Brochure folding - lots of options

We found this handy little diagram on Pinterest - it shows all the different ways to fold a brochure or flier. So when getting a quote now you know what type of fold to tell your printer!

To foil - or not to foil?

Foiling is the process of stamping a metallic image (logo, pic) on to just about anything. Used as part of the printing process, the foil is applied after the sheets are printed. The flat sheets are supplied untrimmed to a specialist who will then apply the foil.

It's not a cheap process, and not an environmental process but either - but it sure looks good for those specialist jobs. You can foil just about anything.

The future less bleak for small business: ACCI survey

We like sharing good news here at HMS.

While small businesses continue to face difficult trading conditions, the sector is set to improve in the second quarter, The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ACCI) latest Small Business Survey has found.

Key small business indicators including sales, profits, employment and investment all fell in March, however on a more positive note business owners are mildly optimistic that conditions will improve during the second quarter, the survey revealed.

Read the report here

Choosing a payment gateway for your business

I liked this article from Start Up Smart today.

When starting your next online business you will undoubtedly be faced with the choice of integrating a payment gateway. Whether you make this choice yourself or leave it up to your web developer, there are now more payment gateways available than ever before.

If cash flow is important to your business survival then investigate how long the gateway is going to hold your money before paying it out to you post sale. Note: this can be anywhere from two days (Braintree, eWay) to seven days (Stripe, Pin Payments).

Make sure you own your customer data. Providers such as PayPal will not let you take your data with you when you choose to leave. It's worth investigating this early in the piece before asking a couple of thousand customers to again provide you with their details.

Here is a quick look at some of your likely options.

Budget 2014: Unfair contract provisions extended to small business

Small Business Minister Bruce Billson has promised the extension of unfair contract protections for small business for some time and the budget delivers on this.
http://www.startupsmart.com.au/government-and-regulation/budget-2014-unfair-contract-provisions-extended-to-small-business.html
“This will help to provide a level playing field for small businesses and enhance the welfare of Australians by increasing small business certainty, confidence and productivity,” Billson said in a statement accompanying the budget papers.

Jetstar - you shoud not be using social media

Jetstar has posted an ad on Facebook: http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/jetstargeneration

It is worth reading the comments (and there are over 800 of them) for a laugh - but also as a lesson in why social media is dangerous for a company that refuses to address the same old issues. Jetstar never respond to their social media on Facebook - I know as I've sent them a few before I learned not to go anywhere near them.

I write this as a fairly regular flier an my motto is 'Avoid Jetstar at any cost' so I had to share some of these gems from the Facebook comments:

10 years of poor customer service is nothing to celebrate

Unlike · Reply · 19 · 8 May at 22:15

10 years of cheap service, 10 years of ripping people off, 10 years of poor customer service happy birthday

Unlike · Reply · 7 · 9 May at 07:36

10 years of frustration....oh sorry, where you expecting positive comments from your past passengers.

Like · Reply · 5 · 8 May at 20:00

Jetstar can afford the low fares because they keep cancelling the flights, so no running costs.!! 

Unlike · Reply · 4 · 10 May at 09:17

Such horrible people to deal with. Trying to charge me $400 for a name change (same flight, same seat, just a name change!) Please help me spread this hashtag: #Regretstar

Unlike · Reply · 2 · 11 hrs

G'day Jet Star- low airfares are just the beginning. Had a few good experiences and several bad ones, Next time I'll go with Virgin.

Unlike · Reply · 3 · 15 hours ago

I prefer to call them Jetscar. I have been scared for life and will never use them again. Quite happy to forfeit the $375 worth of vouchers I received from them. Once bittern, twice shy! Shonky airline.

Terrible customer service and behind the scenes support, but cabin staff tend to be ok once (if) you actually get on the flight. Personally, I avoid like the plague, I'd rather walk as it's often quicker.

Unlike · Reply · 3 · 9 May at 12:23

Now that's clever packaging!

We love Pinterest and this is why. Here are some really clever packaging ideas!

Anyone using Oneflare?

I keep getting emails from Oneflare. I'm pretty sure I didn't sign up - has anyone had any experience with them?

Do we need post delivered 5 times a week anyway?

Personally all I seem to get is bills in the mail so I'd be more than happy to have a less frequent service. I rarely check the mail anyway as my arms are full when I get home (of posters, banners and work!) and if something's urgent people will phone or email me. Your thoughts?



Australia Post hints at user-pay system for daily mail: Australians may have to pay $30 a year for daily mail delivery or face a less frequent service.

Digital Enterprise workshops - free

Last night I attended the second of a set of 8 FREE digital enterprise workshops run by Vecci on behalf of the Australian Government.

Finally our government has realised that most business in Australia (95%) are small (less than 200 people) and have decided to throw some money at us by providing these courses.
They are excellent.
These are a 2 hour workshop run at various metro and region locations around Australia. Mine was facilitated by the very approachable and informative Daniele Lima.

I can't recommend them highly enough - even if you think you know all there is know about social media and how to use it to maximum effect - you probably don't.
Check them out here

The Digital Enterprise programme provides free group training and face-to-face support for small-to-medium enterprises and not-for-profit organisations to help improve the way you do business and deliver services online.The Australian Government is providing $16.8 million in grant funding to establish and support the Digital Enterprise programme in 69 communities across Australia.

The invention of the printing machine in 1448

The printing press invented by German goldsmith Johann Gutenberg in 1448 has been called one of the most important inventions in the history of humankind. 

The device made it possible for the first time for the common man, woman and child to have access to books, which meant they would for the first time have unprecedented ability to accumulate knowledge.

Before the invention of the printing press, the majority of books were written and copied by hand. Block printing was becoming more popular, which involved carving each page of a text into a block of wood and pressing each block onto paper. Because these processes were so labor-intensive, books were very expensive, and only the rich could afford them.

http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/gutenberg.html

Hootsuite

We used Hootsuite a few years ago and loved it but as it didn't support Blogger (our very favourite blog platform) we had to dump them. Well Hootsuite, thanks for listening to us, and everyone else. It's good to be back with you because you make life so damn easy! Love, HMS