“Finance is at the heart of any business, and so having a complete, accurate and timely understanding of the key numbers is a vital step towards the continuing success and development. What’s almost more important is that business owners and managers have a real understanding and clear visibility of the key drivers of their business; that relatively small number of not necessarily financial measures that reveal what really makes a business tick – sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is all it takes. All of this of course needs measuring against a detailed operational and financial plan which reflects the strategic course that’s been set.

“I’m genuinely fascinated by businesses; by their variety, by the intellectual challenges they present, by their personalities and that of their owners and managers, and by the challenge of finding ways to add real value.”

We eagerly watched two of our team on television last night after our agency played its part in helping young people find employment in the city.

Ian Gunningham, our director, and Steve Watson, our design manager, appeared on BBC1’s regional documentary series Inside Out after being approached by the show’s staff who suggested that Plymouth artist Sean Eveleigh join Bluestone360 for a work experience placement which would be documented.

The documentary followed Sean, an out-of-work graduate, who was seeking to gain experience in the field in which he is qualified in order to make himself more employable. He came into our studio and was mentored by members of our team, who showed Sean how to achieve the most he could using his knowledge and skillsets.

Steve Watson said: “This is a really encouraging way for graduates to get to know the sectors they wish to work in better. We were delighted to guide Sean and help prepare him for finding work in the industry.”

The show aired last night on BBC1 at 7.30pm and can be watched online here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00xlvhb/Inside_Out_South_West_17_01_2011/

We have been celebrating in the office after winning a nationally acclaimed Golden Gramia award for our production of the latest Ginsters website. The 2010 awards took place last week at the Savoy Hotel in London and Tracy and Paul were proud to attend the event. The online category saw a great deal of fierce competition which has made our win even more rewarding!

Larry File, Brand Communications Manager for Ginsters, said: “The new site has been very well received by our consumers and by our retail customers. The messages about our local sourcing and quality ingredients are coming across loud and clear.”

At Bluestone360 we firmly believe that our creative team’s ability to produce such a high-calibre, brand-inspired website was fuelled by the excellent ongoing relationship we share with Ginsters and have maintained for so many years. We are proud to be associated with such an esteemed industry giant and look forward to collaborating on many more successful projects in the future.

Last week, Katie O’Neill joined Bluestone360 in the role of Account Manager. With a wealth of previous experience covering event management, marketing and PR, Katie is used to operating in a fast-paced environment. She has integrated herself into our client services team with ease and we are pleased to already see her working alongside some of our largest brands.

We welcomed Junior Designer Joel Avery back to the Bluestone360 team after he completed a work experience placement with us during his final term at university. Having graduated with a degree in Graphic Communication, Joel’s raw talent and passion for design and graphics proved he was exactly the right fit for the studio and, already, he is producing some fantastic work for our clients.

Recently, Amie Jones joined the team as our new Receptionist. Sitting front of house and bringing to the agency her six vital years of experience, Amie has shown passion for creating great first impressions for all who visit the Bluestone360 office. She is also becoming a key component of the administration team, dealing with many of our essential daily operations.

We were delighted to bring to life Tulip’s new range of pork snacks, which was launched after the global food giant spotted a niche in the savoury snacking market. We designed all packaging for the new brand, Wicked Pig, which targets the student and young person demographic and now rivals other big names in the meat snacking market. With four different flavour varieties – Firecracker Chilli, Southern Fried, Hog Roast and Sweet & Sour – Wicked Pig snacks can be found on shelves in Tesco and Morrisons stores nationwide.

Mark Grant is the newest addition to Bluestone360. He was offered the role of Junior Designer after undertaking a work experience placement with our design team. His creative passion and talent was very quickly recognised. Mark studied Graphic Design at Plymouth College of Art and Design and is using his knowledge and core skills to provide key studio support to some of our most senior creative staff.

Natasha Young has joined Bluestone360 as a crucial addition to our production team. Her self-inspired break into the creative industry five years ago has since seen her gain a broad knowledge of Design and Artworking. She has brought to the table eclectic creative understanding in both areas, providing an essential link between our production and design teams.

John Downie joined us after completing a work experience placement with our digital team. John graduated from the University of Plymouth in Business Information Management Systems and has joined Bluestone360 as a Digital Developer. With widespread digital knowledge, he provides central web and multimedia support, working at the forefront of many of our major projects.