Inspiring, educating and celebrating grassroots businesses
HOW TO start working
With a VA
Vicky Brooks journey of hope and courage
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MINDSET MATTERS
in business mindset creates 95% of all results
Plus
URE T A E F L A I C y SPE a d v e r s it
overcom
in g
IN CONVERSATION WITH •
Graham Allcott
ISSN 2754-8813
£5.00 SPRING isSue
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881006
From homemade face masks to a full-time crafting business
Welcome to our Spring Issue
T
he theme of this issue is overcoming adversity. We all may face adversity at some point, but some of us are able to flourish when things get difficult, while others may struggle. When something bad happens in your life, how do you react? Do you approach the process of overcoming adversity as a learning opportunity, or do you let it throw you off your game? In our special feature, we take a closer look at what adversity is, accept it happens to everyone and learn steps to overcome adversity. Vicky Brooks has developed multiple successful businesses; she has dealt with health issues since the age of 26, some of which would be enough to make most people give up on their dreams. Vicky shares her journey of hope and courage on page 18. Our cover star is Graham Allcott. He is an author, podcaster, entrepreneur and single dad to his eight-year-old son. He has a global business based on helping people to improve productivity. We have interviews with Sophie Meislin Baron, founder of Mamamade. And William and Kelsey Seymour, Earl and Countess of Yarmouth, the founders of St Maur, a hand-crafted premium elderflower liqueur from the Heart of England. Performance Coach Mandy Evill shares why mindset matters in business. Mindset is our thoughts and beliefs that shape our behaviours and actions. Mindset creates 95% of all our results. Spending time developing your mindset is the best investment you could make into your business on page 26. Happy reading!
Bridget
Bridget Daley, Editor bridget@parentsinbiz.co.uk PS Don’t miss it SUMMER issue OUT 4TH July.
Inspiring, educating and celebrating grassroots businesses www.parentsinbiz.co.uk APRIL 2022
We are a Work for Good Partner and give a proportion of proceeds to charity. www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
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Contents 10
14 on the cover
5 How to start working with a VA Are you struggling with the many jobs/tasks that challenge your time every day? Are you thinking you may benefit from some support but unsure where to start? How does it work? Who to ask?
6 What to consider when employing staff for the first time As your business grows, you may begin to consider whether the time is right for you to bring a new team member on board to join you in running your business. on the cover
8 From homemade face masks to a full-time crafting business Vicky Foster is the owner and founder of ITACA Branding. She shares her start-up journey of how she turned her love of crafting into a thriving full-time business during the pandemic
14 How to run an organisation that thrives in the future Laura Lyon of Laura Lyon Trends conducted research that involved surveying just over 1,000 UK workers. She shares her top five recommendations for working in a way that enables your organisation to thrive in the future.
16 Interview with Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi, co-founders of SURI, a newly launched UK-based sustainable wellness brand, SURI, have designed an innovative, eco-friendly electric toothbrush to help combat the carbon footprint of oral care. on the cover
18 My journey of hope and courage Vicky Brook’s business journey since the age of 17 has not all been plain sailing. She has dealt with health issues since the age of 26, some of which would be enough to make most people give up on their dreams
on the cover
10 In Conversation with Graham Allcott Graham Allcott. He is an author, podcaster, entrepreneur and single dad to his eight-year-old son Roscoe. He is also the founder of Think Productive and has been in business for 13 years
on the cover
20 Special feature overcoming adversity In this special feature, we take a closer look at what adversity is, accept it happens to everyone and learn some steps you can take to overcome adversity, whatever life throws at you. on the cover
26 Mindset matters in business
CONNECT WITH US @parentsinbiz
Spending time developing your mindset is the best investment you could make into your business. Mindset is our thoughts and beliefs, and it’s this that shapes our behaviours and actions. Mindset creates 95% of all our results.
16 31 34
28 Let’s talk business with Clare
38 Our directory members
Clare Morris is the Parents in Business Magazines “business troubleshooter”. Clare has the answer to the questions you submitted.
If you are on the lookout for products and services, we showcase some of the products and services Parents in Business Directory members offer.
31 Interview with William and Kelsey Seymour, Earl and Countess of Yarmouth
42 Book reviews
An enterprising aristocratic couple’s own love story is the inspiration behind their ‘blossoming’ Warwickshire business launched in lockdown. “The brand is all about authenticity. It is an artisanal English product from the Heart of England.
Shona reviews two books, Growth: Building a Successful Consultancy in the Digital Age written by Joe O’Mahoney and Selling with Love: Earn with Integrity and Expand Your Impact Jason Marc Campbell
34 Sleep doesn’t need to be stressful Sarah Patel is the founder of Teach to Sleep and a mum of two little ones. Share’s her top tips on how to get to know your little one’s individual sleep needs.
36 Interview with Sophie Meislin Baron Mamamade came to life when Sophie introduced solids to her daughter Liba. She was didn’t like the available options. She wanted her daughter to have the very best, everything home-cooked, organic, plant-based, flavourful and healthy.
Disclaimer Views expressed in the articles are those strictly of the authors. Every effort is made to ensure that all information given is correct but Parents in Biz limited accepts no liability for inaccuracies, errors or omissions that may occur or their consequences. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher. Copyright includes (and not limited to) the content syndication of the RSS feed of this publication. The content and images used in any of the articles of this publication. The Parents in Business Magazine logo and any of its derivatives.
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Contributors
Meet the people who have taken part in the creation of this issue
Our trusted panel of contributors give you essential advice on everything from PR to wellbeing and finance. VICKY BROOKS, BUSINESS COACH Vicky is a business coach who has developed multiple successful businesses. She supports businesswomen to grow their business and income with specific daily action that gets results. www.businessmumco.thinkific.com
SHONA CHAMBERS, MARKETING CONSULTANT Shona Chambers is a Marketing Consultant and owner of Shona Chambers Marketing, a Marketing Agency based in Nunhead near Peckham. Specialising in helping Small Business Owners and Freelancers with their Marketing. *Photo credit Portrayed Photography www.shonachambersmarketing.co.uk MANDY EVILL, MINDSET AND PERFORMANCE COACH Mandy Evill is an international high-level mindset and performance coach and one of Bob Proctor’s top global and Inner Circle of Excellence consultants. She has over 20 years of experience in personal development and transformation. www.theinfinitemindcompany.com LAURA LYON, LAURA LYON TRENDS Laura Lyon is an experienced researcher and expert in trends. She has written a whitepaper on how organisations can do better for their employees, society, and the environment and how this is not only the right thing to do but will drive future financial success. www.lauralyontrends.co.uk CLARE MORRIS, FOUNDER OF CM RESOURCE Creating, refreshing, or enhancing your business model. Clare shares business growth ideas and strategies for new, developing, and established businesses. She can help you innovate, evolve and love what you do. www.cmresource.co.uk SARAH PATEL, FOUNDER OF TEACH TO SLEEP Sarah is the founder of Teach To Sleep, a mum of two little ones (18 months apart) and a fully qualified baby and toddler sleep consultant. Sarah has worked in education for over 15 years as a primary teacher and a senior lecturer in education. www.teachtosleep.co.uk TUTU POPOOLA, FOUNDER & LEAD CONSULTANT OF SLEEK HR Tutu Popoola is the Founder & Lead Consultant of Sleek HR, an outsourced HR & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultancy for creative businesses in the UK. She is an Accredited Member of HR Independents and Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) www.sleekhr.co.uk SARAH SMITH, VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Supporting you to save time and achieve more, I will help you and your business to thrive. Using a Virtual Assistant is ideal for those looking for flexible support without the overheads associated with employees. www.2-assist.co.uk
How to start working with a VA
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re you struggling with the many jobs/tasks that challenge your time every day? Are you thinking you may benefit from some support but unsure where to start? Who to ask? How does it work? You want somebody who can be trusted like an employee and seamlessly embeds themselves into your business. These are all very normal thoughts and questions to have. If you have an idea of what you would like support with, make a list. Jump on a discovery call and find out what the VA could support you with, ask how they support other clients, you could get some ideas. Think about the tasks that you don’t enjoy doing and the ones that take you longer to complete and away from the work you excel at. What type of person would you like to work with? Maybe you already have an idea of people who you feel share the same values and you would gel with. The relationship is important, and you want to connect and have fun too. Don’t let the idea of not feeling prepared stop you! A good VA will help you prepare. They will work with you from the discovery call through to onboarding and getting everything in place to work together.
How a Virtual Assistant can help you. Take Care A Virtual Assistant can take care of the business or family admin that doesn’t interest you or always gets pushed to the bottom of the list. Free You Up Working with a VA will free you up, physically and mentally, so you can concentrate on what you do best – focusing on the work that sparks your joy, adds value to your business, and plays better to your skillset.
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Efficient Processes A VA can help you introduce more efficient processes. They will get to know your business and work according to your company values and vision. They can also be the person to bounce your ideas off. Adapt to Your Needs Working on an Adhoc, project, or retainer basis, therefore flexible to different business needs. Sarah Smith Virtual Assistant www.2-assist.co.uk
Further reading Outsourcing For Success: How to Make the Most of Freelance Talent and Boost your Business Available to purchase on Amazon
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What to consider when employing staff for the first time As your business grows, you may begin to consider whether the time is right for you to bring a new team member on board to join you in the running of your business
S
ome business owners shy away from this or delay it for as long as possible because of everything they have heard about the challenges of becoming an employer. The most common one is that you become liable to be sued! It does not have to be a negative experience, and if done at the right time and in the right way, it can be quite a rewarding experience and will elevate your business beyond being a solo business and increase your level of output. It also frees up your time for business development which you may not have time to do because you’re juggling far too many balls.
Before you embark on this journey, it’s important to consider the following questions: What Type of Team Member Do I Need? Note I used the word ‘team member’ because there’s a difference between an Employee and a Freelancer/ Consultant/Contractor. A person’s employment status will determine their rights and your responsibility as an employer. A Freelancer will be self-employed or a part of another company and will look after their own tax and national insurance contributions. They are not entitled to employment rights, e.g. the minimum wage and pension enrolment; they will also set their rate. It does not have to be a negative experience, and if If they are an Employee, they will be entitled to done at the right time and in at least the national the right way, it can be quite a minimum wage and will rewarding experience and will have employment rights such as statutory sick pay elevate your business beyond and holidays, maternity, being a solo business and paternity and adoption increase your level of output. leave. You will also be responsible for their tax and national insurance contributions. Freelancers are not entitled to these rights, but make sure you don’t blur the line between freelancer and employee as this can prove to be costly, as in the case of Uber and others.
You should also consider if you need someone on a full time or part-time basis and how many hours of support you will require. In some cases, an individual can start off as a Freelancer and later be offered an employee position. Also, do you need help for the short term or long term? If it’s for the short term only, you could be better off with a Freelancer arrangement. Is It The Right Time? It may be the right time to bring in a new team member if: • There’s enough work to demand additional help, and your financial situation is stable enough to manage the additional cost. • You regularly need a specific skill set that you don’t have in-house. • You require help to bring in sales or because you’ve been turning down work. • A new revenue stream has become apparent or started, and you can’t deal with it yourself. • Your clients feel neglected, or you’re receiving complaints. • You need support; there simply isn’t enough time in your day. It’s best not to wait until you suffer from the effects of burnout. Have You Thought About Legal Compliance? •
You should register as an employer with HMRC. You must do this within four weeks of taking on your first employee in almost all cases. As an employer, you will be responsible for paying your staff a pre-agreed salary and deducting any PAYE (Pay As You Earn tax) and National Insurance Contributions from staff salaries. Your Accountant will be able to assist with this, and other payroll related activities.
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Once you have found a suitable candidate for the position you’ve advertised, you must make sure that your prospective employee ( a) has the right to work in the UK and (b) passes any further checks which may be appropriate to their new position – particularly a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if they’re
It’s obvious that there are higher costs associated with having an Employee however, they have a more vested interest in your business and can be more reliable. This is not to say Freelancers are not reliable, but sometimes they may be fully booked with other clients, so you will need to weigh this decision carefully. working with children or vulnerable access, for example. This used to be known as a CRB check. •
You must provide a written statement of employment/ contract to anyone who will be working for you for a month or more. This document provides the employee with the conditions of employment and must be issued by day one of starting work.
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Employer’s liability insurance is compulsory because employers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees whilst at work. This cover will protect your business if an accident occurs and an employee is injured or made ill as a consequence of work related activities. They will have a claim for compensation against their employer.
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Unsurprisingly, you will be responsible for providing your employees with a safe and secure environment to work in. You don’t need a formal written Health and Safety policy unless you have five or more employees, however, you should take time to assess the risks your staff face at work. This responsibility also extends to being aware of and preventing any kind of
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discrimination and making the workplace accessible for those with disabilities and health conditions. You can find out more on the Health & Safety Executive site.
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Pension Enrollment is also an important consideration if you are taking on as Employers must enrol their staff into a workplace pension scheme. You can find out if your employee will be automatically enrolled via this handy Government tool. www.gov.uk/workplace-pensions
Tutu Popoola Founder & Lead Consultant of Sleek HR www.sleekhr.co.uk
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STARTUP: From homemade face masks to a full-time crafting business
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’m Vicky Foster, the owner and founder of ITACA Branding. I’m a Yorkshire-based entrepreneur living with my husband and three daughters.This is my journey of how I turned my love of crafting into a thriving full-time business during the pandemic.
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mbroidery and crafting have always been passions of mine. Even when I was working full-time in my office job and had minimal time to get creative, I was trying to crowdfund tools and technology to enhance my skills. Back then, I didn’t think I’d be where I am now. My entrepreneurial journey started unexpectedly and began just as normality ended in March 2020. The day the UK went into its first Covid-19 lockdown, I was going through cancer treatment.
Taking the plunge and starting something completely new can be scary, but the rewards well outweigh the challenges along the way.
After returning home to recover (in what felt like a completely different world), I had an unfortunate setback. I was referred back to the hospital just two weeks into the beginning of the pandemic. I was put on a Covid-19 ward where there was an extreme shortage of supplies. The only mask available was an industrial dust mask that I was unable to breathe through but was too scared to take off.a This experience left me terrified of wearing masks when I came home. Every time I put on a mask, I was back on the Covid ward, reliving my experience struggling to breathe. What I didn’t realise at the time was that this traumatic event would be the start of something incredible. Crafting has always been an escape for me, so I embraced this safe space to help me get over my fear of masks. I started creating fun masks from vinyl to put a positive spin on an item I connected with at such a negative time in my life and sold them through Facebook. People went crazy for them. They loved the personalisation and light comic relief
that some of my sublimated designs brought and patterns that really appealed to the trend for stylish masks that were taking shape at the time. At this point, I was doing really well, and the business was growing steadily. I continued making masks and expanded out into embroidering workwear for clients. But just as life was showing a little normality, my partner was made redundant from his job of 25 years. Instead of letting this hold us back, we decided to use the money to invest in the business I’d started, and that is how ITACA Branding was born. The front room of our home became a workshop, and from there, the business went from strength to strength. We then invested in a Glowforge 3D Laser Printer to expand the range of products we could create. The variety of materials such as fabric, slate and wood that this technology can cut, engrave and etch, has been a huge step up from our homemade masks and embroidery jobs. The printer is also straightforward to use so that I could accelerate my production process practically overnight. We sold hundreds of personalised baubles for Christmas 2020, as well as paint your own Christmas kits. We also make other bespoke items such as signs for businesses, cheeseboards and once a pirate-themed wedding album! Like many of you, I also had to home-school my two youngest girls during the pandemic. My seven-year-old has dyslexia and is a very kinetic learner, so we used Glowforge
to bring her lessons to life. We created a globe for geography, a family crest for history, a helicopter to show her how cogs work and made number squares to help her visualise her maths. Then, with six months under my belt, in May 2021, I finally took the plunge and quit my admin job to focus on the business full time. In fact, my partner and I had a threeyear plan that involved him eventually quitting work to join me full time, but we have been so successful that he’s quit his job after just one year to focus on ITACA Branding! I’m so proud of our family-run business. We can offer design through to delivery of an extensive package of goods, from individual one-offs such as wall art to wholesale distribution of workwear. If you’re looking to start out, my own website, Facebook and Shopify store have proved the most successful channels for sales so far. I also have Instagram and an Esty shop that I hope to grow. My next step is going to be starting a YouTube channel where I can share videos of me creating products on my Glowforge, as it’s such a cool process to watch. It’s important that I share what I’m passionate about, and if I can inspire just one other person to follow their dream as I did, that’s something really special. Taking the plunge and starting something completely new can be scary, but the rewards well outweigh the challenges along the way – I have no regrets.
Vicky Foster ITACA Branding www.itacabranding.co.uk
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Graham Allcott
IN CONVERSATION
H
e is an author, podcaster, entrepreneur and single dad to his eight-year-old son Roscoe. He is also the founder of Think Productive and has been in business for 13 years. They work with some of the world’s leading companies to provide them with workshops and coaching to help them increase productivity improve well being, and rethink the way they work. Think Productive philosophy is about making space for what matters, which is partly to do with prioritising quality thinking, but it’s also about saying that productivity at work means more time at home, too. Graham has a podcast called Beyond Busy, and he is the author of five books, including the best-seller ‘How to be a Productivity Ninja’. He co-parents 50-50 with Roscoe’s mum, and his new partner also has a four-year-old son. Graham says it’s not a conventional 2.4 children set-up, it works for us (and is more common than many people realise).
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Tell us about your journey. How did you get here? Lots of hard work and a bit of luck! I never imagined I’d set up a global business based on helping people to improve productivity. My early career was around promoting volunteering and running a charity. Then after that, I went freelance. While I was working for myself, I realised that I needed better personal systems around productivity, and once I found stuff that worked for me, I fell into teaching other people. When I was running the charity, I got used to the loneliness and responsibility of running your own thing quite young (26/27 years old), and I figured that if I was going to have all that responsibility, I might as well be working on something that I had control of. These days, we’ve got offices worldwide, and I’m currently writing my sixth book. I’ve had a couple of big successful books, and there are thousands of people who’ve been on our workshops and many more who’ve read one or more of my books. It’s not stuff I think about that often, to be honest, but it’s pretty wild to write it all down. I feel very lucky and grateful to be here.
What would you change about how you did things if you could go back? I boot-strapped the business based on organic growth without borrowing a single penny. I didn’t pay myself for three years as we got going and had to do a lot of the development myself. Whilst that’s good now because it means I don’t have investors or banks to answer to, the downside is it probably took us longer to grow. Perhaps it would have been better to go and borrow the money to speed up the growth once I saw that we had something valuable.
too. And one of our company’s values is ‘trust and kindness are our rocketfuel’, and I believe that by operating in a person-centred, kind way, we ultimately get more done. That’s actually also the subject of my next book.
“The business is all about increasing efficiency and reducing waste.”
There are loads of other things that I did that I’d change, and the common thing with most of them is just not being brave enough to go ‘all in’ and take too big a risk. I was a free school meals kid at school, so I tend to be quite cautious when it comes to taking big financial risks. People say entrepreneurship is all about taking risks, but to be honest, I think a lot of entrepreneurs, me included, don’t take many actual risks at all. Entrepreneurship is more about being able to see what isn’t yet there, in my opinion. But in terms of risk, I want to see something working before I properly throw my own money at it so that my own money is at the lowest risk I can get away with. So looking back, I’d say being a bit braver when I can see something working, to get there quicker, is probably the main theme in all the things I’d change.
How do your values show up in the work you do? I have four core values: ideas and innovation; kindness and empathy; efficiency and reducing waste; and freedom and autonomy. The business is all about increasing efficiency and reducing waste. I see peoples’ stress and busyness as wasted thoughts and energy, and so much of the way we all work involves wasted energy. Of course, the business gives me a lot of freedom and is a playground for ideas,
How do you manage your time between family and business?
I’m pretty boundaried about when I finish working, I very rarely work past about 6pm, and I could count weekends in the last decade on one hand. I also just ‘write off’ the six weeks’ holidays in the summer in my head (I tend to do 4 of those 6 weeks, solo), and then I’m not relying on that time to be productive, although then if I do manage to squeeze anything into the evenings or whatever, that’s my choice. But I find it helps me to not feel stressed or guilty with myself if I just simply write that time off as non-work time – and I think it makes me better as a parent that way, too. So that helps as a starting point. Beyond that, it’s a mixture of trying to be flexible around schools, doing some 5am starts if I need a couple of hours before he wakes up, and a couple of times a year, my mum will come down to Brighton from the midlands and do a few days when I have a big trip or a big keynote.
What advice would you give to a parent who is thinking of writing a book? My advice to anyone who wants to write a book is “don’t!”. Books are incredibly tough and demanding. If you’re writing a book because you think it’ll make you successful or make you passive income, then just don’t bother. And if you don’t have a very strong constitution for stress and tiredness, then don’t bother either.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
“I have four core values: ideas and innovation; kindness and empathy; efficiency and reducing waste; and freedom and autonomy.”
But if you’re writing a book because you have something to share with the world, and you really love the process of writing, then there are a few things I could say. First, if you want a book deal, they’re easier to get if you already have a book and easier still if you have a book and a ready-made audience of people to sell it to. That’s the place to start. Self-publish it first, or just get a few copies made to send to publishers. Start the marketing before you finish the book. You don’t need validation for the idea of the book, just the marketing strategy. And then I’d say write a ‘shitty first draft’ til you’ve got the basic ideas out. Do this as quickly as possible, and then do the other two thirds of the work slowly as you need to (the editing, sculpting, changing, testing, re-shaping). Above my desk, I have a faded post-it note that simply says “writers write”. There are a million things that feel like writing a book, but the ones that count are where you’re looking at the words and moving your hands quite fast over the keys. Good writing is about good routines and carving out the mental headspace in large enough blocks (2-3 hours minimum for me).
Music is probably my main thing. I have music on loud in my house from early morning till late at night, and I go to a lot of gigs and festivals. Last year I caught Little Simz live a couple of times, which blew me away, and I’m a huge fan of jazz and electronic stuff like Hiatus Kaiyote, Floating Points and Bicep. I also sing as a volunteer in a homelessness choir. I got into baseball a few years ago when I was working in Canada, so I watch a lot of games on my iPad (and used to go over there to watch games pre-pandemic), and I’ve had a season ticket at Aston Villa for more years than I care to think about (although many of those weren’t that enjoyable, to be honest!).
Who or what inspires you? Over the years, I’ve realised that a lot of the traditional role models just don’t actually inspire me (Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs). I’m more interested in people pushing boundaries in a kind or authentic way, like Jacinda Ardern did through the pandemic in New Zealand. For my new book, I’ve been interviewing people like John Bird, the founder of the Big Issue, and James Timpson, the CEO of Timpson. It’s inspiring when people are on the front-foot with their kindness, and it fuels their results. And I’m always inspired by the idea that we can all be better. I guess with everything I’ve done, that’s the thing that gets me out of bed in the morning.
Graham Allcott www.grahamallcott.com/now
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How to run an organisation that thrives in the future Doing better for people and the environment is not only the right thing to do but will drive future financial success.
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y whitepaper ‘Future of work: how to be an organisation that thrives’ shows widespread poor mental health and low levels of happiness among workers and the negative impact this is having on our productivity at work.
My research involved surveying just over 1,000 UK workers, reviewing published literature, finding case studies of innovative and inspiring organisations, and interviewing experts in the areas of workplace health, wellbeing, and culture. I found out that we have unmet needs that can be addressed in the areas of work/life balance, personal development, working in diverse and inclusive teams, and doing meaningful work that contributes towards society and is sustainable. There are huge opportunities to focus efforts on these areas, reducing our levels of stress and anxiety and increasing happiness, focus, motivation, productivity, and ultimately organisational effectiveness and success.
Here is a summary of my top 5 recommendations for working in a way that enables you, anyone who works for you, and your organisation to thrive in the future:
1. Focus on work/ life balance Shifting to task-based rather than time-based working, adopting working hours that fit around life outside of work (rather than the other way around) and implementing a 4-day working week have all been shown to reduce stress, while increasing happiness and productivity in the workplace. Work/life balance has the biggest influence on whether people are happy at work. Shockingly 44% of workers don’t think they have a good work/life balance.
2. Prioritise health and wellbeing Ways you can do this include making sure that you and anyone who works for you takes regular breaks, encourage walking meetings and calls and ask what you can do to help employees. Huge workloads, frequent meetings and constant emails are taking their toll on staff. People need to be able to do their jobs while also having time to eat properly, spend time outside, exercise, rest and care for their children. 9 out of 10 people say it is important to them that their employer cares about their health and wellbeing, and yet half of the people feel there is more than can be done to look after their health at work. Alarmingly, over half of workers don’t describe their mental health as good.
This gives a sense of purpose and fulfilment in knowing that something worthwhile has been achieved while working for a caring organisation. Almost three quarters say it is important to them to do work that contributes towards bettering society. But just over half don’t think making improvements to society is prioritised in their line of work.
6. Champion sustainability Show that you care about your environmental impact and that you are doing all you can to work sustainably; setting sustainability goals is a good way to demonstrate this. This shows you are a responsible organisation doing good business. 68% say it is important to them to work for an organisation that is sustainable, but 60% don’t think sustainability is prioritised in their line of work. Consumers are also more environmentally conscious than ever before, and the eco-credentials of companies will increasingly impact purchasing behaviours.
Laura Lyon Laura Lyon Trends www.lauralyontrends.co.uk
3. Create an inclusive community It is no surprise that people work well in environments where they feel comfortable being themselves and are confident that their opinions and work is valued. Appreciating the input of people from diverse backgrounds and giving opportunities for teams to come together to get to know each other and to further their understanding of each other are key. 77% say a community feel among colleagues is important to them, but more in 1 in 5 say they currently don’t have good relationships with people they work with.
4. Seek opportunities to do meaningful work Take the time to think about what you want from your career and encourage your employees to do the same. Time should be made to follow passions, and everyone should be involved in decision making and goal setting. The result will be employees who have shared objectives and who are fulfilling their potential and making an impact. 83% say it is important to them to have the opportunity to do work that is meaningful to them, but only a third feel they do meaningful work.
5. Contribute towards bettering society There are lots of ways that society can and needs to be supported; you could choose a charity or a local community group to invest time, resources, and/or money into helping. APRIL 2022
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STARTUP: Interview with Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi
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ark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi, co-founders of SURI newly launched UK-based sustainable wellness brand, SURI, has designed an innovative, eco-friendly electric toothbrush in a bid to offer the world’s most sustainable smile and help combat the carbon footprint of oral care. Tell us about you? We are Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi, co-founders of SURI, short for sustainable rituals, a new sustainable wellness startup. Mark is a Dad of 2, Leo, two and Elsie, who is five months. Gyve is Dad to Ellie, who is six months.
Why did you decide to start your own business?
“Not many people know this, but toothbrushes today aren’t recyclable, meaning every year, over four billion toothbrushes end up in landfills or in our oceans. Said differently, every toothbrush you’ve ever owned possibly still exists.”
We launched SURI during the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when we (like many others) were re-evaluating what was important in life. With becoming new fathers, we felt the need to focus our
experience and expertise on creating something that would help protect the planet for future generations. It’s that moment when you realise it’s what you leave behind that really matters.
What was your mission at the start of your business?
We started SURI with a goal to create personal care products that help people live more sustainably; without compromising on quality, performance, or design. Not many people know this, but toothbrushes today aren’t recyclable,
meaning every year, over four billion toothbrushes end up in landfills or in our oceans. Said differently, every toothbrush you’ve ever owned possibly still exists. We believe we can do better, and with SURI, we’ve taken the electric toothbrush back to its first principles. SURI is slim
“Becoming new fathers, we felt the need to focus our experience and expertise on creating something that would help protect the planet for future generations.” and repairable, with compostable plant-based heads that deliver an exceptional clean while having a minimal impact on our planet. As we grow, we aim to expand our product portfolio, with a focus on sustainable products that make you feel good and look great in your bathroom. Ultimately we want to be a force for change within the industry and show other brands and manufacturers how it’s possible to adopt more sustainable materials, use less packaging, and aid more recycling to reduce the carbon footprint of the oral and personal care sectors.
How did you come up with the name for your company?
We are all creatures of habit. With SURI, we want to create the products that mean you can follow the same routines you always have but do so using eco-friendly materials and products that you enjoy using just as much, but that have less impact on the environment.
If you were to give advice to a parent thinking of starting a business, what would it be? Planning and communication! Whether for business or for the family, with a squeeze on your time, it becomes even more important to plan in advance and communicate with your partner so that you can manage your time most effectively.
How do you manage your time between family and business? This is a work in progress, to be honest! We have set times that we are fully present with the kids (in the morning and evenings). We’re lucky that our kids attend nursery, enabling us to work during the day. If need be and is often the case, we will also work in the evenings.
Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi SURI www.trysuri.com
SURI is short for sustainable rituals, because we firmly believe that by making small changes to our daily routines and lives, we can help protect the planet for the future.
APRIL 2022
www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
17
My journey of hope and courage I’m Vicky Brooks. I started my first business when I was 17 years old. 33 years later, I have developed multiple successful businesses, many 7 figures and a flourishing coaching practice helping business owners create a daily action plan that gets results.
B
ut it’s not all been plain sailing. I have dealt with health issues since I was 26, some of which would be enough to make most people give up on their dreams but inspiring others in similar situations is at the forefront of my mind.
At 26, I had a brain haemorrhage fortunately, I was able to take time to recover, and, when I felt able to, I could work from home. It was this that first made me realise how beneficial being my own boss actually was. I also began to suffer cluster headaches which can be very debilitating. Choosing my work hours has made managing this condition far easier.
You are an incredible person. Raising children whilst running a business is not for the faint hearted. It’s hard to switch off from your business, and you don’t clock off at 5pm on Friday and not think about it until 9am on Monday. In 2018, I suffered a stroke and was consequently diagnosed with brain lesions which cause multiple issues. This was a dark time. My daughter was just going into her teens and needed me. I felt incapacitated, and for a time, things were pretty bleak. However, I restructured my businesses, 6 at this point, so I could work more efficiently and automate as much as possible. It meant I could still run all 6 but put my health first. Some days I’m great, some I’m not. Focussing on the specific activities which, if done daily, grow a business significantly, allows me to be highly productive in just an hour or two and then, on good days, I can choose to put in some extra hours. These activities are what I teach my clients, so whether it’s working full time and juggling a business, young children or a health condition, they too can build and grow by being very specific in what they do. Life can be very challenging. As parents, we are often pulled in so many different directions it feels impossible to find time to actually start or develop a business. Add into the mix caring for elderly relatives, your own health issues or unexpected difficulties, and it feels completely overwhelming. The temptation to give up on your dream is very real.
Building a business truly doesn’t need to mean burning the candle at both ends, sacrificing family time or driving yourself into the ground. If you can carve out a few hours, and you focus on what will actually help you attract new customers, encourage repeat orders and referrals from current customers and create consistent, regular sales, you can give yourself that freedom. I thought it was all over when I had my stroke and then had the lesion diagnosis. My neurologist made it very clear what was in store. I freely admit I felt very hard done by, very sorry for myself and very angry for a while. But then I decided my daughter deserved more than that. As parents, do you find we often do things to show them a life lesson? Life can be tough. I wanted to show her that regardless of the hand you are dealt, you can often find a way to rise. It wasn’t easy, mentally or physically, to muster the motivation but altering how I worked, adapting and focussing very clearly on what would help me grow, plus eliminating the “faff”, gave me a positive direction initially, which I believe entirely helped me deal with all of my brain dramas! And then, my businesses grew. I’d expected them to falter, but they grew. You are an incredible person. Raising children whilst running a business is not for the faint hearted. It’s hard to switch off from your business, and you don’t clock off at 5pm on Friday and not think about it until 9am on Monday. Ideas, thoughts, plans are always buzzing around your head. That’s fine. But, if you currently have more on your plate than you can, or think you can, handle, stop, take a breath and focus on what
Wherever you are right now, whatever situation you are in, your business can give you the freedom you need to navigate that. Not just financial freedom, but time freedom. is truly going to help you grow and get that freedom. The other stuff? Write it on a to do (one day) list. You deserve the freedom. Your family deserves the freedom. Even if right now, you are laying in a little ball at the bottom of the pit of despair, wondering how you are going to keep juggling everything, stop, breathe and adapt. And if you need a helping hand out of that pit, I’ll show you the way. Incredible You’ve got this
Vicky Brooks Founder of Businessmum Wherever you are right now, whatever situation you are in, your business can give you the freedom you need to navigate that. Not just financial freedom, but time freedom.
APRIL 2022
www.businessmumco.thinkific.com
www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
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special feature
Overcoming adversity
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e can all think of a TEDTalk or a social media post that pulled on our heartstrings and made us think about how brave the speaker was. Why do we believe this? Because they overcame adversity and are showing the world a positive persona and fighting spirit, making all those who come into contact with them think, ‘Wow, they are brave’. Some people feel guilty because nothing terrible has
ever happened to them. This is unlikely - we all meet adversity, even if they don’t realise it. Some people find this outpouring of success leaves them feeling inferior, weak and not good enough. They don’t feel like they can overcome adversity. In this special feature, we take a closer look at what adversity is, accept it happens to everyone and learn some steps you can take to overcome adversity, whatever life throws at you.
Adversity is a negative event that happens in life that we have to deal with.
What is Adversity?
Mental
Adversity is a negative event that happens in life that we have to deal with. For some people, these experiences are life-changing and lead to them overcoming and improving their situation, just like the internet stories - although it isn’t always as dramatic as having your leg bitten off by a shark or losing your livelihood in a devastating fire. Sometimes people come up against one adversity too many, and it can send them into a downward spiral of drinking, taking drugs or running away. These are extremes, and most of us sit in the middle somewhere.
Emotional
There are many minor adversities, and we deal with them every day. As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you will face personal and business adversities. Understanding them is the starting point for overcoming them.
Types of Adversity Physical When you read a police report stating a car accident victim suffered from life-changing injuries, you know they have met physical adversity. Cancer patients would attest to facing physical adversity, as would thousands of people diagnosed with life-altering diseases and conditions. Physical problems may leave a person unable to carry on the life they planned, and change is needed.
APRIL 2022
Mental health has come into the spotlight over the last decade, and rightly so. Mental health adversity is a typical example where those coming up against stress and mental illness need to look at well-being and get help to recover.
The death of a parent, child, partner or loved one. Divorce or relationship breakdown. Problems with friendships or other personal relationships. All of these and more would fall under the umbrella of emotional adversity. Social For some people, social skills are hard to develop, and these limits can lead to issues with finding work, having supportive solid friends or maintaining relationships with friends and family. Financial Someone once said money is the root of all evil, and sometimes in life, there does not seem to be enough to live off. Not having financial stability can cause many adversities that need to be overcome. Spiritual Many people face spiritual issues from faith-based conundrums, whether these come from beliefs or just faith in other people and the process of life. www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
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special feature
Ways to Overcome Adversity There are many minor adversities, and we deal with them every day. As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you will face personal and business adversities. Understanding them is the starting point for overcoming them.
It’s Inevitable The first and most important lesson when learning how to overcome adversity is to accept that it happens and is inevitable. It is also a vast scale, and there is no merit in comparing your troubles with other people. One person steps over may feel like a mountain to climb for another. It is not a contest or a competition, so another critical point is to refrain from judging how people handle adversity, including yourself. No one can know how they will cope and process an event until it happens. Don’t feel you are doing it wrong everyone has a unique journey, and we are all so different. You do you, and things will work out. By all means, see inspiration in others, but don’t crush yourself, worrying you are not recovering and overcoming fast enough - there is no timeline!
Support Network An excellent way to deal with adversity is to reflect, examine and learn - we will look at those in more detail in a moment. But this is a good point to introduce your support network. We will face some things in life alone, but most of the time, your friends and family, your tribe, are the best way to handle adversity. They will help you with the whole process, love and nurture you and help you regain your momentum and work through the problems and roadblocks. This is a two-way street, and you should want to find yourself a valued member of their support network in return - as together, we are stronger.
Reflect, Examine and Learn
It is important to note these as independent issues as the resolution will be different. Examine the problem from all sides; what is the worst thing that could come out of this adversity. A severe health problem can cause emotional, mental, spiritual, and financial difficulties and physical adversity. This may be the hardest thing you have to do, but accepting that the worst outcome could happen has to be a starting point. Learn from the situation; what is it teaching you? Even when it seems so dark and cloudy, there are silver linings. You just cannot see them yet. Find coping strategies, call on your tribe and see what you can do to take small steps. Break down the future into manageable stages, and don’t be tempted to get ahead of yourself. No matter how big or small the adversity happens to be, you can find a path, a diversion or a complete reinvention by moving slowly and planning. Be proud of yourself, pat yourself on the back and keep your head held high. You have got this!
Sometimes people come up against one adversity too many, and it can send them into a downward spiral of drinking, taking drugs or running away.
When you hit this wall of adversity, it is time to reflect on the situation. What has happened, and what is the problem with this twist in your life path. An issue can have more than one line of adversity - a divorce could impact both your emotional and financial stability. APRIL 2022
www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
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special feature
How facing adversity helped 2 business owners build a better business smoke in the air from August through to December. I’ll never forget the daily anxiety wondering how close the fires may get. When conditions were forecast as catastrophic in November, we temporarily evacuated our home and camped on the coast. Fortunately, our small town and valley dodged the direct impact of the fires, but it came very close. Since then, we’ve dealt with annual flood events (the biggest just this month), homeschooling through the pandemic and juggling my retail and event hire business whilst finding time to maintain my 5-acre property!
How Did I Do It? So, how did I get through these challenging events? I’ve had the emotional support of some very good friends. Living in a small, rural community where everybody knows each other, I always had support close by or at the end of the phone.
Louisa Fallon, Stylish Camping Co www.stylishcampingco.com.au I lived on the other side of the world in Australia when my father was diagnosed with brain cancer. I had a newborn baby and a 2-year-old and had just launched my business. My children and I flew to the UK and reunited with my dad a week before he sadly passed away. I spent a month with my mum organising his funeral and his affairs before returning home to Australia. Three days after our return to Australia, my mother unexpectedly passed away. I was in complete shock. I made the return trip back to the UK with my children, and this time with my partner. We temporarily relocated for five months to organise my mum’s funeral this time, empty my childhood home, and close down my parents’ businesses. Within a month, I’d lost both my parents, and my life felt like it had been turned completely upside down, but I still had to be present for my children, both of whom I was still breastfeeding. (One was weaned very quickly soon after). At the time, I was also in an abusive relationship and felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells. I told my children’s father to leave just over a year after returning from the UK. I was anxious about how I’d cope as a single parent with no family support and how I’d run my business singlehanded. It was a huge transition and an emotional, mental and financial rollercoaster, but my children were always my number one priority. I wanted to protect them as much as I possibly could from more upheaval. But I also had to keep my business afloat for all of us. The following year we lived through the ‘black summer’ bushfires on the east coast of Australia. With constant
I also found the self-care I needed with regular massages, energy healing, and osteopathic treatment and saw a psychologist and a kinesiologist for trauma-related support. When I look back over the last seven years, each of those experiences was a huge lesson in discovering my own mental and emotional strength. I’m so much stronger than I ever thought I was, which has changed my own sense of self, confidence, and attitude towards having a go! My kids are thriving, and so is my business. We really weathered the storms pretty well after everything we’ve been through.
What advice would you give to a fellow parent business owner facing adversity? When things feel overwhelming, don’t put huge expectations on yourself. When your cup is empty, mentally, physically and/or emotionally, everything feels so much harder. But being able to accomplish just one thing each day, however small, will give you a daily sense of achievement, keeping the wheels turning at home or in your business, no matter how slowly. Surround yourself with people who can help and support you, whether it be friends, family or professionals. Mountains are climbed with small but steady steps, with plenty of time to rest and recharge, and always with the help of a support crew.
a parent. Everything I do, I do with my parenting in mind. I think of my kids and what I want for them. I also want them to see that obstacles and adversity can be overcome and that kindness is key. Of course, I want to help other people face similar challenges. Helping others gives me so much satisfaction and helps me continue to grow, develop, and overcome my adversity. For example, I hosted an event in February that helped raise awareness for mental health struggles. It helped me to give people back to my community and created an opportunity to connect with each other. I will certainly be putting on more of these events for our industry.
Rebecca Bishop, Elite Building Services (Vic) Pty Ltd www.elitebuilding.com.au Back in 2009, I was a pretty outgoing person. I was a wife, a law student, a volunteer, a basketball coach, a step-mum, and a full-time senior paralegal. However, in 2010, I was involved in a car accident that nearly killed me.The accident had the freeway where it took place closed for more than six hours. It took the emergency rescue services 3 1/2 hours to get me out. I was driving a station wagon, and it got wedged under a B-double which drove through the median at high speed and pushed my car across three different lanes of traffic. It was terrifying. I really believed I was going to die. It’s been 12 years, and I still struggle with my injuries. I have PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, and a brain injury. I couldn’t walk after the accident. I lived in a rehab centre for a month. I had to relearn how to walk and had no use of my right arm for a year after my accident. Despite all odds, I learned that I was pregnant just a few months later. Somehow, my baby survived the accident, and he just turned 11 last November.
How Did I Do It? Well, I can tell you one thing - it certainly hasn’t been easy. The road to recovery is always hard, and you never quite know how long it’ll take you. For me, overcoming adversity has meant throwing myself into work. I used my experiences and turned them into strengths. I run a business, completed my law degree, and became an industry leader in the building and construction world. I’ve appeared on television, been to events with hundreds of people, and spoken at events with amazing individuals. I love to help people to break out of their comfort zone, to feel heard and tackle problems faced in my industry. I’m a fierce advocate for mental health, and I do my best to help people where I can. Honestly, overcoming my mental health struggles and adversity is an ongoing battle. I literally just have to take it one day at a time. There are good days and bad days. I’m finally learning that I am not my accident, and I am not my injuries. I am more than that, and the feeling of confidence that I have (when I have it), the feeling of power that I have from constantly striving to do new and exciting things with my life and my career, that’s what pushes me forward. Even more so is the strength and resilience that comes with being APRIL 2022
I have so much left to offer people, and I want to help the world thrive. I know that the mental health space can always benefit from more people speaking up, so I will continue pushing my own boundaries and keep sharing my story. I also want to help create a safe space where women in construction will have an opportunity to thrive. I will also be admitted as a lawyer soon too! I have been quite resistant to treatment in the past, and in 2019 I made a commitment to myself. When I chose to sponsor the Collingwood Football Club players, I knew that I would take the opportunity to really challenge myself and my mental health. I made the most of every opportunity afforded to me as a result of that sponsorship, and I pushed myself well beyond my comfort zone, and this decision, the sponsorship of the CFC, honestly saved my life. I am grateful for every challenge I face and overcome. This has helped me to see what I am capable of and really inspires me to keep going – for me – and for my family. I am so proud of how strong my body and mind can be when I thought it was so weak following the accident. When you have an experience like mine, it’s safe to say that your entire world changes. Everything becomes different, and it’s important to try and reassess how you look at the world. I used to just exist, and to be honest, in some respects, my accident was a positive thing for me. I now mindfully appreciate everything I have in life and have the courage to push forward. It wasn’t the ideal way to get that change in my life (of course), but I’ve made the best out of the situation, and now I appreciate every little thing. That’s my story. That’s how I deal with adversity. I don’t look at how far I have to go. I remember who I am and where I’ve come from.
What advice would you give to a fellow parent business owner facing adversity? My advice to any parent and business owner would be to have an empowering and supportive network around you. Have people in your circle who will listen to you without judgment and help you with the support you need. I guess something I’ve always struggled with is asking for help, so having the confidence to do that is imperative as there is no need to struggle through it alone. I would recommend being part of groups with like-minded people or people who can relate to what you are going through. Business groups, coaching groups, trauma support services groups. A valuable network is so important – not only so that you feel supported, but so that you can support others as well. Helping others is another way that helps me feel good and improves my mental health as well.
www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
25
Mindset Matters in Business
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our result in business is 95% mindset and only 5% strategy. I was always a doer, always looking for solutions, always the busy one who put her hand up to do the next thing that needed doing. I was the epitome of the saying, ‘if you want something done, then ask a busy person that was me, I was a human doer, not a human being!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a doer, but I’m a doer with a whole lot of being too! If you are busy, overworked, running around ‘trying’ to get things done: If you are working hard to increase your profit margin, launch your next product or service, looking to create and implement the magic strategy that will make everything fall into place easily and effortlessly, then I really want you to sit down, grab a cuppa and listen up. You can use any one, or even all of the hundred strategies out there, that advise you should do this or that, and then still not get the result you want. And let’s be honest, the result wanted is more profitability, increased sales, or in plain English, more money in the bank!
I’m here to tell you it’s not the next big shiny marketing tool that is going to make your life easier and get that money into your bank account. Yes, it will have some impact, obviously, if you are going into business to sell ice cream in the north pole, that is not a business strategy that will produce the desired result. However, even the most obvious and effective strategy that has evidence of working over and over again for others (we are given so much social proof as evidence these days), why is it that it didn’t produce the desired results for you? You are in good company here as that is exactly what happened to me. I started to use a marketing strategy that was working magic for other consultants and coaches, but somehow it seemed to be letting me down, even though I was following the plan. That was when my eyes were opened, it’s not the strategy, it’s the mindset! How else could two people using the same system, same price, same economy, and same everything produce such extreme results, one a winner and one a loser. Of course, I knew this as a mindset and performance coach, but I wasn’t implementing it! So, to save you the pain and struggle, here are some simple mindset strategies that, not only do I teach, I also apply myself. If you use these when implementing your business and marketing strategies, your results will go through the roof.
ONE
Know where you are going It seems obvious, I know, but I can’t tell you the number of people who have no clue where they want to be in a year’s time. So, get to work on this first step. Spend some time thinking about what you want your business to be achieving, how you want to be living your life, and write this all out on paper and in the present tense, like you are already there. Be big, be bold and reach for the stars. (a small gift for you here. DO NOT think about how you will get there, this is VERY important!). Writing it out is important, though.
Two
Believe in yourself Believe in your ability, believe in who you are, know that everything you want is inside of you, and let’s be honest here, it’s just screaming to get out! You need to give yourself permission and stop overthinking and analysing. Say yes to yourself, say yes to your business and say to winning, yes to all your potential customers out there waiting for you.
Three
Step into a new you There is a great saying that goes, ‘You cannot outperform your internal self-image, it’s this image that sets the boundaries of all your accomplishments’. Take a look at your results and measure them against how you see yourself. My mentor always said results don’t lie, which can be a harsh truth sometimes! But let’s get right to the point, all that’s needed is a paint over job, not 10 years of psychotherapy. Ask yourself what attributes and type of person would I be to accomplish the goal I want? Then write that out and begin immediately to ‘be’ that person. This is a mindset change, so it takes a little time, persistence and commitment, to re-programme your current conditioned mindset, but stick with it, and over a short amount of time, you will start to see changes and new results show up. APRIL 2022
Many mindset and performance gurus will tell you to implement specific success habits and strategies, but here’s the thing I want you to know: you are unique, there is no one on this planet like you, that is your business USP. As you implement the three steps above, your performance habits will change in alignment with who you begin to see yourself as. Your mindset will shift into new perceptions of your business world, and as that shift takes place, new opportunities, people, and circumstances will show up on your path to success and achievement. Mindset is our thoughts and beliefs and it’s this that shapes our behaviours and actions. Mindset creates 95% of all our results. Spending time developing your mindset is the best investment you could make into your business. It’s time to stop working harder and pushing upstream, it’s time to give yourself permission to re-programme your mindset to create the results you not only want, but deserve, by following the path downstream, and that can only start with your mind.
Mandy Evill Mindset and Performance Coach www.theinfinitemindcompany.com
www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
27
LET’S TALK BUSINESS WITH CLARE
STRAIGHTFORWARD SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES
H
ello, I’m Clare – your positively creative Problem Solver I’m at my very happiest partnering with business owners like you to strengthen and confidentialy move your business forward. When not working you’ll find me outside, rain or shine running or wild gardening! Clare Morris is the Parents in Business Magazines
“business troubleshooter” answering your questions.
Q I’ve had a conversation about money today- it was a lovely chat in a networking group, but it’s made me think about money/pricing and just how emotional it all can be? Andrea SquiggleSocial A So, is pricing the problem, or how you value what you do, or the way you feel about money?
Most important is being confident in your value proposition (what you promise to deliver to your customers). Make a list, and it’ll grow with your confidence! Value: believe in, benefit, worth, fairness, love, knowledge, quality, respect 1. Show your customers work in progress or how amazing they’ll be after working with you – benefit. 2. Don’t think ‘my customers can’t afford it (you really can’t know this). You’re making their life easier or helping them to make money. 3. Have a forecast/spreadsheet. Your price should be able to financially support you. Is it feasible without working 24/7? 4. Historically, do you have enough time, over deliver, undersell. These are the kinks to iron out as part of your delivery promise. Now think about your pricing again. And remember, there is no perfect price! You can always change it.
Q I’m an accountant, and a few of my clients have left the UK but still have businesses and properties in the UK. They often call to talk about their accountants in the evening. The time difference is becoming a problem with my work/life balance. What solution would you suggest for this? Anonymous A First, I would love to know if these are key clients for you? Do you look forward to working with them? Are they adding value to your business?
If yes to the above, then maybe you could look at just offering one evening a week/fortnight/month for exclusive access to your expertise – and by doing so, implement a new pricing structure that funds a little more freedom when you are enjoying your life/work balance. Or, if it’s no. And leaves you without a main income. Would it be an opportunity to look at your business solutions and re-work them according to the sectors, client types/size etc., that you could enjoy working with at times of the day that are most suitable to you. Both of the answers seem to indicate a good time to reevaluate your financial and personal goals alongside your preferred customer and ways of working. I hope the answers help you see where your enjoyment and energy are most rewarded.
Q I have been in business for over a year. I am finding it hard to make decisions on my own, business visibility and the stress of worrying about money?
Try personalising the relationship with your customer. It could be as simple as how you shop (ethically) or how you get around (electric/active travel). If you take a stand on social issues, showing you, have values that your customers can align with. Join communities/groups that are right for you that give you another voice – but here, you’re talking directly, not into the social media ether.
Anonymous A Straightaway, I would suggest pairing up with a business
If you’re being honest and consistent, it won’t feel forced, too personal, or false. And it should be enjoyable, easy to write/create. If it’s hard work, you may not have the balance quite right.
Stress can cloud every task, thought and decision. It might help to meditate, walk, garden – something you enjoy and can maintain. There are benefits from just 15 minutes a day.
Q My challenge is ramping up the businesses and marketing with no budget and limited time.
friend or joining an online community - that you could talk to regularly and share your experiences. You’re not alone in any of them, I assure you.
I would like to ask more about whether visible is about confidence in your product or yourself? This can be the difference between working on your brand and customer promise or understanding who you are and connecting with people on the same wavelength. Great decision making would also come from working on both of the above. Once you feel calmer, and this will be a combination of alleviating stress and building confidence, it will give a clearer understanding of how to work in the most compatible way for you in terms of business consistency (more regular income and structured ways of working).
Q What are your top tips for reaching more potential clients on social media without overexposing your personal life? Cherie, The Parent Coach A Balance is key for any business. Big corporations
communicate the ‘process’ of work and highlight individuals who are key to a service or product – going the extra mile, making the purchase personal instead of the person. Websites often have insights into teams with their likes, hobbies, pets. Without giving away locations, family, friends etc. Humanising without exposure.
Anonymous A Because of your constraints, time and money, you
need to be smart and targeted with your marketing. You don’t have time to waste on marketing activities that won’t connect. Think about your ideal customer and list as many things as possible about this person. Likes/dislikes and needs. Consider how you can create low time, no cost marketing content to reach that person—things like videos, blogs, photos. Pick one social media platform and spend the time you have developing an audience there. Always think about the customer with anything you post. This platform is about them, not you. Spend time on your chosen platform talking to your customer, give so much value in your content they look forward to hearing from you. You can cut through the noise, but you need to make sure you are a voice your customer wants to hear from. Shona Chambaers, a Marketing Consultant, answered this question
“Clare has been the breath of fresh air that we so desperately needed! Always a pleasure to speak to and immediately able to offer such practical and creative advice.”
I am ready to answer your questions, which can be anything business-related, but don’t restrict the situations to just inside work. If they are affecting your life-work balance, I would love to address these. Click here to send your questions to me or email Info@parentsinbiz.co.uk Connect with Clare www.cmresource.co.uk APRIL 2022
www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
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TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER
FIND YOUR POWER EVENT 2022 EMOTIONAL, PROFESSIONAL, FINANCIAL AND SEXUAL WELLBEING Join us at the stunning Oxfordshire Golf Hotel & Spa in Oxfordshire, on Sunday 19th June 2022 SPEAKERS
JULIE HAWKINS
BRIDGET DALEY
EMMA SAYLE
Author of Finding Happiness and Freeing Your Spirit, Founder, SMBN Single Mums Business Network
Founder, Parents in Biz, Editor Parents in Business Magazine
CEO. Wife. Mother. Liberator. Feminist
CERI GRIFFITHS Founder of Willow Brook Lifestyle Financial Planning
SUSIE MACKIE Photographer, Author, Broadcaster, Founder of Women of Spirit
MORE INFORMATION
THE DETAILS
VENUE
SUNDAY 19TH JUNE 2022 10.00 AM - 4.00 PM
The Oxfordshire Rycote Lane Milton Common Thame Oxfordshire OX9 2PU
BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE WWW.FIND-YOUR-POWER.COM
Interview with William and Kelsey Seymour, Earl and Countess of Yarmouth
S
t Maur is a hand-crafted premium elderflower liqueur from the Heart of England, made from responsibly sourced ingredients and flavours gathered in ancient family-owned woodlands. A versatile, awardwinning drink, St Maur is perfect for sipping or mixing. A beautiful aperitif on its own and sublime in brunch and pre-dinner cocktails, any time of the year. In just 18 months since its launch, St Maur has already won four awards - The Great Taste Award 2 Star rating; International Spirits Challenge Silver Award; The World Liqueur Awards’ Best English Floral’ and, most recently, Gold at Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards. APRIL 2022
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What made you choose to start a business in the beverage industry? You have always got to play with the hand you’ve been dealt, and for us, this was one of the best opportunities that presented itself. The stars aligned here. We see the world in terms of people and relationships, and we wanted something we could be personally associated with that has something of us in it. That is why building a consumer business starting with a craft product had such appeal for us. We also wanted to create a brand that was going to work and which would have lots of potential. We want what we do to be authentic, and of course, we want to make an offer to consumers which we could differentiate. If you are going to go into a consumer business, you need to make sure you have a good consumer product. We knew we had the makings of that when we first served the drink that became St Maur to guests at our wedding. It has been borne out subsequently by the awards we have won with our product.
“ We set out to build a responsible business, and that feeds through even to the number of wild elderflowers we will pick from any one bush.”
Serendipity pointed us towards a drinks business. And for a consumer brand, you need a great story to tell, and we really don’t need to make ours up. Finally, the St Maur business enables us to bring together our individual strengths into a business partnership too. It’s all there for us to mine.
How do your values show up in the work you do? We describe our purpose as offering our consumer a little drop of England’s heart to share and enjoy, wherever she is in the world. We combine that purpose with a focus on “the triple bottom line”: people - planet - profits, in that order. As we are a family business, we can genuinely make sure we stick to the script and drive the business in the way we want. We don’t have to answer to others outside the family. We set out to build a responsible business, and that feeds through even to the number of wild elderflowers we will pick from any one bush! We have a strong ethos, which finds its way into everything we do and try to do.
What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome? It won’t surprise anyone that we would put the pandemic on our list here. Of course, as a start-up business and as parents with two small children, us listing time as a major constraint won’t be a surprise either! Then there is uncertainty. As human beings, we are so deeply shocked and distressed to witness the tragedy unfolding in Eastern Europe. As business managers, there is also now, of course, a shock to our world that cannot but hit our economy, and the fall out will shape consumer habits and our market in ways we don’t understand yet. Neither of us started this with a history in the drinks industry, so it has been a steep learning curve from the very start. That is set to continue for some time.
How do you manage your time between family and business? The very reason for being in business in the way we are is for family, but we fully recognise the need to keep a careful balance between the short and long-term goals that implies. It needs constant management, and we try to help this by reminding each other of why we are doing this, from time to time, to make sure we are not focusing on business to the detriment of the family. Work-life balance is important for everyone, but it is especially important to bear in mind in a family business like ours. At the moment we work from home, in a beautiful part of the country, and we are very lucky in that regard. We hope that as the business grows, so too does our family-friendly work-life balance.
How do you keep yourself motivated? It has not been difficult up to now. It really has been fun to be involved in starting our own business from scratch. It is hard work and very demanding, but we know that everything we do is about building benefits for our family now and for the future. That is highly motivating in itself. For William especially, with the background he has, coming from one of the oldest families in England, the sense of building a legacy to be proud of also matters a lot.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? We’ve started a new business and a young family. What is spare time? Doing this is not for the faint hearted! Joking aside, we do enjoy downtime. We are so privileged where we live, and there is always something to do on a farm.
“Neither of us started this with a history in the drinks industry, so it has been a steep learning curve from the very start.” Who or what inspires you? Neither of us would wish to single out particular individuals. One of the expressions we have picked up on, though, and which we use in the business is a maxim attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: ‘Make the best of what you have, when you have it, where you are.’ We are continually inspired by people we see doing just that. We even have a cocktail unique to St Maur called the “Can Do Cocktail.” We made it with the Riding for the Disabled charity, whose mantra is “it’s what you can do that counts.” We’ll buy that!
www.drinkstmaur.com
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Sleep doesn’t need
to be stressful
I
’m Sarah Patel, the founder of Teach to Sleep and a mum of two little ones who are 18 months apart. I have worked in education for over 15 years as a primary teacher and a senior lecturer in primary education. I retrained to become an infant sleep consultant two years ago and have never looked back.
After struggling with severe sleep deprivation with my firstborn, I ended up undertaking some sleep training for my daughter. I found it to be a really traumatic experience and one that I never wanted to repeat. When I fell pregnant with my second baby, I was determined to find another way to get more sleep which didn’t involve leaving my baby alone to ‘cry it out’. I researched alternative methods and found it interesting to understand the science and psychology behind infant sleep. I became so taken with the subject that I decided to retrain in infant sleep whilst I was on maternity leave with my second born - which also meant I had my very own ‘guinea pig’ to try out all the things I was learning about. In all honesty, I wasn’t entirely convinced if the gentle methods would make a significant difference to our family’s sleep or that it would be something I could work on full-time, but that is exactly what they did.
My sleep philosophy is based on the fact that all infants are different with individual needs, temperaments and preferences. Sleep needs amongst little ones of a similar age vary hugely, and contrary to popular belief, not all infants need 12 hours of sleep overnight. Nor do they all need to sleep from 7pm- 7am. As a working parent, I fully understand the importance of ensuring the whole family is getting enough sleep and the difference it can make to everyone’s temperament, wellbeing and, personally speaking, creative output! If you are interested in supporting your little ones’ sleep and getting to know their individual sleep needs, here are my top tips for babies and infants.
1.Keep an Eye on Sleepy Signals During the day, sleep pressure (the need to sleep) builds up and when this peaks, your little one will be ready to have a nap. Sleep pressure builds at different rates for different individuals. That’s why some babies can last longer between naps than others. When sleep pressure nears its peak, babies often start to show signs that they are ready for a nap. Common signs can include: quietening down, looking away, fussing, yawning, rubbing eyes and/or ears, crying or being inconsolable.
2.Support Day Time Naps Once you spot, these sleepy signals support your little one to sleep. This might include feeding, rocking, cuddling to sleep. If your little one is napping in a cot, it’s often best to transition them once they are fast asleep (despite what you have heard!) because most babies find going into a sleep space for a nap whilst awake or drowsy difficult.
3.Bedtime Environment; make sure it supports rather than hinders sleep
their tummy or cupping their head until you see them begin to settle and drift off. Rocking or patting their bottom can often help, and no, it’s not creating a rod for your back! They need help to fall asleep, and it is a difficult skill to learn. We wouldn’t expect children to learn how to read or use the toilet without our support, patience and help; learning to fall asleep is just the same. Hopefully, my top tips will help you to create solid foundations for sleep for your little one. But if you are in a sleep rut: 1. I really do feel for you, I have been there, and it is TOUGH! 2. Sometimes it is just a short phase, and it will right itself in time if it doesn’t, then, please do get in touch. I offer a variety of sleep guides, online courses and one to one consultations which can be found on my website.
Sarah Patel Founder of Teach to Sleep www.teachtosleep.co.uk
When you are setting up your little one’s sleep space, whether that is in their own room or with you, consider the following: Light - aim for pitch black as this supports the sleep hormone melatonin, which is responsible for helping your little one fall asleep and stay asleep. Temperature - The Lullaby Trust recommends keeping your baby’s room temperature between 16-20 degrees Celsius. Noise - aim for consistency here so either silence or some continuous monotonous noise such as white noise which can help block out any noises and can help soothe babies.
4. Have a Consistent Bedtime Routine A good bedtime routine helps prepare your baby for nighttime by helping the body produce the natural sleep inducing hormone melatonin, which helps you to feel sleepy. Melatonin doesn’t act as a switch but helps your baby unwind from the day and to start to feel sleepy. The bedtime routine doesn’t need to be complicated, just a few things you do every night in the same order. It might look something like this: bath, baby massage, nappy, pyjamas, growbag, milk, story/song, cuddle, say goodnight. Or it might be much shorter and simpler, for example, nappy, pyjamas, feed to sleep, white noise on. Every time you do your routine, it acts as a cue telling your baby that bedtime is coming. The more you do it, the more they will understand what is coming next, allowing them to feel safe and secure. Bedtime always takes longer than you think it will, so prepare everything ahead (have the bath run, pyjamas, growbag and milk at the ready) and keep your eye on the clock!
5. How can I help my baby settle to sleep? This skill can take a little time for babies to learn, and often they need lots of help to fall asleep. Try putting your hand on
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Interview with:
Sophie Meislin Baron
M
amamade came to life when Sophie introduced solids to her daughter Liba. She was didn’t like the available options. She wanted her daughter to have the very best, everything home-cooked, organic, plant-based, flavourful and healthy.
Tell us about your journey. How did you get here? Mamamade grew quite organically out of my own need. I had worked at Vogue in New York and came to London to do a Masters and PhD, ultimately landing as Head of Ops for a tech company. As someone who’d been so career oriented, I found the transition to parenthood extremely difficult I felt like I lost myself entirely. Physically I wasn’t at home in my own skin, and emotionally I was very under supported. And no one was talking about how hard parenting could be. When it came time to start introducing solids, I really felt like enough was enough. I was back at work, and I couldn’t believe that the only options available to parents like me were to cook everything from scratch or else rely on long-life products. I started to make some food from my kitchen and then sell it over Instagram, and the rest is history!
How did you get the background and skills necessary to run this type of business? My career path has been non-linear, but I now understand how I developed so many skills that are now serving me in my role as a founder of a business. From learning about content creation and community building at Vogue to how to scale internal processes in my role as Head of Ops, even learning to self-manage and take the initiative as a PhD student, all of these are skills that I need in my dayto-day. Of course, having started Mamamade because of my own need, I understand and naturally connect with our customers, which is also critical.
“I am grateful to feel so fulfilled by what I do, and as we say at Mamamade, a happy parent raises a happy child.”
How do your values show up in the work you do?
How do you manage your time between family and business?
Authenticity, honesty, and openness are really important to me. These values come through in Mamamade’s content, which is how we’ve grown to a community of over 50,000 and internally in our work culture. We promote flexibility across the board, with the caveat that everyone be open and honest about their workload, progress, and needs.
It takes a village. I used to feel too proud or anxious to ask for help, but now I feel so grateful to have found the right childcare set up for my two little ones. It’s the best investment I’ve made in Mamamade. It means I can be fully present at work and put in a full day, but at the same time, I’m always home for dinner and bath time, and I look forward to unwinding with my children at the end of the day. And I can be fully present when I’m with them because I know I’ve given my all at work. Because we encourage flexible working at Mamamade, I know I have to lead by example, and I never hesitate to take time off to be there for my children. That said, it’s not easy, and it’s not always straightforward, and I’m definitely making sacrifices, but I don’t regret a thing. I am grateful to feel so fulfilled by what I do, and as we say at Mamamade, a happy parent raises a happy child.
How would you describe your business success so far? It’s been incredible to watch our community grow. And because we’re also shipping out physical products with our child and infant meals, you can really measure success by the number of boxes going out to families each week. Mamamade started in my kitchen, and now we’re helping thousands of families a week. It’s been so incredibly motivating, moving and validating to see how many parents love what we do.
What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome? When I first started Mamamade, I got a lot of questions about why anyone would want or need products like ours. I was made to feel very lazy. Luckily the pandemic and the way our lives have changed have helped flatten the learning curve around why convenience doesn’t have to mean compromise, how subscription products can enhance our lives, and why frozen doesn’t mean inferior, it’s the opposite, in fact.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I love going for long walks alone with a podcast. That feels like the ultimate luxury when I’m otherwise working with the Mamamade team or looking after my young children. But it’s such a necessity, and I always come back feeling energized and re-focused.
Who or what inspires you? I love listening to stories of women in business. Particularly women who happen to be mothers. Sara Blakely, Whitney Herd I love seeing their professional success as well as their dedication to motherhood.
www.mamamadefood.com
“Authenticity, honesty, and openness are really important to me.”
*Photo credit Amber Rose Smith for the photography
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Parents in Business Directory Joy Foster TechPixies
Salihah Agbaje Spoken World Productions
Bhavini Lakhani B81 Designs
TechPixies is an award-winning CPD accredited online learning platform with a social mission to help women leverage the power of modern technology (Social Media, WordPress and MailChimp) to improve women’s access to employment or help them to start a business.
Spoken World Productions are a Theatre in Education organisation operating across London and the globe (virtually!) to bring fun, educational and enriching Drama lessons to primary aged children.
Bhavini is a Milton Keynes-based graphic designer with a shed-load of passion and the experience to match. She has been a print-focused graphic designer for over 14 years, working in-house and for agencies before breaking free and setting up B81 Designs in 2011.
www.techpixies.com
Their sessions are designed to work in line with all subjects and can be tailored to the individual curriculum. So if you are a school teacher, home educator, enrichment officer or parent seeking a drama package for your child to enjoy, they can help.
Bhavini loves working with clients of all shapes and sizes, from Barclaycard and British Gas to business-to-business start-ups. www.b81designs.com
www.spokenworldproductions.com
Patience Modevi Otentikcare Patience created Otentikcare as a wellness hub for women because she believes that wellbeing should be an everyday practice and that even the smallest things in life can bring calm, comfort and care. With this in mind, she shares the mindful products and practices that have revolutionised her own well-being in her online space. She stocks authentic, sustainable products for mind, body and soul wellness, with a particular focus on products for ladies over 40 who are conscious of their wellbeing. www.otentikcare.co.uk
Beverley Bispham - Luvlybubbly Craft Parties Luvlybubbly Craft Parties organise kid’s craft parties for children, where young passions for fashion are born. They strive to inspire the youngest minds of our generation with creative and fun craft parties. They are based in North North East London and organise kid’s craft parties all around London and surrounding areas– including Kent, Essex, Herefordshire and parts of Sussex. www.luvlybubbly.co.uk
Georgina Fihosy AfroTouch Design Afrotouch Design is an unapologetically Afrocentric brand that produces personal stationery items that showcase West African designs uniquely and memorably. Each product is based on and designed with a touch of West African print fabric. The vibrant colours and unique designs allow our customers to connect with the beauty. Many potential customers struggle to find stationery and gift items that reflect their culture, so AfroTouch Design exists to fill this space within this industry. www.afrotouch.design
You can find these businesses and more on our online directory Michelle Molyneux MJM Virtual Solutions
Louise Worsley Worsley Training
Nadene Martin Format Services Limited
Your everyday virtual admin solution provides personal assistant support to conquer general admin tasks, so consultants and small businesses can focus on growing their business. They offer a range of flexible packages to suit your needs, drawing on our expertise in education, Health and Social Care, GDPR and proofreading to name a few.
Louise has over fifteen years of hands-on First Aid experience, both as a global expedition leader and as a parent. She draws from this to bring First Aid to life for participants, providing practical training grounded in realistic examples of how the techniques could be used. Louise is qualified through and regulated by Rescue Emergency Care, Nuco Training and ProTrainings.
Format Services is a Virtual Assistant Company taking care of all of your administration needs. Offer various services which can support you to grow your business, and you can view them further in the Services section. There are many benefits of outsourcing your administration, which you can discuss further as every business is unique.
www.mjmvirtualsolutions.com
Julie Hawkins – Single Mums in Business Network The primary objective of the SMBN is to help you gain exposure to your business. They concentrate on driving traffic to their member’s pages so that you are seen. The secondary objective is to reduce stigma and dispel misconceptions that single mums are work shy. It is the passion of founder Julie Hawkins to raise awareness of the real issue is that work is not in sync with school and wages are not in sync with inflation. www.singlemumsbusinessnetwork. com
www.worsleytraining.co.uk
www.formatservices.co.uk
JOIN THE DIRECTORY The Parents in Business Directory is here to help you! Featuring your business with us will boost your visibility levels. We will ensure that your business, and more importantly, what you offer, is seen by the RIGHT people. www.parentsinbiz.co.uk/join-the-parentsin-business-directory/
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Book Review
Read through Shona’s book reviews, and discover the best business books.
Growth: Building a Successful Consultancy in the Digital Age Written by Joe O’Mahoney Nearly half of small consultancies fail within their first five years, but over 250 are sold every month. How do you ensure you are in the right group? Growth - Building a Successful Consultancy in the Digital Age by Professor Joe O’Mahoney is based on interviews with 72 founders who grew and sold their firms. Joe himself falls into the first category, having started and sold his own consultancy in 2008. He is now a professor of Consulting at Cardiff University and retains links to industry. Small consultancies 1-20 represent 97% of the market. Many founders avoid growth and take on 1-2 clients at a time, whilst only a minority seek to grow and sell a business. A lot of advice that is currently available in consultancy books is shockingly out of date when it comes to using social media to market, which reflects how quickly the industry has changed. The stated intent of this book is to help founders grow revenues of £5-10 million before exiting. The author says the shortest period he has personally seen this happen in is three years. Whether it is your own aim to grow a business & sell it, Growth is full of useful information. Available on Amazon
Selling with Love: Earn with Integrity and Expand Your Impact Jason Marc Campbell If you’re a small business owner, then you are also, by default, a salesperson. Whether you like it or not. This is the premise of Selling With Love by Jason Marc Campbell. But sales and selling have a bad rep. Think of sales, and you might conjure up; Donald J Trump -Art of the Deal, Gordon Gekko -Greed is Good, or maybe, and more topically, the Tinder Swindler “My enemies are after me.” Jason Marc Campbell was swindled himself. To the tune of $20,000. Even worse, as a freshfaced 21-year-old, he was fooled into fronting an ad campaign to attract new victims to the scam. Thankfully he moved past this experience, his loss is our gain, as he brings all of
his experience as a sales consultant into this succinct book designed to help small business owners. The book offers insights such as “ Sales is all about moving people along a process to bring an outcome.” and “Sales is communication with clearer objectives.” Great salespeople are discussed and analysed - Steve Jobs with Apple, Elon Musk with Tesla. Apparently, 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up, do you? For sales inspiration, look no further. Available on Amazon
Shona Chambers Marketing Consultant www.shonachambersmarketing.co.uk
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