news round-up Cupcakecrafting add new site into the mix Online craft retailer Cupcakecrafting.co.uk has a new look logo and a brand new user-friendly website that the company hopes will become a “one stop shop”, allowing visitors to buy all their crafting materials simply and cost effectively. One of the most exciting new features on the website is the exclusive Bundle ‘n’ Buy which allows the customer to pick and mix a whole host of papers and cardboard in different colours and sizes to suit their crafting needs. Shoppers can also become a Cupcakecrafting Club Member which entitles them to a 10 per cent discount off every item for one whole year. It costs just £10 to join and includes a free gift. The checkout process has been streamlined so that it’s all on one page, easy to use and with a choice of payment methods. For more information visit www.cupcakecrafting.co.uk. A crafty retreat We know crafters are always on the look-out to learn new skills – now they can do it in luxury. Set on the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, The Manor House and Ashbury Hotels provide a unique <strong>Craft</strong> Centre. The Centre offers 17 tutored crafts including pottery, glass engraving, enamelling, personalised hot press printing and woodwork. The centre’s experienced tutors introduce each course with a comprehensive talk. To increase appreciation of the techniques required, they have a stock of examples for all crafts and continued support from the tutors. The atmosphere in the centre is relaxed and friendly, and since opening has received praise from guests, who have enjoyed the diverse range of crafts on offer. And if that’s not enough there’s also a pool to wind down in after a day’s making. For more information and to book visit W: www.manorhousehotel.co.uk. 12 craftfocus Tweet all about it A recent survey has revealed the social media behaviour habits of businesses worldwide, with some particular insights in to British business practice. Key fi ndings included that six out of ten British companies are present on Facebook and seven out of ten British companies answer client questions and complaints via social media. The survey also revealed that while 61 per cent of Brit organisations use Facebook, 44 per cent have a Twitter account, 30 per cent are present on LinkedIn and 23 per cent use YouTube. The survey was conducted by InSites Consulting, together with sample and data collection partner SSI and the translation agency No Problem. A total of 1,222 top managers from companies in the US, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France were interviewed. However, although there is high social media usage in British companies, the social media approach too often remains disconnected from general company management. The survey showed that while companies fi nd it very important to be present on social network sites, this does not always mean their method is well thought-out. A mere 10 per cent of the companies are integrating their social media approach into their overall corporate strategy. “A huge number of companies feel the external pressure to be present on social media. Unfortunately this only too frequently results in corporate pages where nothing is really happening. So they create enthusiasm in their customers which in the end turns into disappointment,” states Professor Steven Van Belleghem, partner at the research agency InSites Consulting. Half of the British companies that are using social media listen to what consumers say about them via these sites. “Social media make conversations between consumers very transparent. It is the fi rst time that a company can quite easily discover what people are saying about its products and services. An increasingly growing group is strongly interested (with good reason) in this real-time feedback from the market,” declares Van Belleghem. The survey also discovered a wider digital gap in the business world as companies that are already investing new media will do so even more in the future while other organisations have no intention of making any future investment. “Even though there is a clear digital evolution among clients, there are still companies that are not convinced that they too have to go with the evolution. The risk for these companies is that, in a rather short term, they will miss out on an important target group,” concludes Van Belleghem.
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