You might think you have just saved yourself a few quid and also a lot of time but think again. We may see you in court!

Read the full article by Steve here

I thought it might be good to remind everyone that the majority of flyer and leaflet printing is exempt from VAT*(see below for exemptions to this rule).

• If an area of your leaflet is designed to be written on by customers it is likely to be classed at the standard rate for VAT.
• Mentioning a discount promotion, such as “20% off when you show this leaflet”, means that the leaflet is classified as a voucher and VAT of 17.5% must be paid.
• Mentioning “free entry with this flyer” results in the flyer being classified as a ticket so VAT must be paid.
• Leaflets designed to be shown in shop windows are classified as posters and become eligible for VAT.
• Finally, the use of thick paper or card, or laminating the leaflet results in HM Revenue and Customs determining that the leaflet is designed to be retained by the recipient, resulting in it being classified at the standard rate of VAT.

Information taken from http://www.marketingminefield.co.uk

If you would like help designing your promotional leaflets, or are looking for someone to handle the print side of things then we can help.

Just give us a call on 01382 817904

For examples of our work please visit our portfolio

According to the article below it was a ‘unanimous decision’ which I find quite interesting as very few of my friends or colleagues had that particular design in their top 3 choices. This makes me think that the public consultation was just a PR excercise and that the final decision was always going to be made behind closed doors, but I am happy to look at a report which proves me wrong.

The following article gives more in depth information into the final design along with links to various websites:

Kengo Kuma and Associates wins Dundee V&A design competition

Source: Dundee Courier

From Wednesday, September 29, the models and images will go on display at the University of Abertay’s library in Bell Street and those responsible for the project are keen that as many people as possible experience the exhibition over a month.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is an institution based in London renowned worldwide for its art and design collections.

Amazing artefacts such as ceramics, furniture, fashion, glass and jewellery tell the story of human craft over the centuries.

The V&A at Dundee is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd, a partnership between the London museum and the city’s universities, local authority and business development body Scottish Enterprise, which aims to create a landmark building on the waterfront that can house world-class travelling and permanent design exhibitions.

Article taken from the Dundee Courier – Read Full Story

There are tons of reasons that blogging is taken up by business owners, and there are just as many blogging subjects as there are reasons to do it. Traditionally, online communities were built to bring people together, so each community would usually feature a different subject, such examples might be talking small business strategies or coming together to discuss interests in finance. The first weblog was penned around 1994 and the shorter version of the word ‘blog’ was later used as the technology improved. Later, it was able to support basic images and now design firms build blogs into websites of owners that want to move on or expand the business from their basic shop or info site to something much bigger.

Blogs get people involved. Online discussion groups absolutely thrive nowadays; you could find a blog about any kind of subject or interest, so just how does blogging affect your business? We wrote this to bring you some info and to clear up some grey areas concerned with blogging.

So, not everyone likes the idea. Blogging is often seen as a fairly informal way to build online communities, to create an interest with like minded people. Its also a way to announce to people exactly what might be going on within the large or small business, how it is progressing and expanding perhaps.

With a static website, businesses can struggle to update them, often paying and outsourcing updates to companies that can maintain the site and update it as and when required. A blog uses a simple user interface so that anyone can easily update it, great for those that don’t know code and don’t have a similar interface (content management system) on the main website. Whats exciting about blogs is that they are open for comment which can keep a blog looking lively and up to date, with commenting being open for the owner to edit and delete as appropriate.

What to Blog About

Journal

In general everyday life of an individual or business, so not necessarily personal, blogs might be written in form of diaries or journals

News

Extremely popular are new blogs. Those which are kept fresh and concern daily news bulletins are fascinating to most people, blogging allows a business to launch news in real time

Topics

Perhaps an area of a business is of interest to some, specialised areas such as web design are common and allows designers to share information with readers, it can be more informal than a static website

Marketing

Business owners use blogging to their advantage, it’s a way of letting people see another side of a company, keep up with current events and a good way to stay in touch with customers and potential clients

There are so many ways to blog and any business or individual looking to start a blog will no doubt evolve and expend the amount of categories on the blog over time. Blogging has not only become an extension of a business website, but a staple of modern day vibrant business ‘online’ communities.

After what seems like decades of having scaffolding shielding our view of the excellent building that is the McManus Art Galleries in Dundee news has arrived that it will be officially re-opened to the public on February 28th 2010.

New displays have been created, along with interactives, a retail area and a new cafe, to provide a greatly improved visitor experience.

For more information visit the McManus Galleries website

It was announced today that a new £47m centre for art and design is to be built in Dundee.

The “V&A at Dundee” will be built just south of Craig Harbour in the city’s redeveloped water front.

Dundee City Council has launched an international architecture competition to design the new centre, which will be built out onto the River Tay.

Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop said she hoped the building would become a “thriving centre” for the creative industries in Scotland.

‘World class’

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum has been involved in the project, which is also backed by Abertay and Dundee universities, Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise.

The Dundee V&A will have a research centre and exhibition venue, as well as becoming the home for specialist collections in Scottish contemporary design.

Mike Galloway, from Dundee City Council, said the city wanted to find a team that could design a “world class building” for the centre, which is expected to to open in 2014.

“A two-stage architectural competition is about to be launched and we expect to have interest in this project from prominent architects and designers from around the world,” he said.

Sir Mark Jones, director of the V&A, said: “The creation of the V&A at Dundee fulfils the V&A’s aim of sharing its collections, exhibitions, skills and resources, reaching new audiences and giving access to more people nationally and internationally.”

- Article taken from the BBC News website

John Ruskin (1819-1900)

Looking for value?

“It’s unwise to pay too much but it’s unwise to pay too little.

When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all.

When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.

It can’t be done.

If you deal with the lowest bidder, it’s well to add something for the risk you run.

And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better!”