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  • Refurbishment Project for Spital Hill’s Shop Signs Sheffield

    The regeneration of certain areas of Sheffield comes after a citywide strategy approved by Sheffield City Council that aims to support and promote local shopping centres. Because Darnall shopping centre was identified as having an unwelcoming environment, with a high number of badly-maintained, empty shops, money given to Sheffield Council by the Local Growth Fund was allocated to improve the area.

    Spital Hill is the next area of Sheffield to receive money from the Local Growth Fund to help to smarten up the area. There are several shops, restaurants and takeaways in the area that have run down shop signs Sheffield. Sheffield council’s spokesman for neighbourhoods Councillor Harry Harpham said “Spital Hill could be a thriving and successful district shopping centre. It has a strong community, a good range of shops and community facilities, and access to transport links – but it needs a helping hand to reach its full potential.”

    Refurbishment Projects in Darnall and Spital Hill

    Image Sign Studio have recently been involved in the regeneration of 47 independent shops signs in Darnall, a suburb in the east of Sheffield. As it was a £300,000 refurbishment project they really had their work cut out for them, as many of the shop fronts were in a poor state of repair, which was having a knock on effect on the area as a whole.

    The scheme aims to smarten up the frontages of the businesses to improve the overall look of the area. The idea is for the scheme to start the improvements off with the shop signs and frontages, and then encourage the local residents and businesses to get involved and invest in the community themselves.

    Shop Signs Sheffield from Image Sign Studio

    Image Sign Studio are delighted to be involved in the regeneration project in Spital Hill where they will be manufacturing and installing over 70 shop signs over the course of the next six months. They’ll be talking to businesses individually to find out what they want from their new shop sign Sheffield, and then making and installing signs for a variety of different businesses in the area. From illuminated shop signs to projecting outdoor business signs, their aim is to get the area looking smart and welcoming for what will hopefully be a new wave of shoppers coming into the area.

  • Fantastic Trimming Knife Blades

    Knife-Point are the leading supplier of knife blades to the Sheffield area and beyond and are well placed to offer advice on the merits of each of the products that they stock. Their trimming knife blades always come with great value attached to them and are continuing to satisfy a variety of different customers. With so many benefits related to them, it’s easy to understand why. Here’s a look at some of them:

    Do the Right Jobs with Trimming Knife Blades

    It’s vital that you have the sort of tool versatility that allows you to carry out the job you’re working on exactly as you want to. Knife-Point’s expertly-crafted trimming knife blades are offered in concave, straight and hooked styles so you can tailor your purchases depending on the sort of work that you need to do.

    Working to Maximum Capacity

    You can be sure that Knife-Point’s heavy duty trimming knife blades will be of the highest quality when they arrive with you. As they are manufactured in hardened and tempered carbon steel these blades are able to work to their maximum capacity even when put under immense strain. They can also make light of difficult conditions to make sure that the end quality of any work you do using them never suffers.

    To Match Manufacturer Handles

    Allegro, Shark and Stanley FatMax are just some of the makes of hand tool that these blades will fit to. Knife-Point know that each person will have a favourite manufacturer that they use and as such they understand the importance of providing choice to those looking for blades to match to all sorts of handles.

    The Top Supplier

    Knife-Point are the only supplier to choose when it comes to purchasing trimming knife blades. All of the blades that they stock are lightly oiled and packed carefully in cellophane wraps to ensure that they arrive with you in their optimum condition. As they are also made in Sheffield – the home of steel – you can be sure that they’ve been manufactured to the highest standard; as the people producing them have the best understanding of the industry around.

    Trimming Knife Blades, Snap Off Blades and More from Knife-Point

    Knife-Point stock and supply an entirety of blades suitable to meet the requirements of many different customers. They understand the importance of matching the right blade to the right job and will always go the extra mile to ensure that you receive access to the tools most relevant to you.

    With that in mind, their expertise isn’t simply limited to trimming knife blades. Planer blades, snap off blades – as well as Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades – can all be purchased from them; so you’re sure to be able to find the best tool for you. To find out more, you can speak to a member of their friendly team by calling 07737 133 030.

     

  • Flex Face Shop Sign Makers and Installers in Sheffield

    Outdoor flex face light boxes are effectively illuminated signs that are especially suitable for outdoor signage for retail parks, businesses signage, and shop signs Sheffield. In addition to being very robust and incredibly durable, they can be manufactured in a variety of different shapes to suit the branding of the business. They can also be used to create large illuminated letters for completely bespoke large format illuminated signs.

    Flex face signs are a great option because they are really cost effective. The system used to make them is simple and versatile, and unlike ordinary banner signs, they don’t need eyelets, which cuts maintenance down giving them a long service life. The banners are printed using a process that achieves high quality colour, which hold their intensity even when the LED lights are shining through them. The flex face ‘skin’ is tightened in such a way that it gives the impression of being one flat piece of panel signage.

    Shop Signs Sheffield

    As experts in shop signs Sheffield, Image Sign Studio recently had the pleasure of manufacturing and installing a flex face sign for the exterior of Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association on Meadowhall Road in Sheffield. They also had the pleasure of meeting Uriah Rennie, the retired English football referee who was born in Sheffield. Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA were formed in 1867, making them the first County Football Association in the country to be established.

    Flex Face Illuminated Signage

    Our expert shop sign makers made the sign from a fabricated aluminium box. A special machine called an aluminium bender was used to create a circle from the metal, in order to create the logo for the football association. A flexible printed PVC banner fascia was then used to stretch across the front of the light box and clipped in position to create a skin over the aluminium frame. This ‘skin’ was then lit from behind with a number of low energy LEDs to illuminate the banner graphic from the inside. The LED lights are cheap to run and create an outstanding effect for a high impact sign.

    For more information about the design and manufacture of a flex face shop sign for your business or shop sign Sheffield, contact Image Sign Studio on 0114 261 7617 to speak to a member of their friendly team.

  • Not Sure About Using Social Media for Your Business? You Need to Read This!

    The 10 most important lessons to learn when running your social media campaign for your business
    The 10 most important lessons to learn when running your social media campaign for your business

    Here at Seven Creative, we’ve been using social media for business since social media went mainstream, so it’s part of the marketing mix we understand very well.

    For virtually every business, having a good and consistent presence on social media is vital in terms of raising awareness, educating your audience, and generating leads – so it’s important to get it right!

    We see many businesses doing it well. However, we also see many, many businesses doing it badly, or even worse, not doing it at all! Therefore, we thought we should put together a quick list of the main areas your business needs to focus on when planning and implementing your own social media campaign.

    The 10 most important lessons to learn when running your social media campaign for your business

    1. Get to know your customers – you probably already feel like you know who your customers are but it’s still a very useful exercise to sit down with a pen and paper to really find out about them; create customer profiles, get to know them, find out what makes them tick. We’ve been setting up and managing social media campaigns for businesses for many years and I can’t stress enough how important the information you’ll discover during this exercise will be when it comes to creating the strategy and managing an effective ongoing social media campaign!
    2. Make effective use of your time – Let’s face it, nobody wants to waste time, and there is very little more demoralising than putting a lot of time into a project only to get no discernible return on that effort. Therefore, use what you found out about your customers during the profiling stages of your campaign to make sure you’re focusing your effort where it’s most likely to work.
    3. Measure your results – Find out what works best and do more of it. Find out works less well and do less of it. Now repeat. For example, ask your enquiries how they found you. Measure engagement and figure out what it was that increased it. Look at the stats. This is vital if you’re going to use your time effectively.
    4. Go to where your customers are – During the profiling stages you found out where your target audience is online – where they feel comfortable and ‘hang out’ – so go and meet them there. Get into those circles and make contact!
    5. Stop selling and start engaging – Nobody wants to be sold to! The adverts during the TV show are not why people are watching TV, they’re simply a tolerated inconvenience. People want to engage, be entertained, and to have their online experience enhanced. If you’re not doing that, you’re doing it wrong.
    6. Be responsive – Give people what they want, when they want it, and be there when they want to engage with you. Understanding your customer means you know why and when they’re online, where they are, and what they want. Cater for this and you’ll become an enjoyable part of their online experience. Don’t forget, however, this is a two-way street.
    7. Make a commitment – Get it in the calendar and stick to it. You need to commit to an hour a day for creating new content, timely replies to engagement, and maintaining a consistent presence. This needs to be a priority, even when you get busy at work. Having a social media presence is about creating conversations, not about advertising to people. Without this commitment, you’ll lose trust quickly.
    8. Remember your reputation – Focus on being available and providing excellent customer service, and your reputation will look after itself. It is, however, very easy to ruin your reputation if you’re not careful, and many of your customers will know this. Remember that you’re signing up to provide potentially public customer service, meaning you’ve got to do it very well!
    9. Don’t bother your friends and family – Creating an audience is tough, so for many businesses, the logical first step is to start by using your friends and family as your audience. But this is a bad idea. It is a sure-fire way to annoy people and be honest; are they even your target audience anyway? Instead, you should focus on creating an audience of your potential customers and leverage them to boost your audience further. If you’ve ever tried this, you’ll know it’s not easy. However, it is doable.
    10. Let the experts do it for you – Instead of letting social media get in the way of your main business activities, why not let the experts do it for you? With many years of experience we can set up and manage the whole ongoing campaign on your behalf, or even simply mentor you through doing it yourself.

    Whatever you decide to do, call us on 0114 383 0711 today for more information on social media campaign planning, setup, and ongoing social media management.

  • Countless Benefits Attached to Snap Off Blades

    Snap off blades are extremely useful as they are versatile enough for use across a variety of trades. It’s easy to see why they’ve proven to be so popular over the years and Knife-Point supply them in abundance. As industry-leading providers of knives and blades to customers in Sheffield and beyond; they form one of this company’s cornerstone products.

    Knife-Point have put together a little guide surrounding why snap off blades are well worth your investment. Reasonably priced and available in a wide variety of sizes; there’s no better place to get yours than from them:

    Extremely Versatile

    One of the strongest points of snap off blades is that they can be used by tradesman working across a variety of different industries. Graphic arts, crafts, packaging, flooring and roofing are just some of the many fields of work that these tools are used within; so you can be sure that you’ll be purchasing a knife that’s up to the standards you require.

    Variety of Size

    Knife-Point stock these blades in a whole variety of sizes. 9mm, 18mm and 25mm are just some of the blade lengths that you can access through them; giving you the freedom of choice you need when it comes to choosing a products that you know will enable you to carry out the quality of work that you require.

    Great for Saving Money

    One of the most attractive features of these blades in comparison with competitive tools is that you can save money thanks to the fact that these particular types of knives are long-lasting. With sections that literally ‘snap off’ when you require them to; it’s like you’re using a new blade over and over again.

    Highly-Convenient

    As sections can be broken off as and when they become unusable, the need to look for new tools and frequently change your blades is removed. This is a real positive, as it can save you time and allow you to focus your concentration on the task in hand. When you need to, just snap off the used section to reveal a brand new cutting edge.

    Snap Off Blades Top Quality from Knife-Point

    All of Knife-Point’s snap off blades are impressively sharp; guaranteeing that the work that you carry out with them will be of excellent quality. With blades manufactured from hardened and tempered carbon steel, the versions of this tool that they supply are absolutely uncompromising in the quality that they deliver.

    Planer Blades and Swann Morton Knives

    It may be that you need more than just snap off blades. If this is the case, Knife-Point can definitely help with their impressive supply of knives. Planer blades – as well as Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades – are just some of the many more examples of tools that you are able to purchase from them. If you’re interested in finding out more, you can give them a call on 07737133030; or drop them an email to sales@knife-point.co.uk.

     

  • These Stanley Knife Blades Safety Tips Are Great

    Knife-Point supply Stanley knife blades to their customers and have been doing so for many years. The blades are suitable for use across a variety of trades; making them highly appealing to a number of people. They deliver consistent quality and it’s little wonder that they’ve consistently proven to be so popular.

    When implementing Stanley knife blades during working tasks it’s absolutely essential to stay safe. You can do this by following the advice of Knife-Point, who have generously put together this safety guide for you to follow:

    Locking Stanley Knife Blades

    First and foremost, it’s essential that you ensure that replacement blades are locked into place when it comes to changing your Stanley knife blades. As long as you fasten the sharp end to the handle, you’ll be able to ensure total control over the job that you’re carrying out.

    Knife Retraction

    It may sound simple but plenty of people have been hurt simply because they’ve not remembered to draw the blade back into its handle after use. If you leave it showing, someone could easily be cut; so this is advice that’s well worth making part of your routine when using any sort of blade.

    Sharp Blades

    A worn blade can spell trouble. If you’ve not changed your existing blades for a long time, you’re running the risk of slippage during implementation. By frequently changing your tools, this problem can be avoided to guarantee that you remain in total control. If the blade is tearing rather than cutting, it needs replacing.

    Pull the Knife Towards You

    When making a cut on a flat surface, it’s vital that you pull the knife toward you; rather than pushing away in the opposite direction. Again, it’s all to do with remaining in control of the work you’re doing. According to advice on the Stanley website; “a pulling motion is stronger and more positive than pushing the knife away from you and the knife is less likely to slip.”

    Have Patience

    If you’re in a rush, it can be tempting to speed through the work that you’re carrying out. It’s always more important that you take your time; particularly when it comes to cutting thicker materials. Show patience and cut deeper into the material with each pass.

    Adopt the Correct Position

    Another useful tip is to kneel or stand to one side of the line of the cut you are making. This advice should be applied when you’re making cuts on a surface below you.

    Knife-Point Also Supply Swann Morton Blades

    Top quality products, choice of blades and long-lasting tools are some of the many benefits attached to the knives that Knife-Point supply. Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades are just two examples of the countless reputable cutting tools that you can buy from them.You can reach Knife-Point on 07737 133 030 or 07737133030.

     

  • 5 reasons why having good website hosting might be more important than you think

    Website hosting is one of those things many people take for granted – the website is live, the emails are working, so all is good. The truth is though, you may not realise the difference getting good quality website hosting can have on your business or the potential problems you may have exposed your business to. Here is a list of my top 5 main reasons why you may need to rethink your website hosting

    1. If something goes wrong, you might be left high-and-dry. Hard drives die, websites get hacked, and software conflicts arise, etc. but does your host provide immediate telephone technical support? Chances are not. Cheap hosting is cheap because corners are cut, and one of the first places to cut costs is on the support side of things. How many enquiries will you miss if your website is down for a few days? How will your business’ reputation fare? There are few things more frustrating than finding the only way to get through to technical support is on a ticket system and not getting a reply for 2 or more working days. Making sure you have good quality technical support is a must.
    2. Google uses information about your web host within its algorithm to determine where you should appear in the search results. Yep, Google is very clever these days. Gone are the days of being able to manipulate the search results to get your site to the top of the first page. The only way to do it these days is using best practice in all areas of your site. Chances are, your site will be hosted outside of the UK which is not good news from a ranking point of view. Making sure your site is hosted in an appropriate geographical location will improve search engine ranking
    3. How quickly your website displays is very important to both Google and your site visitors. Cheap hosting will generally be on an overloaded and under-spec server in a foreign country. All of these things are bad individually but when you get them together, it can massively affect how your site displays causing ranking problems and annoying your site visitors. Good quality web hosting will improve usability and therefore website conversation rates
    4. You have a legal obligation under the data protection act to take appropriate steps to keep certain data stored securely and this includes on your website. You’re probably currently just hoping your web host is taking care of this but what happens if they’re not doing it properly? In fact, where is the data geographically? I’d recommend auditing what sensitive information you have stored online and make sure you can demonstrate you’ve taken the steps to keep it secure.
    5. When you’re on a shared server, you’re site is sitting alongside probably hundreds if other sites – and you have no idea what those sites are or what content they contain. Your IP address will be shared too meaning there is a whole host of potential problems here. We’ve seen peoples sites added to blacklists via IP through no fault of their own and we’ve seen whole servers compromised due to the actions of another site owner on the same shared host. One day you could be doing well, right up there on page one. The next day, you’re gone from the rankings altogether and suddenly the phone stops ringing. Avoid cheap hosting to avoid the shared server potential pitfalls

    Not happy with your current website hosting? Did you know we do a free website migration service? This means we’ll move your site, database and email services to a good quality and appropriate server all for free

    Our fully managed web hosting also includes all email services (IMAP, POP3, SMTP, webmail, etc.), spam protection, virus protection, technical support, and rolling 6 hour / 7 day backups.

    Call us now on 0114 383 0711 for more information

  • Choice and Quality with Swann Morton

    For the best knife blades around look no further than Swann Morton. Their excellently manufactured products can be purchased from Knife-Point; who are a well-renowned supplier of the blades. Based in Sheffield, they also deliver to a variety of other locations – making them popular with a whole host of individuals.

    It is their Swann Morton blades that commonly prove to be one of their most popular client purchases and with so many benefits attached it’s easy to see why. So that you can find out more about how these knife blades can benefit you, Knife-Point have put together a list of 3 common groups of people using them:

    Group 1

    Swann Morton knife blades can be utilised by those working across a number of professions; with graphic design, architecture and flooring just some of the many diverse examples. The fact that they can be applied to so many different tasks forms a big part of their appeal.

    They can assist when it comes to carrying out tasks that require the utmost accuracy and are sure to leave you and your client satisfied with the end results after they have been utilised.

    Group 2

    Hobby-crafting has become a popular pastime and Swann Morton’s brand of knives are often the tool of choice for people carrying this hobby out.

    Whether you’re a card maker looking to carefully-cut individual pieces for your final design; a model maker who needs each of the pieces of your overall design to be absolutely perfect; or a photographer accurately cutting prints; Swann Morton’s knife blades can help in every way.

    Group 3

    For those designing models that need to impress tutors, products that need to secure them good grades and many other tasks which require the best tools in order for them to shine.

    The accuracy that comes attached to Swann Morton blades also makes them incredibly appealing to such students. Those studying architecture, graphic design and textiles are great examples of the sort of people who regularly implement these products and it’s easy to understand why..

    Stanley Knife Blades and Swann Morton Particularly Popular

    Even if you can’t see the blade you desire throughout the Knife-point website, they’ll often be able to source the one require. Whatever your requirements, be sure to give them a call today.

    Their product choice from great UK manufacturers doesn’t just stop with Swann Morton. Stanley knife blades and snap off blades can also be found it plentiful supply; so you’re bound to find the right tool no matter your trade.

  • Increase Sales from Your Retail Shop with an Illuminated Shop Sign Sheffield

    Low Maintenance LED Lighting

    LED illuminated shop signs are extremely low maintenance. With their long life spans and excellent energy efficiency, it’s easy to understand why they have fewer maintenance demands than other systems. LEDs never burn out and they are easy to clean. As they don’t need any major protection from the elements, they are perfect for outdoor environments such as on shop fronts.

    Greater Design Options With Illuminated Shop Signs

    LED lighting is very versatile and offers a wide range of design options that just aren’t available with neon and fluorescent signs. LEDs are composed of multiple, separate lights, as opposed to glass tubes, and can be programmed to flash, fade, or even light up!

    Increased Visibility

    As well as drawing attention to your retail premises, light makes things easier to see. So whether you want to give customers who are trying to find you a helping hand, or attract the attention of passersby, lighting a sign can help.

    Get Noticed at Night Time

    If your shop is open at night, a lit up shop sign will attract business. But even if your business is only open in the day time, illuminated shop signs serve as a silent billboard to people passing on foot or in vehicles in the evening, and they may wish to return during normal working hours.

    Energy Efficient LED Lit Signs

    The LED bulbs used in our illuminated shop signs are guaranteed for 50,000 hours, and very cheap to run, especially when you compare them to conventional fluorescent tube lighting. Not only do LEDs outlast other bulbs, they don’t have any gases that can leak out and cause dimness, so they maintain a better level of brightness throughout their life spans. We use reliable electrical components of the highest quality, so that your shop sign will always shine brightly!

    Now that Christmas is over and the New Year has begun, you may be turning your attention to increasing sales from your retail shop by getting noticed on the high street. Illuminated shop signs Sheffield are a fantastic way to overhaul the look of your retail premises that will ensure you not only make a great first impression, but also that you stand out from surrounding businesses.

  • Replacing Your Handheld Planer Blades

    By following a few simple steps, you can easily change your handheld planer blades. Knife-Point are experts in knife supply and are well placed to advise on such matters. They have been the industry leader in the Sheffield area for a number of years and have put together an extensive guide on how to efficiently change your planer blades:

    Cut the Power

    This is an absolute necessity. To ensure your safety when you’re carrying out a change of blades, always make sure that the power supply is disconnected to the device. Changing the blades whilst the device is live is an absolute no.

    Loosening and Removal

    Next, gently loosen the bolts or fasteners on your handheld device. You don’t need to completely remove the fastenings and easy blade removal will be possible through the initial loosening. Make sure that you take care when removing the blade as it’s likely to still be very sharp. You can then spin the cutter head round and repeat the process on the other side.

    New Knife Blades

    Once you’ve removed the existing blades you can then replace them with your new planer blades. To do this, gently fit the new blade with the shape of the planer blade groove and slide it into place. Hold it in the position where you would like it to remain, then take your wrench and loosely tighten up the outer two bolts on your handheld planer – simple.

    Be Careful During the Tightening Process

    Taking care during the tightening process is essential. The new blade will be extremely sharp so don’t rush through the replacement process. Before sliding the blade into place you may also need to remove any resin that has been left behind. You can do this using paraffin and oil or by gently scraping the debris away.

    Correctly Align

    Finally, you need to verify that the knife blade is central in relation to your handheld planer. This is essential, as it will prevent the knife from rubbing on the edges of the machine. Once this has been guaranteed you can finish tightening the bolts. Again, simply repeat this on the other side.

    Stanley Knife Blades and Planer Blades from Knife-Point

    Knife-Point stocks fine grain tungsten carbide planer blades suitable to fit planers from reputable manufacturers such as AEG and Black & Decker. They understand that everyone needs plenty of choice when it comes to deciding on their new tools and once you purchase from Knife-Point for the first time you’re sure to go back to them.

    To find out more about any of their knives and blades you can pay their website a visit at www.knife-point.co.uk. Alternatively, if you’d like to reach them for a chat you can give them a call on 07737133030, where a member of their dedicated team will be waiting to take your call.