Category: News

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2014-12 Star Business Monthly coverage pg 8

Thousands of South Yorkshire 16 year-olds must have felt their future hopes had either been raised or dashed by their GCSE results last month.

But Jackie Cook, marketing expert and Business Monthly’s new columnist, knows better than anyone that success in life is not governed by early academic achievements.

She left school at 16 and made her own way in life.

Says Jackie: “I’m proof there is a different career route to the traditional one of A levels and university route. In recent years there has been increasing emphasis across many industries for the need for practical and experience-based skills. It is something I care passionately about demonstrating to future generations.

“I didn’t want to stay on for A levels and go to university like most of my classmates. I wanted to be a secretary and left school to go to Chesterfield College for a year to study for the relevant qualifications. At 17 I was thrilled to get a job as an office junior.

“I worked for an American company based in Chesterfield and after a year I was approached by a larger local firm, The Beverage Company.

“I joined as Junior Secretary but by the time redundancy hit three years later I could cover five different office admin roles.”

She was unemployed for just a week before landing a secretarial and HR role with a Sheffield firm of accountants and business advisors.

When she became the company’s marketing assistant she started evening classes for her Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) qualifications, eventually gaining an MSc in Marketing Management at Sheffield Hallam, always studying in the evenings and on weekends around her full-time job.

In 2008 she went to engineering company DavyMarkham in Darnall, then to AVK UK, one of the world’s largest international valve manufacturing groups.

Armed with years of experience, she set up her own thriving company, CQ Marketing Services, which offers marketing and PR expertise to a broad range of clients.

Jackie is also a key face and facilitator at The Lyons Den, a LinkedIn based networking group set up by DavyMarkham’s former MD Kevin Parkin ,and Alan Lyons from Creative Sheffield.

She is aiming to give strategic marketing advice to SMEs looking for growth in her Business Monthly column, which starts in this edition on Page 11.

Since launching CQ Marketing Services in May 2012, the business has grown significantly with a range of high profile International SME clients servicing manufacturing, and IT markets.  We have also been working in partnership on several prestigious inward investment marketing projects.

Jackie Cook, Director, CQ Strategic Marketing said “We now need a brand which more accurately reflects our growing business and portrays the nature of our strategic approach to the continuous cycle of review of our clients’ marketing requirements.  This will ensure that our clients are always receiving value for money and that we both understand their products, services and markets.

We partnered with The Smart Station on the new branding and are delighted with the professional results.”

CQ work with business owners and managers alongside their overall business strategy to challenge and develop a creative, quality, consistent and proactive marketing approach directly targeted at the needs of their customers.

The CQ cycle is unique in that we require an in-depth understanding of your market and your strategic business position before planning and implementing your tailored marketing activity. This ensures consistency and that the agreed implementation is delivered by measuring and reporting success at every step of the campaign so continuous improvements can be applied consistently.  This is an important step which many businesses neglect, often with dire consequences.

LBBC Technologies are part of the Leeds and Bradford Boiler Co based in Stanningley, Leeds, the over 130 year old company supplies their trademark product Boilerclave, Leaching Autoclave and Core Leaching Autoclave to the Investment Casting industry and their QuickLock Door is also used as submarine hatch by BAE Systems.  CQ will be developing and implementing marketing plans in line with the groups objectives.

Helix Tools took an exhibition stand at the Conference and Trade Show as part of the highly successful Global Manufacturing Festival in Sheffield last week, Thursday 18th April.  The event which had around 70 exhibitors and attracted around 1,000 visitors was a showcase for the manufacturing capability in the Sheffield City Region.

Managing Director, Charles Robinson said:

“Thankfully we attended in numbers allowing us to deal with the huge interest in the Technology Supply Partnership. The GMF proved to be a perfect opportunity to link with High Tech manufacturing which is clearly prospering in our region.”

For more details on the company, please visit the newly relaunched website: http://www.helixtools.co.uk/

CQ’s new client, international print finishing machine manufacturers, Rollem, have been shortlisted for the Excellence in International Trade Award at the Sheffield Business Awards 2013.  Rollem recently moved into new premises at Tankersley which with double the floor area will enable the company to look for further growth and expansion.

Good luck to all the team at the ceremony on 1st February at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

The website for Sheffield Business Awards: http://sheffieldbusinessawards.org.uk/