Business

Novalia’s mission is “to bring print to life” by integrating conductive inks and electronics technology to make it interactive.

I went to meet with its founder, Dr Kate Stone, to find out how that mission is going, and what part the large-format inkjet print sector can play in that. 
By Lesley Simpson

Creative United was established last year, with support from Arts Council England, to provide a range of financial products and services designed to help grow the UK’s cultural and creative industries. 

Sometimes it pays to bring in the experts. Swiftprint is a case in point, having employed those with colour management know-how to streamline its operations.

‘Solutions’ selling is on the up, and with it increased levels of customer objection to your sales pitch. So how do you effectively manage that? Tony Hodgson, director of PODi for Europe, provides tactical advice. 

Forget Cilla Black. This is Astley’s messaging to the bright young things it wants to attract to its in-house Trainee Development Programme. Here’s how it’s managing to catch their attention.

Until a rebrand in 2012, the large-format print arm of the multi-sited and variously named Astley group of businesses was better known as Jigsaw. But then the pieces were carefully put together, so that the £10.5m turnover group became clearly recognisable as simply Astley. It’s a move that commercial director Gavin Redhead believes is helping the North East Business Awards 2014 finalist reach the new talent it is eager to engage.

Peter Lancaster, CEO of Documobi, sets out the stall for the company’s iPR mobile scanning technology in large-format environments.

First Matt, can you talk us through the circumstances leading up to the MBO?

Although business lore is full of lone geniuses, sustained corporate success is rarely a one-person show. Here business consultant Walter Hale offers some guidance on the factors to consider when trying to build a strong team of leaders.

Stephanie Gutnik, marketing and business development manager ?at digital signage software company

Stylo production director Simon Wheeler explains what the company is doing to attract youngsters, while keeping a tight reign on the recruitment budget.

“Recruitment agencies are my least favourite method of recruitment. It takes away the hassle but it’s expensive, and there’s always the danger that you’ll get career agency people – that is to say, those who go to a firm for a couple of years then go back to the agency to find them another job. We want to attract people who want to stay with us.” So says Simon Wheeler, production director at Stylo, who is very involved in the company’s recruitment strategy – and that means proactively seeking youngsters with a certain attitude and mindset. 

Nessan Cleary looks at how new inks developed for wide-format printers highlight the printer vendors’ growing interest in industrial printing and what that means for you.

Dr Paul Laidler, research fellow at the Centre for Fine Print Research at the University of the West of England, explains how the work undertaken by the centre and its student artists is pushing the boundaries of wide-format inkjet.

Why Simpson Group is targeting smaller retailers and businesses with its new retailers shop4pop online ordering service.

Perton Signs in Acton, London, is 150 years old this summer, and has been in the same family for all that time.

The company, which now has a staff of 25 and a turnover of around £2.8m, produces and installs event graphics and signage. The current MD is Mark Perton, great great grandson of the founder William Perton. 

I met him to ask about the firm’s longevity and his plans for moving it forward.

By Lesley SImpson