A recent report by Smarter Small Businesses has shown that less than 2 per cent of New York-based small businesses are using social media to connect with their customers, opting instead for more traditional forms of marketing. In particular, a technology gap was found to be age-related, with a huge drop in the number of "mom-and-pop" companies compared to those owned by younger entrepreneurs. While print me ...

A new survey by Barclays this week revealed that many business owners and entrepreneurs - as many as one in five -  considered themselves to be "playing it safe" as a result of the economic downturn. In addition, a quarter of the 1,000 people surveyed admitted that they were more hesitant about decision making, although younger entrepreneurs tended to attribute this to the Eurozone rather than the domestic ...

Tokyo's biggest trade fair, Tokyo Designers Week, sprang into action this year with a huge range of showcases and displays held at the Meiji Jingu Gaien in the Shibuya District. A rainbow-coloured "Hello Design" banner greeted visitors to the main show, and with two major themes - "House" and "Play" - there was plenty for design lovers to see and enjoy. Meanwhile across the city the design bug took hold wit ...

The fifth annual World Entrepreneurship Forum was held in Lyon, France last weekend (October 24-27), bringing together freelancers, small business owners, policy-makers and stakeholders to focus on new developments and sustainability. The main topic of discussion over the weekend was the idea of an "entrepreneurial ecosystem" in which small businesses could prosper and encourage more start-ups to flourish. ...

Whether you get most of your work done at home or in the office, it can be difficult to stay focused, especially when you're the only one who calls the shots! As the Harvard Business Review released some of its top tips last week, we've decided to put together some of our own favourite techniques. 1.      Get creative. If you're not invested in what you're doing, you'll never put all of your concentrat ...

A new survey by The Hartford insurance group showed that only one third of small businesses owners surveyed were feeling optimistic about the economy's development, down from the 61 per cent who felt the same way in spring 2011. Almost 60 per cent of the 2,000 asked stated that they had not added any new staff in the last 12 months, while 67 per cent had no intention of doing so in the year to come. About 5 ...

A review of HSBC's media strategy and creative agency requirements could herald the end of its relationship with Mindshare and JWT, as marketing director Chris Clark determines a new branding method for the banking group. The review, which is believed to be a closed one at present, is likely to look at its creative needs, and consider the possibility of appointing several creative houses rather than using j ...

Graphic art specialists Phaidon have put together a definitive compilation entitled The History of Graphic Design, containing 500 items which define the art form. The collection, which comes in a box and weighs over ten pounds, also come with removable fabric handles for easy transportation. The History of Graphic Design contains an array of different formats, including logos, books, typefaces, posters and ...

As stationery sales rise throughout autumn, fashion houses and graphic artists are starting a new trend in bespoke letterheads and business cards. While wedding dress designer Vera Wang has just announced her own range, many individuals are creating their own personalised styles in an attempt to break away from the norm. The new Vera Wang Fine Prints collection, produced by stationery manufacturer William A ...

 Photo-quality printing, otherwise known as high-definition reproduction, creates ultra-high resolution prints of intricate graphic design work. As digital media gets more sophisticated, printing processes need to keep up so that large-scale posters can be just as impressive, if not more so! To start with, the print must come from an image with double the normal resolution for print images - 2400dpi (dots ...