The eagerly-anticipated day finally came when I made my way to Friars Street, Stirling for my lesson in The Music Spot. I was greeted by the friendly-faced owner of The Music Spot who gave me a warm welcome and introduced me to my instructor for the day. I was then set up with a violin and led to the lesson room at the back of the shop.

Once in the room I was shown how to hold the violin properly. I was then handed a bow and advised as how to hold that as well. Once I had them both in position, I had a strong secret hope that I would be able to play it instantly and that I was some sort of violin prodigy. However, I managed to remain humble about my innate gift as I was told I would be learning twinkle, twinkle, little star as my first song. As I tried to play the first couple of notes, it became apparent that I was not the next Joshua Bell (a real violin prodigy). I still sounded really cool though. After about ten minutes I was able to play that famous tune in front of The Music Spot owner, who was looking on proudly.

I was then asked by my instructor if there was any songs on violin that I liked and if I wanted to be shown how to play one. Apparently my rendition of twinkle, twinkle, little star really instilled some confidence of me in her.  The song I really wanted to play was the theme tune from the TV show Game of Thrones, as it had been stuck in my head for ages. My instructor wasn’t familiar with the song, but I was able to show her the tune on YouTube and she played it to me instantly.

This was by far the coolest part of the lesson for me. I did not expect to even play anything audible in my first lesson. But after about 30 minutes, I was playing the theme tune from my favourite show, sort of. I was told it was a fairly difficult song for me to learn on the first lesson. My tutor was able to split it up into parts though and after a while I could play the first verse. You can have a look at me playing it below. As much as I am a big fan of nursery rhymes, playing this song was the best part of the lesson.

So after a while of playing the song and trying to get it as best I can, the lesson came to an end. The experience was great overall though. The first positive thing I took from it was that I could now tick playing a song on the violin off my bucket list and I’m really glad I was able to do it. The next positive thing I got out of it was that I now know for sure that I do want to learn the violin. I plan on purchasing a violin as soon as I have the money to do so and if I can afford it, I would not hesitate for a second to buy a block of lessons from The Music Spot. My instructor was very nice and created a very comfortable environment. Her expertise was obvious as well when she was able to play the song I showed her with no reference to the music. The amount of skill I was able to acquire in such a short space of time can only be attributed to the teaching abilities of the instructor. The lessons are quite affordable as well. Each lesson costs £25 per hour. As much as that may sound like a lot of money to some, the amount that you can learn in such a short time is incredible.

I do appreciate that many reading this may be inspired by the video featured in this blog. However, violin isn’t the only instrument that Music Spot offer instruction in. The Music Spot offer lessons on a variety of instruments including guitar, percussion and drums, cello, bass guitar, banjo, mandolin, viola and more. So if you have an instrument that you’ve always liked but not had the confidence to go and try out, I urge you to do it now with The Music Spot. With lovely people and technically great musicians, it’s the perfect place to give it a go.

To have a chat with Vitor about anything musical at The Music Spot call (01786) 448630

or email info@music-spot.com

~Written by John McCafferty ~

Last year I realised that I wanted to go to the Grad Ball, I wanted my make-up done, my hair-up and my nails done but I priced it up and just didn’t think it was possible…however, I went to have a chat with a few of the local salons and spa’s and struck up a deal – Graduation Ball Packages. This year we have done the same for all your lovely people graduating so check out our fantastic deals below and remember to quote ‘Adspad’ when booking to get your discount.

Mandarin Hair in Riverside – only a short walk from town – will be offering the following deals on hair-do’s:

Hair-Up for ONLY £25

Blow Dry for UP TO £15

Let’s not forget the guys…why not impress your lovely lady (or get that cracking hair-do to attract a lovely lass at the ball) by getting a cheeky hair cut for a tenner.

And to make your experience that extra special, enjoy a complimentary glass of fizz during your appointment.

Call (01786) 473 557 so you don’t miss out!

Sonas Beauty Spa in Stirling will be offering the following deals on treatments including make-up, nails and tan:

15% off if you book any two treatments.

20% off if you book any three treatments.

Call (01786) 6469777 so you don’t miss out!

And last but not least, Grant Cairns Photography will be on campus to take group photo’s of you and your friends all dolled up at your choice of location – maybe a picture by the loch, or in the halls you first met?

Typical Package (group of 6):

6 Individual 8*10 portraits and 6 Group pictures (all mounted).

Plus a high resolution copy by email.

All mailed to you for only £22pp.

To book your appointment now visit facebook.com/GrantCairnsPhotography!

Happy Graduating,

Jodie x

Before my day at Go Ape yesterday, I think my only other experience of outdoor activities was at trips away when I was at High School. And as much as I enjoyed going up North when I was younger to go rock climbing, abseiling and other things of that nature, this type of activity is not something I have put high up on my list when I have planned days out or holidays as I’ve gotten older.

My day at Go Ape however, as much as it’s a little different from rock climbing and abseiling, brought back they memories of being outdoors and gave me that feeling of risk. The first thing I was surprised about was how close the location is. We were due to start at 1pm, so the Adspad team of Jodie, Scott, Ben, Tom and myself arranged to leave at 11am, for the proposed 1 and a half hour trek all the way to Aberfoyle. It turns out it’s only about a 35 minute drive from Stirling Town Centre.

So we arrived really early obviously, and had about an hour to wait until we started our “tree top adventure”, as the staff at Go Ape describe it. The first impression that we all got as we reached the Go Ape site was that the scenery was stunning. The centre is positioned in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth National Park which meant that our pre-adventure nerves were eased by an enjoyable view from the pavilion, admiring the landscape whilst watching others before us embark down one of the longest zip wires in the UK in order to enter the course.

When our turn finally came, we were equipped with our harnesses by the friendly staff and led to the zip wire to be given instructions on how to work our equipment. This was one of the things that impressed us all most; the fact that you were trusted to manage all your own safety equipment, and actually attach yourself to all the necessary cables in order to remain safe. We were given detailed advice (not guidelines) on how to attach all of the things attached to our harness, which were two coloured karabiners and something called a “pulley”, to the appropriate cables and in what order. After that, it was up to us to look after ourselves more or less. The idea of this initially made me fear for the safety of Ben’s life over the next few hours. Luckily the equipment is easy to understand and manage, which you find out as soon as a member of staff helps you go down the first zip wire.

After the first zip wire, you follow a path to get to the Go Ape obstacle courses, which are set up at about 30-40 feet in the air and accessed by ladders attached to the trees. Again, it was our responsibility to make sure we were all harnessed up correctly to all the cables to make sure we were safe. The course consisted of ladders, shaky bridges, more zip wires and tarzan swings. You had to complete these crossings in order to get to the next stage. Having the freedom to manage your own equipment 30 feet high in the forest allows you to feel like you’re part of a childhood adventure. The thing that struck me the most about being up there was how comfortable I felt with being so high up. A lot of the time I forgot I was so high until I looked down.

The course felt as if it got higher and more difficult as it went on. One of the last crossings consisted of a tarzan swing about 35 feet in the air that swung you down into a massive net. This was one of the more frightening obstacles, as you really had to trust the equipment enough to let yourself go and swing down. The rope took you down in a fast motion to land on a huge vertical net which you had to grab onto and climb up to finish the obstacle. Watching people swing down before us and bounce off of the net, and their reactions during it really built the obstacle up for us. There is an alternative route to this more challenging one, but we all motivated ourselves and took it on. In order for Jodie to cope with her fright when she was going down, she let out a scream at a volume that I don’t think any of us knew she was capable of.

This was the last obstacle of a very enjoyable tree-top adventure. After this, we made our way to the final zip wire that took us back to the main centre and start point. Due to the number of times we had attached our pulleys and karabiners; we all felt like experts on the last zip wire platform and attached ourselves to this last wire with the upmost confidence. This last wire felt significantly higher and faster than the first one and gave an amazing view of the beauty of the surroundings.

Later that night as I got on with my Uni work in the library, I thought fondly of how I had spent my day. I was glad to have been able to have such a new and unique experience without having to travel too far. After a couple of hours of typing in what was a popular night for students in the library, I took a minute to fix an irritation at my ankles. This irritation turned out to be pieces of bark from the zip wire landing platforms that had been stuck on inside of my sock, presumably from that first zip wire attempt and had been falling out onto the library carpet. So I recommend others who decide to take on this wonderful adventure to change clothes when they’re finished to avoid this embarrassment.

And remember, if you quote Adspad on the Go Ape website, you can get a 20% discount!

Good luck!

John.

In order to gain an insight into the experience of learning to drive with Jonathan Hill Adspad spoke to learner driver and Stirling University student Kirsty Merrilees. For Kirsty, the affordability of Jonathan Hill’s services was very attractive. She said that she was able to get “a really good deal” in comparison to other instructors she had looked at, with “more lessons for less money”. Indeed, as a student Kirsty qualified for a block of 20 lessons with 3 lessons free for only £396 at a discount of 10% saving her £156. She also said that she felt that this deal was “certainly value for money” as each lesson was “really comprehensive” with Jonathan taking time to provide clear explanations of manoeuvres and providing detailed feedback at the end of lessons.

When speaking more about the lessons themselves Kirsty described Jonathan Hill as a “very good instructor” not only because he “explains things well” but also made her feel “more comfortable” about the “scary” prospect of learning to drive. She explained that he “takes things slowly” and if she gets flustered will give her time to calm down then “break it down and bring it back to basics”. Furthermore, she commented that she is able to “get on well” with Jonathan which also make the experience less scary and more comfortable.

In addition to this, Kirsty commented that the car used for instruction by Jonathan Hill also contributed to making the experience less scary. She did have concerns about being in control of a vehicle before starting her lessons but found the car “easy to control” and “not too complicated”. Indeed, Jonathan Hill describes the full features and mod-cons of their instruction car (a Dual-Control Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi Edge (5dr)) on his website which states “not only has practical implications for driving, but also helps to keep a pupil relaxed.”  He also makes a commitment to the safety of the vehicle as part of his code of conduct, ensuring that it is properly maintained and road-worthy.  This was something which Kirsty said she found reassuring about learning to drive, especially in the beginning.

Overall, Kirsty, who still has 15 lessons to go, said that she feels like she has made “good progression so far” and has built up her driving confidence. She described her experience of learning to drive with Jonathan Hill as positive and one that she would recommend to others. Her experience is testament to the fact that a good instructor can make the road of learning to drive far smoother. True, a driving instructor cannot eliminate every bump along the way but with Jonathan Hill, he will ensure that you make it over that bump skilfully and successfully.

You can find further information on Jonathan Hill’s services and rates by visiting the website www.jhdriving.co.uk . You can also contact Jonathan by email jonathanhill@jhdriving.co.uk or call 07701039561.    

*Bought to you by Adspal Carron Dickson*

Ok back to reality, I hate to be the person that does it, but let’s be realistic “the idea” isn’t going to be the next Facebook and we aren’t going to be millionaires. Hold up! Where did that attitude come from? We may just have the solution for you. The Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) helps students to become more enterprising individuals and provides the tools to help you become… the next Mark Zuckerberg (the dude from Facebook). Each university has an intern who will not only promote the wonders of SIE’s services but they put on some fantastic events, run competitions and guide you to the fantastic business advisors (Hi Liz, Tom and Dawn) who can help you turn your idea into “the idea”. SIE is the ultimate hub for budding student entrepreneurs in Scotland. You may think I am biased because I worked for them for three years but they helped me found my first company My Health Cards and guide me through the process to win a few awards (handy for the business cash flow) and provide me with an amazing business advisor Liz! Then when I decided to leave that business to pursue my new business Adspad they also helped with that! You can’t get this kind of support anywhere else and thanks to them my business dreams have come true so why not let them help you? We decided to have a wee chat with an SIE intern to help you better understand what SIE can do for you.

Introducing the one, the only…Jennifer Tervit! Jen’s an inspirational student… not only is she doing a full-time degree at Stirling University, she has two part-time jobs, one of which is her SIE Internship, she is the Enterprise Office at the Stirling University Business Club oh and most importantly she is a Mum…yes guys and girls she is Superwoman! Did you think you would get to meet Superwoman? Nah didn’t think so…so if you get two things out of this blog one is that you could make your business dreams come true and two you get to meet Superwoman.

So Jen, what do you have to do at university as an SIE intern?

My job role consists of promoting the services SIE have to offer. You probably will see me standing promoting SIE in the university Atrium…handing out leaflets, promoting competitions and just looking pretty cool in my orange SIE t-shirt. I always try and come up with fun ideas to get students engaged with what we do which may be business competitions or idea generation games. I am actually organising an Enterprise Day soon to help promote the concept of being enterprising and potentially taking an idea you may have and making it real…watch out for it Stirling! There are interns in all universities so keep an eye out for them if you aren’t at Stirling as they hold similar events! Also, I am the Enterprise Officer at the Stirling University Business Club and this is a great club to join if you aren’t sure what path to take whether it be the entrepreneurial route or a corporate route. They hold different events and I also add in some enterprise events to vary the programme. The team try and get guest speakers in, play games, and there is a great mix of interesting people to meet! Check it out here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/140450321865/

Do you use social media such as Facebook to promote SIE?

SIE really encourages interns to use Facebook and Twitter to engage with students and let them know about events that are being held related to enterprise. Interns also regularly post articles that may be of interest to students that are not only focused on starting a business but how to get the skills needed to take into a job. SIE are great at showing where students can find funding for an idea they may want to take to the next level. This year I have introduced the use of QR codes (the square barcodes you may see around in random places) where students can scan straight through to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

To find you university SIE Facebook page follow this link:

http://www.sie.ac.uk/about-sie/contact-us/student-interns.aspx

Is it true SIE have competitions where you can win up to £6,000 every year?

The New Ideas competition is held every year for students to submit business ideas that aren’t a business yet but the idea is there. Loads of ideas are entered but don’t be scared because as Jodie said you could win up to £6,000. If you get through to the start-up day round you get to meet like-minded people and learn new skills to improve your idea.

We also run the New Ventures competition which is for more established ideas that may already be small businesses. You have to submit a business plan with this competition but don’t worry there is help along the way to really give you the best chance. There is a pitching round for each competition and then the winner’s are announced at the annual SIE Summit.

This really is a competition not to be missed!

This moves nicely onto the SIE Summit, what is it?

The SIE Summit is a huge event where like-minded students and business people get together to not only find out who won the competitions, but also to see some fantastic guest speakers. Last year the infamous Sir Tom Hunter spoke and amongst many others Mick Jackson from WildHearts in Action got the audience’s attention in an instant! This year Jim McColl and the guys who made all-in-one party costumes huge, Morphsuits, are speaking. If you want to be inspired then this is the event of the year so get booking your ticket now! Tickets are only a tenner and you get transport from universities not in Glasgow and your lunch! There is also a Young Entrepreneurs Panel who will share their experiences as a young entrepreneur! Get your tickets here:

http://siesummit12.eventbrite.com/?ref=elink

Ok so our student readers now know what to do during the semester but what about in the summer?

The SIE Bootcamp is held in the summer and it is amazing. I attended last year and it was such an incredible experience. It is really cheap and it includes your accommodation, food and not to forget all the workshops and training! I think I paid £30 last year which was the total for the 3-day intense course. The Bootcamp helps you develop your idea, meet great people, enhance your CV and I even won £250 for pitching my idea in the pitching competition. The contacts you get and the networking experience is out of this world!

So there you have it, all you need to know about the wonders of SIE and how they can help in many ways in making your idea become reality! Don’t forget to join the Facebook page at your university and hopefully see you all at the summit!

P.s. Check out the main SIE Facebook page too:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/scottishinstituteforenterprise

“The real world”: three little words that strike fear into the hearts and minds of most students; and as a graduate I know the real world can be a scary place. For some it is filled with the excitement and promise of new beginnings; for others it can be filled with uncertainty and a rapidly growing weight of expectation. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that for more and more students, experiences within the real world will be the latter.  The current economic climate and the sheer number of graduates per year means that many are now finding it difficult to obtain even a part-time job never mind the job of their dreams. For every one graduate job there is there is nowadays there will be several hundred students, with the same academic credentials, scrambling to get it: the simple truth being that a degree just isn’t enough anymore. Therefore, in order to clear the path to your dream job you will need to be able to offer something different that will make you stand out from the pack.

How, you may ask, are you able to do this? Well for students and graduates of the University of Stirling the Career Development Centre is on hand to help you on your way to career success and relieve you of your real world fear. Conveniently situated on the university campus, the centre offers a mass of services and events for the job hungry and career conscious and can even offer some reassurance for those suffering from real world phobia. Therefore, as a particularly career-minded graduate I decided that I would find out how the centre could help me by making an appointment with one of their career advisors.

On walking down the corridor towards the centre’s offices it was hard not to feel inspired by the plethora of posters presenting opportunities in every possible industry in locations across the world. When I entered the office itself I was met by a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere and one of the centre’s friendly staff members greeted me. Whilst waiting for the career advisor I looked around the room and noticed that there seemed to be a section dedicated to every conceivable career related issue. Yet, in spite of all this, I still felt unsure that they would be able to solve my own issue: being stuck between two possible career paths. Despite this, I was to be pleasantly surprised when I told the careers advisor of my predicament and he did not simply show me the door but spent the next forty-five minutes discussing my options. When the meeting finished I felt assured that I had many more options available to me than I had been aware of previously – in short, I had been given a clearer idea of which direction to take. Thus, for me having this opportunity to speak to someone in-the-know was extremely valuable.

However, as well as making an appointment with a careers advisor, the centre has a wide range of other services to help you take on the real world. Notably many of these services are all designed to be as convenient and accessible as possible in order to comply with the hectic student life style. For instance, those who want to chat to a careers advisor but don’t have the time for a full appointment or just have a quick question to ask, a drop in session in available from 11am to 3pm Monday to Thursday. Meanwhile those seeking part-time work can either head into the centre itself to visit their job shop or simply do it via the centre’s website from the comfort of their own home.  For the study conscious who worry that they don’t have the time for work experience whilst at uni, the centre even offers academic modules aimed to help teach you skills to boost your employability; some of which offer work placements.

The centre also put on a large number of events throughout the semester such as workshops on how to improve your interview skills and career forums with guest speakers from graduate employers. An upcoming event which may be of interest to those who want a taster of the centre’s services is the This is Your Life event. The aim of this event is to help students get the most out of their time at university, providing talks and information on a number of ways which students are able to achieve this such as part-time work, voluntary work, travel abroad and internships. There will also be representatives on hand from each of these areas to discuss your options or relieve you of any burning questions. This event is therefore a fantastic starting point for those who want to pave their way to employment after university and conquer their real world fear.

So whether in first year or fourth year the message from the centre (and indeed employers) is clear, don’t rely solely on your degree to get a job after university. Make the most out of your time and find that something that will help you stand out from the masses of graduates boasting the same degree. My advice to you, however, is to do it sooner rather than later as the real world is out there, waiting. Fortunately, the Career Development Centre will be there to help and guide you throughout so that when the real world does eventually come knocking you can open the door without fear.

To find out about their full range of services, the Career Development Centre can be found at 3A1 in the Cottrell Building.

You can also visit their website www.careers.stir.ac.uk.

The This is Your Life event will take place on the 27^th of February from 6pm to 8pm in the Crush Hall in the Pathfoot building.   

AdsPals  Ben & John, a hidden gem of a hairdressers in Riverside and a chalet party

Throughout  the maniacal four years of a student’s time spent at University, many essential appointments are reviewed and re-prioritised in a way that shall never be repeated in any future walk of life. Trips to the doctors are postponed (barring any slip ups), the bank manager’s sole purpose is to rip out a bigger hole in our jean pockets while the check-ups at the dentist; well, need I say more? It is the case that in our four years of detachment from the “real world”, the only secure entry into our diaries is the weekly appointment with the friendly bouncers and bar staff at our local nightclub practitioner: Dusk.

So why then does there exist, for both student guys and girls, one regular and essential body maintenance trip which we all lay heavy importance on and think of in high regard. A trip which we anticipate and worry about for days in advance and right up to the moment we cross the threshold of entry. A trip that we, financially poor and deprived students, are willing to spurn that extra pound and a penny in order to sustain our unique image. A trip to The Hairdresser.

Although small and conservative, our little community of Stirling seems to be somewhat of a metropolis for hairdressers and barber salons. It is true that there are more stylish clippers than clubs, more scissors than stethoscopes, more overalls than orthodontists and a far greater number of hair stylists than librarians in this town, as us students go to great lengths to find that perfect cut. Tourists could be forgiven for perceiving Stirling town as more hair-itage than heritage.

With such abundance in choice over a small area it would seem as if students here in Stirling have the same standard and variety of hairdressers to choose from as our counterparts in Glasgow and Edinburgh have for nightclubs. Furthermore, our choice is centred into one particular area of the town; our Oxford Street of hairdressing: Barton Street.

As I made the walk into town from Uni (plenty time for pre-cut composure) with my AdsPal – an awesome title for my Adspad colleague Ben – we willingly walked past Stirling’s hairdressing hub, where London prices are neighboured with industry novices, and headed to an unfamiliar but more pleasant location to embark upon our most important appointment of the week and possibly the month. Together we were headed for Mandarin Hair and Beauty in Riverside for a new cut and style experience.

On approaching Mandarin’s salon, we were unsure what to expect from a hair salon located out with the city centre. We were told that the hair salon was very easy to find. Our directions were…from the city centre, walk towards Riverside alongside the road, go straight, keep going straight and then you’re there. We predicted that it wouldn’t be quite as simple as that. As we made our way there from the town centre, we were pleasantly surprised as we walked to find ourselves on a beautiful path alongside the river bank. As we came to the end of the path which we walked along for around five minutes, we could not miss Mandarin with its distinguishable orange logo and matching company mini cooper, which Ben took a particular liking to. We then took the last steps of our short and enjoyable walk and entered the shop.

We were met by Mandarin’s owner Kim, who greeted us with a warm and welcoming smile. On a cold and typically wet Stirling day, it was great to walk into a warm and very relaxed atmosphere within the salon which was matched with Kim’s personality.

After we introduced ourselves we were asked which one out of the two of us was to go first. Due to the precise style and look that I have for my hair I decided that I wanted to go ahead of Ben. I was also aware that Ben’s hair would take longer as there was a lot more that she had to fix. I was admittedly a little nervous of getting my hair done at a new hairdressers, this nervousness was also added to by the fact that me and Ben were hosting a party in our flat that very night so I just wanted to get in and get it cut.

I was first taken to an area in the shop to get my hair washed by Kim herself. After this was done my hair was wrapped in a towel (which Ben found quite comical at the time) and sat down in front of a mirror to start the process of what we came for. When I described what I wanted for my hair – which in my mind I thought sounded a bit particular – she immediately understood what I was talking about. I suppose when I think about it, it’s not too surprising that an experienced hair dresser has heard requests for hair styles that are more odd than my short at the sides and back, but long at the top with the sides under-cut to the top with the fringe left long so it quiffs up but not too much etc etc etc.

Anyway, so my haircut began with me feeling significantly more at ease. I now attribute this to Kim’s professionalism. I was now able to speak to Kim while she was doing her work. Sometimes I find with certain hairdressers, when the hairdresser is concentrating and not speaking much, it can be quite an awkward experience. Kim however, seemed so fluent in cutting my hair that we were able to have a really good conversation.

The final product was a relief. My recent experiences with hairdressers have been at higher-end establishments that cost a lot more than a cut costs at Mandarin, yet I was extremely satisfied with the haircut I received. She cut my hair in a way that was exactly how I described beforehand and it looked great. I was able to sincerely tell Kim that I really liked it, which is a compliment that she seemed used to, and was able to sit down to wait on Ben go through the exact same experience with the knowledge that my hair looked good and I would definitely be a hit at our party, walking round the uni and beyond.

Manderin Hair offers students a cut and blow dry for £20 and free cut and blow dry with every colour. For guys, a stylish new hair cut for £10.

01786 473557

35 Forth Crescent

Riverside, Stirling

http://www.mandarinhair.com/

mail@mandarinhair.com

Hello Adspaders,

I thought it would be polite to update you with what has been happening with Adspad over the past two months. Things really have grown significantly which is really exciting. Firstly, we introduced our new product, a 3D table talker, to our range which is currently being trialled in Robert Gordon University. We have secured contracts with three Glasgow institutions (Glasgow Caledonian, Strathclyde and Glasgow School of Art) and will be launching in February with placemats and table talkers. We have been tinkering with our website too so please check it out to see regular Twitter and Facebook updates and our new products.

More exciting news includes 3 more team members. Scott Craig will be working on the operations side of the business and is getting all the systems in place for rapid growth. In his spare time he likes to go to Nando’s…well pretty much all the time! Ben joined us as a Business Development Intern and is now Account Manager to a few of our key clients. In his spare time he likes to speak Spanish and as a result will be helping us grow into the Spanish market (maybe…)! John recently came on board and he is also a Business Development Intern whilst also looking after some of our other key clients. In his spare time he likes to try and be fashionable…he tries! We have really worked on our customer relationship management and all our clients now have a dedicated member of staff to help them with their marketing needs.

Thank you for all your support,

Jodie and The Team

I am not usually someone that asks for money as I have been bought up to work hard and reap the rewards. However, at this time I would appreciate any help you may be able to give. I know that when I am fortunate in the future to do so I will also give back and help as much as I can to make other start-ups dreams become reality.

Please check out my crowdfunding project here:

http://www.bloomvc.com/project/aspad-reach-a-hungry-market

You can also follow Adspad on Twitter:

@adspaduk

Or Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/adspad.co.uk

And remember to have a giggle at my video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Fs4TiRnLI

Thank you so much for your support,

Jodie

It is quickly approaching Freshers Week and things are crazy here in the Adspad offices. We are launching the placemat in Stirling from September and will carry on reaching the hungry students at RGU in Aberdeen. We are also excited about the launch of our new product, our Freshers door hanger, and the exciting arrival of our mobile phone app which will change the way students link with local businesses. Our growth plans do not stop there and in the very near future we will be launching our new model allowing Adspad to spread throughout the UK whilst providing fantastic opportunities for enterprising students and young people.

I really am passionate about entrepreneurship and my dream is to be a successful business person. When I was younger I wanted a chain of companies throughout the world and believe that Adspad will help me make my dream become reality. If you are enterprising and innovative I would love to hear from you as our products could be coming to a university near you and you could be first in line to be a part of something special. My email is Jodie@adspad.co.uk – don’t be shy!

Follow me and the company on Twitter: jodie_hughes25 and adspaduk

Check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/adspad.co.uk