute the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires little much skill, but if everything is homemade this will be classed as more skilful.
    Ana has this to say about her bake: ‘My baking went amazingly well considering I was doing it while packing for holiday (All at the same time because im the multitasking queen!) and i was so proud of my cake! I will most certainly make it again when i get back from holiday!“

    Ana scored the following:

    Presentation – 34/45

    Skill – 33/45

    Taste – 37/45

    Total – 104/135

    This puts Ana in fourth  place! Meaning Tracey remains in the lead. The leader board is currently as follows:

    1st – Tracey Rush ‘Butternut squash and Orange cake’ 112/135

    2nd – Alex Singleton ‘Marauders Map’ – 110/135

    3rd – Lauren Jones ‘Piggy Delights’ – 108/35

    4th – Ana Basto ‘Moist Choc Cake’ – 104/135

    5th – Danielle Dowling ‘Victoria Sponge Cake’ – 88/135

    6th – Richard O’Brien ‘Cake Surprise’ – 87/135

    Join us next week as Kim Pemberton tries to impress with her baking skills. Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest bakes.

36. AsOne Bake Off “Butternut squash and Orange Cake”

    October 11, 2016 10:06 am Leave a Comment

    We’re halfway through our bake off challenge and all the stops are being pulled out now by our novice bakers. Monday saw the turn of Tracey Rush with her unique cake. Tracey managed to make the latest bake a healthy one with a butternut squash and orange cake. The oranges were even hand picked herself fresh that day!

    Tracey then topped the cake with fresh cream cheese and delicate orange zest. This one definitely had the office impressed with its unique flavour. She even went a step further creating a video of her baking experience.

    Tracey was scored on the following:

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to execute the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires little much skill, but if everything is homemade this will be classed as more skilful.

    Tracey said this about her bake “I am not a regular baker but wanted to rise to the challenge and go for something different so choosing a cake with a vegetable seemed to meet the task. I really enjoyed making the video, it made the whole baking experience much more entertaining, and of course how else would anyone believe I could have baked such a great cake”

    

    Tracey scored the following:

    Presentation – 38/45

    Skill – 37/45

    Taste – 37/45

    Total – 112/135

    This puts Tracey in first place! The leader board is currently as follows:

    1st – Tracey Rush ‘Butternut squash and Orange cake’ 112/135

    2nd – Alex Singleton ‘Marauders Map’ – 110/135

    3rd – Lauren Jones ‘Piggy Delights’ – 108/35

    4th – Danielle Dowling ‘Victoria Sponge Cake’ – 88/135

    5th – Richard O’Brien ‘Cake Surprise’ – 87/135

    Join us next week as Ana Basto presents us her bake! Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest bakes.

    Help us score Tracey’s cake by taking our survey:
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37. AsOne Bake Off ‘Victoria Sponge The Rescue Cake’

    October 4, 2016 10:28 am Leave a Comment

    We are whipping through our bakers with Danielle creating a classic Victoria Sponge cake for the office.

    Danielle referred to the cake as ‘Victoria Sponge The Rescue Cake’ because this was the second attempt at a bake. Danielle originally wanted to present us with a white chocolate raspberry Tart that unfortunately it did not set in time. Danielle instead baked another cake at 6am on Monday morning before work. At least we could all agree it was definitely fresh!

    Danielle was scored on the following:

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to execute the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires little much skill, but if everything is homemade this will be classed as more skillful.

    Daniel said this about her bake ‘As you know this cake was a replacement for a failed tart that didn’t set unfortunately.  So I was awake at 6.00am baking away.  This is something I bake on a regular basis so i didn’t need much assistance and I know the measurements already. I did attempt to jazz it up a little with combining glitter with the icing sugar to give it a little sparkle but I don’t think this helped looking at my scores.’

    

    Danielle scored the following:

    Presentation – 32/45

    Skill – 27/45

    Taste – 29/45

    Total – 88/135

    This puts Danielle in third place! The leader board is currently as follows:

    1st – Alex Singleton ‘Marauders Map’ – 110/135

    2nd – Lauren Jones ‘Piggy Delights’ – 108/35

    3rd – Danielle Dowling ‘Victoria Sponge Cake’ – 88/135

    4th – Richard O’Brien ‘Cake Surprise – 87/135

    Join us next week as Tracey Rush steps up to the plate! Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest bakes.

    Help us score Danielle’s cake by taking our survey:

    Create your own user feedback survey

38. AsOne Bake Off ‘Marauder’s Map’

    September 27, 2016 4:51 pm Leave a Comment

    The third week of the AsOne Bake Off and the bakes just keep getting better and better!

    This week saw Alex take on the Bake Off challenge with his amazing Marauder’s Map from the Harry Potter books.

    Alex made a mocha and hazelnut cake which definitely pleased the coffee lovers in our office. To get the old paper stained look Alex painted his fondant with coffee giving it a great caffeine kick.

    Alex was scored on the following:

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to execute the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires little much skill, but if everything is homemade this will be classed as more skillful.

    Alex has this to say about his baking experience – “This was the first cake I’ve ever made so I decided to put my eggs in the design basket and forget about the taste. I think my inexperience shows through in me accidentally making a cake that tasted much better than it looked (after my “parchment” effect made the icing crack and my design work separate!).”

    

    Alex scored the following:

    Presentation: 36/45

    Skill: 39/45

    Taste: 35/45

    Total: 110/135

    Congratulations to Alex for now making it to the first place position!

    Join us next week as Danielle takes on the baking challenge. Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest bakes.

    Help us score Alex’s excellent cake!

    Create your own user feedback survey

39. AsOne Bake Off ‘Piggy Delights’

    September 13, 2016 10:44 am Leave a Comment

    Yesterday was the second week of the AsOne Bake Off and it was the turn of Lauren Jones to impress the AsOne team. As you may know from our previous blog Richard was the first person to take on the challenge.

    Lauren being a novice baker really stepped up the competition for the rest of the AsOne team bringing in two delicious bakes, cake and bread.

    Lauren baked her ‘Piggy Delights’ which were made by baking a fresh sponge and finely crumbling it into a bowl. She then mixed this with buttercream to create balls of cake. Which were then decorated with pink melted chocolates to create a pig look. She also made fairy cakes and her own bread to get into the spirit of last week’s Great British Bake Off bread week.

    Lauren was scored on the following:

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to make the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires not much skill but if everything is homemade this will be classed as using more skill.
    Lauren as novice baker said that she found the experience quite stressful she had this today ‘I don’t really think baking is for me, I will leave it to the professionals. I think just eating the food will be a lot more enjoyable than actually making it again myself!’

    

    Lauren scored the following:

    Presentation: 39/45

    Skill: 34/45

    Taste: 35/45

    Total: 108/135

    Congratulations to Lauren for currently taking first place position in the AsOne Bake Off!

    Next week there will be no baking unfortunately but don’t worry as we will be back with our competition on the 26th of September. Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest bakes.

    Help us score Lauren’s ‘Piggy Delight’ by taking our quick survey below:
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40. The AsOne Bake Off ‘Cake Surprise’

    September 6, 2016 4:28 pm Leave a Comment

    The Great British Bake Off is now well under way and is taking over our TVs every Wednesday night. It has inspired us at AsOne Creative Digital Marketing to hold our very own Bake Off.

    Over the next 8 weeks every Monday one of our amazing marketing team will step up to the Bake Off challenge. The bakes will be scored on presentation, taste and skill with a possible 120 points up for grabs from their fellow colleagues with each person being able to score the baker out of 5 for each category.

    Presentation – Each person will vote on how well they believe the baker decorated their cake. This can be done with anything the baker chooses and with any theme.

    Taste – Each person will vote on how good they believe the bakers cake tasted. This does not have to necessarily have to be a sweet bake, this could also be a savoury bake.

    Skill – Each person will score the baker on how much skill was required to make the bake. For example if it is a box made cake this requires not much skill but if everything is homemade this will be classed as using more skill.

    The first baker to take on the Bake Off was Richard who has never baked before and was cautious about the competition. He was however quite proud of his achievement and the overall presentation of his ‘Cake Surprise’. We asked Richard if he would continue with the baking and he stated “He wouldn’t carry on baking, while there were so many amazing caterers in the world”.

    Richard had baked a 6 layer cake, a vanilla sponge sandwiched with chocolate ganache with a chocolate sponge held together with a chocolate mousse and a thick layer of chocolate buttercream. Sprinkled with M&Ms and white chocolate drops. Take a looks at Richards cake below.

    Richards scored the following:

    Presentation: 29/45

    Skill: 29/45

    Taste: 29/45

    Total: 87/135

    Congratulations to Richard on his cake, it was a interesting start to the bake off!

    Next week’s baker will be Lauren Jones. Follow our Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest bakes.

    Ready, steady, bake!

    Help us score Richard’s ‘Cake Surprise’ by taking our quick survey below:
    Create your own user feedback survey

41. Congratulations to our winner Natalie!

    August 4, 2016 10:00 am Leave a Comment

    Congratulations to Natalie from Card Cabin on winning our prize of a bottle of Taittinger Champagne.

    At AsOne Creative Digital Marketing we believe in open and honest communication between us and our clients. Creating strong bonds and a great working relationship empower us to provide the best service.

    We held a competition to drive Facebook reviews for AsOne, asking clients for honest feedback regarding our service. All of the entrants were then placed into a draw and a winner pick at random. You can find all of AsOne Facebook reviews here.

    We are delighted Natalie is confident with the service we offer to Card Cabin and the progress that has been made. We look forward to developing her business into the future.  

    “The AsOne team offer a friendly but professional service. They have helped me massively with my business already and still continue to do so. Playing an active role in my business development gives me the reassurance and confidence of their support and also great encouragement. Great team, great service, great company!”

    

    We hope that Natalie enjoys her bottle of Taittinger champagne and thank you to all those who entered our competition. We appreciate your constant support and loyalty.

42. Successful email marketing case study

    May 9, 2016 10:04 am Leave a Comment

    

    At AsOne Creative Digital Marketing we believe that there are many ways to retain your audience. However Todaysure Matthews Ltd has shown how a successful email marketing campaign can help to retain a customer’s attention 10 years later.

    Firstly successful eMail marketing can be incredibly beneficial for your company, if done right. It is a way to retain your audience and keep them up to date with the latest products, services and news. This enables you to drive traffic back to your website and keep customers constantly aware of your brand and what your company can offer.

    Each month Todaysure Matthews Ltd have an eShot created and sent on their behalf from AsOne Creative Digital Marketing to all their customers. Within this, we include the latest news and blogs which usually revolve around their future plans and the successes that they are experiencing. Their blogs are a good way to keep their customers up to date with what is happening internally within their company. This month their latest eMail caught the attention of a old customer who they had not had communications with for over 10 years and believed to be a cold source.

    The customer had opened the email 28 times in total. This means that the customer took multiple viewings before getting in contact with Todaysure to discuss a contract with the company.

    The client in question had been living in Iraq but had travelled over to the UK. The client contacted Todaysure to discuss buying three of their hospital incinerators worth over £500,000. If this eMail had never been sent out the customer may never of got back in touch with the company. This proves how email marketing can be a beneficial addition to your marketing strategy. It enables you to keep a connection with clients that may be overseas and those who are not regular users of social media. It keeps your clients up to date and builds brand loyalty with your clients.

    As you can see a successful eMail marketing strategy can give you the potential to broaden your geographical reach even further. From this particular eMail, Todaysure was able to reach the United States, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, India plus many more making it a truly global campaign. Therefore email marketing is a great way for companies that market their products worldwide and want to maintain strong customer relations across the globe.

    The eShot itself had a open rate of 22.3% and a click rate of 22.58% which is above the industry standard for open rate. Todaysure Matthews have always maintained a steady open rate with the average eShot having 25% of recipients opening the emails. This is due to the consistency that we keep the eShots at. People like familiarity but not so much if it is repetitive. Therefore we make sure that emails are sent out once a month and that the template remains the same too. Since the start of December their click rate has been increasing, consistently being above the industry standard percentage.

    Todaysure Matthews Ltd however do not just rely on their successful eMail marketing to gain customers. They are under our Innovation Club® package in which they have social media management, PPC and blogs. This accumulated mix makes a successful marketing strategy.

    Going forward with Todaysure Matthews Ltd we will be looking to increase their geographical reach further so that they can hit every corner of the earth. To do this we would look into increasing more location based PPC campaigns and using more social tools like Facebook Ads which will help to boost the post to a demographic of their choosing.

    Below is a testimonial from Todaysure Matthews Ltd who we look forward to developing with in the future.

    “Todaysure has worked with Asone for in excess of 12 years, and have always found them to be extremely pleasant and helpful to work with and professional and knowledgeable in their field.  They have designed and developed more than one web site for us, helped us with branding of our products and produced corporate stationery and marketing materials, which we have found to be modern and innovative. Over the last couple of years, we have utilised their services to optimise our website using Social Management, PPC/adwords, which has proved successful and in recent months we have used their copywriting services and produced some interesting blogs and the e-shot campaigns, which have reached out to old and new customers alike, resulting in resurrecting our relationships.”

    – Karen Schofield

    Do you want a successful email marketing campaign?

    If you would like to learn more about how we can manage your eMail Marketing then please get in touch with us on 0161 368 9100 or email us at here@asone.co.uk.

43. Greater Collaboration and the Future of Work

    April 20, 2016 5:46 pm Leave a Comment

    The ability to innovate and provide creative solutions to complex problems is becoming a key differentiator in modern business. Making the time to look externally and gain a fresh perspective on your business can often yield significant results with greater collaboration.

    Greater Collaboration

    Collaboration is something that I actively encourage and have personally seen success with in my role as Director at AsOne, Creative Digital Marketing.

    Cultivating a community of creative personalities to share ideas and insights has been incredibly rewarding, and led me to think more about how we can leverage collaboration to our benefit and the benefit of our customers.

    Co-Working Spaces

    

    One area that we’ve been looking at for some time is co-working spaces.

    This type of flexible working environment originally started in the US, providing an inexpensive solution for freelancers, entrepreneurs and small businesses that needed a place to work.

    The practice has since spread to Europe, with the UK, and London in particular, now regarded as an excellent destination for businesses seeking collaborative work spaces.

    As the barriers between work and home life have fallen away, the demand for creative work spaces that reflect this has increased dramatically, and co-working spaces have evolved to meet this demand.

    Some of these venues have become a hot spot for creativity and collaboration, by creating an environment where like-minded individuals can bounce ideas off each other and help each other succeed.

    They do this in a number of ways:

    • Flexible meeting spaces – As the nature of work has changed, the way that teams interact and work together most effectively has also evolved. Collaborative work spaces offer companies access to facilities and meeting room spaces that actively support this interaction.
    • Break out areas – Creativity can’t be forced, and taking a break in a suitably relaxing environment can often help to stimulate breakthrough ideas. These spaces also present the opportunity for serendipitous encounters with other individuals who can provide a different perspective to your problems.
    • Continuing education – It is often said that the companies that succeed are those that learn the fastest. Many co-working spaces host regular talks, inviting guest speakers to come in and share expert opinions on key business challenges.
    • Collaboration – Consciously working with other companies can help you to reach clients that might previously have been unattainable, by jointly supplying a bundle of services at a competitive price point. Co-working spaces can help you to foster relationships with these potential partners and share ideas on exciting new propositions.

    Further to these benefits, collaborative working environments have also taken on some features traditionally associated with start-up accelerators, providing the support mechanisms to help small businesses grow. They seek to actively build connections between their members, helping identify opportunities that might otherwise have been overlooked.

    These extra support services also allow businesses to remain focused on solving real world problems, rather than wasting time fixing logistical issues, or circumventing red tape. If you’re having a specific problem, the likelihood is that someone around you has been through this too, and can help you solve it quicker than you could on your own.

    Starting a business can be a lonely and daunting journey, and having a community around you comes as a great relief for many.

    The Future of Work

    The notion of work is fundamentally changing, and we see these types of collaborative, co-working spaces becoming increasingly important in the future.

    As a growing business in the creative and digital sector, here at AsOne we look to opportunities to expand our exposure to collaborative working. Cross-company greater collaboration is something that I have been actively encouraging as a DCN Founder and I see a natural synergy between established businesses and new talent starting out as sole traders who bring the added bonus of fresh enthusiasm and ideas.

    As more and more people shun the corporate career path and instead set up as independent freelancers, there is a huge opportunity for loosely coupled networks of micro-businesses to work together more collaboratively, and create something that is greater than the sum of their parts.

    While co-working spaces have typically only been used by start-ups and small companies, I believe there is an opportunity for established companies to become a bigger part of this ecosystem.

    In fact, this isn’t just something that I believe in, but something that we’re actively embracing at AsOne. We’re really excited to be taking up residence in the Central Working space in London and look forward to getting an insider’s view of the realities of collaborative working environments.

    We’ve also been closely following the transformation of the Ashton Old Baths into a start-up hub focused on providing incubation and support for fledgling digital businesses. The spectacular £3m redevelopment is a fantastic step towards establishing Tameside as a centre for digital and creative industries and I’m expecting great things to come of it.

    If you have any questions regarding collaborative working or co-working spaces, then feel free to get in touch.

    Tracey Rush

44. Digital Marketing Strategy Case Study

    March 18, 2016 11:09 am Leave a Comment

    A well thought out digital marketing strategy can be the difference between an okay website and a successful website.

    

    At AsOne we believe that in order to be successful you must not know just the creation side of a website but also the digital marketing strategy side of that website in order to become successful in both. We don’t just want to see a company do okay we want to see them innovate and thrive hence why we offer the Innovation Club™ package. This gives our members exclusive access to our creative team, innovative digital marketing strategy, events and consultancy.

    The particular client we have highlighted for the case study works within the Waste Management industry and are supported by our Innovation Club™ package.

    We wanted to compare figures to see how this particular client has fared since starting the package with our digital marketing strategy in place.

    Geographical

    The Rubbish Removers have placed a great emphasis on the geographical areas of Greater Manchester and surrounding areas. Since the start of their package they have seen an increase of 167.54% people visiting their website from Manchester. 19.08% of these people are returning visitors. Meaning that they have become first choice of rubbish removers for many returning visitors. 80.2% of traffic is from new customers meaning that we have increased market awareness of The Rubbish Removers within the desired geographical locations. They have also seen an expansion to Bolton, Rochdale, Leeds and Oldham, which was the goal of The Rubbish Removers to be able to have their reach broaden.

    Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

    PPC has been a main source of traffic for The Rubbish Removers with 75.8% of their visitors finding them through PPC. Due to geographical importance we created a locational-based campaign to ensure the key components of the brief were met. The effect of the PPC campaign has been positive, since taking over the account AsOne have seen above industry level of growth. With constant development we are confident that PPC will be a long-standing and profitable venture for The Rubbish Removers.

    Social Media

    Social media has shown to be a profitable way to connect with customers and build relationships with existing customers. Since they have joined the platform Facebook their referrals increased by 19,400% after the effort to increase their social brand awareness. This increase lead to them having an increased amount of enquiries over Facebook and gave a way for the brand to build long lasting relationships with their customers.

    Our recommendations

    Pay-Per-Click

    Going forward with The Rubbish Removers and their PPC we will be creating landing pages that are more specific to the services that they provide. We will be optimising PPC to be more specific to their landing pages that will help to increase their conversion rates and drive profitable customer action back to the website. We will also be focusing more on their content marketing to help retain a clear and defined audience.

    Social Media

    Our recommendation going forward on social media would be looking into the use of Facebook ads. With Facebook ads you can target the type of people that you want by age, location, interest and more. These means that The Rubbish Removers could be targeting the audiences that they want with even more accuracy through Facebook driving more traffic to their website.

    With the above recommendations put into place we would see an improvement on targeting customers within their geographical reach with more precision leading to high conversion rates.

    The Rubbish Removers had these kind words for us:

    This side of our business is very important to us and one that we monitor on a daily basis along with the members at AsOne. We felt we were very knowledgeable on this subject however working and discussing various aspects it has now opened our eyes as to just what is involved. Discussing our projections with members of staff at AsOne we feel they are as committed as we are to help raise our profile on Google and will offer advice and different strategies at any given time, sometimes even at a minutes notice when we have found something.

    So what’s stopping you from applying a digital marketing strategy and achieving these results too?

    If you’re interested in seeing your figures go up like this why not get in contact with us to see how we can help you move forward with a successful marketing plan. Call us on 0161 368 9100 or email here@asone.co.uk

45. AsOne Announce Appointment of Digital Marketing Lead

    March 16, 2016 4:19 pm Leave a Comment

    AsOne Creative Digital Marketing are delighted to announce the appointment of Richard O’Brien who has taken up the position of Digital Marketing Lead. This is a key role to the development of the digital marketing and implementation strategy, to facilitate the growth of AsOne and the award winning Innovation Club™ marketing solution.

    AsOne Creative Digital Marketing appoint new Digital Marketing Lead.

     

    Expanding the reach of Innovation Club™ will provide a solid foundation of growth which will prove beneficial to the long term business goals.

    Richard joins AsOne with a background in Digital Marketing with an emphasis in Operations and eCommerce. The added skill sets Richard holds will help with growth plans as well as offer a new dimension to the structure of AsOne and the award winning Innovation Club™.

    “Our growth to date is testament to our excellent team, the addition of Richard and his positivity, drive and ambition is very much welcomed with open arms, I look forward to the benefits this will bring to our team and our clients”

    AsOne Creative Digital Marketing and the team would like to welcome Richard to the business and we look forward to the professional relationship that brings.

    The AsOne family is growing and we have big plans for the future. We will be highlighting lots of developments in the coming months so make sure you watch this space.

    Do you need help with your creative digital marketing? We offer a wide range of services including Social Media Marketing, SEO, Email Marketing and PPC, just to name a few. We tailor your project to you and always offer a bespoke service to our clients. Just like our name suggests, we are AsOne, we are in this together and your success is our success.

    Why not call us now on 0161 368 9100 or send an email to here@asone.co.uk and see how you could become part of the AsOne family!

    

46. Congratulations to BMW Race days!

    February 18, 2016 9:02 am Leave a Comment

    Recently Paul McErlean Managing Director of BMW Race Days exhibited at the 2016 Autosport International Show! The show featured every level of motor racing from Karting to Formula 1. This show brings together the whole world of motorsport all under one roof!

    BMW Race days were awarded winners of the Best National Motorsport Stand 2016! So we would like to congratulate them on the win at the event!

    AsOne was delighted to be able to provide BMW Race Days with their printed out stand, which was designed in house!

    Why not take a look at some photos from the event! Maybe you’ll catch them there again next year!

    If you are interested in having print work done for your company then get in touch with us on 0161 368 9100 or email here@asone.co.uk

47. Forrest Recruitment Website is Now Live!

    February 8, 2016 9:00 am Leave a Comment

    The Forrest Recruitment website has now gone live! Forrest Recruitment as you might have guessed by the name is a job website. For 30 years Forrest Recruitment has been providing temporary and permanent recruitment services to clients in the North West of Engalnd.

    Their new website was created with an easy to use navigation that reflects how simple and easy their services are. The style of the website was chosen to give a clean and modern look to show off the professionalism of the company.

    The website has a cool feature that we had great fun putting onto the website! On the home page the map is no ordinary map, you are able to see the available jobs across the country. You can then filter down the job category, region and perm/temp contract type. This then highlights the jobs under your chosen description on the map, you can then click on the map to zoom into particular area allowing you to see the location of the job!

    The website has been built on WordPress allowing a blog to be added to the website where you can find the latest news and jobs from Forrest Recruitment. Take a look for yourself by clicking here. The website is also fully mobile responsive so if you are searching for jobs on your mobile, we’ve made it easy for you!

    If you are looking to get a brand new website built, get in touch with us on 0161 368 9100 or email us at here@asone.co.uk to discuss what AsOne can do for you.

48. Happy to support Tameside 4 Good!

    January 20, 2016 9:33 am Leave a Comment

    As you may know, at AsOne we are always up for getting involved with charities and doing our part for the community. So for Christmas last year we took part in the Tameside 4 Good Christmas toy appeal! We we’re more than happy to help the people of the Tameside community and help make someones Christmas just that little bit more special in 2015!

    The Christmas toy appeal helped over 1000 children living in poverty have a special Christmas last year! With the help of the Tameside community, Tameside 4 Good collected over £20,000 worth of toys! (That’s a lot of toys!) All this is thanks to our community pulling together in a time of giving.

    We are extremely happy that we were able to be apart of the Christmas toy appeal as a team. We would like to thank our wonderful workers for getting involved!

    That wasn’t the only charity event that we took part in over Christmas! We also took part in the #Elfie challenge! Or at least our dogs did. . .

    The #Elfie challenge involved taking a selfie as a elf, posting it to Twitter with the hashtag #Elfie and the donating £2 to Tameside 4 Good!

    

    We look forward to taking part in more charity events in 2016!

    You can find out Tameside 4 Goods upcoming charity events here. So why not get yourself involved!

    Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest news from us!

49. Lauren Jones has passed her Google AdWords exam!

    January 11, 2016 9:00 am Leave a Comment

    Congratulations to Lauren Jones who has passed her Google AdWords exams and gained her Google AdWords certificate!

    AdWords is a Google advertising service for businesses who wish to display ads on Google. AdWords allows businesses to set a budget for advertising. Businesses however only pay when their ads are clicked on hence the term Pay Per Click (PPC).

    Lauren had to take the Google AdWords Fundamental exam as part of her certificate. Lauren then chose to take the search advertising exam too! Lauren passed her exams with hard work and dedication from studying in her spare hours. Now all her hard work has led to being a certified AdWords professional!

    The Google AdWords is an professional accreditation that Google offers who show the knowledge in basic and advanced AdWords. Once they have passed their exam Google recognises them as online advertising specialists. Her test included the following aspects – Value proposition of online advertising, campaign setup and management, measurement and optimisation

    There are several benefits that Lauren has earned from passing her exams –

    • Lauren will be able to show current and prospective clients that she is now a certified online advertising professional with a personalised certificate.
    • Helping earn AsOne the Google Partner badge!

    

    So congratulation to Lauren! We’re proud to have you as apart of the AsOne family!

    Learn more about Google Adwords if you’re interested in having Google AdWords as part of your digital marketing strategy and don’t hesitate to get in contact with us on 0161 368 9100 or email us at here@asone.co.uk.

50. September seminar: How to make Google a successful marketing tool

    August 31, 2015 10:05 am Leave a Comment

    Do you have a Google account but unsure as to how it could be used to benefit your business?

    When we think of Google sometimes we only think of Google+ or Google search. But did you know there is a whole range of features on Google that your company could be missing out on?

    Google is great in getting to create a successful marketing strategy for your company with the majority of it’s active users using it to promote themselves and their company. Google has many platforms that you can market your company on. It features Google+, Google Local and YouTube. Come along to our seminar to find out how to use these effectively for your business.

    To allow you to get the most from Google for your business we are holding a seminar on Wednesday 30^th September at 2pm.

    The seminar will be focused around the following –

    • What is Google+ and why is it beneficial
    • Build influences, engagement and relationships
    • Google+ Features
    • What is Google Local and why is it beneficial
    • How to set up Google Local
    • Why YouTube is beneficial
    • Connecting your YouTube to Google

    To book your place on the seminar please call Lauren on 0161 368 9100 or drop her an email at lauren@asone.co.uk

51. AsOne Tackle The Via Farrata Mountain Climb!

    July 8, 2015 5:26 pm Leave a Comment

    Climbing Your Highest Mountain

    We’ve had a few adventures over the years but I think I can confidently say this last team activity has pushed a few people beyond their comfort zones!

    Being supporters of all things active, Joel & I have to admit to being instigators of pushing boundaries. How acceptable is that when it comes to encouraging it in your staff? Well, I guess all we can say is, we will never ask anyone to do anything we are not willing to do ourselves, isn’t that a typical business ethic?

    

    A few words from some of our team about our camping trip to the Lakes and the hair raising climb of the Via Farrata :

    “I’ll have to admit I may have been a little cocky about the climb beforehand, I was really looking forward to it rather than being nervous but I ended up eating my words on a few occasions whilst we were up there! It was a really good experience (in hindsight) and it was really nice to see how we all pulled together to support each other”. – Sallie

    “I had a fantastic weekend from start to finish, highlights include befriending Sallie’s dog, assembling a tent by throwing it in the air, attempting to show off my football skills to Toni (and instead falling on my backside), enjoying fish and chips for tea, drinking one too many beers and holding on for dear life during the Via Ferrata. I would happily do it all again!” – James

    “OMG Fantastic weekend, Had a couple of Panic attacks on the Via Ferrata climb, but the team spirit got me through it to tell the tale.Loved it but too scary to ever do it again”. – Michelle

    “Having not been with AsOne for long I found the weekend a really good opportunity to get to know the people I’ll be working with more, even if this bonding was taking place whilst dangling 1000ft above the ground! It was nice to spend time with the staff as we were cut off from the outside world (we had no signal ALL weekend!) and I’m thoroughly looking forward to the next adventure, I just hope I’m not as afraid for my life on the next one!” – Jonathan

    “The weekend was great fun and it was good for everybody to come together for a camping trip. As for the Via Ferrata challenge I personally found it a lot better watching than doing the challenge myself! The challenge was testing and definitely brought me out of my comfort zone which I then couldn’t get out of. Basically in Michelle’s words I chickened out. Proud of Michelle for overcoming her fear on the day though and completing the challenge”. – Lauren

    Final words from me….. I admit I often struggle to see what some people find difficult about pushing ones own limits but I’d like to think I can recognise it and will always try and offer support to overcome it but at times will have to accept I can’t always succeed!

    Watch our video as the AsOne team adventures continue……

    

52. Practicing what I preach

    May 19, 2015 12:10 pm Leave a Comment

    If you’ve been reading the blogs that I regularly write and publish you’ll have realised that I am a great advocate of industry awards and I frequently encourage businesses to enter for them.

    My view is that they’re not just ‘ego-boosters’ for the bosses with a promise of a black tie dinner to look forward to. I firmly believe that entering awards should be a part of every company’s marketing plans.

    So, practicing what I preach, the other month AsOne Design entered the ‘Skills for Business Awards 2015’. This time, and rather unusually, I have to admit that our application was prompted by a business colleague, who working from information that I provided, completed and submitted the application on our behalf. The Skills for Business Awards are a very highly regarded annual event celebrating the outstanding contribution that skills and learning make to businesses across Greater Manchester and they are delivered by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network and Greater Manchester Apprenticeship Hub.

    Last week the organisers announced the various category shortlists and I’m delighted to tell you that AsOne Design Limited has been shortlisted for the Creative, Media & Digital Technology Skills for Business Award.

    The announcement of the winners and presentation of the awards will now take place on Wednesday 1^st July at The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Club.

    If we are fortunate enough to win the award, then brilliant. I will be delighted that the effort and energy that we as a company place on developing the skills of our workforce has been recognised. And I won’t be slow in letting everyone – including clients, prospective clients and the general business community know all about our success.

    But you know what? If on the other hand we do not win, then I will still regard the process of entering for the awards as a valuable and worthwhile success.

    Firstly, simply going through the effort of putting together your application forces you to concentrate on how you run your business. As you put down your presentation you will go through a process of self-analysis that will bring sharply into focus the bad as well as the good sides of your working practices. It’s a process you wouldn’t normally go through unless pressured by the demands of the entry form, so you can see that even this initial stage can prompt you to consider and improve the way you do things.

    Secondly, if like we have now you reach the coveted shortlist stage then you’ve got a bonus. In addition to the publicity that will be generated by the awards organisers themselves it’s also a perfect opportunity for you to blow your own trumpet (just like I’m doing now). Reaching this stage of an awards also creates a massive feel-good factor within the office and it’s noticeable how everyone seems more ‘up for it’ than usual.

    Thirdly, if on the 1st July AsOne Design limited is announced as a winner then it’s going to be ‘light the blue touch paper’ time for the promotional work that we will build around this prestigious success. Look out for announcements on our website at www.asone.co.uk and in the local business press, as well as a sustained email and social media campaign to spread news of our success. And I’m sure you don’t need telling that I will be mentioning it in our next blog.

    Fingers crossed!

53. Apprenticeships … who benefits, the young person or the employer?

    February 16, 2015 1:13 pm Leave a Comment

    It’s a fair question and I know from conversations I’ve had with other people, both from the world of commerce and the community in general, that apprenticeships are not universally viewed as altogether a good thing. My experiences have been positive enough for me to see the value in investing in our young people.

    Across our sector, today’s apprenticeship schemes in my experience really can benefit both the young person and the employer. We at AsOne Design have proved this on a number of occasions over the years with the support of numerous providers. More recently thanks to our relationship with The Apprentice Academy in Manchester, who are one of the North West’s leading deliverers of apprenticeship facilitating, we will continue to embrace the opportunities that apprenticeships offer. These schemes help young people in their transition from education to employment and assist companies develop the vital talent that tomorrow’s businesses will require.

    Recently I was invited to write a guest blog for The Apprentice Academy. In it I’ve tried to address both sides of the argument and if you would like to read my full article you can by clicking here.

54. When times are tough, what do you do?

    January 12, 2015 10:11 am Leave a Comment

    Do you pull ‘down the shutters’ or look to spearhead new ways to engage with your customers?

    Over the past few years as the economy has tightened, I’ve noticed as I’ve spoken to so many business people across lots of different sectors, that reactions to today’s commercial climate tend to fall into three distinct camps.

    So where do you fit in?

    Do you, A … eliminate all ‘unnecessary’ expenditure and basically go into hibernation mode while you wait for the difficult times to pass and hope that you’ll still be around to benefit from the better business climate to come. People in this category tend to postpone all marketing expenditure, which means spending nothing on advertising or PR and generally speaking they also stop any spending on maintaining their website and refuse to be drawn into any costs for customer relations or sales support.

    Or do you, B … decide that while your competitors are keeping their heads down, now could be the opportunity to gain an advantage. Consequently you ‘go for it’ and substantially increase your marketing efforts and expenditure. Not always a bad tactic if based on proven results that are well measured, but unless you are a larger company that has deep pockets capable of ‘riding out’ a poor campaign outcome, this one could be a serious gamble.

    Or, do you, C … conclude that neither of the A and B options necessarily make good business sense, at least not without a financial Guardian Angel, but you recognise that there is a third way in which you can still tighten your belt but with careful planning and foresight you can protect and grow your business.

    It is Option C that I’d like to comment on.

    This is a strategy that we at AsOne Design sincerely believe in and something that I have personally seen work to the benefit of a business.

    Even though it means you may be cutting back on some of your traditional advertising and PR, you still make sure you retain a strong presence and profile within your market sector. And believe me it can be done very effectively with minimal spend required.

    I’m talking about developing a powerful online and social media profile. Keeping your website updated and relevant does not have to cost a great deal, but it will constantly promote and increase your brand awareness. Whereas the financial implication of failing to do so can be far more damaging. In addition you can also implement a vigorous programme of low-cost communication to existing clients and prospects via inexpensive marketing initiatives such as regular blogging, economical e-shots, Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin status updates. None of these are expensive and can be achieved in most cases with simply the investment of just a little of your time, but they really do lead to increased client retention as well as successful prospecting for new business.

     If you’re uncertain just how to set up and operate sales initiatives such as these then that is where AsOne’s Innovation Club can be of help.

    Our Innovation Club members enjoy access to regular updates, support and seminars that explain exactly how to take full advantage of the online and social media opportunities that are available. In addition we also provide a number of valuable statistic reports & measurement tools that allow you to keep a constant check on how well your efforts are working. Most of our Innovation Club Members simple enjoy the support and reassurance that we are watching over them and helping them keep up with the latest techniques that will keep their competition at bay.

    If you haven’t already made a New Years resolution and you want one that can make a difference to the growth and success of your business, consider this – make a plan to increase your online performance and initiate an online profile that lets the world know you’re in business!

    Want some help in making it happen? If you haven’t yet investigated our Innovation Club benefits, why not take a look at Innovation Club benefits for more details or give AsOne a call on 0161 368 9100.

    “It won’t cost you a fortune, but it could help you to protect and grow your business using the latest, most innovative and cost-effective marketing techniques.”

     

55. AsOne, Double Finalists in the Digital Entrepreneur Awards

    September 19, 2014 10:21 am Leave a Comment

    Less then a month to go before the winners are announced in the 2014 Digital Entrepreneur Awards.

    

    AsOne have been shortlisted for two awards. One in the eServices category; Best Use of Mobile and also in the Design and Marketing category; Animation/Gaming Project of the Year. Both of these are for our work on a little in-house project called Splashy Bird. We’re not saying the game was groundbreaking, the success of this little test was down to the boost in visits and engagement we created. More than that we did this by using an unlikely tool, the Google Play reviews service, as our own social media platform. Unlike the iTunes store Google Play allows creators to respond to comments. It was a lot of fun and being shortlisted for not one but two awards is the icing on the cake!

    After last years success at DEA2013, winning the Most Creative Use of Technology and being finalists for Digital Business Of The Year, we are booking seats and crossing our fingers for repeated success this year.

    May the best penguin win!

56. Strength in Numbers

    September 10, 2014 10:47 am Leave a Comment

    I believe that Tameside creatives should collaborate … not just compete.

    Last week, Joel and myself were invited to attend ‘Creative Manchester’, one of a number of nationwide events organised by the Creative Industries Council (CIC) as part of a move to help UK Creative Industries to stamp their presence on the British business map. The event offered delegates an opportunity to hear why some of the larger Manchester agencies feel that they are ‘getting in our own way’. There was also an opportunity to discuss the topic. A number of the big agencies and creative groups were represented and we felt quite honoured that AsOne Design, as a smallish out-of-town digital marketing company, was included amongst this elite gathering.
    What I heard and witnessed however, only reinforced what I have been thinking for quite some time, and it is this. The Manchester companies, who are so aggressively competitive against each other, truly believe that the creative world revolves around them and the centre of Manchester and it is up to them (and no one else) to do something about it. It came as no surprise to hear them gripe that even though Manchester, after London, is ranked as the second largest creative city in Europe, they still felt that they were overlooked when it came to the availability of funding.  As for AsOne Design who is based out in the sticks … well we are totally off the radar.

    And that is my point really. OK we might be smaller and when we’re tendering for a project we all know that smaller isn’t always better, but I think I have a solution that will make us more competitive.

    For some time now I’ve been wondering how to make the Tameside based creative sector more competitive and therefore more successful. I know from experience that smaller companies like us just cannot afford to employ every possible skill that could be required to complete a cross sector media project. And it must be the same for every Tameside Company out there in the same way as it is for our counter parts in Manchester city centre. An excellent website designer, for instance, might not possess all the necessary programming skills or be totally up to date on social media marketing. Similarly, a company with strong programming skills won’t always have in-house copywriting support. A PR agency may not have a photographer on their staff. And a photographer will most likely not be fully confident in producing artwork or buying print.

    Collaborating towards combined success

    My vision is to establish a collaborative culture within the Tameside creative business sector in which people are completely comfortable in working with and supporting one another knowing that there is no risk to their own business activities. Such an initiative obviously demands a strong level of trust and ethical accountability on the part of everyone involved, but as part of my role on the Tameside Enterprise Board I believe I am in an ideal position to drive the idea along.

    The name for this collaborative initiative? ‘The Creative & Digital Network’ which of course is on ‘The right side of Manchester’. Looking at the map, our local affinities with the region, our undoubted collective abilities and the opportunities available in the East of Manchester then ‘right’ is certainly the right word.

    I would like to get as many different companies and individuals as possible participating in this initiative so that there is a fully comprehensive bank of talent and abilities that all our members can quickly and easily access and tap into whenever they require.  With enough participants and enough diversity of disciplines then I’m sure that all our Tameside creatives will be able to offer a more complete and comprehensive service than we can when we’re operating alone and in isolation.

    I would love to hear what other Tameside creatives think about this idea and of course, the more people we get on board the better it will be.

    Please let me know what you think and if you might be interested. You can contact me through my Twitter account: @traceyrush, you can also send a message via my Linkedin profile page.

57. Opportunities available to see what it’s like to run a creative business

    September 8, 2014 1:55 pm Leave a Comment

    Would you like to spend some time discovering how a creative business in run?

    By taking up this opportunity, you will be exposed to operations, procedures and compliance as well as an overview of organising and managing both the administration side of a creative business and also the creative studio team.

    Take a look at Savvy Guest. Savvy Guest gives you the opportunity to spend time with someone in a job role that you may be interested in moving your career into. You will be able to ask the questions that don’t usually appear on a job description and it will help you to make the correct choices about your future career opportunities.

    AsOne currently have two opportunities available through Savvy Guest:

    • To spend time with Tracey Rush, the operations director of AsOne Design
    • To spend time with Joel Rush, the creative director of AsOne Design

    If you’re a company and would like to help out individuals who are potentially looking to start a career in your industry, or even in your sort of job role, then sign up to Savvy Guest. Take a look at the benefits to businesses who sign up.

58. And the winner is….. You!

    September 5, 2014 4:34 pm Leave a Comment

    Awards; what’s the point?

    Industry awards? What is the point of them? Do they really produce any tangible benefits for the companies that enter them? Or are they just a great big ego trip for the boss?

    I’ll tell you what I used to think – that they were all a big waste of time, effort and money. At AsOne Design we knew how good we were and what’s more we knew our clients appreciated just what a good job we did. So why bother what anyone else thought?

    Then suddenly it hit us. We realised that it did matter what other people thought because those other people were our future potential clients. It suddenly became clear that if we could prove and demonstrate, in a high-profile way, just how good we were then it would have a really positive effect on our own reputation and standing within the business community.

    So, in 2011 we entered our first awards competition – The Pride of Tameside Awards. Not the biggest or the most prestigious award I know, but they are very important within our local business community, and guess what? We won the ‘Innovative Business of the Year’ award. The good PR we received was amazing. It really did raise our profile and even better it made everyone in the AsOne team feel really good and appreciated. It also made a big difference when we were contacting potential new business leads and it certainly reinforced our pitch presentation.

    Having tasted the success of winning our first award and experienced the positive effect that had on our business, we decided that entering awards would become part of our business plan and so over the next couple of years we entered for bigger and more prestigious awards. We didn’t always win of course, but we had some massive successes, each of which has helped raise our name and profile and has enhanced our reputation within our profession.

    Successes have included:

    • The Pride of Tameside Awards 2011 – Innovative Business of the Year – WINNER
    • Business Entrepreneur Awards 2013 – Most Creative Use of Technology – WINNER.
    • Big Chip Awards 2013 – Best Application of Technology – SHORTLISTED. (We were pipped only by the BBC i-Player app.) Not bad competition to come runner-up to!
    • Digital Entrepreneur Awards 2013 Digital Business of the Year – FINALIST
    • Digital Entrepreneur Awards 2014 – two categories – SHORTLISTED. (We are still waiting for the final results for these prestigious awards)

    So what is my message?

    It’s simply this: ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it!’ By winning awards you’ll demonstrate exactly how good you are. And don’t be afraid to tell everyone ‘Look what we’ve achieved!’

    People and prospects will notice you and respect you and are more likely to speak to you or consider you when they are planning new business ventures. Existing clients also like the endorsement that they work with one of the best and most successful companies around. Our staff all love it too, because they really feel proud that they’re part of a winning team. They become noticeably more motivated, especially when we include them and share our success with them.

    Finally, if you do enter and gain awards success don’t keep it to yourself. Spread the news with PR in the local press, send out emails, produce a newsletter, broadcast to the world via social media. After all, you’ve earned it.

     

59. Missed our promotional video? Here it is again

    June 17, 2014 4:06 pm Leave a Comment

    Take a look at our promotional video!

    Did you know that videos can help you rank higher in Google? As Google owns YouTube it prioritises videos, it even displays them at the top of the search! So you could be missing out on furthering your reach by not utilising video content! So without further adieu here is our promotional video!

    Credit to Graham Kirk Video for the whole process.

60. Dragons Den

    June 4, 2014 3:00 pm Leave a Comment

    Earlier in the year, our very own Tracey Rush was asked to be part of the panel on Tameside’s Dragons Den, which was aired on BBC 1 on Tuesday 3rd June and is available to view on BBC iPlayer.

    

    The budding entrepreneurs came in with totally different business ideas from a bunting and sewing business to a student website, all the way to being as diverse as Phil from Crow Toys who plans to take the toy market by storm with his pitch which won him the full amount that he asked for.

    

    This version of Dragons Den was aimed at helping start up businesses in Tameside by giving them a financial boost with the offer of having one of the Dragons as their mentor.

     

61. It’s called blogging… not blagging!

    May 23, 2014 11:30 am Leave a Comment

    

    This time I thought that I’d devote my blog to blogging. That’s not as strange as it sounds, because I’ve been doing it for quite some time now and over this period I’ve come to realise what differentiates a good blog from a poor one.

    So here is my ‘Bloggers Guide to Blogging!’

    First of all, what is a blog? Well it’s short for ‘web log’, a kind of online diary or discussion piece. A platform for your thoughts where you can share information, opinions and views, and if it is used and managed in the right way it can also serve to keep your main website fresh or with appropriate links it can be used to encourage new and repeat visitor numbers to your website. At AsOne Design we encourage clients to incorporate regular blogs or news items into their site for these very reasons.

    If you are going to do it though, do it properly. That means regularly and with discipline. You could get someone else to write it on your behalf, but ideally if it is ‘your blog’ then it should contain your own thoughts and your own words. So make the time. Not only to write the blog, but to consider its content.

    Content is critical

    Let’s go back to the heading at the top of this article: ‘It’s called blogging … not blagging!’  What I mean by that is that your content should always be accurate, credible, believable and above all interesting and useful for the reader. You’ll present yourself as being far more serious and business-like if you voice your own firmly held opinions. And if it is a genuine thought-provoking theme then it will undoubtedly improve the readers’ opinion of both yourself and your business, and raise your credibility and estimation among the audience.

    Here then is my list of blog-rules that should help you establish and build-up your blog readership.

    • Keep the topics varied and interesting.
    • Keep each blog as a single topic. Don’t try to say too much.
    • Avoid rants. Don’t be abusive or sarcastic. Remember that anyone, anywhere in the world, could be reading it and you don’t want to damage the reputation of either yourself or that of your business.
    • Try to reflect your own personality. Readers will warm to someone who has opinions and is not afraid to air them, just as they will to someone whose views can be appreciated and respected.
    • Don’t be afraid to be passionate or emotional. But stay controlled.
    • Think carefully about your themes. Make them interesting and topical. Don’t begin a series that you can’t continue.
    • Write about things you know and can be authoritative about. Even everyday basics that you take for granted maybe new and inspirational for someone else.
    • Don’t be afraid to ‘big-up’ your business by writing about services, case studies and testimonials. If you can include, links, pictures and videos so much the better.
    • Get inspiration from current stories in the media, especially if they relate to your business – for instance you could write about contentious legislation, market statistics or any other topical and relevant news event.
    • Use your own experiences and circumstances to make articles interesting, readable and personal.
    • Be mindful of what it costs. By that I mean how much time will you have to commit to producing a regular and on-going series of blog posts?
    • And finally, don’t stop! The most successful blogs are those that appear regularly so that they build-up a loyal and consistent readership.

    I hope that my thoughts and experiences have triggered some ideas of your own and that they will inspire you to begin life as a blogger. If you are interested to know about how you can use your blog to further increase business through your blog content, keep an eye on our blog posts through innovation club.

62. Purple Ball of Hope: Raising awareness of pancreatic cancer

    April 17, 2014 1:00 pm Leave a Comment

    Eighteen months ago, Jan Lord from Guide Bridge MOT promised her mum that she would try to make a difference to the awareness of funding for pancreatic cancer.

    

    Seven months ago, Jan had a dream and acted upon it. She decided to host an event, called ‘Purple Ball of Hope‘, which would be a formal ball held at The Village Hotel in Ashton Moss on the 12th of April 2014.

    

    The event was an amazing success raising £6266 for pancreatic cancer, £1266 over the target of £5000! We would like to say congratulations to Jan and her team for putting on such a brilliant event for a wonderful cause.

    AsOne’s Tracey and Joel attended the Purple Ball of Hope and said that they had a fantastic time, also stating that it was very well planned and everything looked and was brilliant.

    Tracey added, “Joel and I have known Jan and her family at Guide Bridge MOT for a number of years, we were delighted to help and show our support by creating the website to promote the event and raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer UK.”

     

    “I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends, family, work colleagues, networking contacts, local businesses etc. the list just goes on and on and I THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH I couldn’t have done this without you…” – Jan Lord

    Purple Ball of Hope will be returning in 2015!

    The date for next year will be announced shortly, so if you would like to do it all again, bookings will be taken as soon as everything is sorted. If you didn’t get the chance to attend this year, you will have had a great time so why not book for 2015!

    Keep up to date with the Purple Ball of Hope by following them on Twitter or liking the page on Facebook.

63. “Our clients are certainly impressed!”

    March 17, 2014 4:03 pm Leave a Comment

    We are proud to publish this lovely testimonial for a website we have recently launched for Gemma at Versital.co.uk

    “I just had to drop a note to say ‘thank you’ to the team at AsOne for the fabulous job they have done on our website. We manufacture and sell Versital, a high quality solid surface that is targeted at the discerning home owner, and the technically minded architect. We needed an easy to use website for the user, that was also simple to manage for our team.  The site has been built so we can quickly and easily make changes, with unique features such as the ‘quick quote’ button which have been built just for us. Our clients are certainly impressed!”

    – Gemma Stockberger, Versital

    

64. Net Gains

    March 10, 2014 10:00 am Leave a Comment

    Networking can be immensely rewarding – if you do it right!

    I’m passionate about networking, in fact at AsOne Design, along with referrals and recommendations from existing clients; it is our major source of new business. Planned and handled intelligently the payback can be impressive, but don’t run away with the idea that all you have to do is just turn up at the event, chat to a few people and dish out a handful of business cards. The likelihood is you’ll just be wasting your own and company’s time and money. Over the many years that I’ve been a serious networker I’ve established my own list of Golden Rules, and I’d like to share a few of them with you here.

    1. Target your event

    Time is money and not every networking event will be right for you. Ignore the ‘coffee and business card’ get-togethers where you’ll be extremely fortunate to encounter and get opportunities to talk to prime targets. Instead, be selective. Identify the events where your valuable time will be best invested.  That means doing research.  Checking out who’s likely to be there. Will the delegates match your target profiles? If they do, decide in advance the people you would most like to meet and prepare your approaches accordingly.

    Networking can be wonderful or wasteful and the level of success all depends on your approach, preparation and presentation

    2. Don’t expect something for nothing

    Remember that virtually everyone attending the networking event will be there for precisely the same reason you are. To build their business. Be prepared to listen as well as talk. The possibilities are that in addition to prospects you’ll also meet new contacts who could be useful suppliers for your own company. So keep an open mind.  Don’t be too aggressive in your approach. Cultivate rather than coerce. The secret of good networking is to build good relationships.

    3. People need to trust you

    Don’t forget when you attend a networking event for the first time you’re just like a doorstep salesman and anyone you speak to will naturally be wary of any claims you make. Don’t be pushy and expect to make a new business contact at the first meeting. Find some common ground, maybe a shared contact you know will give you a good recommendation. Try to arrange a further meeting at their offices. Build trust.

    4. Become a regular delegate

    When you have identified that a particular networking event is good for you, make sure that you become a regular attendee. That way you will become known and be seen as serious. People will feel more comfortable with you and are more likely to develop an ongoing business relationship.

    5. Find an event with a structured agenda

    Many networking events are just market places where people mingle and chat. In my experience, the type of event that has a formal agenda for presentations and business referrals is much more productive. At these events, it is generally the same group of people who meet every time and if you’ve done your homework you will know that the group includes prime prospects for your business. With regular attendance, regular contact and regular opportunities to present, you should generate valuable benefits.

    6. If you delegate, ensure they’re well prepared

    Any person you detail to represent your company at a networking event has to fully understand the company message. That means training. If your staff member is off message or is a poor representative of your business it is unlikely that they will convert potentials into positives and they could even seriously damage the reputation and profile of your business. Preparation and training cannot be over stated. Networking can be wonderful or wasteful and the level of success all depends on your approach, preparation and presentation. If you haven’t tried it my recommendation is to do it, but make sure you go for it in a serious and businesslike way. Do networking right and you should net the rewards!

65. Respect and Protect Your Brand

    February 25, 2014 11:00 am Leave a Comment

    Trouble in the restaurant

    But at least it was food for thought!

    I suppose that I’m like most British people in that generally speaking I prefer compromise to conflict, but last week during a family birthday celebration I found myself confronting the deputy manager of a well known Italian restaurant, which is a part of a large respected chain.

    OK, I wasn’t happy with the situation, but deep down I wasn’t trying to have a row, what I was endeavouring to explain – calmly and rationally – was that the restaurant and indeed the whole group was not doing itself any favours and seriously risked damaging the perceived impression of its brand, simply because of the attitude and intransigence of the member of staff concerned.

    The fact was that I’d booked a table a few days beforehand. We had arrived on time, only to be told that there was no table available.

    “What about the one there?” I enquired, pointing to an empty and prepared table.

    “Oh that was booked by phone fifteen minutes ago.” I was told.

    “But I booked three days ago!”

    make training, understanding and the delivery of your company’s policy and profile … a key ingredient of your overall recipe for success

    “We don’t take bookings like that seriously. It’s not company policy to take advance bookings like other restaurants’ because we’re in a shopping centre”

    WHAT?

    Clearly I was getting nowhere and what should have been a jolly birthday treat was seriously undermined. A day or two later, and after a brisk email to the Group’s head office, I was contacted by a ‘marketing person’ who simply told me in short: “Sorry for your bad experience. Of course it is standard company policy at every one of our restaurants to honour bookings. The manager made a mistake. By way of compensation we’ll send you a voucher.”

    So that’s alright then! Not!

    The point I’m making is that neither the restaurant manager nor the head office personnel addressed the real problem, which was that both of them had unwittingly, possibly unknowingly, misrepresented their company to the public. And because of that, they had seriously devalued their brand. A brand, incidentally, that the company had spent an awful amount of money and effort establishing and promoting.

    The branch manager hadn’t been trained properly or didn’t understand company policy. The head office apologist clearly didn’t recognise the importance of everyone, from senior directors to the newest recruit, to be ‘on message’. All it takes is just one individual, either through ignorance or lack of direction, to say the wrong thing and compromise years of effort and expense in building a brand and reputation.

    My message… and something that we take seriously at AsOne Design is that you should make training understanding and the delivering of your company’s policy and profile – by everyone – a key ingredient of your overall recipe for success. And put it at the top of your menu.

    Bon appetite!

66. The team received a custom designed iPhone cake today!

    January 27, 2014 10:37 am Leave a Comment

    Check out this amazing AsOne cake and tasty marketing strategy by Angela from Angies Cakes

    

    Luckily for the AsOne team, Angie is a freelance cake designer by night, so she often sends in prototypes, asking the team to check the taste, the design and whether they are overall, awesome cakes.

    She also sent along this little package of different sized iced treates for the team to feast on.

    

    Any form of diet has flown out of the window this morning, and will return whenever they have been demolished.

    Making Monday’s taste better.

67. BBC Dragon’s Den Tameside

    November 27, 2013 1:00 pm Leave a Comment

    Dragon’s Den Tameside is pretty much the same concept as the Dragon’s Den that will first spring to your mind, but this is for Tameside Entrepreneurs only and for much less money, in the form of a grant, rather than investment.

    Our very own Tracey was asked to be a part of the Dragon panel and was able to give her views and advice on the potential business ideas.

    On the day, the Dragon’s gave out £6000 to 7 different budding entrepreneurs with businesses including bunting, candles, photography, toys and a student life website.

    The AsOne team have also offered to mentor two of the candidates, who will receive help towards their short and long term goals from the whole team here.

    

    Post BBC Dragon’s Den Tameside Filming

    On Monday 25th November, the AsOne team were greeted by the BBC production team who spent just over an hour filming around the office, with the team performing their daily tasks. They also conducted a short interview with Tracey with regards to how the Dragon’s Den experience was for her.

    We were advised that the 15 part (45 minute) episodes will be televised on BBC one in March 2014 at 10.45 after Homes under the hammer.

    

68. Pigs In Muck Cake

    October 23, 2013 1:45 pm Leave a Comment

    I’m now well into my first week at AsOne and really enjoying being here. Before joining the team, I had a quick browse through AsOne’s Twitter account to see what the team got up to and I spotted that there was an ongoing cake baking contest between everybody at the office.

    As my mum is an amateur cake designer, I thought I’d impress on my first day by bringing one of her custom designed cakes for the team to share (which seems to have gone down well!)

    Pigs In Muck Cake

    She decided to test out something new and try out the pigs in muck cake as you can see below. The walls were made from Kit-Kats, the pigs, the sheep, rocks, the green patterned floor and the grass were all icing. The top shiny layer was a sort of chocolate fudge covering a few layers of chocolate sponge with chocolate cream icing between the layers.

    Everything was edible (Apart from the blue ribbon), has been eaten and it was definitely enjoyed.

    Can I have a corner piece please?

    The only mistake was that now I can’t cheat to win the AsOne baking contests, and if I do well, they probably won’t believe me!

69. AsOne Bake Cakes, It’s No Yolk

    October 22, 2013 1:38 pm Leave a Comment

    When it comes to team building exercises, thinking of ideas that will get the whole team involved, create a little competition amongst colleagues (Tracey) and, at the same time, maintain some level of interest can be tough…

    …but the idea of showcasing our cake baking skills was met with genuine EGGcitement (apologies) and enthusiasm.

    we all seemed to enjoy the challenge too, which is the main thing

    The challenge was simple. Each member of the AsOne team had to hand-bake their own cake to show of their creativity and presentation skills as well as their culinary talents in which the whole team anonymously voted on. A major part of this team building exercise was to taste too – which gave us all an excuse to stuff our faces!

    Not only was the standard on cake baking very high (everyone seemed to RAISE their game, get it?), but we all seemed to enjoy the challenge too, which is the main thing.

    Here are some of our pictures we’d like to show off.

    

70. AsOne scoop award at the Digital Entrepreneur Awards

    October 11, 2013 4:41 pm Leave a Comment

    Earlier this year you may remember us attending the Big Chip Awards in which we were successfully shortlisted for the ‘Best Application of Technology’ award. A fantastic night of champagne and entertainment it wasn’t to be our night as we left the Palace Hotel empty handed… but that wasn’t going to dampen our spirits.

    Fast forward a couple of months and we were guests at the Digital Entrepreneur Awards after being shortlisted for two awards – ‘Most Creative Use of Technology’ and ‘Best Digital Agency’.

    we’re heading in the right direction

    This time there was to be a happy ending as we collected the ‘Most Creative Use of Technology’ award, which is no more than the team deserve. From winning the ‘Pride of Tameside’ award back in 2011, getting back to the glitz and glam of awards evening has been long over due and 2013 can be counted as a success after being shortlisted for three awards.

    Although no the be-all-and-end-all, being shortlisted for these awards, whether we win or not, highlights the good work we do, the service we provide our clients, the determined team we have and knowledge that we’re heading in the right direction.

71. Sales Support Assistant

    October 2, 2013 1:57 pm Leave a Comment

    AsOne are a well-established design agency currently recruiting a Sales Support Assistant.

    Based in Hyde, Cheshire; we are conveniently located on the outskirts of Manchester off the M67, close to Hyde bus and train stations.

    This is a great opportunity for a Sales Support Assistant interested in the digital, online or marketing sectors to work with an experienced and creative team with well established long term clients.

    The successful candidate will work closely with the team as they help to deal with incoming enquiries and qualify them. With support from an efficient administration team you will be helping to fact find, qualify leads and set appointments. The working environment is fast paced but also an extremely friendly and enjoyable place in which to work.

    Hours of work will be 9:00-17.30 Monday-Thursday and 9:00-17:00 on Friday

    Salary: £15,000.00 + per year. Depending on Ability

    Please read through the details of the role below and read the application procedure carefully. 

    To apply applicants should send a CV that details your experience and ability. Please also include a cover letter with examples of any work experience related to this role and tell us why we should consider you for the role. Applications should be sent to cv@asone.co.uk.

    You will report to the company Director and work closely with the whole team. Your principal duties & responsibilities will involve:

    • Dealing with Incoming Sales Enquiries
    • Fact Find & Discover Client Needs using Existing Process
    • Qualify Leads using Existing Processes
    • Sending out Literature & Examples
    • Following up on recent communications
    • Arrange Appointments for Senior Sales Person (Telephone Calls or Meetings)
    • Up-sell/Cross-sell to Existing Customers
    • New Lead Generation using Existing Prospect Lists

    It is vital that you have the following skills and/or experience and that you also have the ambition to improve them:

    • Excellent English, Written & Spoken
    • Effective Communicator
    • Attention to Detail
    • Confident Telephone Manner
    • Excellent Problem Solver
    • Ability to Think on Your Feet
    • Excellent Timekeeping & Calendar Management

    The following skills or experience would be an advantage:

    • Knowledge Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ etc.)
    • Knowledge of Current Trends & Technologies
    • Experience in Marketing (or Similar Field)
    • Experience in Sales (or Similar Field)
    • Experience in Customer Services (or Similar Field)
    • Experience in Account Management (or Similar Field)

    Closing date for applicants: January 30th 2014

72. Think Mobile. Think Responsive Web Design

    August 28, 2013 5:00 pm Leave a Comment

    Mobile phones – well, Smartphones to be specific, are just about everywhere you look and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone without one these days. They have become much more than a ringing device and now venture into areas that Martin Cooper could have hardly imagined all those years ago.

    Having a Smartphone give you the opportunity to watch videos, use maps, take pictures, upload images, socially connect, shop, game, share and more – on the move. They continue to break barriers within the gaming industry and surveys highlight that the percentage of people that use their phone to surf the internet, now nears 50%!

    

    A world in which smartphones and tablets are beginning to rule

    So, you get the picture. We’re shifting into a world in which smartphones and tablets are beginning to rule the roost in terms of connectivity. And more people are searching for information via mobile phones, tablets, and smartphones than ever before.

    With that in mind, do you know if your website is fit for purpose when it comes to people viewing your website? Will visitors who arrive via their smartphone be able to interact with your site as they would on a desktop computer?

    Have the buttons been modified for a screen size that’s 1136 x 640 pixels?

    Can someone interacting on your website via a Blackberry get the same user experience as an Android user?

    With much to consider is your website fit for smartphone / tablet users? If not, then this could well be damaging to your service / products / brand.

    Earlier last month we looked at the benefits of responsive web designs and how large brands have shifted their focus to designing websites that look good on mobile devices. Here, we have extended on that fact and outlined some best practices for responsive design & mobile SEO.

    How to Tweak A Responsive Website To Meet Mobile SEO

    1. Think Local

    Recent surveys indicate that search volume for restaurants on mobiles is closing in on that for desktop searches. When people are home, they are more likely to look for things from their desktop. But on the move, it’s the smartphone or the tablet that serves their needs. And when it comes to that, you have to think “local.”

    Most mobile search results are largely influenced by geo-specific parameters. This means you have to tweak your website to meet local SEO pointers. This enables Google to identify your optimised website as a suitable result for display in local searches — mobile being one of the most important ones.

    2. Think Shorter Keywords

    When it comes to mobile phones and tablets, people are using touch-screen keys. They’re not comfortable typing out the entire search phrase, so the keywords they’re using are shorter than normal. Target shorter keywords if you want to show up on mobile searches more often.

    Another interesting user experience with regard to mobile searches is that people are more prone to tap the keyword suggestions that Google offers when they start searching for specific terms. Take note of Google’s recommendations and target your keywords based on them. You can get Google’s recommended keywords either while you begin searching for keyword phrases, or on Google’s AdWords Keyword Tool.

    On the move, it’s the smartphone or the tablet that serves their needs.

    3. Think Mobile Analytics

    Google’s Mobile section in Web Analytics offers insights into the number of visits from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. As a webmaster / SEO, you can tweak the results to include more metrics like keywords and thereby track which keywords are driving traffic. Even a cursory look reveals a lot and can give you ideas for small tweaks that will energise your mobile SEO efforts.

    4. Think Users First

    The best advice you’ll ever hear from the likes of UI/UX experts, however, is this: focus your mobile strategy to help users find information on your website quickly and easily. Forcing users to resort to pinch-to-zoom should be avoided, and having a lot of heavy-load graphics on a mobile website is not recommended either.

    Mobile phone users do have 3G (and 4G) connectivity these days, but resources on mobile devices aren’t as powerful as those on desktops and laptops. At least not yet. Users still prefer fast-loading websites that present information well within the smaller dimensions of their smartphones and tablets.

73. Thanks for Helping AsOne Support Tameside

    July 16, 2013 1:51 pm Leave a Comment

    On Sunday 14th July at around about 8:30am we set off on the 60mile cycle with the Tameside 4 Good team to Blackpool. Our personal goal was to raise £200 and the team goal was £3,000. While there is still time to donate our current personal total has reached £285 (£327.50 with gift aid) in a little less than a week. We don’t have a final tally on the total figure raised since donations are still coming in.

    

    It didn’t take long for the temperature to reach 29C but we made good time and reached Blackpool in four hours and six minutes.

    We want to thank the following people for their support by donating to the event (in alphabetical order):

    • Adele
    • Anne-Marie Collinson
    • Antony Berry
    • Becky Brown (AsOne)
    • Ben Schofield (AsOne)
    • Cath Hodkinson (High Peak Finance)
    • Clare Anumudu (AsOne)
    • Clive
    • Guide Bridge MOT
    • Helen Barker
    • John Naughton (JJ Training)
    • Julia Harrison (Harrison Office Supplies & Lee Print)
    • Karen Sykes (Garcia & Sykes)
    • Kath Wilkinson (Kathryn L Wilkinson Wealth Management)
    • Linda & Pete Endsor (Birchleigh Guest House)
    • Lynn Sbaih (Bluebird Care Tameside)
    • Mark Higgins (Higgins Miller Solicitors)
    • Michelle
    • Peter & Brenda Ramsbottom
    • Peter Diver (Hardy & Co)
    • Phil Bamford (PJB Fitted Furniture)
    • Tracey Rush (AsOne)
    • Val Dickinson (Defero Marketing Consultancy)
    • Vaughan
    • … not forgetting the Anonymous contributors too.

    And the winner is…

    The winner of one year’s free hosting, drawn from those who donated £20 or more was John Naughton from JJ Training, Congratulations.

74. AsOne target Big Chip Awards 2014

    July 1, 2013 3:09 pm Leave a Comment

    If you regularly keep up with anything AsOne, then you’d realise that last Thursday was a special evening for us at AsOne Design. We attended the Big Chip Awards and after being shortlisted for the ‘Best Application of Technology’ award earlier this May we descended on an evening of champagne and entertainment at the Manchester Palace Hotel.

    

    In an evening that oozed charisma, innovation, and credibility it was a night of reflection and pride as the Big Chip Awards recognised the work we, and many other top companies, do throughout the year within the North West and Greater Manchester area.

    However, amongst the pomp and ceremony we weren’t to be winners on this occasion and like the Oscars earlier on in the year – the dominance of Daniel Day Lewis and the film Lincoln – there were one or two companies that were unstoppable on the night, picking up their respected awards in their categories.

    The Big Chip Awards highlights what a strong, healthy and competitive industry digital media is in the North.

    

    We credit Tuna Technologies and Apadmi and the good work they have done and, if anything, the Big Chip Awards highlights what a strong, healthy and competitive industry digital media is in the North and Greater Manchester area.

    But now we move on and, in doing so, are hungry to challenge and compete with our peers for the Big Chips 2014!

75. Why You Should Go Mobile

    June 26, 2013 12:02 pm Leave a Comment

    

    If you’ve been here on earth for the last few years then chances are you’ve browsed the web on a mobile device. Have you ever been to a site that works fine on a desktop and yet is awful to use on a smartphone? Probably. Just like when the dotcom boom happened and everyone had to get their company a website, the new internet trend has just begun and that’s the mobile friendly web. In fact, reports suggest that by 2014 mobile internet usage will surpass that of desktop use. I’ll elaborate on some of the reasons why a mobile website is actually a really good idea.

    If The Shoe Fits, It Doesn’t Mean You Should Wear It

    As I eluded to earlier, some websites are just plain old hard to use on a smartphone. You spend more time pinching, tilting and zooming than actually using the website. Should it really be this hard to find a phone number? Nope. It shouldn’t. While websites might look great on a desktop, the fact is, we don’t have big flat screen monitors attached to our phone. Instead we’re given a screen the size of our palm, so in order for a website to look good and work well on a device that size, it has to be tailored to a screen that size. It’s like trying to put a size 12 shoe on a five year old – it’ll fit, but will it really work?

    On a desktop, things are meant to be clicked and hovered with a little pointer, not pressed and pushed with a big thumb

    It’s not just about the size of the screen either. On a desktop, things are meant to be clicked and hovered with a little pointer, not pressed and pushed with a big thumb. If you’ve used the web for any length of time on your smartphone, you’ve probably had that moment where you just can’t click the link you’re trying to click and end up visiting some other page, so you go back and try again. And again. And… Ah never mind. It’s that frustration that could loose you customers. All because either your thumb was too fat or, more than likely,  it just wasn’t made to be prodded with a thumb. Navigation alone is a perfectly good reason to get a mobile site, after all, if you can’t navigate a site then you pretty much can’t use the site at all.

    The Convenient Web

    Here’s an interesting statistic for those of you who operate eCommerce sites; each year Amazon’s mobile audience grows by 87%. That’s pretty staggering. The reason for this is because it’s easy to buy things on a mobile. If you’re out and about and you remember there’s something you needed to buy, it’s no problem with a smartphone, just load up Amazon and buy it right there and then. Not bad when you consider the alternative is waiting until you get home and booting up your desktop computer, and it’s more than likely you’ve forgotten by then. The mobile web is super convenient, from just tapping on phone number to call it, to just visiting a link for the directions to somewhere and your mobile navigation system automatically pointing you on your way. None of this is possible on a desktop.

    So, have I convinced you to at least consider a mobile website yet? Great! But let me stop you there…

    Bye Bye Mobile Site, Hello Media Queries

    Up until a couple of years ago, we pretty much could only have a “Mobile Site”, that meant you’d need your standard desktop site and a mobile site. However, the web has changed and it’s changed in a wonderful way. We can now take advantage of a very clever piece of technology called Media Queries. I won’t bother you with the details but in a nut shell, you don’t need two separate sites any more. Using Media Queries, we can now build Responsive Websites which, as the name suggests, responds to how it’s being viewed. You can see it in action here on the AsOne website, simply grab the edge of your browser and resize the window to make it narrower (you can’t do this in older versions of Internet Explorer, but you should be using a better browser anyway!).  Pretty cool right? This was a major break through on the web, it allowed huge sites to have a mobile site as well as a desktop site without having to transfer a lot of content over to the mobile version.

    Everything in one place means you only need to create content once. It also means that whatever content is on your desktop site, is there on your mobile site too because they are simply the same site. It’s also cheaper to manage, create and maintain one site over two, naturally, which is great news for you website owners. What’s even better is that because a responsive site isn’t just tailored to a smartphone, it’ll be more future proof. New devices are being released every month and with that comes new screen sizes, which means that your site has to work in those too. Don’t forget TV’s, Consoles, Tablets, etc., these all come with different specifications, but with a responsive site that’s easily catered for.

    If you’ve not thought about this before, I hope I’ve given you an insight into the future of the web and where most websites will eventually be heading. That’s great news by the way, it means you should have no problems if you’ve got fat thumbs. If you’re a website owner, I strongly suggest having a look at your website analytics to see what your mobile audience is like and if they could do with a mobile site; if so, give it to them. After all, no one likes to loose customers.

76. Pitches to be presented today to the Dragons Den of Tameside

    June 14, 2013 10:21 am Leave a Comment

    

    Inspired by the Dragons Den, local entrepreneurs who want to start-up their own businesses are to be given the opportunity to develop their ideas with support from business advisors by pitching them to a panel of local business leaders that includes our own Director Tracey Rush who can award up to £1,000 as a start-up grant. 

    I started my own business, AsOne, with just a telephone and a computer

    Said Tracey: “I might not be Deborah Meaden, but I can spot a great business idea when I see one and Tameside is teaming with some bright, entrepreneurs who simply need to be given some guidance and an opportunity to succeed. I started my own business, AsOne, with just a telephone and a computer.”

    Good luck to all the applicant today from Tracey and the AsOne team. Follow Tracey on twitter today for live updates.

77. Fitting new title for AsOne’s Director?

    June 4, 2013 3:35 pm Leave a Comment

    Tracey is known by many names but Dragon might not be one of her favourites!

    In a world of economic uncertainty, business start-ups are not as common as they once were.

    National figures show that one in three new business start-ups fail

    But here in Tameside there has been a different approach.

    Inspired by the Dragons Den, local entrepreneurs who want to start-up their own businesses are to be given the opportunity to develop their ideas with support from business advisors by pitching them to a panel of local business leaders who can award up to £1,000 as a start-up grant.

78. National Anti Fraud Network happy with service

    May 21, 2013 3:42 pm Leave a Comment

    It’s always nice when a client we have worked closely with appreciates the end result that we all can be proud of.

    Excellent service throughout

    Once final checks were complete and Mark from NAFN was happy with the finished product, he had these kind words to say.

    “Excellent service throughout delivering a professionally looking product.”

79. AsOne Shortlisted for the Big Chip Awards 2013

    May 2, 2013 1:45 pm Leave a Comment

    Announced today, AsOne have been shortlisted in the Best Application of Technology category in the 2013 Big Chip Awards for the website soulnutrition.org.

    

    The project was an innovative concept to begin with and AsOne was delighted to be chosen to apply our knowledge and experience to bring it to life. Full of design, programming and usability challenges; the Soul Nutrition website allowed our team great freedom developing a new approach to recording and improving happiness for its members. The team at AsOne really got stuck in and enjoyed applying what we have learned over the past decade to allow this new approach to improving happiness, making changes in your life and eating habits to come to life.

    The Big Chip judges said that they “apply a rigorous and demanding standard for shortlisting entries and have occasionally declined to shortlist any entries in some categories … because they did not think they reached the required high standard for shortlisting“. It Appears that the judges have been intrigued by the project and agree that it reaches their high standards.

    Find out more about the Soul Nutrition project and get Inspired to improve your happiness and well being.

    The Big Chip Awards 2013 are being held at the Palace Hotel, Manchester on the 27th June. Fingers Crossed!

80. AsOne contribute to worthy cause

    April 18, 2013 1:31 pm Leave a Comment

    Here at AsOne, we like to do our bit – whether it be for the Tameside community, sponsorship or local charities. And last year was no different.

    We decided to raise funds for a children’s charity, Action for Children, and raised £100.  We donated 10p for every person that downloaded our app – Santa’s Sack via iPhone and iPad.

    We are very happy to have contributed and wish the team at Action for Children the best of luck for the rest of the year in the hope they raise the necessary funds for a worthy cause.

81. ‘Tis the season to be jolly.

    December 18, 2012 2:45 pm Leave a Comment

    

    Speaking to one of our Innovation Club clients, the topic of Christmas came up. From tinsel to turkey, and the many elements in between, we both concluded on one matter; everyone seems so much happier.

    There are obvious reasons as to why people may be happier at this time of year – time of work; catching up with friends and family; Christmas bonus; the TV guide; the many presents. But what about other times of the year?

    If you’ve ever been interested in understanding that ‘good feeling’, then consider Soul Nutrition. A website built by AsOne, Soul Nutrition is based on helping people generate a better quality of happiness and improve balance in their hectic lifestyles.

82. White Water Rafting; a great way to bring the team together!

    September 12, 2012 2:55 pm Leave a Comment

    We thought it would be a great idea to push the team boundaries and escape our comfort zones by taking the day to go White Water Rafting.

    An early morning start was called for and we set out on the two-hour long journey down to Bala, Wales. Going down in four cars it was inevitable that some of us were going to arrive late, never imagining it would be because half of the roads were closed due to the Sky Ride bike race and that Natalie’s car would end up participating!

    

    Luckily, even with the diversions, everyone made the check in on time only to realise that the first challenge wasn’t going to be the rafting itself but getting the wetsuits on. This on its own ended up to be a bit of a team building exercise with everyone helping each other out or should I say in to them!

    Eventually suited and booted in our wetsuits, life jackets and helmets we set off on the bus to the top of the river ready for the all important safety talk which succeeded in making us all the more nervous for what we were about to do.

    Armed with paddles we set out in two rafts, split by picking random numbers rather than what would have been a more sensible way of choosing to split us by ability, age and experience.

    The first run down was going far too well until raft one got stuck. Raft two looked on in horror/amusement, as raft one ended up re-enacting a scene from Titanic and getting stuck on a rock which I’m sure looking back on it wasn’t as big as it seemed and was probably more like a pebble than an iceberg. Luckily we managed to rescue the situation with some nifty rafting moves.

    Confidence was building in everyone as both teams were trying to make the rafts go faster and hit the waves with more force with each run down. All until on run three when we had an epic fail from Clare who tumbled head first into the river in not such a Lady like manner I might add, all captured on video that has already been on a loop around the studio.

    

    By the end of the final run everyone was left exhausted and not looking our best but who cared, it had been an amazing experience.

    After all that excitement the day was finished off with a meal in a quirky little teashop in the middle of the quaint village of Bala before setting off on a sleepy ride home.

    Well done the team of AsOne for putting yourselves out there and special commendations for the ladies who were deeply disappointed there were no sockets for hairdryers and straighteners in the changing rooms. Maybe we can consider a spa break next time but when you have adventure junkies for bosses then it seems unlikely.

    Get an insight to our white water rafting skills and mishaps in this fantastic video compilation.

83. AsOne awarded Innovative Business of the Year 2011

    May 25, 2011 3:30 pm Leave a Comment

    

    Big thanks and well-done goes out to the AsOne team this month. The hard work and creativity has been recognised and has resulted in us being awarded for our innovation in business. We continue to innovate internally and the work is used to produce campaigns for our client’s that really work.

    Social Media, Website Creation & Mobile Applications are the current hot topics and are also essential tools for those companies with ambition to grow.

    Talk to one of award winning team to find out what we can do together.

84. As One creates caring identity for Salvere | News | Design Week

    March 24, 2011 1:02 pm Leave a Comment

    As One creates caring identity for Salvere | News | Design Week

85. Great result for The AsOne Team and The Christie charity

    July 6, 2010 8:19 pm Leave a Comment

    Great result for The AsOne Team and The Christie charity

    Many thanks again to everyone who supported the AsOne team cycle, Tameside to Manchester to Blackpool (70 miles) – raised over £500 for The Christie – its not too late to show your support – its a really, really good cause

86. AsOne Raises Over £350 For The Christie Charity

    July 5, 2010 9:39 am Leave a Comment

    The AsOne team has completed its Manchester to Blackpool cycle and raised £354!

    Joel, Anthony and Graham covered over 70 miles each yesterday in a little over 6 hours.

    Helen, Tracey and Julie were the co-team and travelled up to Blackpool by car, but if rumours are to be believed; complained more than the men who cycled up there.

    Joel and Tracey gave a running commentary of events as they happened on their asone Twitter page at @asone.

    There are pictures of the team in action below and a video coming shortly. And don’t forget you can still donate via our JustGiving page.

    All money raised goes to The Christie Charity and if you donate via GiftAid your donation will be boosted as the charity can claim the tax back.

    

    

    

    

    

    

87. AsOne’s Manchester to Blackpool Ride for Charity

    June 28, 2010 10:46 am Leave a Comment

    AsOne’s Manchester to Blackpool Ride for Charity

    Please donate generously to The Christie. AsOne have a team of three riding from Manchester to Blackpool on the 4th of July. The team are Joel Rush, Antony Berry and Graham Barker. Please visit our Just Giving page and donate what you can. Or at the very least send the link on to you friends so they can donate too.

88. Well done to Reddish Vulcans

    June 15, 2010 11:46 am Leave a Comment

    Well done to Reddish Vulcans JFC for their website award. Independently judged by leading members of the business, sports, charitable and entertainment community their website is designed and developed by AsOne. Currently they are the only such site to be awarded the Gold award and its a reflection of the hard work and dedication put in by the team to keep it updated and innovative.

    Visit the site at http://www.reddishvulcans.com