I started writing about 2009 and it soon turned into an armchair rant about the recession, the media, cashflow, resellers, franchising, negotiating with investors, considering merging with a company and then deciding not to, having a BIG rant about accountants, calming down because we’ve found pearls through 4Networking who now help us in the shape of Martin Radford and Wayne Searle. Then I turned to business consultants and then consultants in general which led me to twitter guru’s and then I had to go downstairs to get a cup of tea and ruddy well calm the feck down.

Then there was Eddie and Brad Burton and the dance off’s, Brad Burton in general, referencing us in his book GET OFF YOUR ARSE for being creative – how proud I have been of Eddie and how much he has grown – his career as a dancer in general, as a networker. All about his fear over the idea of selling on his own as I leapt back into the studio while Charlotte leapt from production into the accounts department.

There was car sharing with Charlotte and crying with laughter, dog racing and everyone’s comments about the one’s that had a pre-race poo being lighter. Ryan upsetting Charls with his “Eddie Who?” t-shirt at the dance off. Looking for new offices – laughing at the estate agent lady who claimed it had “the best view in Grantham” when it overlooked a car park and some oil tankers. Meeting dragon’s den chappie, Andy Harsley who invented the rapstrap who then became a client, and, soon after, our work being acknowledged by Duncan Bannatyne on iPlayer – (I say “that’ll do for me” whenever I can) Meeting rugby legend Rory Underwood at our 4 Finkin Street opening who turned into a client too – very nice chap.

Meeting Liselle (marketing genius) through our efforts to support the lovely Tarnia with her epic Heroes Festival. Me saying to Adrian Johnston that his war story about the navy, army and airforce working together to clear a hemp field being a joint operation to which replied “corny, but I’ll let you have it” and thinking I’d blown it altogether but getting an email the next day from Liselle asking us whether we’d be interested in pitching to rebrand Newark Showground. Meeting my first MP Patrick Mercer who, when I said hello boomed “AND YOU ARE???” this was “AND YOU ARE??” 1 of 2 for the year.

Having my budgie – Ron Bugundy stolen from under my nose when under the influence and receiving two poison pen letters that ordered me to do something for charity, which I did, but never got Ron back. Sniff.

Seeing Eddie’s face light up when the army, navy and airforce recruitment chaps came over for training and signing his Combat Survival books. Winning an award for being nice to placements. Kyle dressing up as a tortoise. The warrior getting bigger and the cat collar he has to wear when he exercises in the studio.

Then there was the dark realisation that we’d have to scale down the business for three months, reducing three folkers weeks down to three days and the horrible truth that someone had to go altogether.

Then I was going to write about meeting organisations locally that had always had a aura of mysticism about them. Big guns like Chandlers Oil & Gas, Belton Woods and South Kesteven District who approached us and turned out to be lovely people. Chandlers kept visiting us and bringing sweets and red bull.

Then I realised the danger with acknowledging one client over another would probably upset someone as folk acknowledgements loomed too.

So I thought, NO, keep it neat, and to the point. No waffle Marson. You see how people yawn and glaze over…

So here it is…

Happy Christmas everyone, this year has been ruddy hard but equally awesome and surprising. Everyone who has helped us to not only stay afloat but continue to grow know’s who they are and Ed and I heartly appreciate everything that has been done for us.

Here’s to 2010 :)

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimeerafolk
See all the photos since we started taking photos: www.flickr.com/kimeera
Follow us on Twitter @kimeerafolk

So, here she is http://snurl.com/o39nc a whole bloomin’ year later. Now it’s very important you vote if that’s alright because it got mighty messy last year what with one thing or another. There’s a poll bottom right of this page so get click clicking and help justice to be served on a warm plate of cabbage or however the saying goes ;-)

Lots of love,

THE FOLKERS AT THE RANCH

Today (or Thursday 16th April depending on when you’re reading this) we reached 2000 unique views of our office dance off on YouTube.

We still haven’t agreed on who’s idea it was to take a break from our day jobs – website & graphic design, but we’re still chuckling now – and so are a lot of you, which is fantastic feedback! Thank you!

AND with only 3 months to the 2009 extravaganza, the Kimeera folkers are already rehearsing. Well I am.

Anyways, thanks for watching and if you haven’t seen it yet – please take a look!

Take care,
Eddie

P.S. I clearly won – and it has nothing at all to do with me closing the poll once I’d received the most votes. Nothing at all!

Kimeera has been nominated for working in partnership with Lincolnshire & Rutland schools and providing high quality work experience placements. Their words not ours by the way!

Remarkable really considering we usually place them next to Ryan!

All companies recommended for the award will receive a signed Investors in Education certificate (yippee)!

The ceremony is Thursday 30th April in The Drill Hall, Lincoln.

Feeling a colossal sense of deja vu here but, Kimeera need a further web developer!

Sorry for sounding a bit techie and recruitment-like, but we need someone with the usual knowledge of building static and dynamic database driven websites to current web standards using hand-coded PHP/XHTML/CSS/SQL/JavaScript and AJAX technologies. Photoshop/Illustrator knowledge would be ace too.

We’re ideally looking for someone with a bit of commercial experience, especially with e-commerce, but if you’re a superstar graduate then don’t be afraid to get in touch. The vacancy is at the Grantham office in Lincolnshire.

Please give us a call on 0845 260 60 57 (we’ll call you back) if you have the skills!

Oh, and NO agencies please.

Love you already.

Eddie
R&D Director & Co-Folker

Image created by Matt Allen – Twitter Profile

Coming back from my skiing holiday I felt upbeat about returning into the Kimeera nest. I was looking forward to seeing my fellow folkers, telling them the great tales from my holiday adventure like only a wise man like me could tell.

I arrive at the office; early I might add, open the door and see that the office layout has changed. So I say hello to my good friend the tebbster, and ponder around the office to find where my new desk is.

I finish walking around the office and can’t seem to find a position for myself, this is not good news one of the voices in my head tells me. Then the tebbster, looking startled, arose to his feet and bellowed “Hawk, Master Benbow, I think yee is sitting over yonder” and with his walking stick pointed to a desk far far into the abyss.

I travelled many meters, through dark forests, Rocky Mountains, shark infested fish tanks and past Leona’s volcanic heaters to arrive at my remote desk, which may as well be positioned in the car park!

A couple of days later a new desk is built and put onto the space where the rest of the office males are situated, and looking through my powerful binoculars, I think, this could be my chance. So I write a message, tie it onto one of my carrier pigeons and send it across to the evil Charlotte to enquire about this desk, hoping that maybe I can sit there.

Minutes later a rock hits me on the head; I suffer a mild concussion, but manage to get my wits about me and I notice that there is a message attached to the rock, which says “Stuff you Ryan, even though you are an extremely attractive man, you can stay where you are and never return” which was signed with Charlotte’s signature.

Throughout the past days I have tried many different tactics, and have made a good case to return back into the office. I have created a facebook group, shed many tears, fought a lion, ate an entire table, danced the river dance with a sword in my mouth, jumped through fire, swam with 3 sharks and have even touched robs beard (not nice).

So if you think this torment should end and that I should be allowed to return into the civilised world, please vote for me in our online poll, and I will be extremely grateful.

Loves and Kisses, your favourite folker

Ryan Benbow

Now when my mum wants to decorate, she usually instigates it by peeling little, very noticeable, bits of the wallpaper away. She does this because it kicks my dad (well Charlotte really) into action, because they simply can’t stand it.

Why am I telling you this? Well as you can see, our new site is up and running, but there are still little bits of the old wallpaper about and the odd bit of gloss still not quite dry. BUT, (and here’s my point – eventually) now it’s up, there’s going to be that subtle kick of motivation to get it sorted! We’ve been engrossed in the farmers’ garden story for far too long!

We’re really interested in your feedback too – so let us know by adding your comments below. Be nice though pretty please eh!

Lots of love, Eddie
R&D Director & Co-Folker

Happy New Year and all that – seems soooo long ago now though! When do we stop wishing everyone that?

Anyways…

Potato? Tomato?

Just before we broke up for Christmas, we sent our clients a Merry Christmas and thank you for 2008 email newsletter. Whilst we were writing it, we began noting down the achievements of the year, hopefully not in an anal-gazing kinda way, but more to let everyone know how they’d contributed to an amazing year for us. In case you missed it…

• Grantham Journal, Business of the Year Runners up after 1st try!
• 4 to 12 folk increase
• New office expansion
• Major audio-visual investment
• Business coaching investment
• In-house development team
• 308 free muffins provision for downhearted business folk
• Stephen Fry review of B&T
• YouTube Dance Off fever
• Major pet investment
• Kimeera rebrand
• Tripled turnover

When I look back now to this time last year, I’m pretty sure no one could have forecast what we’d go on to achieve (well except for Scott probably). What is clear to me, is that there are things you can plan and prepare for (of course), but there’s so much that you can’t. I don’t want to write on about the credit crunch, there are far better qualified writers than I to do that, but I am so optimistic right now, more so now than ever and when next Christmas comes along, I’m hopeful that there are even more collective achievements to pat our clients on the back with!

Also, we promise to get our new site live before February!!! A case of plumbers bathroom I’m afraid.

Eddie.
R&D Director and Co-Folker.

Over the weekend my Mother-in-Law passed me a load of magazines that she thought I’d like. She did good. One article in particular from a design company in York really caught my eye. In very few words, Mat Lazenby summed up perfectly what’s been in my head recently…

Welcome to the Party

Ever been stuck at a party with the guy who thinks life is against him, never quite getting the job he wants, football team always losing, moaning that the weather is too hot or too cold, never seeing the good in people?

Well guess what, were all stuck in a dingy corner with that loser, he’s called the UK media.

The new topic of doom-bringing is of course the UK economy, recession, depression, economic crisis etc. etc. If there’s one thing more damaging to the economy than a downturn, its people losing their confidence. Unconfident people find it hard to act decisively, they find it hard to meet new people – its the same with businesses.

One of the reasons we’ve seen such incredible growth in the Creative Sector over the past 10 years is a massive influx of bright, sparky and above all confident businesses punching way above their weight. The cost of entry into the creative sector has also dropped dramatically over that period, making it relatively easy for 1-2 person businesses to set up with little risk – the companies that have stood the test of time and will go on to weather this particular economic storm are those who can run a lean and effective service that retains its creativity and confidence.

As far back as 1942 Joseph Schumpeter passionately argued in his book Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy that recessions are a necessary evil in capitalist societies. He states The “job” of a recession is to clean the “fat” out of the system, mop up excess, and pave the way for the next expansion. Until that process is complete, there isn’t much from which a legitimate expansion can arise.

During these uncertain times it pays to go back to where you started, what was the original motivation behind the business, dust off the vision statement and return to that business plan. As a design business LazenbyBrown help companies locate and promote that special something about them, the unique service, approach or product that sets them apart from their competition. If you can place this uniqueness centre stage and make it the reason people do business with you it can have a profound effect on the strength of your business.

So, don’t listen to that loser at the party, be confident, be smart and meet the future head on.

Mat Lazenby, Director of Shambles-based design company LazenbyBrown
www.lazenbybrown.com

The article is taken from October’s issue of Beyond York magazine.  www.beyondmediagroup.co.uk

A baking hot evening saw the inaugural Kimeera Dance Off, where dashing outfits met shameless misfits.

Eddie ‘Shake what ya momma gave you’ Johnson, Charlotte ‘Cha Cha’ Johnson, Thomas ‘Too cool for skool’ Goodwin, John ‘Poppin n Lockin’ Pilgrim*, Scott ‘Snake hips’ Marson and Katherine, Robert ‘Soft Shoe Shuffle’ Smith, Ryan ‘B-bop’ Benbow, Leona ‘Jazzmatazz’ Preston and Matt ‘Electric slide’ Simes leaped through the  expensive glittery curtain and onto the dance floor with one thing in mind – to be crowned Kimeera Dance Off Champion 2008

Sit back, relax and enjoy the grooves…

*For sheer amazing attire, John gets my vote!

Just to let you know we’re delighted to announce that we’ve been appointed to the LMG (www.lmg.uk.com) account after a series of creative pitches involving a large wedge of Kimeera folk. LMG do lots of exciting things including field marketing for leading brands in the drinks industry including Bacardi-Martini, Magners, Britvic Soft Drinks, BOC, and Ernest & Julio Gallo. They chose Kimeera over a string of other agencies which makes us especially proud. Interestingly LMG’s marketing manager, Stevie Hudson found us via the bloomin’ internet of all places! As the work is hush hush at the moment we can’t show you any of the pitch but will upload it as it’s released into the wild ;-)

Scott