pink nik: t-shirt printer/crime fighter

New in 2012

2012-01-05T16:13:00.000Z

Happy New Year
We hope you all had a lovely time over Christmas and New Year, we hope Santa was good to you! After a well earned break we're back at the shop as of today, the 5th, with our regular opening hours of Monday to Friday 9-4. And while we get get into the swing of the new year we've got a lot planned already. We're really excited about this year there are so many new products in our catalogues that we can't wait for them to come into the shop to try them out and show them off.

2012 Catalogue Highlights

Our team wear selection just keeps getting better with new brand Dare 2b giving a great selection of performance tops and jackets at great prices.
As ever one of our favourite brands AWDis has some great additions to their collections, the Varsity Zoodie seen right, being one of them, although it doesn't have the full colour selection the Varsity Hoodie currently has we're confident as the year goes on and this great top gets popular they will be adding more colours.
With the Olympics this year you can show your support with our great selection of Nation products, these items are blank in the country colours of your choice and are great to customise with text and pictures of your choice.

And finally here's a few more pictures from the other brand we love, Gildan, who have added some excellent items to their collection that goes to show why they are the number one brand we love to customise. We have the ladies v-neck t-shirt, vintage hoodie, contrast hoodie and the soft style unisex v-neck t-shirt.

To see more details for these items and much more then go check out the New for 2012 section in our Clothing Catalogue.

Last Minute Christmas Gift

2011-12-21T13:23:00.001Z

Are you needing a last minute Christmas gift? Why not get an item monogrammed?

It's simple, quick to turn around and can be done on everything from polo shirts to blankets. Ideal for everyone, but great for cushions for granma's, bathrobes for mum's, rugby shirts for dad's.

Bring your item to us and we can check it over and add the design to it.

We're open 9-4 Thursday and Friday and 11-2 on Christmas Eve.

Last Orders

2011-12-15T11:16:00.000Z

Last orders for Christmas:

In-stock items we can do these right up till Christmas Eve

Orders from the catalogue last orders are Monday the 19th December at 2pm

Larger orders of more than 6 last orders are the 16th December

We close at 2pm on Christmas Eve and we will back back in the New Year at 10 am on Thursday January 5th. If you would like to get in touch over the Christmas period please email us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Christmas Opening Hours

2011-11-25T11:57:00.001Z

We'll be open Monday to Friday 9-4 and Saturdays 11-2 right up to Christmas Eve.
All stock items can be printed up in 24 hours so not to fear if you're leaving your shopping till the last minute.
If you are looking for something specialised we'll be taking last orders on Wednesday 21st for these.

We'll close for Christmas and New Year and be back on the 5th of January so if there is any orders for the New Year please let us know by the 21st December so we can get these sorted for you in time.

A subtle message

2011-09-15T15:46:00.000+01:00

Had a customer in today to get some t-shirts printed with a great idea, a QR code on them. Now i can't repeat what they said but it was giving a definite message to the scanners. Which i just loved. So am determined to see if we can get more folks using them for prints in creative ways on our gifts.

As further inspiration here's what Yoav Medan in Israel done with a QR code - tombstone memorial - check the article on mashable

Christmas

2011-09-13T21:38:00.001+01:00

Ok, so we're not on the blog for 2 months, then BOOM we come back and swear at you with the Christmas word! I can't believe it's been that long since we updated it.
If you have the chance we have a wee poll going on facebook at the moment to see what you think about our opening hours for the run upto Christmas, so why not fly over and cast your vote.
Cheers

Click Here To Vote

We're feeling the love

2011-07-08T15:06:00.001+01:00

If you've been on our facebook page this week you'll have seen some of the pictures we've been posting up from the AWDis folks. This years been great for their collections. Earlier this year they introduced a fantastic team wear collection called Just Cool, this month they have added 8 new colour combos to their Varsity hoodie range. Along with their existing hoodie, zoodie and sweats range AWDis are just fab when it comes to all thing hoodie.

Below we've highlighted just a few pages from their catalogue if you'd like to see more go to our online catalogue and search for the Just Cool and Just Hoods brands.

The fonts the key

2011-06-21T22:30:00.001+01:00

Having a company logo can really boost the appearance of your business, it can make your business card something a lot more memorable, can be an eye catching advert on your facebook page or on the side of your vehicle. Getting a graphic designer to produce you a professional and original logo is well worth it and can cost from about £140 so isn't a bank breaking investment but if you are watching your funds when you start up give yourself a graphic boost by jumping onto a free font website and picking a font that doesn't come as part of the standard font range on your pc, it really is worth an hours effort.

You don't need any special graphics packages to use the fonts once you get them and install them on your computer. A lot of the sites have simple install guides to help you do this. Once the fonts are on your computer you can just open up any document creation package and start using it. If you don't have anything like Microsoft Word, try a great free software package called Open Office, totally free and all the same products as Microsoft Office but with out the price tag.

As an example of what you can produce, we went onto a font site and typed our name into the preview box and selected the top downloaded fonts of that site and here's what the first 4 selections were.

I would happily pick any of these for my business name font and that was me only picking one of the first options on the site and i have had a really good result.

There are thousands of fonts you can choose from that are free and easy to use, so why not take that extra bit of time when you are putting together information about your business, grab yourself a free font and stand out from the crowd.

To get a good selection of sites just google free fonts and start from there. If you would like some help putting together a brand identity give us a call and we can help get you started or we can get our graphic designer to help really get you on the move.

Father's Day

2011-06-07T13:11:00.000+01:00

Click to see large preview

What will you be getting your father for father's day? Over the years i've taken full advantage of customising gifts for my dad, rugby shirts with an embroidered fishing fly lure and his name, a framed mirror printed with a picture of the submarine he used to work on and it's crest, a mug with a fishing poem and a pint of beer printed on it, another rugby top with a mad sketch he used to doodle for us as kids embroidered on the left chest. Really the possibilities are endless and imagination is the key, one customer asked us to customise a set of crutches once!

So what it be for your dad this year? We do a great range of rugby shirts, polo shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, bathrobes, baseball caps that can all be customised specifically for your #1 Dad. We have a good range of stock embroideries that include fishing, gardening, motor sports, football and more and they start at £4.95 each for the embroidery. See a sample sheet of the fishing designs.

So with t-shirts starting at £10.95 with an embroidered design on it these make great affordable options for Father's Day.

Pop into the shop to see more great ideas and designs.

Are we mad?

2011-05-23T17:49:00.000+01:00

The answer is yes! :D This week on Thursday and Friday the shop will be closed but you'll still be able to get us through email and phone. Why you ask, well we're going camping that's why! The reason we're mad is the weather at the moment seems to be unfavourable for camping but we're hardy souls and will be willing to brave it, heehee.

weeeeeee

So keep in touch with phone calls and emails and we'll be able to answer all your questions but we won't be making anything up after Wednesday.

We're also closed for the bank holiday on Monday.

We open again on Tuesday 31st at 9.30am.

Our website and email are sick

2011-05-17T11:02:00.003+01:00

UPDATE: As off 2pm today our website and emails are back up and running. Thanks for your patience. If you have emailed us we're going through all the emails we received in the last 24 hours so if we haven't got back to you by 4pm tomorrow please give us a call.

Hey Folks,

Our website and email have gone down today, we're trying to get this problem fixed as soon as possible but if you want to get in touch call the shop on 01324 719459.

Thanks

What's been happening here!

2011-05-16T14:55:00.000+01:00

We're Learning

Gosh, we've been busy bunnies round here recently. Here's what we've been upto.

Updating our women's range. We're now happy to recommend B&C as a smart ladies range. As for Bella, they are an excellent fashion range although sizing for a few of their tops seems to be on the smaller side, but for style and price they are fab.
Updating our stock in shop. We have been adding to the sample ranges in the shop so you are able to see more of our popular items available to try on before you buy.
Updating the things you don't see. We've been training and expanding all the back shop parts you don't see but it's these things that are important to what we do and how we do it.

So it's been geeky glee here :D

Opening times this weekend

2011-04-27T15:53:00.000+01:00

We'll be closed Friday through Monday for a lovely long weekend. We'll open again on Tuesday at 10am.
We hope you have a lovely weekend! We're planning bbq's and ride outs, hope you have a blast.

A wee update

2011-04-06T12:10:00.000+01:00

Hey Folks,
We've just found out we had some technical difficulties with our email system possibly starting on Monday afternoon, we have fixed the problem now and would love to hear from you if you tried to get in touch.

Pink Nik's Tech

Holiday, Celebrate!

2011-04-06T10:49:00.002+01:00

We need a holiday, a time to celebrate, just one day out of life.
Ok enough of that, we just wanted to let you know the shop will be shut on Monday 11th April. We'll open again on Tuesday 12th at 9.30am.

Hey Ladies

2011-03-27T21:22:00.000+01:00

SF SK402

We're so happy that the sun has been shining this weekend and to make things even better we are checking out new clothing ranges.

We had 2 reps out from our suppliers last week and from chatting with them we are hoping to expand our ladies wear selection. Next Monday we'll be checking out Bella and B&C, both are currently available to buy but we'll be check them out and getting samples in! Both are great fashion brands that look great with or without decoration on them!! If you want a sneak peak of them then check out our catalogue to see the full ranges. We currently recommend the SF (Skinnifit) range as the best of our ladieswear in terms of quality and fit so hopefully these 2 new additions will live up to these standards.

What we're looking for in our ladies ranges.

Bella wide neck slouch sweater

B&C long line v-neck

At Pink Nik's we're really picky when it comes to the ladies ranges we recommend as we look for a few key elements for our t-shirts.

Sizing - Does the top honestly represent the size it's meant to. If you're ordering a 14 are you getting a 14? Unfortunately there are one or 2 brands in the market that don't and because of this we don't supply them. With the average size of women in the UK being a size 18 we look for brands that recognise this.
Length - Most of our tops we recommend come with a longer length to fall in line with high street fashion.
Quality - One of the most important things about our tops is the quality of the fabric, we want to know that our tops will perform to high standards and this also means our prints and embroideries can perform to the standards expected from them.
Cost - We understand that times are hard for everyone at the moment so we look for items that are cost effective for your budget while still meeting the with the the criteria.

We'll let you all know in a weeks time what our thoughts are on the B&C and Bella ranges.

Are you a musician?

2011-03-07T13:26:00.000Z

At Pink Nik's we love music from swing to punk. We work with a lot of local bands to supply t-shirts and so on for them so we'd like to do something extra for them as well.

If you're an unsigned musician or in a band why not drop in a sample CD of what you do. We'll play it in the shop and add links to your website, myspace, facebook etc on our website, blog and facebook, as well as any posters, fliers etc you have and put them up in the shop.

It doesn't matter where you are from and what you play we'll check it out and give you a shout out.

What are you waiting for?

It's been quiet on here

2011-02-23T15:45:00.001Z

Hello folks,
Gosh it's been a bit quiet on here recently, but that's because we've been busy in the shop the last few weeks. I can't believe February's nearly finished! I'm getting my first day of on Monday (28th Feb) so i'm looking forward to chilling out for a long weekend.

Something's i'd like to direct your attention to is some fab businesses and organisations that i've been chatting with and meeting recently and think if you're close to them or online it might be worth checking out.

So for starters:

I was at Wild Heather's Cafe this morning and the coffee was amazing check them out on facebook.
Out of the Blue Drill Hall do a great local produce market on saturday's along with Tinker Tailor a free to use fix it service, as well as exhibitions etc, check out their website and their facebook

And if you're a business check out here for a great list of businesses, check out 4Networking.biz

Just another reminder we're closed Monday 28th Feb.

Nik

Pick Of The Week - Spectrum Pens

2011-02-02T15:59:00.000Z

We're so excited by these pens. For one thing they are lovely and secondly there are such a good price for a full colour print AND there is no minimum order but we recommend you order at least 50 to get the best prices for them. Want an idea for pricing? 150 of these would be £0.89 each, this is includes full colour print and origination.

They are so lovely and colourful they make us smile! :D

February's Top Deals

2011-02-01T11:00:00.001Z

Get your February Top Deals info with great discounts on a number of items. Don't delay, call to day as offers are only while stocks last.

Ladies t-shirts from £2, Unisex polo shirts half price, Jackets half price, caps from £1.20 and much more.

Click here for the February Top Deals PDF

Pick Of The Week - Electric Hoodies

2011-01-31T14:39:00.003Z

This weeks PICK OF THE WEEK

New for 2011 is AWDis JH004 Electric Hoodies coming in 4 super bright colours.

Electric Green, Electric Orange, Electric Pink, Electric Yellow

Size: S | M | L | XL
Chest (to fit): 36 | 40 | 44 | 48

Material: 80% polyester/ 20% cotton.
Front kangaroo pouch pocket with small opening for ear phones.
Hidden ear phone loops.
Ribbed cuffs and hem.
Twin needle stitching.
WRAP certified production.

Weight: 280 gsm

For more information, prices or to order yours email or call us

2 Great Bits Of News

2011-01-13T15:41:00.000Z

You can now see our top picks for the clothing we think just blows others away in all things corporate and work wear. On this page we pick out a few items from each category that we recommend meets the criteria that's important to you. These are cost, performance, durability, quality, size and colour options. We have most of these items in the shop for you to check out and if there is something from our catalogue that is not recommended here and you'd like to see a sample please just give us a shout.

Next piece of great news you can now get your hands on a copy of our Top Deals flier. This gives you information on items that are reduced in price that are normally in our normal catalogue. These could allow you to try out that special promotion, get that gift for your client that you wanted to try but just weren't sure. All items on the flier are subject to availability and are only available in the colours listed on the flier but are still of great quality that you won't be disappointed.

To get this flier can download it from here TOP DEALS LINK or email us on info[at]pinknikdesigns[dot]com
please note that as an anti-spam measure we have replaced the @ and . in the email, make sure you put them back in when emailing us.

Thinking Pink, Safety and Fashion

2011-01-07T14:07:00.002Z

Who would have guessed that a product with pink in the swatch collection would catch my eye, but it did. I hope i've not disappointed you? :D

I just needed to share my joy about these hi-viz vest from Yoko. They have now released them in PINK, but even better than that they have 10 colours, which means you can colour match for business and or personal preference.

I know that as a biker you always want to be seen but a hi-viz yellow vest just isn't cool enough! (Yes sometimes i can be a little self conscious about what others think of me! i know my flaws :D) WELL, the Yoko hi-viz vest do a black option which will keep you seen and keep you looking snazzy on your bike, although i still think i'd go for the pink vest to wear on my bike. I like the idea of looking colourful and less like a road worker as i zip about.

All 10 colour options are black, hi-viz orange, hi-viz yellow, maroon, navy, paramedic green, pink, red, royal blue and sky blue.

To get more information and prices on this item, please email or call our office for more information.

Can you print on crutches?

2011-01-05T10:40:00.000Z

Hello to one and all, Happy New Year. I hope you all had a great break over the festive period. I unfortunately was stuffed with the flu but managed to keep the festivities in my heart by sharing it with the ones i love, although i don't think they love me back anymore, lol!!

To celebrate the new year have a new look to the shop, which has only taken us several months to organise but i'm chuffed and it's done. So now all our stuff's up stairs we have a nice space at the front for loads of samples and even some stock, which means over the next few weeks we'll be filling the shop with lots of lovely goodies for you to have a hunt through and see exactly what we have to offer, but please remember that ever so excellent question "Can you print on [fill in blank here with inventive ideas]?" So far one of the best was someone asking us to customise crutches, which we can do i might add :D

Fun times. I hope you all have an excellent 2011.
Nikki

We're in..our week's update.

2010-12-07T11:38:00.000Z

Well it took a wee bit of time but we're in the shop today and it'll be all pistons firing till the end of the week, remember that also includes Saturday, to get our orders made up and sent out.

As usual with the weather being rubbish don't let that put you of ordering anything you need, phone or email us with your order details, we'll arrange payment with you and then call you when your order is ready to collect or being delivered! So there is no need to make unnecessary journey's out and about if you don't need to.

Keep warm.

Computer Scams

2010-12-06T16:23:00.000Z

Hey folks,
Please watch yourselves there is a company phoning round people telling you that there is a section in your windows pc that is corrupt and that you'll loose your files in a week or so. We have just had this phone call and i called them up on it asking them how they know that there is a problem with my computer and that i don't even use windows and she hung up on me.
Please don't fall for this scam, you will not get a call from windows!

Coasters are SO this season

2010-12-03T14:17:00.000Z

More Christmas present ideas.... photo flexible coasters. They can be wiped clean if marked and come in quantities of 6 for £15.

Don't get yer knickers in a twist

2010-12-02T15:25:00.001Z

Needing a present for your fella, then how about customised boxer shorts?? We can print all over these so i decided to print a pair and hang them outside the shop with one of my favourite t-shirt prints.

Here's what the boxers say.....

Do Not Open Till Christmas - Printed on front fly opening

Don't they look spiffy and starting from £6 they are ideal stocking fillers.

Good News

2010-12-02T14:04:00.002Z

With all our thoughts being on the snow I completely for the good news......
WE'RE OPEN ON SATURDAYS THROUGHOUT DECEMBER
Every Saturday starting on the 4th of December on the run up to Christmas we're open from 11am until 3.30pm. So that'll be the 4th, 11th and the 18th you can pop in to do a little bit of Christmas shopping or collect any order you placed during the week.

Remember if you don't want to pop out in the snow you can phone or email us to place your order and we can arrange a collection time for you. We can post items as well but with the weather and Christmas deliveries please make sure you're ordering in advance to ensure you can get your order for Christmas.

Snow Day

2010-12-01T12:32:00.000Z

If you've been up to the shop today you'll see that we didn't manage to get up there but we're still on the phone and email if you want to get in touch! Stay safe while it's snowing like crazy.

Nik

SNOW

2010-11-30T10:15:00.000Z

Well if you hadn't noticed the whole countries covered in snow! Stay warm and snuggled up if you can. I managed to make it in to the shop today but Polmont is completely snowed under. There is no parking! The pavements are getting cleared so hopefully by tomorrow things can start to get back to normal, but wow it's mad out there. The man that was driving the pavement plow got stuck and we gave him a loan of our shovel and he was really good and completely cleared a path for us. Think I need to go get some salt now.

If you are looking to catch us today why not call ahead for a wee chat about what you're looking for, the chances are we can get anything you're needing of to a running start before you even need to put a toe in the snow. Our full clothing catalogue is online and you can browse through it and see if there is anything there that takes your fancy, remember as well that in our catalogue there is a good selection of gift items including baseball caps, beanies, towels, bath robes, slippers, bags and more that can be a great customised gift for Christmas as well.

An introduction to new guest

2010-11-24T12:03:00.007Z

Hello, my name is Amanda, I am currently a apprentice at Pink Nik Designs, And I will be doing some guest Blogging to talk about various topics within the job. A little bit about me! I left school not really knowing what I wanted to do for a future job, I knew I either wanted to do something along the lines of art or something with chemistry, two completely different subjects. So to get a better idea of what I wanted to do with myself I joined a Falkirk Council employment and training course. I spent six months within the unit learning about interview skills and techniques, and various other things such as behaviour in the work places. Near the end I realised I wanted to do more along the lines of art, though I will always be crazy about science, BOOOM! I also enjoy doing photography and photo editing so in the near future I hope to go to College and learn more about techniques, tip and tricks on how to do great things.

A Royal Proposal

2010-11-16T12:47:00.000Z

Does anyone have Kate Middleton's number as I think I could do her a deal on her hen party t-shirts? William too if he's interested!!

A really nice compliment

2010-11-10T12:35:00.000Z

Well our spirits are really lifted this week. We've had a really nice review on our 4Networking profile from Frances Sharp of Prince or Pauper Family Heritage and today we had two lovely ladies in the shop looking to get some work wear made up for a family member and they said that it was much easier working with us than what a lot of other companies were looking for. We were able to help them out in about 20 minutes, we gave them some advice on picking colours for the work wear and best price option for their budget and needs. Seeing how happy they were that the process was really painless is such a boost on a cold day.

If you would like to give us a review please go to our facebook page or if you are a business sign up for free to 4Networking online and leave us a testimonial.

Reminder

2010-10-29T14:51:00.000+01:00

One of my attempts at pumpkin carving :D

Just a reminder that the shop will be shut on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd of Novemebr. I think after a crazy week sorting out Halloween costumes that this will be well earned! So this weekend we're carving pumpkins, playing board games, eating fajitas, seeing a rock-a-billy band play, car booting and all round good times!

Have a great weekend!

The Best Review EVER!!

2010-10-21T14:46:00.005+01:00

An email came in to our inbox the other day and gave me the biggest glee! Now we've had good reviews before and people telling us we've done a good job, which is always wonderful but i think this really peaks the lot! We printed a hoodie for Lee-Anne Wilson of www.leeannewilsonphotography.com and this was the reply she sent us after receiving the hoodie in the post.

"Hey Nikki!

I'm taking a moment to be highly unprofessional.............

SQUEEEAAAALLL!!!! I love you!! My hoody just arrived and I'm wearing it! I

totally totally love it! Thank you a million times! I'll be back for more,

might even get kiddie sized ones for the kids to wear! (it's all

advertising eh?!)

Back to the professional... Thank you! Love the silver print, it looks

great. Your service was second to none.

I'll be in touch soon with another order!

Many, many thanks

Lee-Anne Wilson"

We have no problem with people being unprofessional if that is the amazing response we'll get.

"SQUEEEAAAALLL!!!!" - Aceness!!
Be sure to check out her website for some previews of the fab work she does and you can also find her on facebook.

Staff Holidays and Christmas Holiday

2010-10-12T16:07:00.000+01:00

We will be closed Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th October and Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd November.
These will be the last days of we'll be having before Christmas then we will be closed for 2 weeks over the Christmas period starting at noon on Christmas Eve.

You'll be able to make any last minute orders for Christmas presents right up until the 23rd with last collections on the Christmas Eve, but if you are looking for something really different for those special folks in your life then give us call.

We also have gifts suitable for secret santa, office parties, grandparents, new born babies, toddlers and much more.

Introducing - Tessy

2010-09-27T13:46:00.000+01:00

I think it's time we introduce Tessy. She's one of our shop mascot's, we've two goldfish as well.

Tessy spend's her day snoozing on the small landings or greeting customers as they come in the shop, she like to make sure everyone gives her attention.

Tessy has been with us for nearly 2 years, we adopted her from the Dog's Trust and has been a delight to have ever since. She loves to meet everyone that comes into the shop and has a great skill of meeting folks that are not the most comfortable with dogs.

One awesome wee story from her time with us. A wee boy came into the shop with his mum and they placed an order for a t-shirt, the wee boy hung of his mum's neck to scared to go near Tess and she kept her distance. When they returned to collect the t-shirt the wee boy was still really scared, his mum explained that when he was tiny a dog went for him and since then has been terrified of them. Well we had Tessy rolling over for a treat to show she wasn't going to do anything and he took up the courage and throw her ball for her. She flew of, caught it and brought it back to him. She dropped it and he threw it again. After about 15 minutes the wee boy wasn't even waiting for Tess to drop the ball he had his hand right in her mouth giggling with glee at playing with the dog. His mum was thrilled, she couldn't believe how happy he was to play with her.

That made us very proud to have adopted Tess, so when you're visiting please make sure you give her a pat and if you're not keen let us know as she'll happily go up stairs to her bed.

It's my Birthday!!

2010-09-16T15:46:00.000+01:00

Am really looking forward to next week as i turn 30!

So we'll be closed thursday and friday next week so i can get taken on a shopping trip by my hubbie!!

Huzzah!

Shop Closed Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th September

Thoughts On: Branding

2010-08-23T17:20:00.001+01:00

I found this surfing online while researching a 4Sight slot for 4Networking in Falkirk, I was doing my slot on branding and seeing this really blew me away at how easy it was for me to identify ALL the letters. Now remember most aren't even the company logos just part of their brand name. It was inspiring and really got me thinking about how much time i spend establishing my business as a brand. I do really want that, for my company name to go in with these as a easy to recognise brand.

How many can you identify?

Do you think branding is important for your business? Is there a company in your industry that has a really identifiable brand? If no to any of these why do you think that is? Don't you think then that your business could jump on this fact and take advantage of it? Ah so many questions. But it's definitely food for thought, even if you don't want to be a global brand you should aim to be a local brand. I want that for my business and if that is the goal i can achieve then i'll be happy, now if we can have a brand as big as one of the guys above i'll be over the moon, but baby steps to start with.

I've added another picture below that i found online that i think is a nice wee tool for getting branding your head round branding your business, the one thing i'll add for leaving a strong impression which i think is very important to small businesses is YOU, make yourself memorable, people will remember you and what you do if they remember the smile you had when you greeted them, the tie you wore, the strap line you used to do your 60 second pitch at the meeting. As a small business you are your best marketing tool as it's you that people are going to be dealing with, so make the impression count.

Answers for the A-Z are:

A - Adobe, B - Barbie, C - Coke Cola, D - Disney, E - Ebay, F - Fila, G - Google, H - H&M, I - IBM, J - Johnson and Johnson's, K - Kellogg's, L - Lego, M - MTv, N - Nintendo, O - Oakley, P - Puma, Q - Quicktime, R - RAC, S - Sega, T - Texaco, U - Unilever, V - Virgin, W - Walkman, X - Xbox, Y - Yahoo, Z - Zurich

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies

2010-08-19T16:16:00.001+01:00

We need volunteers!

I want to hold a ladies night in the shop to allow women to look at some of the clothing we have to offer and see what you think about everything from sizing, colour choice, fit etc, possibly with small groups of 2 or 3 folks, so do it in a group of friends.
We don't have a date set yet but once we have about 10/15 names we'll start to organise when the evenings will be, but it will happen between the end of August and the end of December.

To apply:
Send an email to us at online[at]pinknikdesigns.com (switch [at] to @) or phone the shop on 0845 263 6584, message us on facebook
Tell us your name, a contact number and your dress/blouse size

To qualify:
You'll need to be able to come to the shop in Polmont, details will be sent out to you.
You'll need be able to spend about an hour max and give lots of feedback.
We want all shapes and sizes, as that's kind of the point of this.

We'll provide a few refreshments for the evening and as a thank you we'll provide everyone with a t-shirt with their choice of design, we'll get the details from you on the night, as well as a 10% voucher off your next order with us.

There's no closing date just now for applications but we'll update this post once we've had enough feedback.

Notices: Shop Closed For Holiday 16 08 2010

2010-08-10T13:05:00.000+01:00

Hello folks just to let you know we'll be shut on Monday 16th August, but don't worry we'll be back on Tuesday at 9.30am.

Summer Holidays Update

2010-06-22T21:33:00.001+01:00

Opening times are changing so check out the website for more info on that, but let me give you a heads up here we're stopping opening on a Saturday as Monday's seem to be more popular days for folks to visit us. We're going to do them again on the run up to Christmas, but for now we're opening the shop on a Monday afternoon instead. for full detail go to our contact us page

But summer holidays are happening fast. So here's an update for June/July

we're closed:
Monday 28th June
Monday 5th July

What Networking Group? Part 2

2010-05-16T21:00:00.001+01:00

Continuing looking at the networking groups available in the Falkirk area, this post is for 4Networking. So let's get to it.

4Networking

The groups meets fortnightly and the format is the same every week.

Starts at 7.30am for 8am.

Breakfast is served at 8.

During breakfast there is the 40 second slot, going round the room you get 40 seconds to introduce yourself, say what 4Networking has done for you or announce any other bit of information you have.

Coffee break and you arrange 3 1-2-1 meetings for after the 10 minute speaking slot.

The 10 minute 4Sight slot is used to give an insight into a specialised area, it is not to be a sales pitch but give the member of the group something valuable to walk away with.

Finally there is the 1-2-1's. Each person get's to have 3 10 minute 1-2-1's with someone else in the group that they want introduced to or to reacquaint themselves with. (It's kind of like speed dating).

Meeting finishes 10am sharp.

Membership is a about £400 a year + VAT.

Breakfast fees are about £10 a meeting.

There are a few options for membership deals for your first meeting that, and a loyalty payment scheme which allows you to pay gradually.

Other things about the meetings;

You can go as often as you wish to your group with out having to get a stand in if you can't make it.

There is no exclusion for people in the same field, so everyone can come to the group.

You can attend any of the UK wide groups.

There is the option of going to 4 meetings a week if you are a passport member.

Non passport membership is cheaper.

My thoughts on 4Networking

I like the relaxed feel about the meetings, they are kept to strict timing but you don't notice this. The flexibility to miss a meeting if something comes up makes things stress free because you're not having to find a substitute at the last minute.

BNI or 4Networking?

I have found a lot of people from these groups generally attend both meetings or have tried one or the other. It's down to preference and what works best for you. BNI requires a heavy commitment but the returns can be rewarding if you are able to put a lot of referals through the group, as this gives you credibility in the group. 4Networking is a more mellow place to meet and is a good place to go for someone that may be starting out.

BNI's weekly meetings mean you get to know people in the group quickly and you get business return just as quick. 4Networking you really need to work at getting to people as they may not go to every fortnightly meeting and you may not get the chance to meet them every meeting. Business return could be slow due to this as people want to know that they can trust you and you them. So I would recommend making an extra special effort to get to know the group and don't try to hard sell.

So which is it, BNI or 4Networking? Well for me at this moment I'm going with 4Networking because I want the flexibility that it gives me. I miss the weekly business I would get from the BNI but I feel I'm getting my name known which in the long run is more important.

I'll let you know in 6 months how I feel about them and if my thoughts have changed, but i recommend you try both to see which suits you. Each group welcomes visitors although you are limited by how many times you can go before you need to become a member, but it's worth looking in to which suits, and be wary for anyone that tries to give you a sales pitch about the meetings, if it's not for you then there are plenty of fish in the sea.

What Networking Group? Part 1

2010-05-11T21:09:00.000+01:00

As you may have guessed from a few of my posts, i'm a big fan of networking. I think all small businesses should give it a try. It's helps you get to know other businesses in the area that may not necessarily come to directly. Also other businesses that know you and can refer your name on to their contacts is always a bonus for you.

So, it's your first time networking and you've heard folks talking about a few different groups, which one do you try? Well here's an unbiased, sales pitch free opinion on 2 of the more well known breakfast group in Falkirk.

BNI - Business Networking International
The groups meets weekly and the format is the same every week.
Starts at 6.30am for 7am.
Breakfast is served at 7.
Once breakfast is finished everyone get's 60 seconds to introduce themselves, their business and tell the group if they are looking for any specific introductions, leads or any other relevant information.
A member of the group will then do a 10 minute presentation about their business.
Then they go round the group and each person get's to give 'positive' in put about what they have done in the last week ie. 1-2-1's, they also get to pass referrals, and tell the group of any business that has taken place and to what value it was.
After this they close the meeting and you can stay and chat while things close down or head of to work.
Meeting finishes 8.30am sharp.

Membership is a about £500/£600 a year + £100 joining fee + VAT.
Breakfast fees are about £30 a month.
You need to go to a training session when you join to be able to do your 10 minutes presentation.

Other things about the meetings;
If you are sick or are going to miss a meeting you are required to get a substitute to stand in for you, if you have more than 6 (this might be wrong) absences in any 6 month period, with no sub then you may get removed from the group.
You will be the only person in your group from your industry, but there may be folks that join who go under another sector that may over lap what you do, ie graphic designer joins and there's a printing company that offers graphic design services, the printer will not be allowed to talk about the graphic design side of their business.
Meetings are very formal and are run to strict timings.
Meeting your group every week allows you to form very good relationships with the members, this allows you to promote each others businesses to the fullest potential and make solid contacts with in the group.
You can attend other BNI meetings but if there is someone there in the same industry as you, you will not be allowed to promote your business.

My thoughts on BNI
I like it in general. My first year in business for myself I joined BNI and it worked very well for me. I didn't need to do any other advertising and it got me off to a good start. I liked most of the folks in the group and the ones i got on with best, we still do business and refer business to each other, even though i am no longer a member. Going to the meetings every week gave me confidence about how to pitch my business with in 60 seconds to the group, this has been a very valuable tool to have learned. In the end the renewal was a lot of money to pay in one lump sum and I felt I wanted to try something else. I don't like the strict nature of being part of the group, for the money you pay there is on give or take. If you can't make it due to business commitments then that should be up to you, I became self employed to have a bit of flexibility about my working day and this did not fit in to that. I believe each group will be different and have a different atmosphere, but it is very dependant on the other members of the group.

Next post is about 4Networking.

Call That Number!

2010-05-11T15:27:00.000+01:00

We've got a few announcements coming up over the next few weeks! Huzzah!

We're settling in nicely to the new shop and it's taking shape slowly as we work on our orders coming in as well as moving things about.

The first announcement is we have a new phone number. After moving premises over a month ago now, we have finally managed to get the phone company to get us a line in!!

Our new number is

0845 263 6584

Give us a call on this with any questions you have, or even to just say hi! :D

Want something to do on the 29th?

2010-04-21T10:40:00.000+01:00

If you're free a week on thursday, that'll be the 29th of April, try and get your fine self along to the Falkirk stadium. The first ever Falkirk Bazaar is being held and we're hoping it'll be a blast. There will be a great selection of businesses from around Falkirk showing of their talents, services and more. A great chance to network if you're a business or to get some information and discounts if your everyone else.

It's free to get in and there will be money of for the stadium's restaurant the Amarillo. So how can you not go. It's on from 10 till 4 so plenty of time to come and check it out.

We're doing a little fashion show at 1.30pm. So come see some lovely folks strut their stuff.

Oh and before i forget, if you're a Falkirk band or singer, performer then there is a competition on for you to play at the stadium, but give us since so close to the time to arrange a spot to play.

New Opening Hours

2010-04-12T15:00:00.001+01:00

Ok this you know!! :D

We've shifted shop! Huzzah!

We got a lovely wee place on Polmont Main Street, next to the Black Bull pub.

Full address is Croftfoot, Main Street, Polmont, FK2 0PS.

We're keeping our old number but not for long, so keep your eyes peeled for the change.

BUT what you won't know, we've got new opening hours!

Monday: Closed

Tuesday - Friday: 9-4

(Every 2nd Friday we'll open at 11am)

Saturday: 11-3

Sunday: Closed

So why not pop in on Saturday to say hi! It's our first Saturday opening!! Woohoo!! :D

Spotlight On - Keeping Warm

2010-02-26T14:56:00.000Z

We've had a lot of customers coming in trying to get things to wear to keep themselves and their staff warm since we can't seem to shift this snow and cold.

So here are my top five items for keeping yourself toasty:

one.

The folks back in the 30's and 40's knew how to prepare.

two.

What can you say......

three.

I can see me now going to my next networking meeting in one of these. Ok maybe just for in the office then.

four.

Seriously, these heat pads are amazing, you can get them for about £1.50 from an outdoors shop for a pack of two. They average about 50 degrees C and last approx 8 hours

five.

The amazing jacket from Result is mid weight, fully waterproof upto 160 milibars, has taped seams, a hood, inside mobile phone pocket, zipped outside pockets. It is available in 3 colours combinations and comes in sizes XS to 3XL. And is excellent for folks looking for performance and warmth on a budget. It can be embroidered and/or printed. Ask our staff for details quoting product code RE67A. Or check out our catalogue by clicking on the link and typing in the product code on the left.

Show Us Some Love AND Win Prizes

2010-02-03T13:44:00.001Z

Hey folks, pop on over to The Best Of Falkirk website, where they are running a competition for showing love to local businesses. So for a chance to win a Spa Day, Sky Diving, Dell Laptop, even an Apple iPad head on over to The Best Of Falkirk and show us that you love Pink Nik Designs.

A Thought About - Radio Advertising

2010-01-27T07:38:00.016Z

If you listen to local commerical radio you'll know that list of local businesses that advertise with the station. You may even know some of the jingles for the businesses. You may or may not like those jingles! What's my point? Have you ever concidered radio advertising for your business? Well like all advertising, tread carefully with it. Not all businesses suit radio advertising.

We tried it before Christmas and although i believe it will have given us a bit more exposure i don't think it suited what we do. In comparison we occasionally have a stand down in the local mall and that can get us more business. I think this is because people can see the t-shirts and gifts up on the stand so it visually flicks a switch in their brain, they walk over pick up a flier and head off on their way. Radio advertising we have a guy saying our wee catch phrase then 15 seconds later its gone. The same person that may pick up our flier upon seeing it in the mall may never even register our radio ad.

I understand that this is all down to what ever suits your business, as of course ever business is different, but can small businesses benefit from radio advertising the same way as larger local businesses.

I remember from years ago we would listen to the radio before going to school and a local taxi company had there jingle playing, it was really annoying but extremely catchy. The company is still going strong in the area and to this day if i go for a night out back home and i need a taxi they are the only company that i can call, because all i need to do is sing the old jingle while i dial.

My advice for any small business thinking of taking on larger scale advertising;

seek advice - either from your accountant, a business advisor, fellow businesses
take your time - don't rush in, take your time thinking it over and if you do decide to go for it make sure you have time to organise a good quality jingle, slogan or strap line, you need to make sure it'll work for you.
advertise - if you can compliment what you are doing by advertising in other places, such as magazines, events or even highlight things on your website/blog
professional help - can you afford to get a PR company to help you out, to take full advantage of what you are doing? remember it's still your company and you need to control everything that is associated with your company. Bad or bland PR and advertising is a waste of your time and money.

Don't forget though taking a risk might be worth it for your business, but sometimes if it sounds to good....

Spotlight - Valentines Day

2010-01-26T15:42:00.002Z

Ok so we're coming to the time of year that folks will be getting all lovey and gooey towards each other. Some folks will be spending their first Valentines together and others will be having another special year together.

So no matter if your doing this for the first time, the 40th time or for a really special occasion, why not do something extra special this Valentines with a few of our ideas.

Teddies

A great and easy way to say that special something to that special someone. We can print your teddy t-shirts, sweatshirts, rugby shirts, bathrobes and a few more bits of clothing to suit and makes thing a bit varied. We can also embroider on to the Zippy Mumbles Bear (MM025) which is a really good size and so cute, see the picture on the right. Check out our accessories section in our Clothing Catalogue for more of our teddy selections which include magnets and keyrings.

Bathrobes and Towels

A great simple gift an embroidered towel or bathrobe. These are the best presents in the world and can be used for all occasions, but are fantastic for giving to someone special as a present. Add this to a little gift basket with bath salts, bubble bath and other nice smelly stuff to make that extra effort. We have a nice selection of bathrobes and towels in the accessories section in our Clothing Catalogue.

Not forgetting the rest of the gift range we do which include candles, mugs, frames, glasses and much, much more. If that doesn't ring your bell we can always do up a t-shirt with the best best of your lovely smiling face on it :)

Our Customers

2010-01-05T01:52:00.002Z

Here's some of the stuff folks have bought from us over the last few years, hope you like and are inspired!

Mid Season Thought - Mis-directed Advertising

2009-12-28T16:22:00.000Z

Having the chance to enjoy the holiday period and watch a bit of TV I have had the chance to look over the last few months. We really went all out this year with our advertising, the aim, to build brand awareness. When folks think of t-shirt printing we want the to think of Pink Nik Designs.

Yet our goal is always to present ourselves in the best, honest and most positive light. I don't understand why large companies like Max Factor, Pantene and various others use mis-directed advertising to sell their products. Actually do know why but my problem is the way in which these companies do it. If you have to put a disclaimer in the advert stating that the final effect was enhanced in post production, surely that's not good advertising. I will accept people will see these adverts and think, wow that's for me, but surely the aim is to present and honest representation of the product you are selling, not what you wish you were selling. If what the product is meant to achieve needs to be added in after the commercial is shot then this product isn't doing what it claims and the advert needs to be changed. Show us what it can honestly achieve. If all it takes is to show the regular mascara compaired to the all singing all dancing then surely that would be enough to convince us.

People are becoming more aware of how advertising really works and how companies are representing themselves surely it is in the best interest of every company to show they are representing themselves in the best possible way, so that if the light does get shone on you and your product it won't crumble at the first review. There are so many sites out their that are allowing people to voice their opinion of your product and service that you better be honest about what you are doing and if you aren't then maybe you should stay away from the spotlight.

New Products for 2010 - Your Thoughts

2009-12-07T10:28:00.004Z

Hey Folks
We're thinking of introducing a few new products into stock that you can get customised and we'd like to know your thoughts.

So get your feedback on the comments and let us know what you think. :D

To get us started we have customised Flip Flops:

They come in 3 sizes S, M, L and they can have anything printed on them that takes your fancy. So making these perfect for Hotels, Bars, Stag/Hen, Fashion, Boat Marinas, Parties, Promotions, Spa/Health/Beauty outlets, Sports Clubs, Holiday and Tourist attractions and lots more. Price will be approx £15 a pair.

Next is Heart Shape Purse:

This cute little coin purse can be completely customised with a full colour print, so anything from a photo to a lovely piece of art can make this a great gift. Price will be approx £10.

And finally, the Guitar Strap:

This guitar strap is available in 100% white or tan leather and can be printed on in full colour. This is customising gifts at its best. Make a picture collage for the strap or simply print with text. Price will be approx £50.

Ok so that's the 3 of them, we'd really love to hear your feedback.

Christmas Trading Times

2009-12-02T21:53:00.000Z

We're open right up until Christmas Eve. Huzzah!

We're taking orders on all items until the 21st Dec but after this we'll only be working on our stock items, which include mugs, mouse mats, caps, canvas bags, t-shirts & hoodies (sizes & colour depend on stock).

So if you're wanting something super special don't leave it too late.

Spotlight On - Street Hoodie

2009-11-30T11:24:00.003Z

We love the Street Hoodies by AWDis. They are the best hoodies avaiable just now with some fantastic features the main highlights being;

thumb holes in the cuffs of the sleeves
a pocket in the front pouch to put your mp3 player or phone with an opening to put your earphones through
up at the neck there are earphone loops

These hoodies are nice and warm and would be the ideal gift or addition to your wardrobe this winter. They can be printed on or embroidered to suit.

To get more information check out our catalogue on the website or call our office an quote garment code JH020.

Take care of Christmas Shopping

2009-11-25T09:46:00.000Z

Get 10% off by quoting 'BLOG10'

Cannot be used with other promotions|Expires 18th Dec 2009

See Term's & Conditions

Why have a blog?

2009-11-22T19:50:00.001Z

I was at the latest Blabit Networking meeting in Linlithgow and the discussion rolled around to businesses and blogging. One of the women present was a Herbalist and she was talking about ways to market her business, we chatted about various things but blogging seemed to be something that would really suit her business. We discussed the advantages of a business having a blog and it got me thinking on how businesses including myself could use blogging to their advantage.

If you think about your favourite website..... what makes it your favourite? For me it's regularly updated content. New articles, products and so on. So that should be the aim for your business. A blog gives you an easy oppertunity to do this.

For example the Herbalist could post quarterly blogs about seasonal pick me ups, advice etc., for my business i should be highlighting products, new products and special offers.

Blog aren't hard to work either, you don't need any special skills to run one. Sites like Blogger are very straight forward to use. If you want to add to it and expand the blog by adding gadgets, links, polls, ads and so on then you can but it's not manditory.

A blog would give you something to connect to your customers and give a more personal insight into you and your business. Blogs don't need to be super lengthy, 200 words to give people some thing to quickly read, add extra bonuses by finding links to other sites that maybe of inerest or back up what your saying. Can you post a picture to help make it look interesting? These all help and are easy to do. On Blogger it's just like editing a Word document.

Please reccomend blogs you know for us to check out.

some free blog sites:

Blogger.com

WordPress.com

LiveJournal.com

Yay

2009-10-19T15:35:00.003+01:00

I'm feeling really encouraged just now, i've had a few folks mention this blog and so far no bad feed back! I don't really do this thinking people need to know this (although maybe you do :D ) because i know a lot of the things i talk about are out there already, but i like to share what i'm learning being a new business owner and this logs my thoughts on that journey, but if it can help someone else then that is a nice bonus!

THANKS FOR READING! :D

A thought on Comparative Advertising

2009-10-16T14:05:00.004+01:00

"Comparative Advertising

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Comparative advertising is an advertisement in which a particular product, or service, specifically mentions a competitor by name for the express purpose of showing why the competitor is inferior to the product naming it.This should not be confused with parody advertisements, where a fictional product is being advertised for the purpose of poking fun at the particular advertisement, nor should it be confused with the use of a coined brand name for the purpose of comparing the product without actually naming an actual competitor. ("Wikipedia tastes better and is less filling than theEncyclopedia Galactica.")" - article link

The first, and only time, i have visited America was in 1996, i was 16. I remember sitting in a friends basement watching tv and the adverts coming on. I was surprised at the advertising, with everyone telling me that this form of advertising was perfectly normal over there. I had never seen advertisers being so blatant as to say "we're better than blah". We sat telling our American friends that they just don't do that in the UK and we think that it's better advertising.

Then about 10 years on and it starts on our advertising and I'm shocked! well maybe that's an exaggeration but i can't believe that we finally caught up with the US to advertise with the same techniques.

Doing a little research i have found that this kind of advertising is regulated in the UK by the ECJ (European Court of Justice), where in recent years when any disputes have risen they have decided who's in the right. One article i read described a dispute between to supermarket giant's in the UK, one of which weren't happy at the way the other was using the information they had about them, but according to what I've read so long as the adverts conform to directive 84/450 which in brief states that so long as the advert is:

not misleading;does not create confusion;
does not discredit or denigrate the third party trademarks;
does not take unfair advantage of the reputation of a trademark; and
does not present goods or services as imitations or replicas of goods or services bearing a protected trademark or trade name.

This whole form of advertising is meant to keep the customer informed, everywhere these days it's all about price comparisons. The customer is wanting the cheapest price and in the current economic climate i think it's only fair everyone watches their penny's but i really don't agree with these adverts.

Every time an advert comes on tv now for one of the supermarket giants and it has price comparisons it gets me really angry. I feel it is the lowest form of advertising, it's like high school "we're better than you" groups.

I know businesses try to keep up with what their competitors are doing and they evaluated it as to how this compares to what they are doing but to then go out and say we're better than them because we're cheaper, means nothing. Walk around your large local supermarket you know the 2 I'll mean and look at the prices for products "we're cheaper than B by 1p"! Well wow! is this what it is reduced to we're cheaper because we can knock a penny of the price. A supermarket can win an award by having the cheapest products because they knock 1p off their prices to ensure the ones they can't give you a decent discount on they can still be cheaper.
So when they say we have 10,000 product cheaper than B it's only because we've knocked 1p of about 75% of them.

I'm wailing on supermarkets as they are most prominent on tv doing it just now but banks are just as bad, if i hear Howard signing once more about comparisons I'll shoot myself!!
I like the adverts used just now by 2 specific companies for the same reason, they show you something that is worthwhile using about their company.

For example: Morrison's main adverts just now are showing that their butchers are in house, they are highly trained and the meat freshly prepared for you. Their butcher will help you pick the right piece of meat for what you're wanting to cook because they are highly trained and friendly. All just for you.

The Royal Bank of Scotland's adverts just now are telling you how they have branches open on a Saturday. Why? because if your to busy during the week you can do it on your day of, they're there for you when you need it.

These 2 companies are showing that they have something, that may not necessarily be unique to them, but it's certainly something that people will look at and think Hey that could be helpful, my bank or supermarket doesn't do that.

The other thing that i don't like about comparative advertising is that your competitor can use your trademark in their advertising. This just should not be allowed the reason something is trademarked is to stop other from using it.

This just all seems like below the belt advertising, what happened to being creative when doing advertising, this is just lazy advertising.

My favourite response to comparative advertising is Windows reply to Mac advert that PC's were old, slow, uncreative and almost useless. But Windows came back with a great set of adverts showing a creative, unique and varied group of people that use a PC for work and play, no mention of their competitors, just taking their turn to respond to the claim that PC's can't do much of anything.

In my mind this is creative advertising, as this advert would have worked well on it's own and now some time on from those adverts it does work well as a stand alone advert and not a response to a claim made by a competitor.

I feel that it is up to businesses to show that it's creative advertising that is going to get people further, showing customers them broader scope of benefits that they'll get from using your business, not just a saving on price because using a business should be more than that. The whole experience should be something to shout about.

Here are the websites that i used for research into this:

http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/in-practice/comparative-advertising-ecj-fizzes-it

http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/comparative%20advertising.htm

http://www.out-law.com/page-7985

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_advertising

There were a couple more but I've lost the links, which i am looking to find to add in here.

How To: Twitter

2009-10-09T22:33:00.009+01:00

Here's some tips and sites that are realy useful for any of you lovely folks that may want some more info. if you have a look at these sites and feel you need a bit more help then there are now several places offering courses on how to use social media for marketing, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce for one, but be sure to note that they probably use these resources as the basis for what they wil be talking about.

Twitters own business site
"Dry, boring feeds rarely draw many people. Successful Twitter business accounts, though, can take many forms. They may be personal and chatty or they might even have mostly automated information. But no matter the style, the key is to post messages that your followers will find compelling."- http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/

Twitter 101 for Business Blog

This link is for a specific post that i think is particular interesting, have a look at the slide show, but definately check out the rest of the blog.- http://twitter101.blogspot.com/2009/07/20-ways-to-tweet-for-companies.html

Chris Brogan

"Ideas About WHAT to Tweet11. Instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?”, answer the question, “What has your attention?”"- http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/

Pistachio

This site has lots of really good usful links to articles and tips that are worth checking out- http://pistachioconsulting.com/featured-articles/twitter-for-business/

More useful links (list will get updated or add your own links)
Dosh Dosh - 17 Ways to Use Twitter: My Experiences So Far

Duct Tape Marketing - 17 Ways to Use Twitter for Small Business and Some Not

Twitter: my reply

2009-10-09T00:06:00.000+01:00

this post is basically me having a vent, a rant and possibly a moan..... but i'm gonna put up some useful links for those that are interested in finding out more about twitter, as i feel the places charging to give you this information is a bit crafty when there are a lot of resources free online, suprise, suprise. :)

i'm a huge twitter fan, i think it's the one thing i g33k out about most of all! :D i've been reading some articles and forums recently about using twitter for business and a lot of places, such as the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce are offering courses for using social media.... twitter included. i've been thinking about this alot recently and i do see the potential of twitter for business and i use it as a way of promoting my business and so far i think it works well. it is allowing me to contact customers, get inspired about business, follow my interests, keep on top of news and much more.

i think this is my response to those that i've read slamming it as a fad and that the amount of time it takes to maintain something like this is pointless! these people as far as i'm aware don't use twitter, which for one i find this strange that they are being down about it because they don't like it. fine don't use it but don't knock it for that and for generalising that i'm wasting of resources even trying to use it. the good thing about twitter is that it isn't necessary to spend hours on it, but a bit of time can make the difference.

there is potential but it's not for everyone, there are certain things advertising wise i wouldn't touch for my business but it doesn't mean they don't work, in my opinion they aren't for me and that's fine i won't waste my time with them but i certainly wouldn't tell someone else that it wasn't worth their time or money, as it may turn out to be a useful income generator.

so if twitters for you, then great come follow me @ twitter.com/pinknikdesigns, but if it's not for you then fine but don't tell me i'm wasting my time!!

Thought about holidays

2009-10-07T21:02:00.008+01:00

My husband and I were fortunate enough that our families gave us a honeymoon as a wedding present but it's raised some interesting points for me to think about! The main one being: How do you work a holiday round your business? Fly half days during the week and an extra day for a long weekend don't really count. I'm thinking like our week away to Menorca.

My husband get's a little annoyed that I take my blackberry and laptop away with me wherever we go, but I try to explain that I am my business and that I need to be close at hand if anyone should need me. Again I'm very fortunate that my family is willing to jump in and lend a hand at looking after things if I go away, but they don't know the complete in's and out's! I suppose more training would be in order so they know the best suppliers to go to when they need something and how best to price an order that doesn't meet our standard price list, as well as a few more things. But I feel that while I'm not really in the position to have someone fully trained up yet this still leaves me taking my blackberry and laptop as part of my luggage!! Hunting down a wifi spot or getting my mobile internet working isn't always useful, so my blackberry is my connection to the world.

The only thing is taking 30 minutes out when your swimming, bbqing or exploring to chat about work related things doesn't always work well as you may not have all the info to hand etc, or training may not have been finished on the thing needing done. I took a day off during the summer to finish things of for our wedding or something like that and I ended up spending the afternoon on skype talking my sister through how to setup a design that was needed while we were gonna be away after the wedding. FYI the desktop sharing function on skype, but like i said fly half days and long weekends don't count.

I've seen several business and know one or 2 others that take a week or 2 in the year and shut shop, let their customers know they'll be closed and that's it holiday time. As far as I'm aware these businesses don't get a lot of on the spot sales, I do know that they get large orders with deadlines and people are informed that anything required during the holiday time has a deadline date and after that, well too bad, but maybe not quite as douchey as that. This works for them, or it seems to but for myself i feel that my business can't close for a week, have the phones down or diverted as this may put people off, send them elsewhere and generally loose us customers. And here we are back to my dilemma!!

So I'm happy that I've had a holiday this year and that there are people that can take care of things while I'm away. I guess whether you take your business with you on holiday comes down to personal preference, but I feel that if i were forced to not take laptop or blackberry and never to seek out a wifi spot the least i could do is have a living breathing answer service for my customers, be happy in the knowledge that the ones that have time and want to use our service will return and that if they don't well, their loss i guess.

Or maybe i could save a little space in my carry on for my blackberry...................

Update: 08/10/09

After making this post a few friends on Facebook saw the link and I got a couple of comments I wanted to share....

"Now that's tough even when you work in the holiday business! The trick is to choose a time when you are traditionally quiet, and let everyone on your contact list know at least three weeks before you go away that you are on holiday. You'd be amazed how many folks need you when they know you are about to take a holiday"

It's been a while

2009-06-16T07:38:00.002+01:00

Man i can't believe that it was March when i last posted anything! It seems like such a long time ago now. We've been super busy, which i think has been a result of the networking and careful advertising we have done. Although i must admit there's some advertising that we signed up for that i reallly don't know how effective it's been, but i think i just need to give it time to see how it goes. We had a chap in the office yesterday saying he's had our flier since October, that's 8 months before he came to see us. But the upside is people are holding onto our details when they find it.

I find that networking, although more time consuming, gives the better quality in after sales. I have to admit though that i believe networking isn't just for getting sales, but what you do get is quality! I've been missing networking, it really inspires me and i'm learning new stuff all the time. Which is why i maybe haven't been so regular with the blogging here for a while. Although i'me super excited about the rest of this month, i'm going to 3 networking events and all 3 are very different.

Tomorrow morning see's me heading into a breakfast meeting starting at 7am (i'm hoping the breakfast is worth it), next week i'm going to the first meeting of a women's networking event in a local pub starting at 8pm and finally at the end of the month there's a networking BBQ in a club in Edinburgh that should be a total blast.

But i'm happy because i'm getting married in just over 2 weeks and i think when i come back from honeymoon i'm gonna jump back into networking, i really have missed it, the next few weeks will help me get back into it.

Tradeshows

2009-03-03T15:18:00.007Z

I've posted about his before on another site but it was some time ago and i was at a tradeshow at the weekend and it got me thinking about it all over again.

So without being to repetitive...

I think tradeshows are a must for any business! They are inspiring and good fun. It doesn't matter if you go as an exhibitor or a visitor. I've always been a visitor and what i get out of it is brilliant, so i think i can safely assume that being an exhibitor would be the same, possibly better.

As i mentioned i was at a show at the weekend and it was great. I was loaded with the cold and felt i could have done with being in bed trying to get better, but I'm glad i got my butt down there. We registered and walked through the door, decided to start on the left side of the hall and the first stall we hit was a supplier that i had been wanting to find for a few months now, maybe even longer than that. The next stall down was another supplier that done something similar. We even got a 3rd contact for the same product later that day.

The whole day went like that, it was so good and i left feeling really buzzed. As we were leaving we went back to one of the stalls to go speak to a rep from one of the clothing brands. I had only met Katie a few days before but it was really nice to meet her again in a different setting and she introduced me to a colleague of hers who was another really good contact. We chatted about clothing sizing, one of my true passions, and about studying in Galashiels.

If you go to a show make sure you talk to the folks you know as well as folks you don't, again it all comes down to networking. But by chatting to suppliers and other folks in the same industry as yourself means you can get all sorts of hints and tips. Talking to Katie's colleague i was chatting about the clothing they rep, and i was saying how i liked the brand but i wished they did it in bigger sizes as there really isn't that great a selection for larger sizes. They agreed that it was something that would be good to look into and wondered if i would mind getting a call to discuss my thoughts further on the subject, of course i wouldn't mind.

It was good to have someone to talk to about this i do feel there is a big gap in the market for clothing that go higher than a size 18/20, which again is another issue i feel strongly about, and know that for myself and my customers it would be good to have the options for more variety in sizes above an 18/20. I only normally get to talk about this topic to my customers, so to speak to the reps from a company that may be able to do something about it was great.

All in the day of a tradeshow. So to repeat my point, if you get the chance to go to a show then do it, do it, do it.

donate-a-design

2009-02-09T17:26:00.002Z

One of our customers made us a pic the other day! It's quality.... and sparkly! Which i like! So Mr Reid.... Ta Much!! :D

HUGE banner - pictures finally!

2009-02-09T16:59:00.008Z

My Nanny passed away last October, this had been something we were expecting as she had had a very bad fall a few months before, she was admitted into the Astley Ainsley Hospital in Edinburgh to recover, but i think she started to like being looked after to much and didn't want to leave there when they said she would be moving on. The staff were great to her, the hospital has lovely grounds, but the only down side was that the ward she stayed in had the worst view... EVER!! i'm not exagerating the view from the McCallum ward was a brick wall. Some bright spark at some point decided it would be great to build a conservatory/tv room for the patients but in the process block a ward window, leaving a gap of 3-4ft to let a little light in. It was a dreary, dull room!

So we decided to brighten the place up a little by making a 10x12ft banner that would improve the view.... here's the finished results.

The staff and patients have told us that McCallum ward is now the most popular ward, thanks to the banner. It's so nice being able to do something for the folks that took great care of my gran!

Chuffed!

Up at the Mall

2009-01-11T17:47:00.003Z

Well, here we go again!
As of the 12th of January until Sunday the 18th we've a stall up in the Mall (Howgate) in Falkirk. We have been offered this as last years winner of their local best business idea. So if you've read my blog about the pro and cons of this type of advertising it hasn't always been the best for me! But the good thing i do get from it is a bit of free press in the local paper. So we're back again and for anyone interested we're doing a special offer if you order 15 or more t-shirts for stag or hen night then we'll give you a further 10% discount on the total of you're order if you print out the voucher at the bottom of this post! Happy Shopping! :)

VOUCHER NO LONGER AVAILABLE

remember to print this page of and hand it over when you place your order or you wont get the discount.

Advertising - We Need Your Help

2008-12-23T14:20:00.004Z

Advertising online is something that I'm quite passionate about! I really enjoy designing an advert or a spot for my company to sit in! I'm well up for linking websites with other business's to help share the love! But what really grinds my gears is these Internet directories that will try to snare you into ridiculously priced advertising spots to be the best posted, highlighted or whatever else they wish you to do.

But what i have found is that there are a few places out there that are totally worth the cost with out signing your business into some bizarre contract that leeches money from you on a slow and painful basis. The only real down side to them is that they have a rating system that puts you in the ranking order based on who is best rated.

So here's the appeal... anyone that would be willing to say that you have dealt with us, whether it be an enquiry or used our service, but I'm looking to get some rankings put on the the sites for us without me cheating and using my googlemail and yahoo mail accounts to lie! Coz I would like this to be realistic! Even if it's just coz you met me at a networking meeting and thought i was polite! that would be great!

And in return we'll do the same for you, if you have a business we'll rate you and put you on our links page. If you have a bebo we'll give you some love! and if we get enough ratings we'll even offer everyone that's done it money off their next order but only if we hit 50 ratings! Good news is to be tops we only got to beat 2 reviews but we still gotta have goals! :D

So come on don't waste any more time reading this click the link below and get rating.

Much Love!! xx

Pink Nik Designs on the FreeIndex

See how we're getting on check the widget on the side!

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

2008-12-12T09:26:00.003Z

Top Tips on Networking (Addition)

2008-12-10T00:30:00.003Z

Print of an attendance list of folks that are going to be there and bring a pen. This will let you take notes of things that interest you. But more importantly so you can take notes of what people are asking you about your business. That way when you do a follow up and are sending out emails to the folks you chatted to, then you can add in a little bit of info about whatever it was that sparked their question to you. Even if all you put at the end of your email ‘feel free to get in touch in the future about XYZ and I can send you more info or would love to meet up to get the chance to talk to you more about it.’ If you don’t have an attendance list, just use their business cards!
Always try putting time aside that week to do a follow up email. Even if it’s just to say it was really nice meeting you, feel free to get in touch with any questions, I look forward to seeing you at a future event. Folks will appreciate that.
Don’t worry about being there on your own or being a newbie. If you are going to a networking event for the first time or on your own, don’t stress! You’re not the only one that will be in that boat! Take comfort in the fact that you are the newbie or on your own because a lot of the time people will come over to you that maybe see you being a wee bit awkward or flying solo. But remember you do have 2 choices; you can bring someone with you, if you know someone that is in business themselves or have a colleague bring them along for moral support until you’re happy to go it alone. Or you can speak to the organisers and ask them to introduce you to few folks to get you started.

A thought on: Speed Networking

2008-12-09T23:15:00.007Z

Well I had a good 'first' today, I attended my first speed networking event. It was a total marathon!

Here's how it went...

9.30am: arrive, have bacon roll and cup of tea (wake up), informal chat with folks there.
9.45am: take seat and you’re told if you’re a 'mover' or a 'sitter'. I think the names speak for themselves. I was a sitter so folks came to me. You get 2 minutes each to chat about your business and what you do. Then the whistle goes and you move on, or in my case wait for the next person to shift over. Over the first run you get to talk to 10 folks.
11am: break for cuppa, more informal networking
11.25am: next round, 10 more folks to chat to
12.30pm: lunch and chatting to folks you didn’t get the chance to meet or talking more in-depth with those you did.
1.30pm: head back to the office

It's really hard work doing pretty much the same schpeel every 2 minutes without trying to get tongue tied. But what was really good was that in that morning networking you have made 20 definite contacts. Not all of them are something you will use and they might not all want to use you, but who knows! What I found really useful is that out of the 20 folks I got a chatting to there were quite a few that seemed genuinely interested in my business and quite a few that I was really interested in using them.

I definately will do the speed netowrking thing again.

But I think to add to my top tips about networking; I think these 3 really need to be added to the list.... please see next post and check out my top tips labels.

competitive etiquette

2008-11-25T22:36:00.007Z

Question - what is good competitive etiquette?

Well I work alongside other businesses in the same sector as me, both locally and further afield. We all get on great and I respect these guys. I won't do anything to these folks or their business that would be considered foul play or dirty pool. I am happy to seek help from these guys and to try to do my best to help them if I can. I feel it’s only fair and I know there is plenty of business for all of us so I am happy and they are happy.

But the thing I am debating over just now is what good competitive etiquette is? For example is it the done thing to ask someone at a networking meeting who their suppliers are? To say well I’m starting a business doing the same or something similar thing can you tell me what do I do as I can’t find anything online about it? I couldn't do it to someone I didn't know, I’d even struggle to do it to someone I did know, and only then I would have to really know them and hope they trusted me enough to not abuse anything they told me.

This isn't really much advice or a huge revelation I’ve had, this is just something I’m pondering.... any thoughts?

Who you gonna call?

2008-10-28T21:19:00.007Z

I was at the PSYBT Elevator event in Edinburgh at the end of October and it was really interesting, not that it isn't normally but last night the theme for the evening was 'talk to the experts'. They had 5 guests that we had 15 minutes to talk to each of them and ask any questions.

This got me thinking... i know i'm surprised too! When you set up a business, who should you call?

Now even though i'm 2 years in, this recent event with PSYBT made me realise that i still don't know the complete list of who's out there, but hopefully i can help a little with this.... (oh and these may be a little bias towards Scotland)

Scottish Enterprise - http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/
PSYBT - http://www.psybt.org.uk/
British Chamber of Commerce - http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce - http://www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/
Cultural Enterprise Office - http://www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk/website/
Business Gateway - http://www.bgateway.com/
Business Link (England) - http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/
HM Revenue & Customs: Self Employed - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/index.shtml

This is only a few but a great resource, these places will be able to help you source funding, networking, get advice on things like National Insurance, employers duties and more.

Check them out and let me know if you find any others that are of interest! :D

Yapping @ Gala

2008-10-24T15:24:00.006+01:00

Well I went to Gala in Tuesday. I done the talk thing, it went ok. I'm a little disappointed coz i went over my practice, which was 40min. But although i took up the full hour its not to bad because no one wanted to ask questions anyway. Now i'm taking that as a good thing, no matter if it is or not.

I'm gonna assume that i covered my subject well, lmao.

But i enjoyed it. I have found that i'm quite passionate about the subject of being self employed. I don't know if it inspires folks to hear how much fun i have being self employed, but i wouldn't have it any other way.

All i can say is that as usual i was made very welcome by the fantastic folks at Heriot Watt, but then i am extremely bias about the folks down there. I think it must be mutual because they've asked me back in March.

Oh n here's a picture of the fabby folks that listened to me for an hour! Thanks for staying awake guys! :D

Be Yourself!

2008-10-19T22:39:00.006+01:00

Ok so my head is buzzing recently, I've had loads to think about! But this is what i want to share.

At the end of September I went to the PSYBT networking event in Edinburgh. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go because Lucinda from the Apprentice was going to be there and to be honest she wasn't my favourite on the show. But I went anyway because I thought the networking event was a little more important, and I'm glad I did go because it was a good night. Still not sure about Lucinda but I must admit she does make some sense, I asked her what one bit of advice she could give about networking and she said just be yourself. I can honestly say it is not the most astounding piece of advice I was given but it definitely is something I can relate to. I know a lot of people that are very into their image and how you should look while dealing with customers. Now I do agree that appearance is important, but since I was young people have always told me how to act and dress etc and so I went out and done the opposite, but I have had a great response from people just because I am myself when I deal with my customers.

I was at church several years ago and the guy that was preaching was a guest speaker, he was a big chap, dressed in a really nice suit. I can't remember what he was preaching about but I do remember one thing he said, it doesn't matter if you wear the best dressed most expensive suit or a string vest and shorts, if you are talking about something that people are interested in then they will listen to you no matter what you wear.

I have found that in business, if you can't be yourself you run the risk of putting people off from working with you. We have heard a lot of times that folks come into our workshop and leave making comments to others saying 'oh they are really nice folks', 'oh they are so friendly' etc, their friends tell us this is why they have come to see us, cause of the great references. It's quite flattering and does give us a big head, especially if they tell us they have tried some where else and they were a bit dour!

So to sound like you're high school guidance teacher, remember to always be yourself, you're great the way you are! GUSH!

Top Tips on Networking

2008-09-28T21:16:00.009+01:00

Ok so here are my top tips to get the best out of your networking event. Some of these points are more aimed at if you are doing a 1 minute pitch more than 1-2-1 networking. But the thing to remember is that it's worth while putting this into practice even if you're chatting to 1 person or a crowd.

Try standing out from the crowd. I have found that someone that has something a little different from everyone else is more memorable. I’m lucky that my hair kinda stands out but even better my business is connected to it. Do you have a uniform? Try something a little different with it. Give your business cards a bit of TLC, try something a bit different with it, shape, colour graphics.
Have a strap line. If you find that being memorable is a little difficult, get yourself a strap line. Every time I finish my little 1 minute pitch I close with ‘for designs with style and flair, come see the girl with pink hair’. Strap lines help people to remember you even if they can’t remember your name. If you can get it to rhyme then all the better.
Make sure you’re heard. I went to a meeting once and a confidence coach stood up, only problem was you couldn't hear a thing he said. When you stand up to talk to folk make sure you project yourself. I know it’s not something that everyone has naturally, I’m quite lucky to be naturally able to project my voice (or honestly, I’m naturally loud), but it’s something that is so important. If you can’t catch people’s interest by what you’re saying you’re not going to succeed in getting someone interested in your business. So practice, practice, practice.
Don’t be scared! Everyone’s nervous! Although I’m quite happy to stand up and get my thing done, right up until I stand up and start talking I am SO nervous! I’ve even bumbled over my words on several occasions, but I just laugh it off and carry on. Getting tongue tied isn’t something you should worry about. Even if you were to fall flat on your face while walking up to the front, brush yourself off stand up, laugh and give the best performance you’ve ever given. People will remember you for that. And if that’s what it takes to sell your business, watch me as being the first one up there to land on my face.
Try not to use a script. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for having notes. And I have on several occasions used a script if there are certain things I want to say. But remember when you’re reading from a script you may not be looking at the folks that are listening. If you need to use a script try knowing it off by heart anyway and only have it there for back up. Make sure when you are talking you always look people in the eye, it makes you trust worthy.
Be yourself. If you just be yourself and show how passionate you are about your business people will want to be a part of that, no matter how well you perform.
Know your stuff. This is the most important thing. Know your business, but don't be embarrassed if you don't know the answer to something that someone asks you. This gives you a great opportunity to contact someone after the event. Ask for their details, tell them you'll look into more details for them and get back in touch. People will appreciate that. But make sure you wow them with the details you do know. As far as you should be concerned you are the world's leading authority in your field and that's why folks will want to work with you, just make sure you're not cocky!

I'm sure I'll add more when I think of them.

A thought about networking

2008-09-25T11:58:00.005+01:00

Ok so we're now well into September, I had my birthday a couple of days ago, summer never happened in Scotland, my only holiday this year seems like it was a hundred years ago and not a few months. The summer always feels like playtime, even when you work for yourself! (Well I think so, maybe I’m doing something wrong, lmao!) There are tradeshows, meet and greets, new suppliers and customers to go see as a result of said tradeshows. But that all changes when the summer goes, so now comes the hard graft!

Right, so me waxing lyrical about how ace my summer was may not make sense, but there is definitely a seasonal change to my business that I have noticed over the last few years. The way I do business changes depending on the season.

It’s like being a farmer in a sense except my harvest is over the summer. In September, a young entrepreneurs thoughts turn to growing their business.

So this brings me onto networking. PSYBT in Edinburgh start up their monthly networking events again this month, and I get to thinking about how I want to present my business to the folks I meet. What needs growth, what needs developed, what needs ditched?

I love networking, my passion for performing takes over. Although standing talking to someone on a 121 basis does get me a little nervous stand my in front of a room to do my 1min pitch and I can’t hold back. But luckily for me that kinda helps with my un-sureness about approaching folks. As once they see me bopping about the front of the room, the ice is already broken.

So on the run up to the start of the PSYBT networking event I’m give my top tips to networking, (I’d say 10 but I’m not sure how many I’ll have)

And for laughs here's me at the PSYBT event in Stirling at the start of the year (Jan 08) giving my wee 1 min stylee pitch. God i hate that picture!!

What An Honour

2008-09-04T17:04:00.004+01:00

I'm really excited.... i have been asked by the folks at Heriot Watt to go back to Galashiels and do a wee talk to the students about being self employed!

So now i gotta work out what i need to talk about! And here's the thing, i only have an hour! I cant have a converstaion about my lunch in an hour let along give a talk about being self employed.

But here's the great thing, i know what its like to be a student at Gala and come through the ranks and go out on my own!

Its so awesome to be asked back to do this. I remember going to these talks when i was a student and was really interested about what folks had to say, but i did feel there was something missing. So now is my chance to see if i can do it right!

I think the one thing i'll wanna stress is the importance of having a good support system. But i think that could be my next blog, (which i can't get used to doing yet! lol!)

a thought about advertising

2008-08-14T00:18:00.007+01:00

One of the scariest things when you run your own business is what you do about advertising.

There are loads of well priced and even free ways to advertise. You’ve just gotta do your research. It does take time, but before you sign a cheque for some company to print your ad in some paper or put you on some screen, ask yourself one question, “why should I do this?”

Ask yourself, have you heard of the place your advertising? If so why and how? I advertise in a local paper and the reason I agreed to that is that the place I worked when I was a student, used to advertise in it. So I knew the name, knew they were reliable, had built a good reputation etc, so I knew I could trust them.

But also don’t get sucked in by the big players either. There’s a huge directory everyone knows of, (they’re yellow) and they offer everyone a free listing, which is fab! But they will phone you and try to sell you there big products. Now, you know the name, you know they have been going for quite a few years, understatement of the year, but just watch because their product really only works for some many people.

I know quite a few businesses that live of the work they get from this directory they don’t advertise anywhere else, but I also know others that never hear a peep from them. Like if you are a bio chemist, I don’t think folks are going to look you up in an online business directory, but they probably will if you’re a pest control guy/gall! So maybe you don’t need anything more than the free listing.

But the thing that amazed me was that once you give one of these companies the time of day the rest come to knock at your door, and even more amazing they can be quite aggressive when you don’t want anything. "But why not? Surely you would be happy to take on more business?" well duh! “Then why don't you want to take an advert with us?" then come the stats as to how awesome they are! They really can pull you in! Learn how to say no.

But there is another way, my dad feels that when they call you it’s a great opportunity to sell them one of his fire extinguishers, he’s had no sales yet but definitely talked to a few more managers than he would have on the days they call. Maybe next time I’ll see if they need a t-shirt done up!

coz i'm a geek!

2008-08-12T23:29:00.003+01:00

just wanted to put our other sites on, there's a few coz i love to sign up to everything! yes i'm sad, dont you judge me!

website www.pinknikdesigns.com
myspace www.myspace.com/pinknikdesigns
twitter www.twitter.com/pinknikdesigns
facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10955188724
bebo group http://www.bebo.com/pinknikdesigns
bebo profilehttp://www.bebo.com/pinknikd
business community site http://pinknikdesigns.bttradespace.com/

ok so now if your sad like me you can find more crap about me n my wee business, and possibly more random stuff i like!

finally a picture

2008-08-09T13:56:00.004+01:00

right so i've really taken my sweet time here getting a picture of our stall up. i hope you've not been holding your breathe coz its not all that great! but its been my little slice of heaven for 2 weeks.

small business - mall trading final

2008-08-09T00:36:00.001+01:00

BEING SELF EMPLOYED
Ok so from this experience I’ve found that;
a) This may not be the most suitable venue for my business. I either need someone up there full time to open and close and call me with any order – but here starts the problem of hiring someone!! Or
b) Get something full time so I can take all my gear up to the mall. Or maybe
c) Find some other way of advertising and promoting my business!
But while I can’t really gather all malls in one group it seems like a lot of people dictating how you are meant to run your business. Surely this takes the fun out of being self employed? I love the flexibility of being able to start and finish when I please, to display my products in a way that suit my tastes.
My experience working in the mall has not been a bad one, the 14 hours days I can do without, but while working on your own like have been in a workshop means no one to talk to for most of your day, this is a good opportunity to network and meet other self employed people or the folks that work for them. The banter is lively, especially since I’ve been in a wee group of kiosks and the mall staff very welcoming and friendly.
As usual this is not for everyone, if you have a product that is a bit easier to sell that customised t-shirts, then this would be the perfect thing for you. Being in the mall is not for me I love my freedom and space, in a way knowing I’m the only that can dictate 99.9% of the rules sits well with me. I have promised my staff we’d not do it again but I know I will, I’ll just have to bribe them to make sure they’re willing to spend the days up there when not much happens.

small business - mall trading cont'd

2008-08-08T00:36:00.000+01:00

CONS!
But here’s the stuff you don’t get told:
· you have to be at the stall every hour the mall is open
· you can’t leave your stall unattended
· certain places have a dress code
· you aren’t meant to eat or drink at the stall
· no personal items are to be on display
· you may have to check that your display is acceptable to the mall management
· your time keeping is noted and will be logged
Doing all this is if there is only you in your business is hard! Who watches the stall if you go have lunch, coz you’re not meant to eat at the stall! Who takes orders if you have to go make them up! What happens if you leave early or start late one too many times? Remember they’re makes notes about this.
Now I’ve been quite lucky because I’ve only really been there for 2 weeks at a time I’m not give much grief about it as the mall staff know I’ve got to get my orders made up. But I have seen comments being made to others for packing up early, but nothing to much more. Although I have heard about other places that won’t give you your kiosk cover back until the mall closes. Does that promote flexibility?

small business - running from a mall kiosk

2008-08-07T00:36:00.004+01:00

PROS?!

Well we're just finishing week 2 in the Mall. I miss the comfort of the workshop and can’t wait to get back, although the banter up here is great!

I’ve had a stall in the mall twice now and I can’t quite see how they can say they can help you build your business. The incentive for building a business in the mall sounds good but, in reality when you find out the small details that they don’t put in their sales pitch when you first hear it you may change your mind. And from what I’m finding this is pretty standard through most malls, my source for this is the other kiosk traders, as most of them have stalls in at least one other mall.

Here are the highlights from the pitch you get:
flexibility - you are not on a long term fixed lease, all your are committed to is a week at a time unless you agree differently with the management, unlike high st premises which could be as little as 5 years
Reasonable costs - most of the time your rent includes electricity, plus for location you’re not paying usual high st prices for premises. Plus your rates are low if you qualify for small business discount. Rates for 2 weeks with full discount can be as little as £1.99 if you don’t have any other premises.
great visibility - you are in an area you choose with high foot fall, with so many thousands of people passing you every day.

Ok so far this sounds perfect, as a newish business I need a place my products and service can be seen, but I have to watch the cost etc.

dang its hot!

2008-07-28T15:12:00.003+01:00

well its our first day up in the Howgate, and I've slipped away to do some embroideries, but holy cow its hot up there! we're next to the food court which has a big glass ceiling so its like a greenhouse!

so i think if our unusually warm weather persists i think I'll have to review my wardrobe, which is a shame coz i kinda feel i have my summer look sorted, but definitely will need to check this again if it gonna stay this hot!

but we're all set up and happy, so hopefully once i work out how to post things from my mobly, I'll pop thru a few pics!

righto better get back to the sauna!

back at the Mall

2008-07-25T16:58:00.004+01:00

From Monday (28th July) for 2 weeks, we'll be up at the Howgate Mall in Falkirk with a wee stall. The days are long and the music is crap! but the banter can be great!

so pop along and say howdy, and if there's a t-shirt that you like quote 'blogger' to get 10% of your order. this is only valid while we're in the Mall and on face to face orders.

See you up there!! :D

Now we can be found

2008-07-24T16:52:00.004+01:00

Ok so we've been in our 'new' premises since last november, and we have been meaning to get signs up outside since we moved in! but its one of those things that you keep putting to the bottom of the pile when you get busy! But i'm now very proud of our new banners out side. As designed by our very own Amy!

Round of applause!!

so here we go!

2008-07-23T15:50:00.000+01:00

ok so here it is, i've been doing some blogging on various places like bebo, myspace etc, so now i'm just gonna try putting everything in one place!

not that i do this regularly but this will hopefully keep folks up to date with whats happening and what we're doing!

so if you've wasted 5 mins reading this at work or where ever.....

thanx and get back to looking at something interesting..