Parents in Business Magazine by parentsinbiz

ISSUE 4 â&#x20AC;¢ JULY 2019

IN CONVERSATION WITH

Merlie Calvert

FOUNDER OF FARILLIO

How to take time off during the holidays Pensions Q&A

8 parents share how to manage the summer holidays 1

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CONTENTS ISSUE 4

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SUMMER HOLIDAYS How to take time off from your business.

Parents in Business

9 SKIN PROTECTION Protection tips for enjoying the sunshine.

10 IN CONVERSATION Merlie Calvert founder of Farillio.

15 SMALL BUSINESS Small business owners go on holiday.

POSITIVE CHILDREN Positive behaviour during the summer holidays.

PENSIONS Q&A Everything you want to know about pensions.

SPECIAL FEATURE How to manage the summer holidays.

SPOTLIGHT

HAVING FUN Activities to do with the children in the summer.

BUSINESS SUCESS Feeling the guilt of success.

IN CONVERSATION Kim Palmer co-founder of Clementine.

RECIPE

magazine is available in digital and print.

Small business spotlight on LuvlyBubbly.

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

Summer beetroot tart.

CONTRIBUTORS PAUL BIRTILL, ASSOCIATE PARTNER Paul lives in North London with his family he has three daughters, one of whom has already flown the nest. He left a senior business development role in a housing association four years ago to set up his financial advice business and is an appointed representative of St. James’s Place Wealth Management. With Chartered status, he can deal with complex areas of financial planning and specialises in pensions and investments for business owners. www.paulbirtill.co.uk SARA BUSSANDRI , WRITER, AUTHOR & MENTOR Sara Bussandri is a Content Writer and an Author. She helps personal brand entrepreneurs and podcasters with writing or re-purposing blog content. www.sarabussandri.com ANNE GOLDSMITH, POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR CONSULTANT AND PARENTING COACH Anne is a parent, a qualified teacher, a Positive Behaviour Consultant and a Parenting Coach. She solves the problem of negative and disruptive behaviour in schools and homes by focusing on the child. Through her tailored 1-2-1 approach, she can help the child transform their behaviour to empower them to reach their full potential. www.behaviourfirstconsultancy.co.uk RYAN JACKSON, SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR Ryan Jackson is a serial entrepreneur and success coach who runs multiple businesses in the UK and abroad. He is passionate about inspiring others to become the best versions of themselves through personal development. www.ryanjackson.org ANNA REDMAYNE - PORTER, AfN REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST Anna Redmayne - Porter is an AfN Registered Nutritionist who loves creating delicious recipes. www.befreewithanna.wixsite.com/befreewithanna CAROLYN WILLIAMS , HCPC REGISTERED PARAMEDIC Carolyn is an HCPC registered Paramedic, working in Central London, and runs a successful franchise for Daisy First Aid providing Paediatric First Aid sessions for parents, carers and children’s workers in the South East London area. Her main aim is to empower parents with simple and easy to remember knowledge on how to react to an emergency, calmly and confidently. Carolyn has 2 young children who like to keep her on her toes, giving her a wealth of experience both as a medical professional and a parent. www.daisyfirstaid.com 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

Do you like what we do? Why not become a guest contributor. Let’s collaborate contact bridget@parentsinbiz.co.uk Magazine designed by B81 Designs 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.

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WELCOME Welcome to the fourth issue of the Parents in Business magazine. The summer holidays are upon us, and the children will be off school for six weeks. For some, its an opportunity to take time out from business and spend quality time with your family however, for some, this is not an option. Whether you are working or taking time off, we have you covered. On page 20, we have a special feature where 8 parents share how they manage the summer holiday business and family juggle. We have introduced a new business spotlight feature, and in this issue, Bev, the Founder of Luvlybubbly, tells us what inspired her to start a business. We have two incredible interviews with Merlie Calvert, the Founder of Farillio and Kim Palmer, the Co-Founder of Clementine. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find valuable pieces of business wisdom with the turn of each page with articles written by contributors. Happy reading!

Bridget

Bridget Daley Editor

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

Book Recommendation

The 4-Hour Work Week Timothy Ferriss Tim Ferriss has been listed as one of Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Business People' and one of Fortune's '40 under 40'. Timothy Ferriss details his road to financial success and the steps he took along the way. His plan is simple to follow, easy to apply and relevant for anyone looking to make a change. This book is packed full of practical information to help transform your life; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to read and implement the strategies within it. All the results described in the book are from Tim's personal experimentation. Available on Amazon

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To help you with the business and family juggle here are some on demand childcare to help you find reliable childcare during the summer holidays.

CHILDCARE

Bubble Book trusted local babysitters. On demand. www.joinbubble.com Student Nannies Linking parents with smart, like-minded students www.studentnannies.com Sitters We believe your little ones deserve the very best care. www.sitters.co.uk

How to take time off from your business during the summer holidays With the summer holidays just around the corner, most working parents are looking forward to the children being off school for 6 weeks. Of course, summer is a great opportunity to switch off from the day-to-day and spend some quality time with the rest of the family at home or away on holidays. It's also your chance to take some time off from your business and get some well-deserved R&R! But when you're self-employed and running the show, taking time off isn't as easy as putting your 'out of office' on and forgetting all about work for a couple of weeks. So how can you make sure your business keeps ticking this summer while you kick off your shoes and make the most of your holidays?

Make a plan! That last day of school is fast approaching, so if you haven't already, now, it's time to make a plan. If you trade time for money, or if your business relies on you being around for things like processing orders and shipping, planning is going to be key. Depending on your business model, here are a few things you may need to consider.

Re-schedule appointments and move deadlines If you're a service-based business working with clients, consider

giving them as much advance warning as possible about your upcoming holidays. This will show professionalism on your part but also allow you to re-schedule any sessions that would have taken place while you'll be away. If you have any deadlines that need moving, now it's the time to reach out to your clients and start discussing options. Be mindful of the fact that it's summer holidays for your clients too. Most people will be exactly in the same boat as you, taking some time off with the family and enjoying the (hopefully)

warmer weather. So get the diaries out and make sure all those important appointments, dates, and deadlines are re-shuffled and agreed with your clients as soon as possible.

Work out what your non-negotiables are Is there anything in your business that absolutely needs to happen while you're away? Perhaps your clients have firm deadlines that cannot be moved? Or if you earn passive income, are there any calls, meetings, or deliverables that your income is dependent on? Perhaps you run an online membership and host a monthly live call for your members? Ask yourself: â&#x20AC;˘ What can I move? â&#x20AC;˘ What can I stop? â&#x20AC;˘ And what needs to still happen while I'm away? Can I automate or delegate anything?

Spend some time working out the answers to these questions and look at any available options. You may need to do some extra work before you take time off and after you get back or, worst come to the worst, you may need to cancel some projects. Look at your income predictions and do some budgeting - can you afford to cancel or postpone some work? Discuss your ideas with your clients in advance, and you'll see that as long as you give them enough time and show flexibility, they'll often be happy to accommodate you wherever they can.

Consider outsourcing or delegating tasks Unless you drop or postpone some projects, there's a chance that your workload for the period leading up to your holidays and the weeks after your return may increase. So how will you cope with the extra work? If you're a one-man or one-woman band, you may not have anyone to hand your work over to while you're away. So now might be the time to consider outsourcing or delegating some tasks to other professionals. Perhaps you could hire a Virtual Assistant or a freelancer or two through a website like Fiverr or Upwork. That would free up

some time for you to get those non-negotiable tasks done ahead of time and meet those deadlines you can't afford to miss.

welcome this type of work, plan ahead and be sure you have a way to jot down your ideas.

Decide how much you'll do (or won't do) while you're away Whether you'll be home or away, it's important you decide how much work you will do during your time off. Will you be posting on social media? Will you be checking your emails? Or will you be off completely? There's no right or wrong answer here. But whatever you do, be sure you make a decision and stick to it. The last thing you want is to get back from your holidays feeling resentful and more tired than when you went away! Also, remember that being away from the day-to-day running of your business can be great for your creativity. This means you'll probably get lots of ideas for things to do in your business. Or find a solution to a work problem that had been bugging you for a while. So what will you do about this? Will you be ready to capture these light-bulb moments? Will you welcome the opportunity to have the time and space to do some strategic planning? If the answer is no, and you want to switch off completely, go ahead and do just that. But if you

Enjoy your time off! Whatever you decide to do, make sure that both you and your clients are aware and happy about the arrangements you made. You definitely don't want to have to deal with a last-minute emergency when you've just arrived at a theme park to have a fun day with the family! We hope these tips will help you have a smooth holiday where you can truly enjoy some welldeserved time off with your family and not worry too much about your business. If you have any extra tips, make sure you share them with us on the Parents in Biz social media channels. Sara Bussandri Writer, author & mentor www.sarabussandri.com

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Skin Protection Tips Now summertime has arrived, it’s the perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, but we must ensure we protect our little ones from the harmful UV rays, even when it’s cloudy. Plan ahead with your protection, so you don’t get caught out.

Sunscreen. Look for a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30+ and a minimum UVA star rating of 4. A circle around the UVA rating also shows this meets EU Standards. Sunscreen should be applied generously 30mins prior to going outside, and then reapplied every 2hrs or after swimming or exercise. Areas that people tend to miss are ears, underneath the eye, the hairline, feet and the back of hands. Studies show that we actually apply under half of the amount we should so don’t be shy, apply more than you usually would each time. Once a day sunscreen sounds great in theory, but these don’t take into account the fact we don’t apply enough initially, any areas we miss and any premature removal such as towel drying, sweating or any form of abrasion on the skin. If you are using a one a day lotion, you still need to reapply every 2hrs. Remember your sunscreen also has a shelf life of around 2yrs. Write the date you start using it on the bottle, so you know when to discard of any. I simply pop a water-resistant plaster on the back of the bottle and write the month and year on this.

Seek shade. Encourage your child to play in shaded areas between 11am to 3pm when the sun is at its hottest. You can buy pop up tents that still allow air flow, play under a tree or plan an indoor activity. Babies under 6 months must not be left in direct sunlight at all.

Hats. Try to find a hat that covers the face, scalp, ears and neck for maximum protection and encourage your little one to keep this on.

Sunglasses. Sunglasses protect your child’s eyes from UV rays, which can lead to cataract later in life. Aim for glasses that are wraparound and have 100% UV protection. There should be a sticker on the lens stating 100% UV Protection or UV400. If glasses don’t have this sticker, they don’t provide any protection and are more of a fashion accessory.

Wear long clothing. Try to cover the skin as much as possible with long sleeved tops, trousers and skirts. Tightly woven fabrics and darker and vivid colours offer the most protection and reflect rays rather than absorb. Keeping our children safe is our highest priority, and Daisy First Aid provide relaxed 2hr Family First Aid sessions to help you be prepared for any mishaps. These sessions can be in the comfort of your own home or at various venues across the country. Carolyn Williams provides sessions around the Greenwich, Peckham & Lewisham areas and booking is via www.bookwhen.com/dfagreenwich or carolyn@daisyfirstaid.com To find an instructor in your local area, please visit www.daisyfirstaid.com

In Conversation with Merlie Calvert Founder of Farillio Merlie Calvert a mother of 2 is a lawyer and businesswoman who’s worked both in and with early-stage startups and bigger branded businesses, for over 20 years. Merlie has had a lifelong love of law in business and an enduring obsession with technology, especially anything that enables social interaction, sharing and collaboration.

Can you tell us what Farillio is and how it helps small businesses? Farillio exists to smash away the barriers to key information and core materials that small businesses deserve, and that they need to start, scale and thrive. As a team of individuals who have pretty much all run our own successful small businesses, we passionately believe that there should be no barrier to, or premium on, this information and these materials. As small business owners and managers, we wake up each morning, knowing what we want to achieve. But we’re very often unsure how to get there. And nobody offers us a sensible, clear and pragmatic ‘recipe’ that we can easily follow to get the comprehensive outcome we want. Farillio is super-fierce about this mission, and we’re pretty vocal about it. We’re an online legal and business solutions platform, taking a recipe-style approach to the outcomes that small businesses want to achieve each day, whether that’s starting or scaling a business, taking on help or

handling problems with the help, negotiating great deal terms, sorting out financing, getting the most value and opportunity possible out of IP, complaining, making sure payments are made on time…there’s a long list of everyday things. Our software solution hosts all the business activity ‘recipes’ and the ingredient materials that small businesses are likely to need and provides them with a recommended order of steps. We present everything in today’s most in-demand multi-media formats, including YouTube style, step-by-step videos, infographics that can summarise tons of words and dense jargon into clear depictions of all you really need to know, and dynamic document templates, written in plain English and prioritising the most important stuff upfront, which our members can collaborate on with others, sign them, store them and duplicate them easily whenever they wish. They even have the additional (paid) option of connecting in our very carefully selected expert-partner-helpers, if they’ve got questions or need more

help on anything on the platform. They can pay-as-you-go with this extra help and so control the level and extent of the expert assistance services we offer. We keep the costs bite-size, the experts close, and the risk, time and workload manageable. All for the modest price of £8 + VAT each month, with no hidden costs or limitations.

Tell us a bit about your background, and how did you develop the skills to start your business? I’m a lawyer and also a businesswoman who’s worked both in and with early-stage startups and bigger branded businesses, for over 20 years.

(Farillio’s the third startup I’ve launched, but the first one I’ve independently owned.) When I had kids, it was a pretty defining moment as I was in a job I adored and yet I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that job any more (it involved extensive and unpredictable travel and very long hours) … not if I also wanted to have any kind of relationship with our children and be even halfway decent at both motherhood and having a career. When you have kids, some stuff simply has to give, and you have to reprioritise and have a plan for what you’ll focus on first and then how that might evolve as your kids grow up. Having a bit of plan, kept me sane and made me feel more in control - especially in the early days of parenthood when nothing goes to plan, and you have those awful moments of identity crisis and self-doubt. Farillio’s been 20 years in the making though. I’ve had a lifelong love of law in business and an enduring obsession with technology, especially anything that enables social interaction, sharing and collaboration. When Napster emerged in the early naughties, I was working for a big music industry business and was hugely inspired by the impact it had and the potential it represented. It became a mission of mine to get law and other business solutions as close to the democratic and

collaborative accessibility of music that Napster had achieved. But there was nothing like that out there, and I had no clue how on earth I’d be able to build it! Over the years and many roles in-between then and now, I’ve self-taught and sought out those who can teach me the skills I thought I’d need. Much of the best learnings have come from trial and error on my own part, but also, so importantly, from the canny advice of fellow business creators and managers, who get what it’s like to be out there on your own, seeking to prove you’re not insane, and freely share what they did (and

what they would not do again!). That information is gold dust. Whenever anyone shares anything like that with our TeamFarillio or me today, we rapidly create some means of passing it on and sharing it with everyone else. Then everyone learns fast, simply and affordably. I know just how empowering that environment can be, because other business owners, many of them parents struggling with the same things that I was, helped me to forge my own path. Farillio, for me, is the next step on my journey, and it’s about paying that valuable support forward.

How did you move from idea to actual business?

Whom do you seek advice from for your business?

That old obstacle was actually ok, compared to this latest thing…’!

I was lucky in many ways as I had been obsessing about the blueprint for the vision for a while and yet wasn’t brave enough to go it alone. And then I got the chance to build a very basic version of Farillio for an insurance business, who’d heard about what I wanted to do, offered to fund it and gave me essentially a blank canvas to design and build it within their small business environment. They were a great bunch of folks, looking for innovation and disruption, and they were supportive. It was a dream opportunity.

My team members and our incredible founder and business community. There’s no source of information and advice more valuable, more generous and less selfish and conflicted, than this peer group.

Besides that, well, I guess, making the leap in the first place, feeling brave enough to go it alone, was a huge leap and I see-sawed up and down trying to psych myself up for it for way too long! My self-doubt was definitely a big obstacle back then.

Looking back, I was so ‘green’ about building something like this, and I learned so much during that time. It took nearly two years and by the time I left, having become even more obsessed with the mission, and now knowing how much better it could be built and made accessible, I had all that I needed to pull together the incredible team of folks who comprise TeamFarillio today and to build something truly different, to a world-class standard. It’s a work in progress, of course, but two years into Farillio, and looking at how far we’ve come and all that we have planned ahead of us, I’ve never regretted the step.

We also have a great set of expert partner firms across the UK who support Farillio and our members, and I’ve worked with almost all of their teams on various things that Farillio has needed itself as we’ve evolved ourselves. It means I can very truthfully say that I trust these teams because I’ve experienced them in action. The experts in these teams and firms ‘get’ small business really well, they don’t have ridiculous fee expectations, they’re truly diverse, fun and interesting people and I am not sure who we would trust for professional advisory stuff if we did not have them with us on Farillio’s journey too.

What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome? It’s funny, and I think it’s all relative, to be honest. What feels like the biggest obstacle is often the latest one you’re facing because you haven’t yet experienced cracking it and moving on. And yet in a few months, you find yourself looking back and invariably saying ‘wow! I was so obsessed with that and how insurmountable it felt, and now look at what I’m dealing with.

More of a challenge than an obstacle, but never something to be underestimated is fundraising – which is always tough. Carrying the burden of expectation of amazing team members who’ve staked their reputations and career aspirations on you, of people who’ve given you good money and really

What was the last thing you did that made you proud? I was at our Farillio ‘gathering’ party a few weeks ago, and at one point I looked around at all the people in the room: customers, peers, friends, expert partners, investors, and our awesome team and it made me feel very emotional and grateful. The vibe in the room was amazing: so warm, energetic, connected, and driven by people who absolutely share our passion for the mission, and for working with each other and being part of this community. All I could hear was laughter. It was a relaxed and informal

gathering, nothing fancy, hosted in a local business café that our team loves. Our only objective was just to bring everyone that mattered together to say thank you so very much for making this dream come alive. People had travelled from all over the UK to be there – which rather blew me away. And everyone in the room had their own Farillio story and unique connection with us … many of them we have only met in the last 2 years and did not know before. I felt proud to have triggered the beginnings of it all. And overwhelmingly humbled to see how many extraordinary people now call themselves ‘Farillio

Family’ and who have contributed invaluable time, reputation, money and effort to get us so far. It’s one thing to light the fire, quite another to see the torch taken up by a diverse community of people about whom I care very much.

How do you manage your time between family and business? It’s a constant, imperfect juggle and I’m always re-adjusting! I don’t think there’s a magic or perfect solution. As a family, we have a rule that unless my husband or I are travelling, we all start the day and eat breakfast together.

Most days, I also aim to be home by 7, so that I can help with music practice, read bedtime stories (at 10 and 8, my kids have never tired of this tradition – long may that last!) and have time for the small talk and general goofiness that binds families together more than anything in my view. I abandon my phone at the other end of the house at those times, only reconnecting with it later in the evening, when the kids are in bed. I work close to home, and the kids go to school close to where I work, so I can drop them off and be at work for 8.30am most days, then work a full day, leave and power-walk home for 45 minutes at 6pm and then log back in later on in the evening, after I’ve had my evening quota of family time. Weekends get easier as the kids have several clubs and so I can drop them off, camp out in a coffee shop and get in some extra hours catching up on the business too.

What is your best tip for a parent who is struggling to take their business idea forward? Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to reach out and ask for help from other business founders. Someone within your network will have the answer or know someone who does. Join a community, online or otherwise, where questions are encouraged, and people are inclined to help.

And plan really, really well, then keep revisiting that plan with an honest and objective mindset, to see whether the plan is still the right one, in light of what you’re experiencing.

Lastly, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending time with family and friends. They ground me and keep everything in perspective. Having the time to talk (and laugh) about the small stuff, not just focus on the big or immediate events… those are precious moments. I’m a fidget and a prolific knitter of lots of different things (and some weird stuff that serves no purpose but I just kind of go with it). I find it really therapeutic, and it appeases my creative side to a degree.

So, if we’re doing family movie night, I’m usually pinned to the sofa by our cat and a ton of coloured wool. I do not enjoy so much – though seem to spend a lot of my spare time on – hunting for missing items of sports kit, explaining why punctuation in your school homework is actually necessary and why using Alexa to answer your maths homework is cheating! Merlie Clavert Farillio www.farill.io

How does a small business owner go on holiday? No, this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the start of some corny one-liner, it is a genuine problem faced by millions of self-employed people everywhere. If you have made vague excuses and your last break has become a distant memory, then you are not alone. Fear of letting go of the reins for even a few days can cripple may business owners with fear. However, if you have a family and children eager for adventure, how on earth are you going to cope with taking a break, and not disappointing partners and little ones?

Set a Date Now, this might sound obvious, but we all know how easy it is to keep accepting work, making appointments or processing orders. The fear that the work may dry up motivates many business owners to work long hours and refuse to quit, but this is not good for your own health, the health of your relationships or the happiness of your children. So it is essential to set a date and leave any guilt about not working behind the moment you pencil it into your diary. Treat your holiday like a business event that has to happen.

Make Plans Once you have set aside the time, make plans for handling the hiatus with clients. Regular customers

may be happy to have work done in advance, and for others, you may just have to explain that you will be on holiday but can schedule them as a priority either before you go or as soon as you are back. Most people understand holidays and are more than happy to wait for a week or so as long as the communication channels are open and they are aware of what is going on. Do not suddenly just switch on an away email; any client you have on your books should be sent a courtesy warning. Away emails are there as a gentle reminder if anyone forgets and as a buffer for new enquiries.

Balance the Budget

Consider Getting Help It may be possible to have a virtual assistant on board for the week you are away, perhaps you have small jobs that someone else could cover for a week, and you can be more confident that you are not irreparably damaging your business. Failing that try not to become a ghost, perhaps agree with your partner that once the children are asleep at night, you will spend a maximum of thirty minutes quickly catching up on emails and replying to customers, so they know you are still out there. Of course, the best practice for your health is to leave work behind but hey, some business owners generally just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let go!

Whether you choose to work a few extra hours in the weeks leading up to the holiday, or whether you want to save some money every month to cover the time off, depends on your setup. Sadly self-employed people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get holiday pay which is one of the reasons many choose not to take one, but you have made your decision, so now you have to balance the books to cover that period proactively.

Promoting Positive Behaviour during the Summer Holiday with Your Children Are you a parent who looks forward to the summer holidays? Or do you dread the lack of routine? Whatever category you fall into – be it a working parent or a business owner, trying to juggle childcare, annual leave and quality time with your children, or trying to figure out what to do to keep your child occupied for the holidays, here are some tips to promote positive behaviour during the summer holidays. Many parents that I work with tell me that they love the summer holidays, yet at times find them challenging too because they see their children’s behaviour often deteriorates. You might already be noticing signs that your child is feeling tired, feeling the pressure of the summer term, end of year assessments, end of year rehearsals and productions. A grumpy exchange or attitude from your child that seems to have come from nowhere. This is because, by the end of any term, almost every child is ready for the break. During the holidays, the routine and predictability have gone from your child’s day, and many children struggle with this and how they feel. These feelings can often manifest themselves in negative behaviour, which creates tension within families and households. At times like these, your child might complain that they’re bored or ask, “What are we doing today?” Sometimes relationships between siblings can become tense if children are feeling frustrated. As a parent, this can be challenging. Here are some tips to help promote positive behaviour and an enjoyable holiday for all.

Tip #1 Try to consider that your idea of fun probably differs from your child’s and where possible, try to accommodate all family member’s interests. This might mean everyone doing something that one child enjoys on one day. Then something their sibling prefers on another day.

Tip #2 There are plenty of activities that are free and fun – fresh air, nature and exercise are great for children to be ‘free’ to run around, be noisy and expel some of their boundless energy.

Tip #3 It is okay if your child gets bored. I believe it’s good for children to feel bored at times. It encourages them to use their imagination and can result in them doing something creative, practical or active. It might be frustrating as a parent, but try to stick with it and try not to suggest things for them to do constantly - this often backfires. Respond to questions of “What can I do?” With “What would you like to do? What do you enjoy?” This gives your child a chance to think about what they enjoy doing. You could say that if they like reading and listening to music. “What would you prefer to do at the moment?” So you’re giving them choices, yet not too many – which makes their decision easier.

Tip #4 We’ve already talked about the fact that children are tired, so my advice to you, is that whatever you choose, ensure there’s a balance. What do I mean by balance? This is their holiday from school, so as well as keeping them active and having a more relaxed ‘routine,’ there should be plenty of time allowed for your child to just chill out and do their own thing. Whatever that means for them. This might be staying in their room,

reading a book, having a lie in until lunchtime, meeting up with their friends, watching TV and yes – I know – playing on their XBOX or PlayStation! I have two teenagers, so their downtime will probably differ from younger children’s ideas of downtime. A tip from my 13-year-old daughter here is to leave them alone – unless the house is on fire! This is their time!

Tip #5 If your child’s behaviour becomes an issue, as difficult as it is, remaining calm and responding calmly, with a calm voice will make a huge difference to what happens next in any situation. Anne Goldsmith Positive behaviour consultant and parenting coach www.behaviourfirstconsultancy.co.uk

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8 Parents Share How To Manage The Summer Holidays Let’s be real here. The summer holidays aren’t necessarily a time of great joy and excitement for everyone. When you’re a parent, who’s also a business owner, trying to run a small business, it can be challenging. You’ve got to try and manage the excitement of having your kids at home with the pressure of being the CEO of your very own company. As a task, this can be pretty difficult to try and pull off. There’s a lot that you have to take in mind and so many different things to think about. We are going to be taking a look at just a few tips and tricks for managing the summer as a parent. If you’re someone who doesn’t possibly know how to balance the trials of a business with the joy of kids, then this is for you.

Talk To Your Child Sometimes, communication is the best way to get on with things without being disturbed. If your child is old enough, you can sit them down and explain that you’re an adult with a business. You have to do this important work so that you can play with them later, and it’s all about making them understand that sometimes things aren’t always going to be exciting and different. They may need to know how to entertain themselves, just in case you can’t be around to do that for them. This is definitely one of the least fun options on the list, but at the same time, it can be one of the most straightforward for people who don’t know how they’re going to balance the fine act of running a business with the joy of kids. Honestly can sometimes be the best policy, especially if they’re finding it hard to understand what’s going on.

Establish Shorter Working Days When you’re a parent business owner trying to run a small business, it can sometimes be worth your while to investigate shorter working hours. When we say this, we are more looking at those parents who work 40 hours+ a week trying to create

something substantial for themselves. However, this isn’t really feasible when you’ve got young children home from school on the holidays and need to entertain them at the same time. But what we are getting at here is establishing a clear set of boundaries and timing. For example, maybe you only work 9 to 12. Perhaps you don’t work weekends. Letting clients know ahead of time that there will be changes to the hours you’re available can be really helpful, because it gives them time to schedule work around that, or simply to content themselves with a reduced service but the same excellent quality.

Take Time for You Burnout can be a very real thing. It can be especially prevalent when you subject yourself to extreme working conditions, without any time to rest and relax. As a parent, this becomes even more of a problem. All the time that you would be spending looking after yourself is instead going into providing entertainment for your little ones over the summer. If you’re going to run a business, then it is essential to take the time to focus on your own health and well-being. In trying times, it can be tempting to push yourself further and further. However, this

SPECIAL FEATURE can have a detrimental effect on your health. For your own good, and for the relationships that you keep most dear in your heart, please try and take time to look after yourself. It’s important to accept that you are human and that you have limitations. It is not a failure to acknowledge them, and it is a sign of strength and wisdom.

Ask Relatives to Help Sometimes, there will be moments when you can’t do everything for yourself. When the work demands that you are present, you have to look for another way of taking care of your kids. When these situations happen, we suggest enlisting the help of relatives. There’s a lot of reasons why this can be a good idea. First of all, you’re connecting with a member of the family that you don’t normally interact with. It’s good to re-establish bonds with people. Second of all, they get to see their relatives, and your kids get to know the family. It’s good to have that interaction from a young age because it reassures people that there is a secure family dynamic at work. Plus, you’re getting help with taking care of your kids and keeping them out of trouble, which can be a major challenge for any

Letting clients know ahead of time that there will be changes to the hours you’re available can be really helpful parent who is trying to balance a small business or freelancing work at the same time. In conclusion, there are a lot of ways that you can balance spending time with your kids and also trying to run a business. We know that it can be a challenging experience for people who aren’t used to it, and it can sometimes feel like you’re being overwhelmed by all your obligations. However, you just have to be able to stop and take a minute. Breathe, remember that you can do this, and think about the best way forward. Managing your own business can be difficult. We are not denying that, because we know that as an experience, it can be incredibly taxing and rewarding at the same time. The desire to grow your enterprise and expand often clashes with the need to be able to interact with your children and make sure that they feel emotionally cared for, as

well as physically. So it’s all about striking a balance. You have to make sure that no matter what you do, you’re not pandering to one thing at the expense of another. You have to try and find a middle ground. It’s the perfect point of equilibrium where you’re dividing equal time between both projects, and nothing is suffering. This can take time to find. However, when you do, you’ll be incredibly satisfied with it. You’ll have much finer control over what happens and when, and this can be so much more enriching for all areas of your life.

Eight parent’s share how they manage they manage the summer holidays maybe you can pick up a tip or two. Julie Hawkins Single Mums Business Network www.singlemumsbusinessnetwork.co.uk Unbusy Yourself! I do not make any appointments or do social media during the holidays, and I completely trust that urgent things can be dealt with at 9pm and a 24 hour response time is perfectly fine! – And then the evenings really are free to busy yourself as you see fit. Put the phone aside and leave the computer shut! It can all wait a few hours. Ruth Buckingham Kandu Marketing www.kandumarketing.co.uk As summer is such a long break, I have already planned out most of the holidays for childcare. We are lucky, and the grandparents tend to take them for 3-4 days each. During that time I will do a lot more client work and my own business marketing, then other weeks they will be booked into clubs, but no more than 3 (short) days a week so this will be pure client work. We also book a two-week complete break as one of my main reasons for being self-employed was to fit flexibly around the children. I don’t take on any new client work over the school holidays, so this year I am offering some extra blog packages in the run-up to the holidays to support other parent business owners who may not have time to blog during that period. I find the biggest challenge is mindset in September, it can sometimes take a while to crank back up

to full speed, and I don’t really have that luxury after 6 weeks at a different pace, after all it’s only a couple weeks till half term!

Vanessa Afful Aromatherapist/ Massage Therapist www.madebypurehands.com Have a plan, but allow for flexibility. Schedule your work for peak times, and take your holiday break when you know that work is quiet. For me, I try and schedule work for the early part of the summer holidays and then take my holidays in the latter part. When I am working, my Son goes to a holiday camp, or he is out doing something fun

with a family member. When I am off from work, my email comes off my phone, which allows me to be in 'holiday mode'. However, the reality of being self-employed means this is not always possible. So if I need to work and my Son is around, I find that mornings are best, then we have the afternoon to do something fun (this is how I bribe him to be patient). But let's be honest, there are times when there is no way that the kids are going to let you work or even the opposite; everyone has to stay home because you can't move that pressing deadline. So my advice is to try not to beat yourself up. There is always tomorrow for work or play.

Fay Wallis Career Coach, www.brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/ My two boys are 12 and 7 and the summer holidays always fill me with dread because of the childcare nightmare, so I try to make sure I have them planned out well in advance, to stop me worrying about them. To cope with the holidays, I have a colour coded spreadsheet that I stick on the fridge so that everyone in the family knows who is doing what on which day. If I didn’t tell my eldest son which holiday camps he was going to, or what I had planned for him, he would find it really unsettling. He’s a lot happier if he has had some input into what he is doing and knows which days he is where.

SPECIAL FEATURE

My husband works four days a week, so he usually looks after the boys on one day of the week. I usually work five days a week, but I drop down to working 3-4 days throughout the holidays so that I can look after the children for 1-2 days each week. The rest of the holidays are taken up with holiday camps some of the camps they’re doing this year are coding, hockey and sports. I also do childcare swaps I look after some of my friend's children on certain days, and then they look after my children on other days in exchange, the occasional day at a non-working friend’s house and my mum will also help out by having them for a couple of days for me Rachael Dines Marketing Director www.shakeitupcreative.com My school holidays are planned out in advance and include a mix of fun and necessity childcare alongside some time for me to enjoy my children and see friends too. My boys are 9, 6 and 3, which means other than grandparents, they can't all be booked into the same holiday care. I am super lucky to have both my parents and my in-laws close by, so they really help out, and we take our main family holiday during the summer break too, so that's a chunk less to plan. My husband likes a couple of days to enjoy some one-on-one time with each of the children as he travels a lot.

My paid childcare includes nursery, football club and our afterschool club provider’s holiday club but I limit the latter two due to the cost.

Kelly Ainsworth

Nicola Whiteford

Rebecca Riley

Modern Mummas parenting consultant, and pop up play director at The Tractor Shed

Nicola Whiteford PR

Founder and Franchisor of Kalma Baby

www.nicolawhitefordpr.com

www.kalmababy.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ modernmummas

I manage the school holidays by juggling a lot of balls! I use a mixture of pre-booked clubs, activity sessions held locally by other schools, play dates with neighbours kids and definite overuse of their favourite grandparents! In all honesty, it’s such a challenge as a selfemployed, single parent that I am currently in the process of taking my pop up play business into a semi-permanent play cafe so I can take both my sons with me to work for the majority of each holiday.

Managing the school holidays is an absolute juggling act. I try to use kids clubs and holiday camps to keep my children occupied for long enough so I can do some work. In between those child-free days, I start most mornings on my laptop whilst the children either play or watch a little bit of TV. I sometimes feel guilty that I can’t spend as many days in the holidays with the kids as I’d like, but as a family, we normally go away at some point in the six-week break to spend some quality time together (normally with my laptop in tow!)

"Children are not only innocent and curious but also optimistic and joyful and essentially happy. They are, in short, everything adults wish they could be."

"It is not about finding a work-life balance, but, rather, it's about work-life integration. I've learned to integrate my work and life so that the two exist as harmoniously as possible and priorities can be set."

Carolyn Haywood

Denise Morrison

As a children’s yoga franchisor juggling work with family life can be challenging, particularly in the school holidays. I’ve always found planning is the key to a smooth operation at home and work! I’m incredibly lucky that we have such a flexible family business which often allows us to take our children to our own yoga classes and pop into our offices. Our franchise model was built to women, such as myself a much more flexible work-life balance so I could spend more time raising my boys. It’s allowed me to spend more time with my children in the school holidays and also when they are at school not miss those important events such as sports days and assembly’s.

Activities to do with Children in the Summer

Children change your world in a lot of ways, and we are thankful for them. But when the summer holiday rolls around, we as parents become a bit more concerned with how we're going to entertain our kids! There’s a lot that you can do with your children in the summer to make sure that they stay entertained, and we’re going to be taking a look at some options here.

Days Out

Get Creative

Day trips can be fun; what will it be? A trip to the zoo? Or maybe to the beach? Wherever you go, there is no doubt that it’s a great way to spend time with your children and enjoy the good weather which comes with the summer. Keep a lookout for coupons and vouchers for exciting days out to places like zoos and theme parks.

A favourite activity for parents to do with their children to get crafty. There is a lot of benefits to doing this not only are you teaching your children all about being creative, but you’re also encouraging a sense of passion for their art. You never know whether you’ve got the next Pablo Picasso sitting in your chair.

Get the Family Together Maybe it’s time to get the extended family involved, and a family get-together can be a real treat for everybody. Not only are you experimenting with a whole new way of entertaining the children, but you’re also seeing people you wouldn’t usually get a chance to see, cousins, aunts, uncles and the in-laws. You could plan a barbecue, or maybe even a family dinner with a proper sit-down meal.

There’s a lot you can do. Just don’t be afraid to experiment, and enjoy your time with your children.

Here are some useful resources: HOOP Find everything going on for kids. www.hoop.co.uk LITTLEBIRD Ideas and savings for families. www.littlebird.co.uk KIDSSORTED A little black book for your family www.kidsorted.com MONEY SAVING EXPERT www.moneysavingexpert.com/ family/school-holiday-deals DAY OUT WITH THE KIDS www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/ blog/25-things-to-do-in-thesummer-holidays

In Conversation with Kim Palmer Co-Founder of Clementine Kim Palmer is a mother to two gorgeous boys aged 5 and 1. She was working in a senior marketing role when she started having panic attacks. She went on maternity leave, and the anxiety took over her life. But after seeking help, Kim found that hypnotherapy made her feel calmer, more confident and better able to cope. Kim then had this idea of building an app to help other women who were struggling too.

Can you tell us what the Clementine app is? Yes - we provide pocket therapy to help women who are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, tired and have low self-esteem. We use hypnotherapy because we fundamentally believe that this is easier for women to access than other therapies. They can lean back, relax and listen, and if you fall asleep, the suggestive techniques still work. Our app is mostly free if you want to access more help on how to accept your body, then you can pay a one-off fee for this. But the rest is all free.

Tell us a bit about your background, and how did you develop the skills to start your business? I’ve spent my entire career in consumer marketing, product marketing, product development so all of the skills, knowledge and networks I have - have been incredibly useful for starting a business. They’ve given me confidence. This isn’t to say I know everything as clearly I don’t. But I know enough

to know the right questions to ask, or I can reach out to people I know who can help.

How did you move from idea to actual app? Once I had the idea, I started to do lots of desktop research around the problem I was trying

to solve. I started out thinking the app would be about sleep only. I then moved onto researching with women face to face, and it became clearer that to help women in their everyday lives, I needed to expand the support to everyday issues too. And when I started to share my story of

experiencing anxiety, panic attacks and low self-esteem – women shared their stories too. They needed help with coping with the grind of the everyday. I then put pen to paper and outlined what the problem was I was trying to solve, the solution and why this was different than what was available in the market. I used this document to have conversations with all of the key people who helped me develop the app. The first person I needed to get on board was our hypnotherapist, Georgia Foster. I used the PowerPoint to talk her through my vision, and she was on-board. Then I needed to find a developer – I found them through a recommendation. And then the next biggest piece was developing the branding. I used a small agency called Lawless, whom I had worked with before. It took about 7 months from idea to going live.

to free up more time. No more pottering around tidying, no more ironing, no more cleaning (we outsourced that) and I stopped going out as much. This was a little bit of a shock to the household dynamics and wasn’t that easy for me to let stuff go and get my husband to pick up more stuff. But again, I got over it and realised he was more capable than me in most cases. I just had to stop being a perfectionist.

business too. I quickly learnt that if I was going to launch a business in a year, then I needed to move quickly and that meant some things were ok to be good enough. That I’d learn more by putting them out there and evolving over time.

This perfectionist trait had to go whilst working on my

What are some challenges you faced early on, and how did you overcome them? I quickly realised I needed to find more time in my day to work on my business. I was working 4 days a week, and I would look after our son on a Friday. I knew that I needed Friday, so I put him into nursery 5 days a week. I did feel guilty about this, but I quickly got over it. Then I needed to free up my evenings, so I stopped doing a lot of household chores

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

Do you have a self-care routine?

I’m open about how I’m feeling, so I share this with our community every day. I believe that it’s best to talk and share as it helps us to move through tough times quicker. I care deeply about all the work that I do. I always want the work to be good and add value to people. When it feels like I’m working on stuff I don’t enjoy, I find this very tough. I quickly find myself getting quite low and demotivated. I am trying really hard to only work on things that I love. But that’s not always possible.

For sure. I suppose my philosophy to self-care is little and often. To find ways that you can bring joy into every day and protect these like they are gold dust. So, for me, it’s the small things that matter. Sitting down with my family for breakfast, walking everyday so I don’t feel idle, a bath during the week to help me slow down, reading every night before bed – even if it’s just 5 mins, not spending too long at home on my own, only a few trips to London to conserve my energy, podcasts so I can expand my learning and a short run a few times a week to help me feel strong and energised. Oh, and stretching – I do a lot of this when we are watching TV.

How do you manage your time between family and business? It’s a constant process of tinkering. The two are very fluid and I quite like that. I’m a big believer in quality, not quantity, so when I am with my kids, I try to be present. Put my phone away on the weekends when we are out and about. I do, however, work a lot. When I’m passionate about something I put my heart, soul and all my energy into it – which can then turn into working A LOT. This is something I’m struggling with right now. I’m currently re-calibrating what I need to work on and trying to be a bit smarter with my time.

Who inspires you? I’m inspired by all the people who are trying and doing. I’m put off by people who talk a lot at people but don’t act. It takes guts to ‘do’ and to ‘try’ – especially if it’s something new. We learn by doing. We build confidence by doing. So I’m inspired by all the people who are trying to start businesses or tinkering around with passion projects, people who are getting involved in their local communities, that sort of thing.

Lastly, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I love just chilling out with my husband, Simon. Going to the movies and having a meal out. We try to do this once a month. It helps to reconnect properly. I just love the movies too. We

usually just see whatever is on at our local theatre. Even if it’s something we wouldn’t normally pick – it’s nice to see something new, and it feels a little adventurous. I also love to reconnect with simple pleasures like doing stuff outside with the kids. So, playing swing ball in the garden, or going to a picnic up at our local park. Actually, one of my favourite things to do is to play music with my whole family, and we all sing along. Usually stuff we liked when we were younger. Love it. Kim Palmer Clementine www.clementineapp.co.uk

Pensions Q&A What pensions are best for self-employed business owners? Pensions are a very good way to save for retirement due to their tax efficiency. However, not all pensions are suitable for everyone. A pension is just a set of investments with special tax treatment that in many circumstances generally shelters it from any further liability to capital gains and income tax. When you come to use your pension, you normally get 25% of your pension pot tax-free, and the rest is taxed at your marginal income tax rate. But, let’s focus on tax relief on pension contributions, and it’s useful here to go into a bit of detail. If you are a sole trader, subject to certain conditions, you’ll get tax relief on what you put in a pension. 20% basic rate tax is added to each pension contribution that you make (e.g. an £8,000 net contribution is topped up to £10,000 in the pension). The tax relief is

enhanced if you’re a higher rate taxpayer as you can claim back a further 20% through your tax return. And for specific situations, for example if you’re earning just over £50,000 and are incurring a child benefit tax charge or are earning just over £100,000 and are getting your personal allowance reduced, you can contribute surplus income to a pension and gain the tax relief, as well as re-instate the benefit/allowance you may be losing. For those with limited companies, the company can contribute to your personal pension, and it is classed as a business expense, thereby reducing corporation tax and avoiding income tax on extracting it from the company. I mentioned that not all pensions are suitable. What you should watch out for are accessibility and risk. Money contributed to a pension is locked away until (at present) age 55. It is also, in many cases, invested in assets like equities (company shares) or

bonds (corporate and government debt) which go up and down in value. You need to be comfortable with these features before investing, and that’s the conversation that you would have with a financial adviser. If you are a cautious person, you can still invest but should consider a less volatile portfolio of assets.

Is there any government help for self-employed business owners? Financial advisers are here to explain how to invest suitably and tax efficiently. We provide a specific recommendation having found out about your situation and goals and examined the options. With regulated financial advice, you also have recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service if the advice is unsuitable. Alternatively, you can go to the Pensions Advisory Service website, and they provide general guidance on pensions to help de-mystify them. You won’t get a specific recommendation, but it provides a good starting point.

What is NEST and auto-enrolment?

NEST is a government-backed workplace pension scheme which was set up to provide a simple pension solution that all companies (big and small) can use to meet the new requirements on company pension schemes. ‘Auto-enrolment’ came in a few years ago and, subject to certain criteria, it forces all companies to contribute to a pension for its employees. NEST, along with The People’s Pension and NOW Pensions are the main providers of auto-enrolment compliant pensions. Company Directors

can choose to opt-out or, if they are the sole employee, become exempt from the requirements and make company contributions instead to a personal pension. You may want to do this to access a greater range of investments or benefit from additional features.

What is a SIPP? A SIPP or Self-Invested Personal Pension offers a greater range of investment opportunities. Company Directors can, for example, use a SIPP to purchase their office or factory and benefit from the tax efficiency of a pension. In this case, a company pays a market rent to the individual’s SIPP and any growth is free of capital gains tax. Not all SIPPs are alike, though. The flexibility of a SIPP allows you to spread the risk, especially if some investments perform badly. However, these do tend to have higher costs than a standard pension, and active management is essential to maximise the benefits of the wider investment choice on offer. For these reasons, they will not be suitable for everybody, and generally, only those who are fairly experienced at actively managing their investment should consider this type of investment.

How can self-employed business owners transfer old pensions over? To consolidate pensions into one scheme, it’s best to talk to a financial adviser who will be able to recommend whether a transfer is in your best interests or not. If it is, then it gets transferred from one pension scheme to another fairly smoothly.

Should I invest in a pension or a LISA? The LISA, or Lifetime ISA, is an ISA with certain restrictions and benefits. You can get a cash one or a stock and shares one and the government will top up your contribution by 25% (with certain restrictions). Obviously, that sounds good but compare it to a pension and 25% is the minimum top up. As mentioned above, higher rate taxpayers get further tax relief. In terms of accessibility, the LISA can be accessed before pensions but only for specific reasons such as purchasing a first home. Otherwise, it can’t be accessed before age 60 without penalty. In sum, LISAs can be good, but there are some pitfalls to be aware of. *Please note that LISAs are not available through St. James’s Place.

What if you can only afford small payments? It is better to start small than not at all. Regular contributions can build up with cumulative growth over the long term, but it is much easier to start early.

How important is it to pay National Insurance contributions? Under the new State Pension regime, with a 35 year national insurance contribution record, you can get an inflation-linked annual pension of £8,767 p.a. (in today’s money). It’s worth checking your NI record and filling in the gaps where you can as a State Pension is a good starting point from which to build.

I’m a limited company director with no pension and want to pay into one from your own company how do I do this? We offer a no-obligation meeting to discuss pensions within the context of an overall personal financial plan. Our service is holistic and face-to-face as we believe that an on-going relationship and regular reviews are the essence of good financial planning. You can find out more information from my website www.paulbirtill.co.uk. The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select, and the value can, therefore, go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested. The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time. The value of any tax relief generally depends on individual circumstances. The Partner is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner Practice’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. Paul Birtill Associate Partner www.paulbirtill.co.uk

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Bev has been blessed with two amazing girls, Jodie and Johanna and a wonderful husband Tony, and they have been married for 22 years. Both Bevâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughters and Tony have been incredibly supportive since

the conception, birth and growth of her creative party business, Luvlybubbly. What inspired you to start your business?

her passing away was a huge loss and a difficult time for me. Needing to occupy my thoughts, it was then that I began to entertain the idea of starting my own business. I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t one hundred percent sure of what that would look like or be, but I knew that it would be something along the lines of my creative passion.

One of the most significant people in my life was my darling mother, who was my rock and greatest role model. Sadly, in September 2009, my darling mother passed away suddenly. As you can image,

On a visit to a craft market, I met a lady who was selling her own handmade soaps. I was so intrigued and fascinated by this idea that I enrolled myself on a soap-making course. It was

such an amazing experience learning about alternative, healthy ingredients, including the health benefits of essential oils that I fell in love with the whole concept of healthier alternatives to skincare and cosmetics. It was here that I gave birth to my first business, Adorable Skin. I continued to take several skincare courses, and it wasn’t long before I began making and selling my own lip balms, body butters and soaps along with a range of other skin care products.

One day a thought came to mind – an idea that I could teach people how to make soaps, lip balms, bath bombs etc. It wasn’t long before these thoughts were put into practice when my daughter’s 7th birthday was approaching, and she wanted to make soap. Feeling quite nervous about hosting my very first soap-making party, I invited eight of Johanna’s friends around, and it was here that my very first soap-making party was birthed.

I get my inspiration from visiting exhibitions, looking at magazines and surfing the internet. I then get to work by developing the idea and making it ten times better. What more information on LuvlyBubbly? www.luvlybubbly.co.uk

The feedback from both the parents and children was phenomenal. Armed with more confidence, I did some research and found that many parents were looking for creative workshops for their children. I decided to take the plunge and launched our first workshop; we then went on to host parties and workshops for organisations.

The Guilt of Success It has been said that everything has a price; that there are consequences to all actions. And, as an entrepreneur, I know, first-hand, the numerous sacrifices I’ve made to get where I am – some of them necessary, and some not so much. But in being consumed by the desire to grow and achieve success, we often neglect the things that truly matter. As a father of two young boys, I often have internal battles about spending more time with them. On the one hand, I justify spending so much time at work by convincing myself that what I’m doing is for my boys and their future. Although this contains some element of truth, if I’m honest with myself, I do it for me. It’s my passion. It’s who I am. Yes, my family will have a good quality of life as a result. But that’s not the reason why I’m not always home, or I’m working late, or I travel away on business. My motivations might be more selfish, but that doesn’t make them wrong. On the other hand, I know that time is precious, and we never get these childhood moments back. I also need to remember to make the most of my time with family and friends. Our society is built around trading time for money. It’s how we could or should allocate this time that many of you will relate with. Ultimately, don’t we set up our own enterprise ventures because we are seeking happiness? Do we believe it comes from financial reward? But as the sayings go – ‘money can’t buy you happiness’ and ‘all work and no play’ makes us dull.

Speaking to many people who have reached the top of their ladder, asking them to tell me the one thing they would have done differently, they invariably say that they would have made more time for the people who matter to them. So, how do we resolve this ongoing dilemma? Like most things, I believe that happiness is about balance – so it’s about finding a work-life balance that satisfies you. Here are three tips that will help you to create a happy medium of balance between work and family or friends.

#1 Leave work at work. Don’t take it home. Make a clear division between your work life and your home life, without one spilling over into the other. If you have things on your mind, unload them before you leave at the end of the day – write a list, or note down tasks for the next day in your diary. Then, forget about them, dedicate yourself to life outside work and enjoy your time with your family or friends.

#2 Switch off electronics. When you leave work, switch off your work mobile. Don’t check your emails. Otherwise, you’ll start thinking about work or be tempted to respond to messages – and before you know it, you’re working again.

#3 Limit home work. if you can’t do either of the above, because you’re trying to make your business fly, or because you work from home, be strict about finishing at a certain time, and keeping certain evenings dedicated to leisure or family time. Keep your work restricted to a particular room so that you can close the door on it. Then it’s not beckoning you, or making you feel guilty for having fun! Ryan Jackson Serial Entrepreneur www.ryanjackson.org

Summer Beetroot Tart This vibrant puff pastry tart recipe is the perfect summer dish

Ingredients • 500g bunch raw beetroot • 100ml maple syrup • 2 tsp olive oil • Squeeze lemon juice • 320g puff pastry sheet • Handful of pine nuts • 75g soft cheese • Rocket to serve

Method 1.

Heat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Peel, then finely slice the beetroot. Layer evenly in a foil-lined roasting tin, then drizzle with the maple syrup, oil and lemon juice. Cover with foil, then roast for 25 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, put the pastry on a baking sheet, prick all over with a fork and bake on the shelf below the beetroot for 20 minutes. Remove, then put another baking sheet on top to gently flatten the pastry.

Remove the beetroot from the oven and take off the foil. Uncover the pastry, then use a fish slice to put the beetroot on top (leave a 2cm border). Drizzle over any juices. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Serve scattered with rocket, crumbled cheese and pine nuts.

Anna Redmayne - Porter AfN Registered Nutritionist www.befreewithanna.wixsite.com/befreewithanna

Serves 4 Hands on time 20 minutes Oven time 35 minutes

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Parents in Business Magazine Issue 4