012 marks sixteen successful years for Glossop marketing company First Impression, who are celebrating their coming of age with an exciting new look and the launch of their Marketing Partners Programme for local businesses.  Piloted with a handful of clients, the newly formed Fig Creative’s innovative partnership-based approach has already reaped serious rewards with one client experiencing a tenfold increase in income in under 12 months.

So what’s their secret? Fig Creative works in partnership with their clients, agreeing marketing objectives and spend over an annual period but spreading that cost on a monthly basis. In effect they become your retained virtual marketing department delivering agreed activities on   time and to budget, ensuring they have maximum impact on your bottom line.

In challenging trading conditions the benefits of the programme outweigh the investment involved:  it allows easy and accurate management of marketing spend, provides access to a team of marketing professionals with broad experience across a range of disciplines, gives focus and momentum to marketing activity and delivers tangible financial results.

On Tuesday 17^th January from 11.00am to 3.00pm the team at Fig Creative invite businesses from around the region to an open day, where they can find out how the Marketing Partners Programme could move their business forward in 2012.

Helen Duncan, MD of the newly branded Fig Creative explains “We work with many local  companies, providing design, print and web services and we will continue to offer great quality for great value. But we know that no one marketing activity will transform a business, particularly in a challenging economic climate. Our new Marketing Partner Programme blends a variety of targeted marketing activities to give local companies the support they need to grow their businesses – without breaking the bank. And it really works, come and see our customer videos at our open day.”

The friendly Fig Creative team is now 7 strong and offers a full range of marketing services including branding consultancy, PR, design & print, copy writing and internet and social media strategy.

For further information including details about the open day contact the team at Fig Creative on 01457 857 111 or just drop in on the day between 11 – 3pm at 174 High Street West, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 8ER.

Help is at hand for budding entrepreneurs whose New Year resolution is to start their own business or get their tax return in on time.

High Peak Borough Council has lined up a string of free workshops for people considering self employment. The series starts in Glossop Municipal Buildings on Thursday, January 26 with a half-day session led by HM Customs and Revenues (HMRC).

Focusing on registering as self employed, setting up business records and paying tax, the event will be repeated in Buxton Town Hall on Thursday, February 2.

The series for start ups continues in Municipal Buildings on Wednesday, February 8 when HMRC delivers a popular “eligible expenses” workshop pinpointing expenditure that can be claimed as tax-deductible expenses.

For people who are already self employed and have to submit their tax return by the end of January, the council has squeezed in an event on Thursday week (January 19) to explain how to complete the return online. The practical session will include a step-by-step guide to the online pages.

 All events run from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, and places can be booked by calling customer services on 0845 129 7777.

Press Release: 14th December 2011

Glossop Cartons have made a donation to their local school, Padfield Community Primary School just in time for Christmas.

The school was chosen as part of Glossop Cartons community support programme.

Head teacher, Anne Harper explained

“We have had a library extension built this year and we intend to use most of the money on resources for the library including maintaining the library computer system and books. We are going to use the rest of the money to pay for the food and drinks for the children’s Christmas parties”.

Anne went on to say “Glossop Cartons regularly provide card to school which we use for making props for the Nativity and party hats”

Vicky Every from Glossop Cartons said. “We are delighted to support the school and to be able to provide books for the children to enjoy. I’m also pleased that our cardboard is being “recycled” for the enjoyment of the children”

Established in 1982 and based in Padfield, Glossop Cartons is now one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of carton board packaging products for blue-chip organisations across the UK. Producing quality litho printed cartons, wallets, blister cards, skin pack cards and packaging, the family owned and run firm employs around 50 people locally.