July 15, 2008 at 3:23 pm · Filed under Latest news
Following a recent audit North East (South Tyneside) branding, graphic and web design agency Urban River is pleased to annouce we have again exceeded the standards set by Investors in People.
Urban River MD Carl Buckley said “This is further recognition that we are committed to recruiting the best staff and providing the right training. All in all, this reflects in the services we provide to our clients. Yes it takes some hard work, but the benefits are felt right throughout the organisation”
To find out what a difference Investors in People could make to your organisation goto www.investorsinpeople.co.uk
March 13, 2008 at 12:19 pm · Filed under Latest news
North East creative design agency Urban River has just completed its best first quarter ever. Through a number of new contract wins across the North of England, our staff numbers have doubled in the past 12 months.
MD Carl Buckley puts this increase to one simple thing; delivering what clients want.
Want to be a part of our success story, test out our ‘what you see is what you get’ philosophy and find out how we can make an ‘Impact for You’, contact carl@urbanriver.com or 0191 423 5688
March 6, 2008 at 12:07 pm · Filed under Latest news
Challenged with creating an interactive solution providing essential information to those young people leaving care for the first time is not an easy task. Having already developed a brand, printed materials and online resource, titled Do U Care, South Tyneside based graphic and web design agency Urban River, set about creating a tried and tested game with a difference.
Our version of Pacman uses the characters familiar to young people from across the Region with the added difference of the player needing to answer a variety of questions relating to leaving care, before being able to progress through each stage of the game.
Service Development Team Worker Lee Taylor, commented that this new spin on an old favourite has really inspired the young people to get involved and learn in an enjoyable way. The timescale and budget were both tight and North east based Urban River has yet again delivered some great results.
For further information goto www.doucare.co.uk.
For great ideas to help you get your message across, contact info@urbanriver.com
February 13, 2008 at 11:10 am · Filed under Latest news
North East, South Tyneside based graphic and web design agency Urban River’s award winning seafood delicatessen client Latimers, recently appeared on National TV. The BBC’s Country File programme highlighted the hard work needed to source, prepare and retail the award winning seafood Robert Latimer sells. South Tyneside based graphic and web design agency Urban River has been working with Latimers for some time, having created a brand and initial website presence. This is set to develop further as Latimers expands into some exciting new areas in the near future.
For further information goto www.latimers.com or contact us to find out how we can help you land your next big catch.
February 8, 2008 at 12:46 pm · Filed under Latest news
mydeco will transform the way we design and shop for our homes, just as lastminute.com transformed the travel industry, according to the creators.
For the first time ever, mydeco brings together more than a one million products from over 500 retailers in one place. It features pieces from high end and high street favourites such as The Conran Shop and John Lewis, to small niche manufacturers. Easy-to-use 3D room-planning tools help you to see how real products will look in your room.Founder and executive chairman Brent Hoberman (pictured) says: “mydeco helps you get more out of your home. The site empowers consumers by giving them unrivalled choice, design advice and unique room-planning tools.“We, as a nation, spend about £14bn a year furnishing our homes – yet until now, the internet hasn’t been used to bring it all together and make the customer’s shopping experience easier and more enjoyable. mydeco gives you everything you need to shop wisely, stylishly and confidently.”
David Kelly, CEO, mydeco says: “In the US already more than one in ten furniture purchases are made online. The same will happen in the UK. We know that consumers want to buy their furniture and home accessories online, but no previous site has enabled them to with such ease, choice and style.”
The site includes:
- Revolutionary 3D room-planning tools that allow you to see how real products will look in your room
- Over 1,000 inspirational room ‘looks’ to choose from, which can be tailored to your budget
- Advice and style from leading designers such as Sir Terence Conran, Jade Jagger, Kelly Hoppen, Andrew Martin and Tara Bernerd
- An online community so users can swap ideas, or even
see each others’ rooms
mydeco attracted a successful group of investors, following one of the largest internet seed rounds in Europe, led by SPARK Ventures. Tom Teichman, Chairman of SPARK Ventures, a founder investor in lastminute.com and Non-Executive Director on the Board of mydeco, said: “This is a very large market and the mydeco team is one of the most successful, experienced and dynamic in Europe at building big new online markets.”
In addition to SPARK Ventures, other investors include Lord Rothschild’s family interests, Edward Atkin, founder of Cannon Avent, Marc Worth, founder of Worth Global Style Network, Yoo Ltd, the property branding, design & investment company lead by John Hitchcox and Philippe Starck and Arts Alliance, a venture capital firm who was also a backer of lastminute.com, represented by founder Thomas Hoegh.
mydeco.com
January 30, 2008 at 3:04 pm · Filed under Latest news
A new website offering free one-to-one mentoring for budding and existing entrepreneurs was recently launched. horsesmouth.co.uk is an online mentoring community which allows users to share their experiences on a wide range of topics in a safe and anonymous environment.
The site allows business owners to locate mentors who have first-hand experience of the issues they need help with. Business owners can also register as a mentor themselves to help others and list their areas of expertise.
Founder MT Rainey said: “I was inspired by the idea of Web 2.0 and peer-to-peer communication to create something to do good and transform big areas of public service provision, such as careers advice, into something more scalable and fit for purpose. “I really believe that the knowledge and experience people carry around with them is a huge untapped resource, if eBay is about the stuff you’ve got locked up in the attic, then horsesmouth is about the stuff you’ve got locked up in your head and heart.”
January 30, 2008 at 11:38 am · Filed under Latest news
The North East economy ended 2007 on a high, eclipsing the despondent economic news at a national level, according to new data. The North East Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly economic survey, the North East Business Barometer, showed strong growth in the region with UK sales and orders rising sharply in the Quarter 4 of last year.
Export activity also improved as businesses in the region reversed the difficult times in the third quarter of 2007. Despite facing some difficult trading conditions including increased oil and food prices and a strong pound the outlook for companies was much brighter. This was reflected by the news that more respondents than before were predicting an increase in forecast turnover.
However, there was evidence that some firms were absorbing inflationary pressures with profitability falling. There will be concerns that North East businesses will need to pass on increased prices to consumers in the future if this continues to ensure that future profitability remains robust. Respondents to the survey cited rising energy prices and increased taxation as being a worry in the coming months.
Ross Smith, NECC head of policy, said: “Given the gloomy and despondent predictions there have been in recent weeks, this is a remarkable performance by NECC members. It demonstrates the underlying strength in North East businesses which will help them ride out fluctuations in the global economy. “We are undoubtedly facing a difficult period but the optimism that has existed in the region in recent years appears to be bolstering confidence and firms are bullish about what the future holds.”
January 29, 2008 at 12:45 pm · Filed under Useful stuff
A new year, a new way to look at running your company. Being eco-aware does not just mean doing your bit to save the planet, it can also convert into real business benefits. Far from being a passing fad, corporate and social responsibility (CSR) is making a real connection with customers who are increasingly looking to find the greenest products available on the market.
The most common demands are for ethically traded or locally sourced goods with minimal packaging, but there are many other ways to demonstrate that your company is taking environmental issues seriously.
Business Link has launched a dedicated online resource to help businesses, whatever the size, gain bottom line benefits by going green. The ‘Environment and Efficiency’ section of www.businesslinknortheast.co.uk contains advice on reducing waste, marketing green credentials and understanding your legal obligations.
This last point is vitally important. Environmental legislation covers issues such as air emissions, waste responsibility, management of harmful substances and pollution prevention. If any of these sound like business concerns for you, failure to comply could have serious consequences. Business Link offers an email alert service to keep you one step ahead and fully informed on environmental requirements.
A CSR policy can also be a used as a motivating factor for employees. The sense of inclusion initiatives such as recycling plans and volunteer days for local charities can be real morale boosters for your team, and a good way to retain personnel over the years.
For most small and medium sized businesses of course, the most important factor is how an effective CSR policy can affect your bottom line. In terms of marketing your business, going green can be an excellent profile raising exercise and could create positive PR. However, as this becomes a more mainstream business practice, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has recently warned that care must be taken when marketing green credentials.
In terms of tangible month-on-month financial rewards, creating your own CSR policy draws attention to where resources are being used, and often wasted, in your business. It’s estimated that it’s possible to for most businesses to save between 10 and 20% on their energy bills at little or no cost.
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