Parents in Business Magazine

ISSUE 8 • APRIL 2020

IN CONVERSATION WITH

Anne-Marie Martin Founder of Diddi Dance

How to Create your Marketing Content in Less Time

How to Practice Positive Thinking Small Business Spotlight Little Wise Toys Public Speaking How to Position Yourself and Get Started 1

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CONTENTS ISSUE 8

•

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

APRIL 2020

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Parents in Business

PUBLIC SPEAKING

magazine is available

How to position yourself and get started

6 MARKETING How to create your marketing content in less time

9 BOOK REVIEW The 7 habits of highly effective people

10 IN CONVERSATION Anne-Marie Martin founder of Diddi Dance

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BUSINESS How to stop multitasking and get more done

PUBLISHING A self-publishing adventure

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SPOTLIGHT Little Wise Toys

IN CONVERSATION Gary Green of Key Business Consultants LLP

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CONTENT Why cracking content is so important

LIFESTYLE How to practice positive thinking

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IN CONVERSATION Chloe Jessamy from Supportal Business Services & Clutter cutdown

FOOD Everything bagel salad

in digital and print.

Don’t forget to follow us on social media, we love getting to know you!

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CONTRIBUTORS

SARA BUSSANDRI, WRITER, AUTHOR & MENTOR Sara is a Digital Content Writer who specialises in helping small business owners and podcasters with blogging and re-purposing audio and video content into standalone blog posts. She’s a mum of three boys who works around school runs, laundry loads, and football matches. www.sarabussandri.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.spaceat61.com JODINE DOWNHAM, CLINICAL HYPNOTHERAPIST, PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND HYPNOANALYST Jodine is a fully qualified professional Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist and Hypnoanalyst in the Basildon, Essex area. www.ihypnosistherapyessex.co.uk FIONA MINETT, CONSUMER PR EXPERT Fiona Minett is a Consumer PR Expert and long-time supporter of small business. She spent six years running Peachy PR, an agency specialising in working with small businesses and start-ups and helped her clients make their mark through canny PR. Now, she wants to help you do the same. www.bossyourpr.com RACHEL TAPPING, FOUNDER OF FIRST PLAYTIME Rachel Tapping has been running parent-child groups since June 2006. Her inspiration to begin was the invaluable experience of attending parent-child groups with her three children over a period of about eight years. Rachel also offers consultancy to nurseries and preschools, one-to-one guidance for parents. She also enjoys writing articles for her own blog and other publications. www.firstplaytime.co.uk RENATA TREBING, FOUNDER OF NOURISH WITH RENATA AND RECIPE DEVELOPER Renata is a wife, mama, and foodie and loves delicious, healthy food. Renate loves creating good recipes that taste good. She is all about nourishing your body through amazing, healthy, and, most importantly, delicious food. www.NourishwithRenata.com KATIE WEAVER, ILLUSTRATOR Katie Weaver illustrates from her home in Cheshire, where she lives with her husband and two boys. She loves to illustrate for children as well as some fun art for grown-ups! Always looking for a new challenge, she works on a wide variety of commissions and projects. www.popadoodle.co.uk CLAIRE WINTER, FOUNDER OF THE CRACKING CONTENT CLUB Claire Winter is the founder of the Cracking Content Club and has been a content creator, journalist, and copywriter for twenty years. She is passionate about helping business owners to create content that converts via her online course and 1:1 training. She currently writes for all 41 Families magazines that cover the UK, which reaches 9 million parents a year. www.clairewinter.info BHAVINI LAKHANI , GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bhavini is an independent graphic designer specialising in branding and design for print, and is a mum of 2.

She’s based in Milton Keynes, with a client base that spans global brands such as Conti Espresso, Barclaycard and British Gas, as well as local businesses across the UK. www.b81designs.com 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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EDITOR’S WELCOME Welcome to the 8th issue of the Parents in Business magazine.

The last few weeks have been challenging for business owners around the world, and we are amid the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of us, we now have to homeschool our children as well as navigating our businesses through challenges that COVID-19 has presented.

In this issue, we are committed to supporting you in preparing your business to come out the other side. We have actionable tips on how to create your marketing content in less time, written by Sara Bussandri. Claire Winter covers why cracking content is so important. Fiona Minett gives strategies on public speaking how to position yourself and get started.

Bridget

Bridget Daley Editor

Did you know that we go through around 60,000 thoughts each day, and 80% of those are negative thoughts? Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist and Hypnoanalyst Jodine Downham covers how to practice positive thinking.

On page 9, we have something new Shona Chambers book review! The small business spotlight shines on Little Wise Toys on page 16.

We have inspiring interviews with Anne-Marie Martin Founder of Diddi Dance, a close network of 40+ franchises nationwide. Gary Green who is the principal accountant of Key Business Consultants LLP, chartered accountants. And Chloe Jessamy Founder of Supportal Business Services & Clutter Cutdown.

Happy reading.

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

We are a Work for Good Partner and give a proportion of proceeds to charity.

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Public Speaking - How to Position Yourself and Get Started Public Speaking. Maybe the mere thought of it fills you with dread, perhaps you’re a social butterfly fired up by the possibility. Whichever camp you fall into, positioning yourself as a public speaker is possible; not just to raise your visibility but also to open up an additional income stream for you.

Now, more so than ever, there is a huge scope for positioning yourself as a speaker, whether as an educator or as someone with a story to tell. Online webinars for networks, speaking at regional networking events, speaking at trade shows or industry events, leading workshops and more can give you the opportunity to get in front of your target audience and make an impact on them.

The first element is establishing what you want to say, who you want to say it to, and why you want to say it. If you’re an expert in your field, think about the topics you could talk on. What are your most asked questions or the most frequent pain points of your clients? These could be starting points for content that you could deliver. Some great themes

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for public speaking content include myth-busting, sharing top tips, telling stories with anecdotal insight, sharing industry expertise in an accessible way and you may find yourself sharing a variety of content depending on each speaking opportunity you explore.

So, once you know what your offering is and where your assets lie in terms of the content you

can share, and the value you can deliver, who do you want to say it to? Essentially any kind of speaking opportunity can be great for you in terms of increasing your visibility and getting you seen, but you can also be quite targeted.

I would suggest starting locally at networking events where you may be likely to find your target audience and offer to share some expertise in a 20/30 minute speaker slot. Alternatively, you could start speaking online for a resources network or membership group, delivering a training session or doing a Q&A webinar.

You want to take the opportunity to get used to presenting in a way that allows you to find your natural style, test out your content, gain some feedback and see how an audience responds to you.

Beyond this, perhaps there are a series of industry events that put together a series of speaking sessions each year. If you’ve got value to share, then reach out and ask if they’ve got any speaker sessions or workshop opportunities available. Share the expertise you can deliver to them and why you want to be involved and make yourself available to talk further should they be interested.

Then, why do you want to share your knowledge? Speaking is a key part of creating a profile, a personal brand, of giving you standing in an industry and allowing people to get to know you, beyond a computer screen.

If speaking for you is largely about visibility, go to the trade shows, the industry conferences, the B2B events that will allow you to position yourself as a thought leader and a ‘go-to’ in your field. This will build kudos and credibility for you that will show to your audience through the images of you at these events, and the testimonials you’re able to share on your website and the feedback and social proof that comes as a result of these engagements.

If speaking is going to be about building visibility but also to create an income stream for yourself, then look at paid entry ticketed events, corporate/sponsored events or

university events and enterprise programmes. Once you’ve started building a bit of a track record through speaking at local networking, meetups and online webinars, for example, you have assets to leverage. Add logos to your website, add testimonials and feedback to your website.

Set up a ‘Speaker’ page on your website. Share some of your speaking topics and places you have spoken previously. Add Public Speaker to your credentials and biography sections on your social media profiles. Share pictures of you in action on your website and on your social media.

looking for speakers will be drawn to your page through the #publicspeaking hashtag you used and will see that you could deliver for their event.

Now, this is very easy to say, but I am as aware as the next person that fear can be very real around public speaking, but, you deserve for yourself and your business to be seen and heard. Reframe any nerves as excitement and take that first step; who knows where it could lead.

Leverage the track record you’ve got and position yourself to build on that. Much like you would instinctively ensure that your social media profiles told of the work you do, what your business is, you need to ensure that you articulate your ‘role’ as a public speaker.

Let your outward communication do the job of sharing some of the expertise that you have to offer, to share part of the story you have to tell. Build trust and make your credentials and knowledge visible, so that an event researcher

Fiona Minett Consumer PR Expert www.bossyourpr.com

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How to create your marketing content in less time If you have a business, you have to market it. You may already be experiencing great success with referrals and recommendations or with paid advertising. But if you want to sustain and grow your business, you can't ignore your marketing.

And the truth is that in an ever-growing connected world, a lot of your marketing can fall under content creation. Whether you write blog posts, produce videos, a podcast show, or share regular updates on your social media channels, if you aren't out there creating content for your business, you may be missing out on opportunities.

The problem is that content creation (however you decide to do it) is time-consuming. And as we all know, running a business often requires you to wear many hats - a huge variety of tasks is always competing for your attention, and your to-do list is forever expanding. It's no surprise that content creation often falls right to the bottom of your priority list - and you're definitely not alone in this! But if you want to find a way to produce content regularly and consistently, here are a few tips you can follow to help you create marketing content a little faster.

Put it in the diary You've heard the saying, "If it's not in the diary, it doesn't get done".

And isn't that true? So as obvious as this sounds, put content creation in the diary. Every week.

You may be tempted to tell yourself that you don't have the time. That you have other priorities that need your attention.

Or that you need to focus more of your working hours on closing sales or serving your clients.

And that's true for most business owners! But this is a choice you have the power to make, so if you want to market your business through content, set aside some time in your diary to do it.

How? Decide how long you are going to dedicate each week to your content creation process.

Then make a commitment to keeping this appointment with

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yourself and don't cancel it.

Start treating your business as your number one client, and remember - the temptation to cancel and fill that time with other pressing matters will always be there. So don't fall for it. Stick to this appointment, and you'll be able to create marketing content that, in the medium to long term, will help you increase your visibility, your authority, and (ultimately) your sales.

Choose a time-management strategy that works for you If Monday is your busiest day of the week when it comes to emails or client calls, or if you're likely to experience some sort of business-related emergency, don't pick Monday as your day for content creation. If you choose a day when you're typically fire-fighting in your business, chances are you'll cancel your

content creation window in favour of something else that needs your immediate attention.

So take a good look at your working patterns and pick a day (or a few days each week) that works for you. For example, if Fridays tend to be quieter, you could dedicate the morning to your admin and set aside two hours in the afternoon for content creation. And if that's not enough, when can you fit another slot in?

If you search for "time management strategies" on the internet, you'll get lots of different ideas that you can apply to your business. You're bound to find something that works for your individual circumstances, so get your thinking cap on and start looking at some options that might work for you.

Group similar tasks together Despite what we're often led to believe, multitasking doesn't work.

Not even for women. In simplistic terms, when you continuously hop from a task to another, you waste time. Your brain tends to have to switch gears, and it takes longer for you to get back 'into the flow of things'.

When you're producing content, for example, you're predominantly using the right side of your brain, which is responsible for creativity.

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But when you're optimising your content for search, formatting the text, or looking for suitable images to add, you're making decisions with the left side of the brain, which performs tasks that have to do with logic. If you keep switching, you will waste valuable time.

Plus, different tasks require different energy. Depending on the time of day and on whether you enjoy doing a particular activity or not, it may take you longer to complete a task. So instead of planning to create a blog post from start to finish, for example, break the process down. Spend some time on planning and drafting the content one day, and then set aside another couple of time slots during the

week to edit your blog post, format it, and finding images for it.

By grouping similar tasks together, you will make better use of your time, work more efficiently, and, overall, produce content faster.

So, will you try any of these tips to create your next piece of marketing content?

Sara Bussandri Digital Content Writer www.sarabussandri.comÂ

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When you join as a member, you will benefit from workshops, masterclasses and have access to resources designed by industry experts.

Join here www.parentsinbiz.co.uk/pibhub

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Book Review

Are there books that you have always been aware of but haven't read?

For me, it was ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen R. Covey. I always wanted to find out what the habits were and whether I had them, so finally I read it. This book is a classic business text. Published in 1988 with 15 million copies sold globally. I won’t reveal what the 7 habits are, because there is a lot of context around each one that is well worth reading, but I will tell you what I have gained from the book in the following take away points.

One To be successful in life and in your career, you have to be prepared to do the hard thing. People who tackle the hardest things clear the way for all that comes next. By putting things off, it creates blocks and drains personal energy. Do the hard thing. Reap the benefits.

Two Create focus in your life. Life is short. If you don’t want to waste your precious time, focus better.

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Three Try to see things from another person's perspective first, this creates more agreement enabling you to move through your goals quickly.

Four Think about what you can do to improve situations. Work on yourself first. When things go off track check that it isn't you causing the blockage.

Thank you for reading my first book review!

Shona Chambers Marketing Consultant www.spaceat61.com

In Conversation with

Anne-Marie Martin Founder of Diddi Dance Anne- Marie Martin is a married mother of 2 she is the Founder of Diddi Dance a close network of 40+ franchises nationwide.

Anne- Marie is also part of the team behind Under 1 Roof a kids urban oasis a venue which hosts a wide range of services for young families in South East London.

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Can you tell us how you got started in business?

I’ve been a freelance dancer and teacher ever since leaving college. I always knew I’d like to have my own classes and one day I discovered working with under 5s, and that’s when Diddi Dance was born, parents and carers asked me about a toddler dance class and booked me a venue and told me to turn up.

What are some challenges you faced in your business journey, and how did you overcome them?

Having no business background or qualifications, I had to learn everything on the go, and this means you make mistakes, but you learn from them.

You have to do research and development the whole time to ensure you have everything running correctly. I would seek expert advice on the legal areas and franchise especially.

How do your values show up in the work you do?

I am so passionate about encouraging healthy and happy habits. I value being open and honest and inclusive.

How do you manage your time between family and business?

I love technology and working on the go, and my smartphone ensures I can keep on top of things during the day so when my children are home from school its minimal time I need to keep working. I won't let emails or admin pile up till the end of the day. I schedule work and have clear communication with my teams on the go.

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What was the last thing you did that made you really proud?

How can parent entrepreneurs further support each other?

Last year was a great year for me in business personally as I won an inspirational woman in franchising and lifetime achievement award for my work in the children's activities sector.

I love networking and sharing my knowledge. Sometimes it can feel very lonely running a business or being freelance, so having access to others in the same situation can help no end, support and collaborations are key.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

I am running 2 businesses there's no time not to be! The staff need me involved and my franchisees too, they motivate me to keep on top of everything. I don’t want to let them down.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I try and focus on calm activities and downtime to ensure good mental health, and work can be very full-on, so when I get time facials, yoga and family time are key.

Who or what inspires you?

I follow many female founders who inspire me all the time in many different industries – Holly Tucker, Gemma M-B and Steph Douglas in particular.

Anne-Marie Martin Founder of Diddi Dance www.diddidance.com

"Having no business background or qualifications, I had to learn everything on the go, and this means you make mistakes, but you learn from them"

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How to Stop Multitasking and Get More Done!

Doing one thing at a time creates better results for you and everyone around you. So, here’s how to begin.

#1

#2

Take a moment to think

In quieter moments, practise

about how you feel when

with simple tasks.

doing something you’re

Now you’ve identified that feeling, it’s a small step to aim for something similar in your everyday tasks. Even washing up can become something special when you focus on the glint of sunshine on a clean glass or the clink of cutlery knocking together.

really absorbed in.

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Multitasking is a modern problem.

We’re told we can have anything we want, including a family, a job, our own business, holidays, the latest in tech… But there really are only 24 hours in a day, so how we’re supposed to achieve this without doing seven things at once can seem baffling, to say the least!

Whether it’s watching a movie, writing reports, reading a book or playing with your children – there’s something special about that feeling.

It only happens when you’re totally focused on what you’re doing. It fills you up, takes all your attention and when it’s done, you wonder where the time went.

I love the way that feels, don’t you? It doesn’t happen when you multitask.

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Write your important emails without checking your phone; have a conversation without wondering whether your next client is waiting; eat lunch.

Aim for that absorbed feeling.

#3 So, when your little one comes up to you to show you what they’ve made, pay attention.

Now you’ve practised, try applying this to the most important people in your life. Your children! (And your partner, too.)

It can be frustrating trying to juggle parenthood with work. You end up feeling guilty, not achieving anything, upsetting everyone…

This could be because you’re multitasking.

Excuse yourself from your task, if you can, and get on their level. Look at them, look at what they’re showing you, and say something that shows you’ve really noticed them.

(Here’s where I tell you that saying it’s ‘awesome’ or ‘lovely’ or ‘fantastic’ is not very helpful. Sorry!)

By saying what you see - “You’re showing me something you made with Lego. It’s got lots of different colours, and I like the shape…” - you’re really paying attention.

Your child is like you. They like to know they’ve been heard. Once they are sure of that, they’re often happy to leave you to continue with your work while they go and continue with theirs.2

One effect of this is that your undivided attention fills them up with love!

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Absorbed – adjective.

Having one’s attention fully engaged; greatly interested.

By topping up their love cup in that moment – giving them the deep connection they crave – you enable them to go back to their own activity and leave you to get on with yours.

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Play is the work of childhood – see this article for more.

Rachel Tapping First Playtime www.firstplaytime.co.uk

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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT My name is Michelle, and I am a solo mama to my nine-year-old daughter, who goes by her social media name of Little Wise Junior. I have set up a small business called Little Wise Toys which specialises in creating educational toys for 3-6-year-olds and covers a range of

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areas such as phonics, maths, emotions, dinosaurs and more.

I’m also currently in the process of developing a brand new product that will focus on nurturing the development of confidence, resilience and happiness of 6-12-year-olds.

What inspired you to start your business?

So many different things inspired me to start Little Wise Toys. The very beginnings of the concept began in the middle of the night a few years back while I was settling my daughter back to sleep. My sleepy mind started wondering and, all of these ideas started forming. One thing led to another, lots of stops and starts and twists and turns along the way, and then Little Wise Toys was launched in October 2017.

A while back now, I spent 10 years working in the Department of Health and Department for

Education on a variety of children and young people focused policy areas. I was involved with, and project managed some really interesting and high profile projects and programmes during my time there; and gained invaluable insight and experience in policy development from pre-school through to the teenage years.

I reached a point in my life where I was keen for a more flexible way of working to fit around my role as a mum to Little Wise Junior. I love researching, writing and creating ideas from a blank canvas. I also feel passionate about how much we can influence and encourage a love of learning, as well as lay key foundations from a young age so that we can help to open the doors to opportunities in life.

With this in mind, creating Little Wise Toys seemed like a really natural next step for me.

Where do you get the inspiration from for your designs?

A lot of different ideas have inspired the Little Wise Toys’ concept, many of which have derived from my own experience of being a mum. Here are the main highlights…

The kits have been designed to help parents and carers support 3-6 year old’s learning and development in an accessible, imaginative, fun, and interactive way.

I was also keen to ease any overwhelm (so parents and carers can focus on the fun part) because there is no need to be an expert in areas such as phonics, maths, nurturing the development of social and emotional intelligence and early years frameworks - the kits provide all the guidance that is needed. Also, the range has been designed to give parents and carers the confidence that they are complimenting their children’s learning in line with what they are exploring in early years settings/early school as the kits have been informed by the EYFS and KS1 of the curriculum.

The range also goes back to basics in many ways as I was wanted to design a fun learning option that has no screens, flashing lights or loud noises, yet still offers plenty of opportunities for interaction, exploration and imagination. A bit like an alternative ‘screen-free app’ that children can pick up, touch and feel; where they can use their own imagination and creativity as an alternative to using digital tools where a lot of the imagination is already created for them; and an educational toy range where children can slow down a little bit too, without their minds constantly flicking from one fast-paced screen to the next.

everything for each kit in one small and accessible travelfriendly box that is barely bigger than a book, making the activity sets an ideal alternative to use on the move, as well as at home.

Building on the existing product range, I am also ever so excited to be in the process of developing a brand new Little Wise Toys’ product which will be for 6-12-year-olds and will focus on building their confidence, resilience and happiness. I can’t wait for this to be available later on this year.

Michelle Wiseman Founder/Designer Little Wise Toys www.littlewisetoys.com

In light of the ‘screen-free app’ concept, I also wanted to provide

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Why Cracking Content is so Important Content is one of the most crucial elements when tackling digital marketing; without it, potential customers won’t know enough about your business and what you are selling, in turn limiting your ability to produce sales. If your content is created to a high standard, you are much more likely to connect with your target audience and build trust.

Here are three reasons why content is important:

Educates Potential Customers Imagine you were browsing the internet to buy a product or service: would you buy from the site with useful content that backs up and promotes the characteristics of their business, or would you buy from the one that has a picture and one line description?

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Consumerism is all about trust, and if you don’t trust that the business knows what they’re doing, then you’re unlikely to stick around. This means that, as a business owner, content is vital in educating potential customers from the get-go – creating an informative landing page for your website, detailed product and

about pages, and even some blog posts.

Think about what questions, problems or concerns your customer might have and target these throughout your content, describing how your product/service solves those problems.

Make sure you don’t overload your audience with irrelevant information. Focus on the most important aspects of your business and what your potential customers will care about in regards to your product/service, such as animal cruelty if it’s skincare, or results if it’s business coaching.

You need to ensure your content is relevant to what potential customers will be searching for.

For example, someone might search ‘make up remover for sensitive skin’ – therefore, you may want to include the keyword ‘sensitive skin’ within your website, but only if this is what your product is good for!

Optimises SEO

Backlinks are also a great way to create authority on your website.

This is when your website is linked to another source, encouraging people to click through and view your content.

This is even more reason to create content of a high standard that immediately stands out with a unique stance – you want those backlinks to encourage people to click around more of your website rather than exit straight away. Think of backlinks as job references – each one gives your website more credibility and a higher domain authority, which will help you rank higher in Google Search.

One of the best ways to attract new customers is through online search results, but with the constant battle to make it onto the first page, SEO must be optimised.

needs to be visually pleasing to initially draw someone in, while also providing informative content that meets their needs.

Social media is social. You can’t just broadcast all the time audiences want to feel part of a community, so don’t just link to your content all the time.

Encourage discussions, reply to comments, run polls, and surveys!

Words are the building blocks of your business. Content helps you attract your ideal customer and rank higher in Google search online. It can take a while to get it right, but by keeping an eye on your analytics and the number of customers you are attracting, you can adapt it to suit the needs of your audience and drive your business to success.

Claire Winter Founder of the Cracking Content Club www.clairewinter.info

Compliments Social Media Strategies Social media is the best place to create genuine connections with potential customers, receive feedback on your services and encourage others to browse your website. However, its success relies heavily on good content.

Instagram, for example, often

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In Conversation with

Chloe Jessamy – Founder of Supportal Business Services and Clutter Cutdown Chloe Jessamy is a mother of one to a beautiful 14 year old daughter. Chloe owns 2 businesses, Supportal Business Services and Clutter Cutdown.

Most people describe her as a big kid young at heart but also very passionate, driven and motivated. Chloe has always had a passion for helping others which is why she has always chosen to work in support roles.

The combination of being a mum and following her dreams while being a strong role model, makes her thrive and wake up every morning soaring with determination.

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When did you first get the idea for your business?

I knew I wanted something of my own, and I didn’t want to be working for someone for the rest of my life. Having my own business was something I had in mind from a young age, it was something I was going to do at some point I just didn’t know exactly what. One day as I was searching the internet for bigger and better opportunities, I came across the term ‘Virtual Assistant’, this then led me to dig deeper.

I had finally entered the world of possibilities that resonated with me and got me excited.

How did you move from idea to actual business?

I sat on the idea for some time.

At that point, I was questioning myself in regards to whether I could have my very own business whilst juggling my circumstances. After speaking to friends and family who have businesses of their own, I felt

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more confident, and it pushed me that one step further to go ahead and start pursuing my dream.

Looking back, I never planned to quit my job, however, I knew I was not happy where I was in my life and felt like I was stuck in a rut. This was when I made a conscious decision in my mind that I did not want to continue like this, I believe the exact words in my head were “You are not going to continue like this!”

What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

Confidence. I may come across confident, but in reality, I struggle with this just as much as any other person. I battled with myself for so long, but I knew I had to keep pushing and putting myself in uncomfortable situations, to learn and grow. I took courses and kept building my knowledge, and slowly I started to believe in myself, my vision, and what I wanted from life. That is what led

me to make the transition from employment to where I am now.

What was the last thing you did that made you proud?

I recently attended an entrepreneurship programme in Croydon led by Evolve Housing.

This was a programme that was created to help those who have had housing or general problems in their life. They have overcome them and now ready to do something they love, the brunt of it is they are hungry to learn so that they can take this knowledge and make something amazing of their own. Naturally, I wanted to help, but at the same time, it was an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and do something that I have been meaning to do for years now. Was I scared, hell, yes! What did I learn? People want to see the real you, they want to see your passion, feel your pain, here your wins and how to’s. I was simply me. I shared not just

the highlights of my journey but also the dark days I wanted to give people an insight into what steps I had to overcome to get me where I am today. The key thing I wanted them to take away is to believe in yourself and take that leap of faith. It might sound very small, or even easy to some, like something that you should be able to do overnight. But it isn't.

By doing this one thing, I have gained more confidence in so many ways.

You recently set up a second business tell us about this?

I’m so happy you asked about this. It excites me when I think about the plans I have for this venture. Anyone who knows me well will confirm how much I enjoy decluttering and organising around the house, not just mine but also other peoples, I guess I can’t help myself when it comes to helping others. This is exactly how I came about Clutter Cutdown, again, another passion.

It’s a bespoke professional organising and decluttering service based in London. I take my clients from chaos to clarity by eliminating the unnecessary and giving everything a place in both homes and offices. I had this idea for a very long time, but I knew I had to do a lot of research and planning before I could bring it to life, and that is exactly what I did. Sleepless nights filled with brainstorming, writing ideas down, finding my competitors and

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understanding the industry I was about to walk into. It is still very new, so plenty of work to do.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

This is one of the main questions that I get asked about frequently, and I have to say, my daughter.

It’s the root of my reason for going down this path. I know I'm a role model for her, therefore I know I have a duty as a parent to show her what she is capable of by watching me pursue my dreams. I teach her about waking up every morning and working hard, self-reflecting, meditating and being selective with the people around her, who will help keep her mindset thriving and strong. Not many people know this, but I am also a big advocate of mental health, Supportal is a member and regularly donates to Mind charity.

“Your mind is a powerful tool, if you don’t master it as best as you can, it can become your worst enemy. I take the same advice I give to my daughter.“ As much as she motivates me, it’s not the sole weapon I have. I also make sure that I make plans so that I have something to work towards, this includes both short and long term goals. There’s no better feeling than hitting a target and reaping the rewards.

How do you manage your time between family and business?

I don’t have to. I love what I do with a passion, and there has not been one day in the last 4 years that I didn’t want to work.

I don’t see my work as a job.

It’s a passion that comes with a paycheck. I work hard, and when I need to go and enjoy myself, I do just that. When my daughter wants my attention, I stop, and she gets it (which to be honest is not much now that she is a teenager). My business works around me and my priorities.

Finding a balance is still an ongoing challenge for me, but I am getting there. It’s hard when you love what you do.

What advice do you give to a fellow parent who is feeling overwhelmed by their workload?

Stop. Breath and take a moment for yourself. Then you plan what needs to be done and by when tackling each task making sure it is completed before moving onto another and don’t be afraid to collaborate and outsource. I now have my own PA, she keeps me sane, and I feel like I have that extra brain power I need.

You have to think about and remember why you started this in the first place. Create actionable points so you can reach your goals. Always keep your CORE WHY as your focus to keep you on the right path. Never be afraid to ask for help or admit when you

are struggling, pride never got anyone anywhere, I too had to learn this.

Who or what inspires you?

It’s cheesy, I know, but my biggest inspiration is my parents. My mum has always worked since I could remember, I used to watch her as she would get suited and booted to go to work and remember thinking I want to be like this someday. She always had goals and dreams and always made them happen through hard work and sheer determination,

I described her as a go-getter.

Same with my dad, he is very successful, always travelling, experiencing new things, having a glimpse of this make me more hungry. They both inspire me for different reasons but both equally amazing and still support me to this day and push me even when I doubt myself.

Chloe Jessamy Founder of Supportal Business Services & Clutter Cutdown www.supportalservices.com www.cluttercutdown.co.uk

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A Self-Publishing Adventure Many of us have a story to tell whether it be fiction or real life.

Maybe you have even dreamed of having a book published. Whilst traditional routes of being accepted by a large publishing house are limited self-publishing allows anyone an outlet for their work. Ideas no longer need to stay in your mind or computer you can easily share them with the world.

I set up my own illustration business, creating a variety of art for different purposes. Upon seeing my work on a cushion, in a gift shop, I was approached by a local author who was interested in me, illustrating her next children’s book. I did a bit of reading and joined a few Facebook groups, and before I knew it, I had a second author wanting to work with me. I produced illustrations for the first couple of books which was a big learning curve but great fun to see my work in print. I realised I had entered the world of self-publishing. I began to discover more about the whole process and realised there were

many elements; writing, beta readers, editing, illustration (in the case of children’s books), cover art, and marketing, amongst others.

I’ve always been a keen writer and love storytelling, so with a bit of encouragement, I had a go myself and wrote a children’s Christmas Story, which I uploaded onto Amazon’s KDP platform for self-publishers. KDP (and other self-publishing platforms) allow you to print on demand, order author copies to sell direct, as well as an ebook, without the great outlay. Of course, going it alone means you need to market your book yourself. The writing might be the exciting part, but you can’t just press publish and step back. If you want people to read it, you need to sell it! Some books will only sell a few hundred copies, but through skilful marketing, I have seen authors make fantastic incomes from their books, although this, like many business ventures, does tend to require some financial outlay.

examples of self-publishing which, unfortunately, don’t help the self-publishing reputation but some of the best books I’ve read are also self-published. Save up, crowdfund, and pay someone to edit, illustrate, market, whatever skills you don’t have yourself or skill trade with others to make a product you’re proud of.

I’ve learnt a lot from publishing my own book, and there are many things I will do differently next time - it is addictive, you won’t want to stop at one! To do it well there’s a lot to learn, but there is also some fantastic support out there and a great indie author community. Don’t leave your book lingering as a dream, form a plan and make it happen!

Katie Weaver Illustrator www.popadoodle.co.uk

I think one of the most important things about self-publishing is that you need to retain quality.

Just because anyone can self-publish does not mean you should put everything you draw or write out there. You are competing against millions of books, and yours needs to shine. I have seen some terrible

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In Conversation with Gary Green

Gary Green is the principal accountant of Key Business Consultants LLP, chartered accountants.

Has 3 children aged 4, 6 and 8

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Can you tell us how you got started in business?

then just do the compliance work that I had working from home.

I started in 2012 having left a medium-sized practice in 2008 during the financial crisis for smaller practices where I hoped to make partner and a higher income faster. Since the smaller practices were not really interested in a partnership but really only to have me bring them, clients, I decided to set up my own practice having accumulated a few clients of my own and my wife being pregnant.

Then by March 2014, I hired my first staff member through the government apprenticeship scheme. I was able to pass some repeatable admin and basic bookkeeping tasks to her over the next few months until July 2014 when I hired my first full-time member of staff.

What are some challenges you faced in your business journey, and how did you overcome them?

The first few months were tough as I only had a few hundreds of pounds of income per month.

However, I was keen and found small businesses which needed a financial controller but not full time. For one day a week, I could add ÂŁ300 per month of income.

The other days I would be willing to do any job which resulted in an income even if I knew that the price was too low. Over the first few months, I was able to fill my five days per week, and I had a few small jobs on evenings and weekends, which meant that I was suddenly earning a good income.

After a year I was able to put my prices up on the full day jobs that I had until I was unable to spend five days at someone’s office due to the other work that I had. So eventually, I had to replace myself with other bookkeepers and

We grew rapidly until the end of 2016, when I had converted my home garage into a full office with 5 of us working there. We managed to pick up some larger outsourced financial controller roles and continued to grow until we were a team of 10 by the end of 2017. Throughout this year, we implemented a practice management software which replaced 5-7 manual task trackers and integrated our team online and less reliant on me. This took some time to implement, but it was worth it as we scaled the business with the same number of staff and resources.

grow with the business. Then we learned that a new hire, university graduate would have to leave to get back to Kenya due to her student visa running out. Since Kenya was only a 1 hour time difference, we looked at hiring her from Kenya, but it did not work out. So instead we looked at India, and I had a client from Kolkata, India, who recruited IT personnel into European large companies. I asked him, and he said to come out to Kolkata, and he would help me out.

I did so, and within 3 months we had a company, bank account, office, 3 hires, and IT equipment set up to remote access our files in the UK without the data leaving the office.

Now we are a team of 14 with a stable client base and internal processes. Our team are going through their ACA and ACCA qualifications, and salaries have increased 15-25% for two years in a row. Hopefully, that continues.

Due to hiring university interns, which was a sound strategy when wages cost was a large factor, we suddenly experienced three people who we had trained for 9 months leaving at the same time as well as my most senior member of staff going on maternity. So we actually had to hire before everyone left in order to make a handover which became very expensive!

So I decided that we would no longer hire interns since we wanted full-time staff who would

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How do your values show up in the work you do?

I think for my client asking myself what I would do if I were in their position. This allows me to give them advice which I would give myself, but with the bi-directional risk assessment of what is possible with weighted assumptions.

Throughout 2018 when the India office began to integrate well with the UK team, we had two of our UK staff leave for other jobs as the work started to thin out.

As a result, I redistributed 80% of those salaries across the team.

I write procedure manuals for all processes and tasks so I do not have to repeat the same information and others can learn the same way which then allows us to scale our services since everyone has the same understanding of how files need to be prepared and how others need to be able to use the data prepared by others. This also enforces consistency in our services.

How do you manage your time between family and business?

There is always a sacrifice and active choices to be made. With one child, it was easier as I was working from home but also easier to leave to see a client since the baby did not need much attention. Or I could stay home while Ruth went out for something.

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Now we have three children 4, 6 and 8 going through the school years. At times I had to work from home and communicate with clients with background noise on the phone and skype or that I had to work through the night or weekend to catch up. Especially now due to Covid19 but now it involves active homeschooling which is very involved.

In the first few years of business, we didn’t go away on holiday or went for up to 1 week only when I would sometimes work most of the day anyway. Then we went for 10 days, and I worked 3-4 hours a day taking the youngest child for a siesta. Until more recently, I just access emails for an hour a day when getting changed for dinner, and that might only involve forwarding emails delegating to staff. Most clients do not know that I am away even.

What was the last thing you did that made you really proud?

I am trying to get all my staff ACA, or ACCA trained. Since we have grown so fast, it has actually worked against the staff in taking their exams despite having a lot more practical work experience than other peers. I implemented a three day paid study leave before all exams in 2019.

We have a larger client annual retention and client referrals, so we are getting some things right.

Recently we have been advising a Canadian Pension Fund and their

medium-sized UK legal practice advisors how to reorganising their group, including the UK, to allocate costs in best accounting and tax treatments.

We have worked as accountants and tax advisors for international organisations in USA, Canada, India, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Israel, Argentina, Malaysia, France, Belgium, Brazil, and others. Not bad for just over 8 years in business.

I also feel price in seeing my staff go through their life journeys as they start to have families of their own and buy their first houses.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

Having taken on a lot over a short period of time does not give you much time to stop!

What advice would you give to a parent starting up in business?

Just as children pass through their life cycles and you need to adapt, so it is the same with business. As it grows, you need to change and pivot and change your roles while being able to step back or step in as required.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I have powerplate and other gym equipment in a spare room in the office which gives me a power work out in the morning

and evening. I cycle part of the journey to work, and I take part in Spartan Race obstacle course running, which can be over 26km.

So that motivates me to keep fit!

Who or what inspires you?

I think that I am fortunate, maybe unusual, to be self-motivated. I would say honestly that fear plays a part in that. Thinking that I might not be able to secure a risky position as we grow the business or take on finance so that if I were not around that others would be unable to cope. So I work fast and try to de-risk as quickly as possible, but sometimes that leads to more risk-taking!

My father and brother are successful business people having run a business called Key Business Finance Corporation Plc, which they ultimately sold to Landsbanki before the financial crisis in 2005. This is where I got my business name from.

Gary Green Key Business Consultants LLP www.keybusinessconsultants.co.uk

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"Just as children pass through their life cycles and you need to adapt, so it is the same with business.

As it grows, you need to change and pivot and change your roles while being able to step back or step in as required."

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How To Practice Positive Thinking Did you know that we go through around 60,000 thoughts each day, and 80% of those are negative thoughts?

So how can we change this? Here are some great tips that I use with my clients and this brings great understanding, grounding and gives my clients the tools in order to cope better and start to rewire that thinking more positively.

Set Small Goals: These should be tiny, maybe walks in the park are a great starting point, or clear out those cupboards.

Get rid of negative self talk: Would you talk to your children the way you talk to yourself?

Would you tell them that they are stupid, ugly, fat, thin, not good at anything, useless, or lack confidence? No, I’m sure you wouldn’t, so why is it ok to say such things to yourself?

Remember, your thoughts are being heard all the time, we are what we think and create, so practice reframing negative thoughts and affirmations like this: “Today I won’t be able to do that because it’s too stressful and I don’t have time”.

Swap this to: “Today I am going to plan my day properly, be organised even if it means getting up earlier, as this will stop me getting stressed, so I can enjoy the things I want to do.”

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Make small changes, how you look at things, plan, organise and be realistic.

Focus On Your Strengths: Look at your qualities, this helps you to focus on what exists, to form a great foundation for change, look for evidence across your life: Example “I’ll never be able to do that because I’m not good at talking to people?”

Ok, so where’s the evidence for that? Is that your belief? Or someone’s else assumption of you? What evidence do you have to back that up??

Be Grateful: Without sounding all fluffy, a gratitude list is where I see my clients come into their own.

Every evening before you sleep (subconscious mind is open to change, at its peak), your mind is very spongy at this time and welcomes positive changes, do not go to sleep on negative thoughts, it will get absorbed into your subconscious mind.

List 8-10 things, they can be anything from being thankful for sending a job application, or just grateful that you can do the things you do, take kids to and from

school, read to them before bed, go to the gym, having a family, or kind friends, the list will go on.

You may not think this is not doing much, but that 80% of negativity will start to become less.

I work this way a lot with my clients, which I have to say completely changes their outlook, especially towards themselves.

They start to look up instead

of just straight ahead or down and start to notice things that they didn’t before. I even had a client tell me once how they can hear the birds more, and this is because their mind has become quieter. The noisy overthinking has been reduced, amazing.

Thoughts are just thoughts, some are needed in order to survive, and others just come and go, so we decide what’s needed and what isn’t.

Jodine Downham Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist and Hypnoanalyst www.ihypnosistherapyessex.co.uk

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Everything Bagel Salad A beautiful and flavorful salad that is a cinch to make! This savory salad is super quick and easy to throw together for a crowd. Adapted from Primal Gourmet.

Ingredients

•

8 cups kale finely sliced

•

3/4 cup cherry tomatoes halved

•

1/2 cucumber thinly sliced

•

1 avocado halved and cut into sliced

•

4-5 radishes thinly sliced

•

1 tbsp Everything-but-the-Bagel seasoning

•

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

•

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method

1.

Prepare salad by spreading kale across a serving platter.

2.

Top with layers of tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and radish.

3.

Drizzle salad with olive oil and lemon juice and season with Everything-but-the-Bagel seasoning.

Renata Trebing, Nourish with Renata www.NourishwithRenata.com

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