Tube Talk goes digital!

Tube Talk, Yorkshire Copper Tube's twice yearly newsletter, has had a digital makeover courtesy of the team at ICG.

It offers the same great content with all the latest news and product information but is much more dynamic and interactive.

A dedicated microsite, www.tubetalk.co.uk, now hosts the newsletter and all the past, printed, editions have been uploaded.

The whole team got involved to write, design, build and distribute Tube Talk to our database of more than 10,000 readers.

A competition to win an iPod is also being coordinated and managed by ICG and the entries have been flooding in.

Tube Talk was launched in 2007 with readers ranging from plumbers to merchants to educational establishments and apprentices.

Anyone wishing to join the ever growing mailing list can simply email tubetalk@icgonline.co.uk with their details.

Web Developer Vacancy

Due to continued growth we are looking to appoint a web developer to join our creative team.

Job Summary
The web developer will be responsible for the development of major and minor applications, the maintenance of existing websites as well as internal systems.

The successful candidate must be able to develop, test and deliver websites and web applications, perform defect resolution and implement enhancements on an ongoing basis, and have experience with best practices and design methodologies to ensure the success of projects.

The developer will be involved in all stages of the project life cycle, from the requirements stage through to integration and delivery.

Required Skills & Experience

● Minimum of 2 years of web development experience
● Practical experience in developing with PHP5, (x)HTML, JavaScript, CSS and SQL
● Practical experience with a CMS. Ideally Drupal
● Familiarity with or a desire to learn and use new technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3
● Ability to implement web designs from briefs and layouts from our design team
● Excellent creative, technical and analytical skills
● Ability to communicate effectively in both technical and business environments
● A desire and willingness to work in a collaborative, innovative, flexible and team-oriented environment to deliver quality work, enhancements and fixes to deadlines
● Knowledge of developing social media applications an advantage

To apply please send your c.v. by e-mail to simon@icgonline.co.uk

www.icgonline.co.uk

Lift off for the Retail Factor

The ICG PR team started the New Year with the launch of The Mall Blackburn's annual business competition The Retail Factor.

It gives budding retail businesses in the North West a fantastic opportunity to take their plans to the next level with a £10,000 prize package including two month's rent-free space and £500 towards stock.

Entrants can submit ideas until Sunday 12th February and management at The Mall will select a shortlist of entries to trial their businesses on an RMU (Retail Merchandising Unit) in The Mall Blackburn.

The judges will look at how innovative each business has been as well as taking into account trading results to select an overall winner.

The successful entrepreneur will then be entered into the national final against competitors from eight other Malls across the UK to be in with a chance of winning a place on the exclusive retail business course BHF-BSSA Oxford Summer School.

Last year's national champion, Sophia Patel, was our local entrant and she is now running a very successful Cupcakes and Cookies business in Blackburn Market in the lower level of The Mall.

Since the launch in the first week of January the coverage has been rolling in with the Lancashire Telegraph using the story as its business page lead and websites such as Blackburn with Darwen Council and the Lancashire Consortium of Enterprise Agencies uploading it to their news sections.