How to run a business and survive - 5 thoughts of the day

A couple of months ago I heard about Business Mum Week and decided it was too good an opportunity not to get involved with.

As a result I’m hosting the Oxford Business Mum Week networking event, for mums who run their own business and juggle work commitments with family life. It will serve as a fantastic opportunity for people to meet face to face and share ideas, support and resources.



A week later, venue confirmed, invites out, and busily distributing leaflets around the local area, I started planning a radio interview, attendance sheets, feedback forms and so on – and realised that I’d inadvertently taken on another ‘little project’ which was rapidly becoming a big deal.

As someone who has set up their own business, you’re probably the type of person that does this. A lot. There are always new and exciting opportunities, ways to branch out, new areas to explore.

Sometimes though, it’s just not possible to do everything. The moment you give your acceptance to this fact is the moment you regain control.

There are two things that have to balance in my mind – my favourite quote from Edison – ‘there’s a better way to do it, find it’, and Jack of all trades, master of none.

There has to be a balance between investing the time to research, understand and execute a job well, but also refine that list of goals to focus on the most important, results orientated objectives.

Having experienced many of these challenges and struggling to keep this balance front of mind in the early stages of setting up my business, I thought it would be good to reflect…

1. If you want to rebrand, launch a new website, start blogging, attend a few more networking meetings and find better office space all before the year is out, forget it. Just because objectives go hand in hand, such as a string of marketing goals, doesn’t mean you need to tackle them all at once. You’ll get so overwhelmed by the ‘bigger picture’ that achieving just one action will become impossible. This can be really demotivating and lead to in some cases, the worst case scenario ‘I need a day off to rethink’ which ends of with lots of movement in circular motions.

2. Be really, really, really strict about your working hours and environment. This I would say is absolutely critical. For a number of reasons working late into the night is never good. If you fire off a proposal at 9pm, Jamie’s American Road Trip in the background and a glass of Merlot by your side, when you re-read it back the next day, it’s very possible that you’ll be wishing you’d waited and looked at it with fresh eyes. It’s also possible that the words ‘pukka’ could have sneaked their way in subconsciously.

3. Manage people’s expectations. It’s not good to always be a yes man. If you have a number of client commitments, orders to fulfil or places to be, then don’t say yes before the other person has even finished speaking just because you feel you should. Offering an explanation, a suitable alternative and managing expectations will do you far greater justice in the long run. Also, if you’re not the man for the job, say so, and recommend an alternative supplier. Again, it will do you favours when it comes to word of mouth in the future.

4. Delegate. There are some jobs that are just better left to the professionals such as accountancy or graphic design. It’s really tempting to try and muddle through certain tasks yourself to save a bit of cash. When you weigh up what your time is worth against how much you could have earned during the hours you spent trying to figure out how to fit the name of your business into a circle, make it look like a sun and add a border around it, then you’ll wish you’d just invested in an expert in the first place. I speak from experience.

5. Figure out what time of day suits you. This goes back to the days of exam revision for me. If you’re bright and breezy in the morning, then get the jobs you want to put off done then. If you’re better on a full stomach after a jacket with beans and cheese at lunchtime then get the challenging stuff done straight afterwards. On that note I’ll leave you with my favourite clip of the moment from BBC Walk on the Wild Side….

I'm a niiiiiinnnneeeee!

I recently attended a presentation at a really good local networking group called The Late Breakfast by Patrick Bird of Interactive Performance Management.

It was good because I have never laughed so much in a business situation in my life, literally the tears were streaming, and had my fellow networkers not been in stitches also it could have been a little embarrassing.

At the same time I gained some very valuable tips on matching your body language in business meetings, whether you’re pitching for new business, reviewing a campaign with an existing client or taking part in a presentation, here are some very useful pointers I took away from Patrick, as well as the reason for the hilarity.

1. People often make their minds up about a person in the first 20 to 30 seconds of meeting them so initial impact is vital. Make sure you own the space, good posture with a firm handshake and clear greeting.
2. Pitches to clients are about the message you leave them with, make sure your content (words) are well prepared but also “HOW” you are going to deliver the presentation is thought through and rehearsed to maximise your communication. Congruence of words, body language and tone of voice is critical, if you say you are pleased to be there make sure the 3 things actually match the message.
3. Think about your breathing and avoid the squeaky voice coming out in the presentation. Breathe from the diaphragm into your belly and not from your chest, the quality and resonance of your voice will improve.

So why so much laughter? Patrick opened his talk with an activity to get us warmed up. Based on the last digit of our mobile phone numbers (bear with me on this), we had to walk around the room greeting people at that level.

So, if you’re a zero, you’re pretty much dead, not good. If you’re a nine however, you’re bursting at the seems with get up and go.

We had the opportunity to start with our number, mine being a four, so I was a little bland and moped around, but then I got to do eight – well I went for nine just to make the most of the opportunity.

I more than got into role shall we say and shrieked my way around the room, embracing my fellow networkers and greeting them as long lost friends. It was a very energising experience to say the least. The shock on the faces of my '2' and '3' networkers was brilliant. I think their ears may still be ringing.

I only wish that there was video footage, as short of being able to act this out each and every morning to get the day started, it would provide a valuable reminder of how important it is to match your colleagues or clients body language and ‘number’.

If you’re meeting a client today, you walk in to their office and they are clearly having a ‘2’ day, it would be worth saving your ‘9’ for another moment – don’t waste it though, use it somewhere, it’s good for the soul!

How are you using Twitter for business? 10 things to know

Twitter has exploded in popularity over recent months, especially its use by small businesses as more and more people join the way of thinking that they have more to say than what they are having for dinner. After doing a talk on social media at a networking group (@TLB) at the beginning of July I’ve noticed just how many small businesses are really getting their tweet on.

There are still lots of ‘it’s not for me’ and ‘I don’t get it’ types, and it isn’t for everyone, and no one gets it straight away (although we like to pretend we do).

As a small business myself I’ve found it invaluable. New suppliers, advice, opinion, useful articles, something to make me smile when I log in first thing in the morning.

There are huge possibilities for small businesses, so Twitter is worth investigating. It's not simply a case of tweeting about you're products or services, there's much more to it.

Here are our 10 things you should know about Twitter for business:

1. Twitter is just like any face to face networking event. When you first join you should take a step back, get to know people, let them do the talking and get comfortable in your new environment. Once you’re ready, make the break from shy to sociable.

2. Make some boundaries. One you’ve got a feel for what people are talking about and how you could contribute, establish whether this is a purely work tool. If you are connecting with friends as well as potential clients on Twitter, be mindful that a blow by blow account of the 5-a-side football match you’re watching may not be of interest to everyone!

3. Be yourself. Don’t try and be the corporate face of your business. Be you, tweeting on behalf of your company. Just because you’re using this for business reasons, doesn’t mean you need to start speaking in the same tone that your corporate brochure; it is a social application.

4. Who are you? People want to know who the person behind the tweets is so add a good photo and write a concise biography that not only tells people who you are but also helps people to find you when searching for certain businesses.

5. It’s not a sales tool. Don’t start posting 10 times a day about your 50% off sale. People will get bored very quickly. It’s almost like spam.

6. Start following interesting people. Don’t feel that you need to follow everyone who follows you. It’s doubtful that following Sexy Sandra who wants to talk naughty with you, is going to add any real value to your business! There are lots of good applications that help you to find relevant people, check out this fab post from Twitter pro Mashable.
7. Go with the flow. After you’ve been using Twitter for a few weeks you will soon find your feet. Find out who you know is already on Twitter and use them as guinea pigs to get into the swing of things. Don’t get sidetracked into reading each and every post and replying to everything that has a vague connection to your business.
8. On that note, keep your objectives front of mind. It’s not a sales tool, but what are you trying to achieve? Are you looking to explain what services you actually offer? Search for people looking for those services and reply to their questions. Are you looking for new staff? Diversifying and trying to establish if there’s a need? Use Twitter to build conversation, but also to build your business.
9. Do it regularly – Twitter requires some maintenance. The great thing is, updating the short 140 character tweet is quick. But if you’re starting to chat with people, and you don’t reply for a month, they’ll soon lose confidence in you.
10. Finally, enjoy it. If Twitter is going to add value to your business you need to enjoy, not dread using this tool. There are many, many great articles available on how to use Twitter; get on to Google and have a read.

Another great post comes from Sponge NB on Twitter for business, have a read.

The Late Breakfast, the networking group I mentioned, started using Twitter a few months back and have already welcomed new attendees through tweeting about themselves, and have found that Twitter allows them to communicate with a much wider audience than they have done previously.

The ‘Twitterverse’ is a vast online chat room to explore and use in the way that suits you; a place where people hang out, talk, share advice. To talk more about Twitter do get in touch with me – catherine@warrilowpr.co.uk or call 01235 202284 (it’s still good to talk and hear a voice!).

The rise (and fall) of the blogger

There has been lots of talk online recently about mummy bloggers in particular following the BlogHer conference in Chicago a few weeks ago.

BlogHer is an annual event which brings together women from all sorts of backgrounds and professions, with differing interests, hobbies and areas of expertise.

The main message that came out of the conference this year – beware of the swag hag. Stories of women bribing and blackmailing their way to new shoes, clothes and other freebies through the threat of negative reviews on their blogs for non co-operation.

There was a really interesting article in the Independent on Sunday recently, which really illustrates just how much time and energy companies are putting into targetting bloggers with products, in order to secure positive online reviews.

Taking a step backwards for a moment, what is a blog? A blog should really be like a diary. A personal collection of stories, thoughts, feelings, ideas, ramblings, rants and so on. Blogs are extensions of people’s personalities.

So this new, much more commercial edge to blogging threatens to take away the reason that people log on and read their favourite blogs on a regular basis.

Yes, blogs often contain reviews of products or services – a blasting of a new restaurant that was supposed to be amazing but served dried out steak and cold chips, or a big thumbs up for a new car that has exceeded expectations with all of it’s gadgets and gizmos.

However, reviews in blogs should be spontaneous, not influenced or written purely because something was free. Companies are increasingly wising up to the fact that with a bit of pampering and some freebies, bloggers will happily write good reviews in return.

Bloggers are extremely influential people, and more and more so, parents in particular turn to blogs, as well as forums for an honest, expert opinion before making a purchase or trying something for the first time.

So, does this mean we’re not getting an honest opinion all of the time?

From a personal perspective, I am a mummy blogger. I write about being a parent – the highs, the lows, the tears and tantrums, as well as the truly magical moments.
Like many bloggers we get sent products to review. When the blog was first started in April 2009 it was very tempting to get sucked into accepting freebies – everyone seemed to be ready to throw stuff at you.

If we ever review a product, it’s because we love it. It’s because it does the job it’s supposed to better than any product. If we don’t like something, we don’t talk about it, simple as that – and we offer to return it.

Having digressed quite far down the line of swag hags and mummy bloggers, I’d like to return to the point. If you are blogging, are you doing it for the right reasons? Free stuff is just one of them:

- Are you writing for pleasure? If so great, write what you like, when you like and go with the flow.

- Are you writing for business? If so, are you providing informative information with advice, guidance, opinion and a call to action?

- Are you writing about the right stuff? Are you writing about last weeks news? There are lots of bloggers out there, so if you want people to follow your blog, you need to have your finger on the pulse. Ok, so here I’m writing about a conference a few weeks ago (tut), but this topic is going to increase and increase in magnitude so hopefully we’re on topic still!!!

- Are you being honest? Don’t create stories that you think will make a good read. Be honest and be yourself, write as you, not someone you think people will read.

- Are you blogging because everyone else is? Are you sitting at your desk on a Monday morning, stomach lurching because this is the time you’ve set aside to write your weekly blog entry? If you don’t like writing, don’t enjoy it and wonder what on earth it’s achieving, then don’t do it. There are plenty of opportunities to express yourself online and develop conversations – check out LinkedIn, Twitter, or research the many business forums and chat rooms that span each and every industry. If you have expertise to share, find the place where you feel comfortable participating.

I had a quick scan through my early ramblings from when I first started blogging and they cover all sorts of odd topics. They all convey my personality and are written as me, but probably not quite in line with what my audience want to read about. So, you live and learn. It takes a while to find your groove, but if you're enjoying blogging, stick at it.

If you write, they will come...

PR: Back to Basics Part 2 - what else can you do?

Following on from our post last week about the first steps that it's really important to have in place before you embark on a journey into PR, here's part 2.

USPs – what are your unique selling points? When a customer gets in touch to find out more about you, what do you need to tell them that sets you apart from the competition? What do you do differently, what do you do faster, cheaper, better? List your USPs on your website and make sure they really are unique. Research your competitors and see what they are doing.

Business cards – make sure you always, at all times, have a supply of business cards in your pocket, purse, or wherever you may like to keep them! You never know who you are going to meet and where.

At your premises – there’s no need to roll out the red carpet, but a well presented reception that is clean, bright and welcoming will do your business wonders. At the same time as doing some virtual housekeeping with your email signature, website details and answer phone, make sure that your premises give the right first impression.

Time – raising the profile of your business takes time. Don’t be scared to block out some time each week to dedicate solely to building the business. It’s hard, but it will pay off. Spend time regularly ensuring the messages you put out to customers are accurate, professional and polite. Once the basics are in place, you’re ready to hit the headlines.

Social media – are you using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter? Have you started accounts with every social media site there is, and now they’re all sitting there having been updated once and once only? Close down the accounts that you don’t use; if Facebook isn’t for you, don’t use it. Focus on one or two tools that really work for you – your target market are using and opportunities to reach these people exist within them. There's loads of great information on the Internet about how and why to use each of these tools.

Help – there is always help available. For more advice and guidance refer back to local networking groups, as well as people like Business Link. Rope in friends and family to ‘mystery shop’ your business and give you honest (this is the key!) feedback about the service they experienced.

Want to talk more? Get in touch! Following our recent office move we're now re-connected to the outside world with a good old fashioned landline - 01235 202284.

PR: Back to basics - simple steps you may have missed

When we consider PR we quite often jump straight in at the news stage – lets create some news and get some press coverage.

This is a good objective to have, and whether you’re doing your own PR or have / want to work with a PR agency to manage this for you, generating news, entering awards, supporting charities and events, running offers and promotions, are all targets to consider in order to gain publicity.

But, and this is a big but, have you covered the basics?

When you start shouting to the media about your business – your revolutionary product or amazing time saving service, are you well prepared, and well presented?

What you want to avoid more than anything is getting great press coverage, and then driving new customers to your website, email address or phone number, for them to be disappointed by the first impression you give.

So what factors can really turn people off, and what can you do? Here goes, this is part 1 of our guide to the simple things.

Telephone messages – what does your telephone answer phone message say about you? Do you even have an answer phone or does it just ring, and ring, and ring when there’s no one available. Make sure your message is clear and concise. The business name should be easy to hear and understand. Make sure you explain how and when you will get back to people – be realistic – don’t say you’ll reply within an hour if it’s more likely to be 24! Manage people’s expectations.

Email addresses – do you have a website? If so make sure to register the email addresses using the same name, for example we are http://www.warrilowpr.co.uk/ and I am catherine@warrilowpr.co.uk. For general queries we also have info@warrilowpr.co.uk. This should be one of the first things you do to improve the perception of your business – proper email addresses look far more professional than Gmail or Hotmail addresses.

Email signatures – make sure you have a signature at the bottom of your emails. This not only looks professional but it’s a great way to promote your business – include a link to your website, blog and Twitter pages. Make sure it’s not too long though, people don’t want to scroll on and on to find your phone number.

Branding – do you have a logo? Maybe a strap line as well? Make sure that your branding appears consistently across all of your marketing materials including your website, email, business cards, stationery and brochures. If you’ve updated your look and you’re still using up that last reem of headed paper or last box of business cards, it’s time to recycle them – be consistent. If you don’t have a logo, really consider investing in a designer – this is something to employ expert help for and will really help you to stand out.

Website – if you have a website, keep it up to date and make it easy to use. Pencil in a monthly check, or even every two weeks if you can to make sure contact details, special offers and news are current and up to date. If you don’t have a website, it’s time to look into having one. Most types of businesses really need a web presence, even if it just serves to offer contact details.

Developing your website – if you have a website and want to take things on a step, look at increasing the content to further engage with your target audience. Add testimonials from happy customers, include case studies if your service or product needs some explaining – what about video or audio content? If you like to write, why not offer tips or articles within your area of expertise? Also think about adding links to groups or associations that you belong to, or complimentary services that customers may find of interest.

In part 2 we'll cover your USPs, business cards, your premises, social media, time and help!

For more advice on back to basics and PR, do get in touch – if we’re not instantly available, do leave a message, send us an email or visit the website and we will get back to you within 24 hours (apart from the first week of September…apparently Blackberry’s don’t work on Spanish beaches….)

If only money could buy time...

Following on from the great advice from Antonia Chitty on setting up your own business as a mum, we have some top tips on separating work and family life.

For the mumpreneurs out there, juggling work and home life can be a constant battle, not only with the workload but with your conscience too.

Advice for home working mums on separating home and family time

Advice for home working mums on separating home and family time

I’ve been working for myself for the last six years, and one of my biggest issues, still, is learning to switch off. I love what I do, and it can be easy just keep working into the evening, but I know that you can’t do that every night and still stay on top the next day. Here I share some of my most effective suggestions to ensure that you get family time, work time AND me time.

It is easy to find that, running a business and a family, you feel permanently stretched. Being busy is one thing: most mums feel tired by the end of the day. But it is quite another to find that you have been working in every spare minute and just don’t have the energy to keep going. So, you need to divide up your time.

Take a few minutes now, sit back, and have a little day dream. If you had 5 minutes to yourself, what would you do with it? What about if you had a couple of hours? Would you have a long soak in the bath, or go to the shops unhindered by the kids? And if you had a whole day, where would you go and who would you spend time with? Make a few notes about these dreams of what you’d like to do in your spare time, and then look at your diary. Now book in some time for yourself, just in the same way that you book in the kids dental appointments, parent’s evenings and the school play. Make sure you note down your plan for the time, even if it is simply to have a luxurious bath and do your nails. Then, do all you can to keep that time for yourself. Try to have a few hours every week booked in to look after yourself. It will make it easier to look after the family during the rest of the week.

With regard to time to spend on the business, I find planning ahead works well. Set yourself ‘work hours’. I’m not suggesting you have to do a 9 to 5. Instead, pick the hours that suit you. When I only had one child I used to work for 2-3 hours each morning while she was at playgroup. Now I’ve got three, my work is timed around when the baby naps. But I still have a clear idea of when is work time and when I stop working.

For many mumpreneurs the time between 3 and 7 is the toughest time of the day. Tired grumpy kids need food, attention and baths. Make things easier on yourself by switching off the computer at this time. Try letting the phone go to the answer machine if you’re in the middle of something too. By just concentrating on the kids at this time everything can run much more smoothly.

My final tip is about making the transition between work time and family time. Everyone finds it difficult to change from one to the other. So, if your mind is full of all the uncompleted jobs at 2.45, take 15 minutes before collecting the kids to make a list in a notebook. Give yourself a pat on the back for all the things you have achieved, and then close the notebook until you next plan to work. Go and do the school run with your mind clear to concentrate on family time.

Antonia Chitty is author of the Mumpreneur Guide’s Start Your own Business Book, available from1 September from http://www.themumpreneurguide.co.uk/, http://www.amazon.co.uk/ and to order from any bookstore.

Thanks Antonia!