BUSINESS MAGAZINE
EMPOWERED Issue 3; March 2018
Part 2: Dawn-Maria France Laura Bouttell Mags Matthews John Auckland Joe Titterton Global Voice Radio And More!
Sara Cruz
6 C’s for Beginner Business on a Budget
BUSINESS M
Letter
EDITOR'S
It’s March! We’ve celebrated International Women’s Day 2018 this month and in the US it’s Women’s History Month so we’re celebrating women in business! We have an interview with some fabulous women who share their views with us on what International Women’s Day means to them. Our cover star Sara Cruz shares her 6 C’s for Beginner Businesses on a Budget and we have the second half of our interview with Dawn-Maria France. Last month’s cover photo was taken by the fabulous Elina Hawk - you can find her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/elina.hawk/ Make sure you check it out because her work is amazing! Get in touch with us to feature in future months and let us know what you think of the articles. I can’t wait to hear from you all!
Pages 6 - 11: Global Voice Radio Pages 12 - 14: 5 C's for Beginner Businesses on a Budget! Sara Cruz Page 15: Author Fronts New Radio Show to Inspire the Swindon Community! Naz Ahsun Page 16: Introducing Sarah Ankney Pages 17 - 21: International Women's Day Interview Pages 22 - 23: Someone owes you money? How to deal with it yourself without engaging a solicitor - Amanda Hamilton, NALP Pages 24 - 25: Top tips for email marketing - Libby Simon Pages 26 - 27: Breakdowns, Breakthroughs and Realisations! Joe Titterton Pages 28 - 29: Dawn - Maria France Interview; Part 2 Pages 30 - 31: Meet Laura Bouttell Pages 32 - 33: How to lose weight as woman over 40; Mags Matthews
Contents
Pages 4 - 5: What is Crowdfunding? John Auckland
What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a way of raising finance that almost everyone has heard of, but not everyone understands. The Basics – What? Where? And How? The basic idea of crowdfunding is that it allows you to cut out all the intermediaries that usually provide funding and go straight to your target market to raise the funds you need. Typically, crowdfunders either offer rewards (using platforms such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter), exclusive or reduced-cost goods or services to early adopters, or equity (on platforms like Seedrs and Crowdcube), in the form of shares in your company. These may be voting, or non-voting shares, the former of which is normally above a certain threshold (such as £5-£10k), depending on what the founder decides. In both equity and rewards campaigns, you connect with your tribe – the people who already believe in you, or have been waiting for a solution like yours to exist. Debt crowdfunding (seen on platforms like Lending Club and Prosper) involves bonds or peer-to-peer loans, much like applying for credit from a bank, except that people are backing your business plan, team and business model, rather than your outright creditworthiness. You ll need at least an OK credit rating and a minimum of two years trading. Nowadays, they re almost as difficult to get as bank finance – you just get better rates by cutting out the middleman.
The Benefits – Who? When? And Why? Crowdfunding is particularly suited to startups. It allows these small businesses to achieve the same kind of exposure normally reserved for big companies with big budgets. A lot of exposure comes simply from being present on major crowdfunding platforms, which have hundreds of thousands of engaged users, and successful campaigns are often featured in the press and on social media.
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I like to breakdown the benefits of crowdfunding into the three As: Advocacy is about winning over investors and/or customers who really believe in your idea, and are willing to support you in your goals. You re likely to find advocates during crowdfunding due to the emotional and rational buying decisions they need to make before investing. Awareness is the sheer amount of brand awareness your company will get during your campaign. For example, at time of writing, Crowdcube has almost half a million users. Just by pitching your opportunity, you re making 0.5m relevant people aware of your company. Amplification refers to the number of highly incentivised new customers you re going to get from your campaign. Crowdfunding allows you to offer so-called soft dividends , i.e. free or reduced-cost goods and services, which will incentivise an investor to be a customer, and vice versa. Investors also spend time developing networks, so, if you need them to share a campaign or promotion in the future, it ll have a much wider reach. By using crowdfunding to cut-out intermediaries and directly connect with your tribe, you ll find long-lasting support, and not just in terms of finance. Crowdfunding helps you to locate and rally your fiercest advocates, grow your supporter base and promote your business to a global community of millions!
About the Author John Auckland is a crowdfunding specialist and founder of TribeFirst, a global crowdfunding communications agency that has helped raise in excess of £4m for over 20 companies on platforms such as Crowdcube, Seedrs, Indiegogo and Kickstarter. TribeFirst is the world's first dedicated marketing communications agency to support equity crowdfunding campaigns and the first in the UK to provide PR and Marketing campaigns on a mainly risk/reward basis. John is also Virgin StartUp's crowdfunding trainer and consultant, helping them to run branded workshops, webinars and programmes on crowdfunding. John is passionate about working with start-ups and sees crowdfunding as more than just raising funds; it's an opportunity to build a loyal tribe of lifelong customers. Online Links Twitter: @Tribe1st www.tribefirst.co.uk Page 5
John Auckland, TribeFirst
Ultimately, going direct to your customers quickly engenders trust, and that's something big brands have taken years to gain.
6 C’S FOR BEGINNER BUSINESS ON A BUDGET by Sara Cruz I had an idea, an idea that I was so excited about. I was going to use my education, knowledge, and skills and become a coach. There was just one huge problem… I had no idea how to start an online business, let alone how to make it successful. After doing some research, I thought I needed tons of money, tons of extra time, tons of business skills… NONE of which I had. I felt defeated, lost, stressed, and completely alone. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you have this amazing idea like I did, but you are feeling paralyzed by this new unknown world, and you feel like a small fish in a big pond, instead of the king or queen of the sea. I understand you. I was you. Two and a half years later, I have come a long way, and I am honored to share with you 6 C’s for beginner business success on a budget. When I started my business, I was going to college full-time, working almost full-time, and dealing with obvious life obligations and responsibilities.
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CLARITY I have learned over the years that clarity is key, in life and business. If you are starting out, or even if you have been in business for awhile but you haven’t reached the level of success you desire, I would encourage you to get crystal clear on what you want your life and business to look like. Who do you serve? Which services do you offer? What is your income going to be? Take the time and write out your vision. Write about your business. Write about your life. Be as specific as possible. I used to think that by being specific I was cutting out too many opportunities, but the truth is, the more specific you are, the more likely your message will resonate with your ideal client and not get lost in the mess of online marketing.
CONFIDENCE I used to run my business from a fear-based perspective. I feared being judged, rejected, and I always questioned if I was good enough to really make it. I can tell you that a fear and a lack of confidence is nothing but self-sabotage on your road to success. Your message won’t resonate with everyone. Everyone won’t like you, and that is not only okay, but completely normal. Do daily activities that boost your confidence. That can look like writing, saying or thinking, I am an expert. I am at the top of my industry. I transform lives and create amazing results for my clients with my service/product. Whatever you focus on grows and magnifies. If you focus on your fear or focus on your lack of confidence, it will become a monster, but if you fuel yourself with what’s good, right, and true for you, you will be able to shine in a flooded market place.
CALENDAR CONTROL I have suffered from debilitating panic attacks, and it was a result of the stress, anxiety and overwhelm, coupled with burning the candle at both ends, and it really made me an unhealthy hot mess express. I have spent years of my life learning and mastering time management, and here are some key ideas I would encourage you to implement. #1 Know your goals and what activities will help you to achieve those goals. Make those tasks a priority daily. #2 Set intentions every day, 3-5 things. These things are your non-negotiables, meaning they will get done no matter what.
#3 Have a POWER HOUR every day. When you have limited time, you must maximize your time. Even if you have one hour a day for your business, use it wisely. Eliminate all distractions and tackle your intentions for the day. It’s proven that when you are distracted it can take your brain up to 15 minutes to CREATIVITY refocus, so think about that text ding that goes off, that social media notification that catches you eye, Creativity is really essential when you are in business. time is your most precious resource that you can Get resourceful, especially when you don’t have the never get back. Trust me, you will be amazed by money to outsource and delegate in the beginning. how much you can actually accomplish when you Google can be your biz bestie. If you can’t figure it are truly focused. out, google it. If you don’t know how to do something, search for it on YouTube. I built my entire website myself, and when I got stuck I spent hours watching tutorials. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it, and necessary in the beginning. There are amazing websites out there that offer free images COMMITTED ACTION instead of paying for them, such as pixabay.com. This is the simplest, and the most difficult piece, Canva.com allows you design quality images and graphics, and it’s free. I still use those resources now. but you must take some form of committed action toward your personal and professional goals on a Getting creative also involves leveraging your consistent basis. If you treat your business like a network. In the beginning, I didn’t have money for a hobby, it will be just that, a hobby. If you commit to professional to run ads for me, and to be honest I being a CEO and owning a business, you will be a wasn’t ready for that. Use your network. Reach out CEO and own a business. to other people in business. Support and promote one another. Think about it right now. Who do you know that you can reach out to today?
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CELEBRATE This is the most important. Celebrate yourself every step of the way. Every small task you accomplish is amazing. Every milestone you hit needs to be celebrated. Every single day, when you lay your head on your pillow, think about how amazing you are for starting a business, how brave you are for following your dreams, and how incredible you are for making more progress toward the life and business of your dreams. Entrepreneurship is a journey. It’s a journey of ups and downs, tears and smiles, and struggles and triumphs. You are a special kind of person to buy a ticket for this crazy and amazing ride. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. No matter where you are, keep going. You can be, do, and achieve anything.
About the Author A captivating and powerful leader, Sara Cruz specializes in taking clients to an elevated level of performance in life and business. Her background and professional education encompasses psychology, confidence building, productivity, and empowering others to incorporate high performance habits as a new standard. As a High Performance Coach, she challenges clients to discover their addictive behaviors that are keeping them stuck, and teaches them new skills and habits, so they can experience a vibrant career and an extraordinary life . Website: www.saracruzcoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarabcruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saracruzcoaching/ Page 14
AUTHOR FRONTS NEW RADIO SHOW TO INSPIRE THE SWINDON COMMUNITY Author and former English teacher Naseem Ahsun – known as Naz – is the face behind the Good News Show on SWINDON 105.5 to celebrate positive stories from the town. The 47-year-old who lives in Faringdon joined the town s community radio station after taking part in a training course and is a member of the Wednesday night Outer Limits show. She s quickly taken the helm of a new show which launched in early February. Naz said: This new show is very exciting for me. It s to promote positive and inspirational stories, projects and people from the local community. It s so easy to be worn down by negative and bad news, yet there s so much going on in the town which is worth celebrating. The show is aired each Monday at 11am and will cover a variety of positive news stories, including a regular feature from the Liden Writers Group. The show will be aired each Monday at 11am and then available as a podcast on the station s website. Shirley Ludford, controller of SWINDON 105.5, said: We are keen to promote local interests, events, organisations and positive stories from within our communities, education and business, as well as give a voice to individuals and groups, enabling them to learn to use their voice through today s media. Naz has taken the challenge of getting behind her own show which will, I am sure, be a great listen . Naz is a newcomer to Swindon having moved from Malvern just under a year ago. After an early career working with the homeless and survivors of rape, Naz became a teacher of English and she co-wrote a book for stressed young people The Laid Back Guide to Exams And Stress . She left teaching last year and, is currently working on a new book and has just launched a publishing company Vision Maker Press. Anyone interested in being featured on her new radio show should email info@swindon1055.com or call 01793 611555.
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Introducing Sarah Ankney My name is Sarah Ankney. I am a 41-year-old empowerment coach who helps women who have online businesses be confident, be empowered, and be happy through support, motivation, strategies and tips, and a clear personalized plan of action. Life is too short to be anything but happy. I am the owner and operator of Sarah Ankney Empowerment. My family is very important to me. I am a mom of 3 girls ranging in the ages of 10 through 16. They are the reason I started out on my entrepreneur journey to show them that they could do and be whomever they want. They inspire me on the daily basis which I am so very grateful for. I am engaged to a very supportive and encouraging man who has helped me through so serious rough times and enabled me to follow my dreams today. In the fall of 2017, I decided to go back to college to have a qualification in business so that I may know the background of owning my own business. It is exciting and challenging all at the same time. Continuing my education has also been a dream of mine since I was unable to complete a degree due to health issues in 1996. I believe knowledge is power and that we can gain more each day. I strive to continue to learn until I am no longer able. I am not all business, school, or my family though. I am also a radio internet DJ that is associated with a web-based game and community called Kingdom of Loathing. I enjoy music all types and being myself on air and spreading joy and cheer to the listeners. I am also the Human Relations/Public Relations Administrator for the station. Radio has helped me with my confidence levels and the ability for me to be myself without judgment. Music is a motivator and comforter as well as inspiration that dreams do come true. As you can see I enjoy games and when I am able I play Diablo 3. Gaming for me is a way to release stress, anxiety, and anger. It helps me let go of the bad moments that have happened through the day and interact with friends. Gaming also helps me with business strategy. I find that it helps to think of my plans of action like those for the video game. In the end, gaming is about fun and developing critical thinking skills that have helped in business and life. These are some of the major points about me, but I also love horror movies, crafting, crime investigation tv shows, and a total Posh addict. As for my health issues that have had a major impact on my life, I have type 1 diabetes as well as bipolar type 2. My health held me back for years but I finally said enough of the misery and more of the happy. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Happiness can be found at any age.
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http://www.sarahankneyempowerment.com/
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY International Women’s Day was this month on March 8th. The US celebrate Women’s History for the whole of March and Empowered Business Magazine couldn’t let an issue go by without acknowledging all of the women in the world: the Suffragettes that fought for women’s right to vote; the women that broke the walls of the male dominated industries to pave the way for future generations entering that profession and all of the women that have allowed us at Empowered Business Magazine to share their stories and all of those who will allow us to share their stories in the future! Linda Davies-Carr - The Master Fixer, Lisa Berry Cheeky Little Prints, Fiona Scott - Fiona Scott Media Consultancy and Denise Joy Thompson - Global Voice Radio, shared their thoughts with us on how times have changed for women and more.
Denise Joy Thompson
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT TAKES TO BE AN INSPIRING FEMALE LEADER?
Linda Davies-Carr (LCD): Drive, determination, grit, tenacity and an infectious laugh! Lisa Berry (LB): I think an inspiring female leader should be strong and willing to stand up for what she believes in but also willing to show her vulnerability. An inspiring female leader will want to share her journey and the challenges she has faced and overcome in order to help and inspire other women and show them they can achieve what they want to achieve. Fiona Scott (FS): Being happy to share your story in a visible way and to be unembarrassed and unashamed to do so. There is an audience for everyone if you take the opportunity to speak out. Denise Joy Thompson (DJT): Heart, guts and truth. Heart to trust one's self and love others regardless if they are supportive or not; guts to step up, stand out and act, live and speak the message which will help others; truth of one's self, truth in the words, truth in the message and truth to know what is right, in spite of naysayers, ridicule or dislike towards the message.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE TOP 3 FINANCIAL CONCERNS FOR WOMEN WHEN STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS? LCD: No startup money. Too much pressure to earn money too quickly without recognition of how long it takes to invest in your business. How much to charge.
LB: This depends on the life stage the woman is at when she starts her business. Having said that I would say 1. Earning enough money to pay basic bills and support her family if she has one, particularly at the start of the business. 2. How she is going to finance the business start-up costs e.g. savings or a business loan and the impact that has on her day to day living. 3. Balancing paying herself a wage when that becomes possible with making money available to reinvest in the business in order to grow it.
Fiona Scott
FS: Will anyone ever pay me for my stuff? Will I ever earn enough to earn a living? Will anyone take me seriously as a business person if my goals are modest? DJT: 1. How will I make money? 2. Who will pay me? 3. Am I worthy of what I am charging?
WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY MEAN TO YOU? LCD: A day where the world recognises all women for their achievements irrespective of their nationality, ethnicity, cultural, economic or political differences. It gives the opportunity to shine the light on and strive to achieve gender parity. LB: International Women's Day is about recognising that all women are amazing! Women are expected to handle and juggle a lot simultaneously and that should not go unnoticed. Women deserve to be respected and recognised for their achievements in the same way that men are. Progress is being made in this area but there is still a long way to go. FS: An opportunity to speak up for women as part of a national and global day of celebration of the female of the species. DJT: A recognition of women from around the world, highlighting their accomplishments and the issues which still need to be addressed. It is a recognition of the need for GLOBAL change, identifying women's rights are human rights. It is a statement the "world" is on notice to make changes and empowering and supporting women to flourish in EVERY country is expected. Even though countries are not specifically being made to end bias, prejudices, discrimination against women, International Women's Day, the celebration, honoring, and recognition of women and their accomplishment, and their needs for equality regarding financial stability and safety and security, it brings to the forefront attention which cannot be erased. There is no longer avoidance, there is no longer silence, the truth is available and being shared.
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HOW DO YOU THINK THINGS HAVE CHANGED FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS IN THE PAST 100 YEARS? LCD: Everything - with the next 100 years being even more exciting. LB: More and more women are choosing selfemployment. In 2013 the Office of National Statistics reported that the number of selfemployed women was growing at nearly 3 times the rate of self-employed men. I think that is due to women being very independent and wanting to leave the constraints of the corporate world to be their own boss and do things their way. Selfemployment also affords women greater flexibility allowing them to look after their children and still earn money. I think women are starting to be recognised more for their entrepreneurial skills and are showing they can run a successful business just as well as male entrepreneurs. FS: They have changed massively, particularly after the world wars when women had no choice but to step up - and did so. In other ways not so, many women will take on a mothering role in their lives and that will mean they are not as flexible or driven as men as they have other priorities. This can mean they are not taken as seriously, they don't value themselves other than as a carer and they are denied opportunity due to gender issues. This is changing slowly as men want more flexibility and we also find ourselves with other caring roles for older relatives for example. I believe discrimination is now more hidden and subtle but many groups suffer from it - people with non-white skin; sexual orientation; disability; mental health to name a few.
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Lisa Berry DJT: As my friend and colleague Irene Pro says, "we have come a long way baby, but we are not there yet". Women in most countries now have the right to create a business and they are also able to climb the corporate ladder, though both may be very hard to do. Women are also realizing the benefits to start their own business. Every year there is a significant increase in women-owned businesses. The time is now and most barriers are being torn down, pushed aside and women are creating the life they want. In the US most home-based businesses are womenowned, whether it is through direct sales or service industry.
DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS STILL A LARGE GENDER GAP BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN BUSINESS?
LCD: The gap is as big or as small as we chose to make it! LB: I think there is still a gap but that gap is closing especially with many women now setting up businesses after having children so they can still be there to bring their children up but work around them at the same time. FS: Yes - many studies show this to be the case. Some sectors are dominated by men, some by women. Men often seem to be paid more than women in the same or similar roles. This is less true in the freelance or SME sector I believe.
Linda Davies-Carr
DJT: Yes, in the corporate world, and most small brick and mortar businesses, it is still male dominated. The fact men created most of those businesses, it will be male dominated for many years to come. Women are making gains and the percentage of men to women is decreasing. Women are entering the workforce in all occupations, even those traditionally only male, such as police, fire, EMS, pilots, etc. In creating businesses, women are definitely making their voices heard!!
DO YOU THINK THAT THE EVERYDAY HARASSMENT OF WOMEN HAS LOWERED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS? (.I.E. CATCALLING, HARASSMENT WHEN ON A NIGHT OUT, IN BUSINESS MEETINGS?)
LCD: Yes absolutely - it's less obvious. But the rise of social media has meant an increase in online harassment. LB: I think it has declined a little due to more women having the confidence to stand up to harassment and make a stand that it will not be tolerated. Men and women deserve equal respect in and out of the workplace. FS: I don't know if that's the case as being older now it's not something I experience and if I did, the perpetrator would regret it. Also we have to bear in mind that what some women class as harassment another woman might not - I've never bothered at all about catcalling. However if someone touches me inappropriately or continues to make comments once I asked them to stop - that's different. I have two teenage daughters and they are occasionally victims of this type of thing now. DJT: Yes, I think everyday harassment has decreased. I think there is covert bias and discrimination occurring, conversations based on men's interest; events planned without women speakers; comments about "wives", not husbands or spouses;
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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY?
LCD: A brilliant day to celebrate the achievements of all women. You don't have to be a CEO or a Business owner to be a great success. We need to celebrate all women and all achievements. LB: It would be great to see more education on gender equality in Schools and Colleges so our children will grow up with equal respect for men and women. FS: Roll on the time when women stand up and are proud every day alongside men. DJT: International Women's Day is a day to recognize equality for all, not men, not women, ALL human beings, regardless of gender or race.
EMPOWERED BUSINESS MAGAZINE WOULD LIKE TO THANK LINDA, LISA, FIONA AND DENISE FOR ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS AND FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO TO EMPOWER WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD!
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SOMEONE OWES YOU MONEY? HOW TO DEAL WITH IT YOURSELF WITHOUT ENGAGING A SOLICITOR By Amanda Hamilton, NALP What can you do if you are owed money and the person is ignoring all your phone calls and letters? You can use the Small Claims Court . This is part of the County Court and enables a layperson (someone who is not legally qualified) to take another individual to court. The maximum amount of a claim that you can deal with yourself in the Small Claims Court is £10,000. There is a fee to file the claim, starting at £25. (for the fee structure see: https://www.gov.uk/make-courtclaim-for-money/court-fees ). Additional fees are payable if it gets to hearing or eventually requires the services of a bailiff.
Start by writing the other party a letter clarifying why they owe you money and that you are thinking of taking court action if the amount owed is not paid by a certain date (state the date clearly). All the necessary evidence must be provided with the letter even though you know they have the facts already. Writing a letter before taking any action is a very important part of the process and fulfills what is known as the protocol . Without having done so, you may jeopardise your case if it does end up in court. If you decide, for whatever reason not to take court action - there is an alternative to consider, and that is mediation. This provides individuals and businesses with a low-cost method of resolving a legal dispute without the need to go to court. There is usually a fixed hourly fee to pay by both parties. If going to court is your intended action, then after you have sent the protocol letter and the time limit for payment has passed, you will need to fill in a form either online or by downloading and printing it. The form is known as a Claim Form N1. You then send the completed form and fees to the County Court Money Claims Centre in Salford.
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The Defendant has 14 days to respond, after which time, if there is no response, you may decide to issue a county court judgment (commonly known as a CCJ) against the Defendant. This, in itself, has quite serious consequences for the Defendant because a copy of all CCJs go to a public company and may affect any credit search made against the Defendant s name – a good and useful tool to add into any pre-action protocol letter that you send. Once you have the judgement the Defendant may still choose to ignore you and not pay – in which case you ll need to consider enforcing the Judgement – for example, engaging the services of a bailiff to seize property to cover the amount you are owed. You can action the entire process above without the help of a solicitor. However, if you feel you do need a bit of extra advice or support then consider using a Paralegal. Paralegals are less costly than a solicitor and can help you in exactly the same way as a solicitor would. Check that your chosen Paralegal is registered with a membership body like NALP, and holds the relevant Paralegal qualifications and insurance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amanda Hamilton is Chief Executive of the National Association of Licenced Paralegals (NALP), a non-profit Membership Body and the only Paralegal body that is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England). Through its training arm, NALP Training, accredited recognised professional paralegal qualifications are offered for a career as a paralegal professional. See: http://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk and http://www.nalptraining.co.uk/nalp_training Twitter: @NALP_UK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAssocationsofLicensedParalegals/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-hamilton-llb-hons-840a6a16/
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Top tips for email marketing
Email marketing is a great way to inform large numbers of people about your business and stay in touch with your customers. Libby Simon, Communications and Content Manager at Morpheus Games, shares her top tops to boost your email marketing efforts. Write an eye-catching subject line Grab the attention of the reader with a subject line that stands out from the rest. A subject line will make or break whether customers decide to open your email or delete it. Avoid anything that sounds like clickbait or spam and opt for something that will pique the recipient’s curiosity. It’s also important that subject lines are honest and answer a need – the reader should have an idea of what they’re getting in the email and feel compelled to open it. A great way to see what is (and isn’t) catching your readers eye is to do some A/B testing. Send emails with varying subject lines and look at analytics to see what is performing best, then use that insight when thinking about your next subject line. Keep it snappy While it’s not entirely true that people don’t engage with longer emails, keeping emails short and sweet is usually the best route. It’s easy to get carried away and write endless paragraphs about a product that you love and think your reader should love too – but try not to. Think of the short time frame your readers have when going through all their emails. Ensure the key message is communicated quickly and simply so the reader is enticed to scroll down. You can then strategically place promotions below the fold of the email to keep the reader engaged. Less is more Don’t crowd your email layout with big fonts, distracting graphics, and other elements that might divert the reader’s attention. Emails should look professional and be easy to read. If the email is jam-packed full of text and graphics, it might not be clear to the reader what the key message is. An overly busy email will put off the reader and cause your email to end up in the bin.
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Be personal Whenever possible, add a personal element to your emails. Most email tools allow you to enter merge tags that customise the email to the recipient’s name when the email is sent out. Do the same with your reply-to address. The whole reason you're sending a recipient an email is to get them to respond, so why would you use noreply@company.com? Using a real person's name will not only help to make your emails more recognisable and credible, but it will increase your open rate.
Don’t break the law It is important these days to ensure you are compliant to the latest laws regarding email lists, particularly with GDPR coming into effect. You must have an ‘opt in’ from the recipient to contact them with your email marketing. The customer on your database must have agreed to be there and to have consciously decided they want to know about your marketing offers. Gone are the days of adding randomly sourced email addresses to a marketing database because you want them to be on it. It’s all about the user experience Morpheus Games is a mobile-first company, so we go to great lengths to make sure our marketing emails can grab the attention of our recipients with one look at their smartphone screen. Everything is taken under consideration - banners, images, font size, and, of course, length. It's no longer just about content or design – it's about the entire user experience (UX). The UX also takes timing under careful consideration. It’s important to always think about the customer and what they are thinking or doing at any given moment so you can try to decipher the best time to interact with them.
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Libby Simon
Include a call to action Think about what you want to happen after you hit ‘send’. Your call to action can do many things: ask readers to click on a link, ask readers to fill out a survey, or ask readers to make a purchase. Make sure to communicate yours effectively.
BREAKDOWNS, BREAKTHROUGHS AND REALISATIONS Joe Titterton shares his story with us over the next few months. It s one full of shocking experiences and breakthroughs and you ll love reading it! I do remember the sinking feeling. I do remember the panic. I don t remember any clear detail from that day whatsoever. All I have are vague and fuzzy recollections of going through the motions - moving from place to place, physically there but otherwise entirely absent. And I remember checking my phone, over and over and over again hoping there had been some sort of mistake. We had gone to visit friends in Manchester for the weekend. I was stood in an old Church surrounded by stalls that had set up shop for the weekend selling all sorts of vintage clothing and items. I was physically surrounded by historic bricks and mortar that almost hummed with the bustle of the commerce they contained. I barely noticed it.
So this wasn t just a professional set back. It was a personal setback. It was an emotional setback. It was, to all intents and purposes, a catastrophic disaster.
My biggest and most overwhelming panic was knowing that I would have to tell my MD The contrast couldn t have been starker. My on the Monday that we had lost £100k of commercial space wasn t in the physical world, it was turnover each month. That we could no in its ethereal counterpart; it was on the internet. With longer fund the 14 people who depended Was being the key word. I checked our business eBay on us for employment. That he may as well account on my phone as usual – and it just wasn t have thrown the massive investment we had there anymore. It had completely disappeared. Just put into building, an infrastructure that could like that. If I were one of the traders I was surrounded support such a huge online undertaking, by it was as if someone had clicked their fingers and down the toilet. And that there was no way I magically made my stall disappear. Forever. could keep my job. I know this sounds melodramatic, so let me add in Somehow, someway, and I say this with no some context. I had left a senior management job 2 false modesty – through what I imagine was years earlier after suffering a breakdown due to severe pure luck, I managed to not have the depression, taken a massive pay cut and got myself breakdown that seemed imminent. Saturday back on my feet in employment as a warehouse was a write-off – Sunday evening certainly supervisor. From there I slowly built myself back up to wasn t. Back at home I managed to confront a position where I had 3 departments and 14 what had happened to me head on, and did colleagues all reporting to me. All off the back of some logical analysis. seizing an opportunity to sell our product online. That opportunity had just disappeared before my eyes. PAGE 26
My sole aim was one of trying to find out what I could have done better, to pre-empt the criticism that I was going to get the following day, to avoid the accusations by being the one who laid them out on the table before anyone else could. It s in my nature that when things go wrong, even beyond my control, I always look to myself first. BUT as much as I tried, I couldn t justify the self flagellation that I was trying to carry out in my mind. Yes I was accountable, I knew and still not that much – but I wasn t responsible in this instance. It became apparent that we had been banned from selling on eBay due to a disproportionate amount of non delivery claims – even though we knew we has dispatched all of our orders as required. The product we sold was low value, so we couldn t afford to pay for tracked delivery services, and because we couldn t provide any tracking to eBay we couldn t fight our corner. It really was a Catch22. Either we didn t sell anything because we couldn t afford the appropriate level of protection, or we got banned because of this. I realised there was nothing I could of done to prevent this after much searching for alternative postage services we could have used. One that offered the required level of protection for an affordable price just didn t exist. That s when I set about creating one.........
CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH FOR PART TWO OF JOE'S STORY
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Dawn-Maria France In part two of her interview, Dawn-Maria talks to us about supporting freelancers, mental health and more!
Why is it particularly important to support freelancers? It s particularly important to support freelancers because of their valuable contribution to businesses, the wider workforce and economy. According to IPSE, the UK s freelance economy has grown by 25% since 2009, generating about £109 billion per year. Successful freelancing, relies on consistent work and steady cash flow from good customers. Around 2 million freelance workers are based in the UK. Freelancers are invaluable for companies and individuals who need extra capacity and specialist skills, especially for ad-hoc work. They can be more flexible and responsive than other workers. Their business – and life – depends on it. Without a guaranteed salary or predictable income and no sickness or holiday pay, freelancers workflow needs to be steady and adequately compensated, to cover any lean times. Freelancers often work in isolation and need to fulfil all business functions as well as doing the work themselves. They need time-management skills: juggling multiple priorities, meeting deadlines and dealing with difficult customers, which can all be stressful. As well as financial support, freelancers may need emotional support to help to maintain a positive mindset. Why should managers support staff who have work related stress? Stress has a detrimental effect on business operations, work quality and productivity. Therefore, it is greatly beneficial to any company to support any staff with work-related stress. Managers and workplaces must recognise their responsibilities in relation to stress and take a hard look at what they are – or aren t – doing to create work-related stress. What are the problems? How can they be solved? Are they overloading staff? Do they need to employ more people, or streamline their focus? Are there sufficient resources? Are there systems in place to support staff – infrastructures, supervision, consultation, training, coaching, mentoring, counselling? All too often, companies deal with stress through sickness procedures, when it is too late. Staff are off ill – and end up being threatened with pay-cuts and dismissal. How much better would it be to invest in their dedicated, trained and experienced staff? Because if staff didn t care about their work and want to do the best possible job, they wouldn t get stressed about it. A happy worker is productive, efficient, and takes pride in what they do. This all shows in profits, morale and staff retention rates. It s a win-win situation.
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Why is it a good idea to make sure that there is good leadership in the workplace? Good leadership ensures that people work together effectively to achieve a common aim or purpose. Even with a shared vision, individuals all have their own ideas and ways of doing things. Without leadership, there is chaos. In any group of people with agreed aims, there is rarely a consensus on how to act to achieve them – especially in complementary ways, without duplicating work or leaving gaps. Even in a small team, there needs to be a leader, directing everyone to achieve the same goal. Someone needs to lead a group of people in the right direction, to be the decision-maker and take action – even if through delegation. People who don t want to be leaders themselves often crave someone to take the lead, so they can follow. All staff, including aspiring leaders, need to be led to achieve their full potential. Good leadership is both inspiring and motivational, helping every worker to feel part of a whole. A strong leader will model the company or group s culture, vision, ethics and standards – and when all are aligned and working to one purpose, productivity increases and profits rise. Why do you think businesses should support mental health issues? Despite the responsibility placed on employers by the 2010 Equality Act, mental illness is still taboo. Managers have a duty of care to their staff and it is vital to offer support to staff suffering from workrelated stress. 526,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or longstanding) in 2016/17. 12.5 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/17 (source: Health and Safety). The 1983 Mental Health Act and Code of Practice introduced in 2008 set out to improve mental health services and protect the most vulnerable in society. In spite of these measures, it concerns me that there is still a lack of support for people with mental health issues – especially in the workplace. I welcome ideas such as wellbeing champions within the workplace who could offer support to staff, to talk about work-related stress and gain the support they need. Employers could also provide non-judgmental spaces for employees to talk openly and honestly about mental health – without prejudice. Perhaps partnerships with mental health organisations are the way forward. This would be a good way for businesses to support staff – and of course, when staff wellbeing is supported, this in turns cuts down on days lost to illness because of mental health issues. It s common sense.
Empowered Magazine would like to thank Dawn-Maria for her interview! PAGE 29
My name is Laura Bouttell and I’m from Harrogate, North Yorkshire. My business is Quarterdeck. We help people get the most out of themselves and those around us through Leadership Training. I’ve always been very driven to be my own boss. I like the fact that the buck stops with me. I came on one of our Leadership Programmes and was so impressed with its transformational effect on me, and others, that I joined the business shortly afterwards. I’ve learned that you have to make things happen yourself because help is not coming. That sounds negative but it’s not - it’s about taking the ultimate responsibility for your own life and work. On a typical workday I get up at 5.30am so that I can get an hour and a half or so of Deep Work in before my daughter wakes up. I have breakfast with her if I’m not training and then coaching or into the office until about 3.45pm when I collect my daughter from school. It works perfectly but it has taken some honing to get the balance just right. My biggest strengths are: my ability to help others get motivated to change their lives for the better; my questioning and listening skills which mean people open up to me in ways they don’t expect - so I can then help them more; and my ability to accept feedback and act on it - it’s the single most important skill in self development! My weaknesses are: I find doing to work required to get meaningful metrics very dull, I have to force myself to get the job done; impatience, which most of those who know me won’t believe. I have to work everyday with maintaining a patient outlook and attitude - at work and at home - as I always want everything now. It’s not great to admit that but it does show that whatever your natural tendencies you can control them so they don’t have a negative impact on others.
MEET LAURA BOUTTELL
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Our ideal clients are those who are ready to admit that that don’t have it all sorted and the could do with some help. Ideally we like to work with many people within a single business as that way we can have huge cultural impact. Our business stands out because we get long term behavioural changes from people. They are scheduled in a way that makes this possible and we work with habit formation in a way that ensures people have the best possible chance of really changing their lives. Our programmes are very practical. We don't do any theories or models and we're all about transformation so we don't do any profiling either. An MD whose team has just been through our programme told us that it's the only training he's ever put people through where he's seen long term behavioural change - that's fantastic for us to hear. He's coming on the course in the summer now! I'm an introvert naturally so, given that my business is all about people, I really need time alone to recharge. I meditate (often in single breaths throughout the day) and I have saunas to give me brief moments of respite from the world. It's important to recognise as early as possible when the signs of stress appear and deal with them as soon as you can. I'm human too and I do feel stress but I deal with it before it becomes an issue for myself or those around me. My husband Kris has been my biggest influence - he has a very different outlook on life than me. He’s extremely calm, patient and rational. I have learnt a huge amount from him despite the fact that he’s 9 years younger than me. My advice to someone who is just starting out would be that it’s important to develop a sustainable schedule rather than just working your head off, which is what many people do. Burning out does no one any good. Think hard about what you want to be like now, not in 10 years when you’ve exited the business, and make it happen. If you want to spend time with your children, factor it in. If you want to keep/stay fit, make sure you’ve planned that in too. Work is important but it’s only one aspect of your lives. In 5 years we will have rolled out our new Masterclass Series all over the country. It’s an exciting time for us as this programme is a ground-breaking way of delivering training. A national presence is our 5 year goal. I want all your readers to know that your life is within your control. So many people I encounter feel out of control but really it only takes a few tweaks to have it within your command again. Take some time to reflect on what you want in life and then take the steps to make that happen. We run free taster sessions so people can come along if they think we might be able to help. Check out the links below to book on. https://quarterdeck.co.uk https://quarterdeck.co.uk/free-masterclass
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HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AS A WOMAN OVER 40 By Mags Matthews As a woman of a certain age, I know from experience that my body has for years defied my attempts to lose that stubborn fat and weight management was no longer as simple as reducing my calories and increasing my exercise. I had over a period of time of working from home gained over 30lbs and realised that yoga pants had not been my friend! The day came when I needed to put on one of my many corporate suits for a business meeting. Nothing I had previously slipped into fitted! I then had that long hard look in the mirror and saw what I had done to my body in the past 2 years. I was bloated, tired and overweight. I cried for the body I once had and did not appreciate. I made the decision that day I would get back to the fun loving, self-confident woman I had been in those corporate suits. I needed to find what would work for me as a woman in her fifties, so I reached out to others like me and discovered success lay with good nutrition and something I had never tried nutritional cleansing. The use of intermittent fasting in weight management has been shown to be a beneficial way to boost metabolism, reduce toxins, improve hormone balance. The act of fasting is not new it’s something that has been practiced for centuries and has been studied now in many formats such as the 5:2 plan. So where can you start taking control and making choices on how you make an impact on how you feel about the one body you will inhabit? 1. SLEEP - Most recent studies have shown that poor quality sleep, being restless and having regular less than 7 hours sleep has an impact on BMI. Women, in particular, are affected by this as we are at the mercy of hormonal changes throughout a month. These changes in hormones can cause women to have poor sleep patterns, night sweating being just one symptom that can cause women of a certain age to have to get up in the night! Chicken or Egg?? Does higher BMI mean you have a poorer sleep pattern or does the disturbed sleep pattern impact the body’s metabolism to cause weight gain …. Either way, it has been shown in multiple studies now that there is a correlation between poor sleep and higher BMI in women. So make your beauty sleep a priority if you are concerned about weight management. Strategies for getting a better night’s sleep include taking a high-quality melatonin supplement and having a nutritional snack before bedtime. Smartphones, Kindles, tablet screens or TVs in the bedroom are all having a negative impact on sleep patterns.All I can say is it has worked for me and many more to give them back the body they once had, more energy, better sleep, less bloating. The main thing for me is I am maintaining these results months after the initial goals were hit. I am not on a diet plan; I have made lifestyle changes that I will practice for as long as I want to stay feeling this good …. Forever. 2. Calcium & vitamin D3 - Good nutrition is important for everybody, but it plays a unique role in supporting women’s health. Unfortunately, many women are at risk of falling short on key nutrients for protecting long term health, especially nutrients that support strong bones and a healthy heart. Calcium is associated with bone health. It is critical for building and maintain bones. Your lifelong calcium intake and certain lifestyle choices can impact calcium stores as you age. However, Calcium’s role in healthy aging is not confined to a healthy bone. It is also essential for a healthy cardiovascular system through its role in regulating blood pressure. Additional studies have shown a diet rich in calcium are associated with lower levels of body fat and lower body weight. Dairy foods and dark green vegetables provide a healthy source of Calcium.
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Vitamin D3, commonly known as the sunshine vitamin, is fat soluble and key to bone health as well as being a must have supplement in postmenopausal women to support muscle growth and strength. In the UK we rarely have days where we get adequate sun exposure to ensure correct levels of Vit D are produced so a supplement daily is required. There are few foods that provide a good source of Vit D so experts recommend supplementing with Cholecalciferol daily is an effective way to ensure healthy levels are maintained. 3. Magnesium - Magnesium is another essential mineral, as it plays a critical role in over 300 biochemical reactions on the body, helping to support nerve function, blood pressure, fat loss and insulin levels. Unfortunately, experts believe as many as 48% of the population are deficient in magnesium in their diets. So a diet that includes green leafy veg, nuts, brown rice, fish and dairy foods will help increase magnesium levels. 4. Water - The key to a healthy lifestyle and a well-functioning gut is water. Plain tap water, unflavoured. There have been some studies to show that still water is better than fizz. Drinking 2-3 litres per day is the recognised advice, this is one of the simplest changes to put in place when on a calorie restricted plan as it helps with feeling fuller for longer. 5. Omega 3 - Omega 3 Fatty Acids are particularly valuable in women’s diets to support heart health. If you can consume two servings a week of oily fish such as Tuna, Mackerel, sardines then you will ensure you have adequate EPA and DHA, the nutrients involved in heart protection. 6. Creatine - Athletes have used creatine to give an extra competitive edge for over two decades, new research suggests that Creatine’s benefits far performance. Currently this vital substrate for cellular energy is being investigated for its beneficial effects on brain, ageing and bones. Women past menopause in particular, are at risk of bone loss and increased fracture risks so a supplement to diet that includes creatine as well as exercises that improves muscle strength such as resistance training or weights may help improve bone density as increased muscle strength is a stimulus to bone metabolism. Taking a creatine supplement prior to exercise at about 3g has been found the best way to use for improved muscle and bone strength. 7. Stress Hormone Cortisol - We all need this hormone in our body to help provide fuel for the fight or flight response … However, when we experience periods of stress, the body still produces cortisol in response and this is where we impact our health and weight. Keep cortisol in check, find a healthy balance. 8, Exercise then eat carbs - Intense bouts of exercise increases cortisol levels, however, this does not mean avoiding the gym. Just remember to fuel the body beforehand, to ensure you have the sugars on hand and the cortisol is not over stimulated. Post exercise remember that a balance of protein and carbohydrates will be needed to repair the muscles. 9. Add adaptogens - Adaptogens have been found to prime the body to resist stress. These are found in botanical supplements such as ashwagandha, wolfberry and eleuthero. These unique plants have been studied for their ability to act as metabolic regulators to support mental and physical performance. 10. Meditate - You need to find a way to affect psychological stress in life and decompress. There are many helpful videos on YouTube that can teach you guided meditation - yoga, breathing exercises and techniques are all useful in finding balance to the stressors in life. Oh and that number 1 comes up again …. Sleep! If you are interested in know more specifically the full plan, I followed please email me Magsmatthews2013@gmail.com
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