Here at Concept Cupboard we love creativity, it drives what we do. We also love Google’s think quarterly publication. If you haven’t stumbled upon this gem before it basically brings together a varied and very forward thinking collection of articles from experts in the particular field that each quarterly release makes its focal point. We wholeheartedly recommend that you take a look at the content in full but these are some of our highlights from this particular issue. Enjoy!
Tax Returns and Book-keeping made easy
One of the biggest hassles for small businesses is undoubtedly the paperwork that comes with running a company. It tends to be the last thing you want to do but its importance cannot be underestimated. Cashflow can be a killer for small businesses, so keeping on top of your books is vital.
So why do so many businesses give such a low priority to book-keeping and paperwork? Well, the answer is normally twofold. Firstly, there is a fear of the unknown. As sad as it is to say, we don’t like doing things we don’t understand, which means when faced with a complex P35 PAYE form to complete at the end of the year, a sense of paralysis often comes over us. Secondly, the lack of knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of tax means we know it’ll take us a long time to complete and as a result we can always find something better to do! Read more…
Lessons from the Global Entrepreneurship Congress Summit 2012
Held at Liverpool’s Echo Arena the Global Entrepreneurship Congress Summit featured Sir Richard Branson, Sir Terry Leahy, Lord Michael Heseltine, Martha Lane-Fox & even comedian John Bishop.
Here are just some of the pieces of advice handed out during the summit’s keynote talks:
Sir Richard Branson – Screw it, let’s do it
Here are just a few of the tips shared by Sir Richard Branson during a Q&A session with Mike Southon:
- The art of delegation is key. By mastering the ability to delegate effectively Branson was able to step aside from the nitty gritty of running the business (or businesses in his case). It not only gave him the opportunity to continue other entrepreneurial endeavours, but also focus on the bigger picture. Read more…
UPDATE: New Logo submission process
We’ve been working away at Concept Cupboard HQ to bring you a brand new logo design submission process. We’ll break down how it affects you whether you’re a creative or a business.
Business
As a brief owner you will now be able to review and rate ideas live. During the course of the briefs lifetime you can now let creatives know whether they are on the right track in terms of the ideas that they’ve submitted to your brief.
All of the ideas that you’ve had submitted will now be displayed in the following format with a very simple interface through which to review and rate.
To view the files in more detail you can either hover your mouse over an image to gain an enhanced preview or click to see the original file.
Creative
We’ve completely stripped the process down so that now you’ll only need to upload one main image for a logo design brief. There are no idea titles or descriptions any more as your logo should do all the talking for you! If you’ve got a few variations or completely separate ideas then you can easily keep on submitting until your done.
Here’s what the new process will look like.
You’ll now be able to receive live feedback from brief owners and be notified by email when this happens. From this feedback you will be able to refine your idea and have the option at this stage of whether to develop and submit another idea.
All your feedback and ideas will now be displayed like this -
Any questions?
If you’ve got any questions about this new process or run into trouble along the way then don’t hesitate to let us know! Contact us here.
Content overload and the rise of the aggregators
I don’t know if you’ve noticed folks but we’re facing a little bit of an epidemic. Content overload. There is more information than ever before and the rate at which this is being created is only gaining pace. According to ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt this is the scale of the problem we seem to be facing.
“Every two days, we create as much information as we did up to 2003.” –Eric Schmidt
10 Principles of Good Design – Dieter Rams
Dieter Rams has been one of my favourite designers for a long time now. Part of the reason for this was finding and appreciating his 10 principles for good design. Here Dieter outlines a number of guidelines, and I would always interpret them as guidelines, when striving to achieve not just good, but great design.
Read more…
February’s Winner: Verity W
February’s creative of the month goes to Verity. Congratulations!
We’ve been a big fan of Verity’s work since she joined Concept Cupboard last June. She recently won The “Lon Prop” brief & the project owner was not only blown away with the work she provided, but also her professionalism & speed. A job well done!
Some samples of Verity’s recent work:
How to conduct a job interview: A list of top tips
Top tips for conducting job interviews
Being on the interviewer’s side of the table when it comes to hiring is almost as daunting as being the one getting interviewed. After all, picking somebody to fill a position in your business is a tough call and after seeing row after row of faces, all giving you similar sound answers, it can be tough to decide who to pick. Still, there are a few easy tips that will make the whole selection process a great deal easier. Read more…
Say hi to our new social media channels
We’re always looking for new and interesting ways in which to talk to you all so that’s why we’re proud to announce the launch of our brand new Concept Cupboard Google+ and Pinterest channels!
Whilst we already talk to you all through Twitter and Facebook we thought that we’d be able to get to know you even better with these social networks.
We’ll be following this post up with our insights into using each platform a litte further down the line but for now here’s what we’ll be hoping to share with you on each platform… Read more…
One year on. What we’ve learnt over the last 12 months
Concept Cupboard is now officially one year old. We did celebrate with a bit of Cava and Cake (see our celebration post for more on this).
Over the last 12 months we’ve won 10 x awards, been invited to Downing Street and helped our young creatives earn more than £75,000. The stunning infographic below tells you more about the journey.
That’s all great and we’re very proud of what we we’ve accomplished but I’d still only give us a 7/10 for the last 12 months.
Here’s what I’d do differently if I could… Read more…
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