It's the student time of year again - all hands to the pump to get posters, flyers and cards ready for the various degree shows for our sister company Rocket - they didn't chase any student work this year but still seems to have landed a lot more than last year.

C'est la vie....

another new member of staff...

Things are getting hectic around here, so we've taken on a really cool member of staff - you could say 'laid back'. Karla seems to fancy him....

And yet another new Face...

The artist known as Neil has come on board as a coder, taking up some of the slack from Keiran (in particular) and myself (the old git).  He's only been here for a few weeks but is picking up our methodologies really well.

A new face at Paradox...

We have a new business development person in the shape of Emma Williams. Emma has had a broad experience in business development, but hasn't worked in our field before - so we've bombarded her with information over the last month. She seems to be handling it well and is coming very quickly up to speed.

Watch this space...

Changes at Cotton Street...

Well, we survived the first week without Lynne, who has gone on to bigger and better things at Johnston Carmichael's marketing department. Definitely a quiet place without her.

Maaj is still on secondment for her professional quals, and is going travelling for a few months next year, after her stint with GE is finished.

However, 'plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose' and we are re-organising to accommodate our new team members -names to follow soon.

The fly in the ointment with TIF...

Aberdeen Council is talking about financing Sir Ian Wood Square by the TIF method. It's very scary that they think that the business community is behind these plans - and very poorly thought out that the local businesses will pay the TIF - they won't, they'll just disappear off out of town. The businesses immediate to Sir Ian Wood Square are nearly all offices, they won't pay this. They'll just move as they don't need to be there. 


The area will then be a desert for 4-5 years while 'regeneration' goes on, and the only businesses willing to move into the 'new' hyper-inflated rented offices will be the national companies - again taking further individuality away from the city. Lastly, the roads will be completely locked up due to the Denburn bypass being closed for years and also Union Terrace itself - which will be central to the development going ahead. 


So Aberdeen business will again be the losers - has the AGCC thought about this when they bang on about being the voice of North-East business - they're not getting my membership next year for sure, and I don't think I'll be the only one.