This Girl Means Business - Issue 3

Louise Hay

ISSUE

03

shares the secret of living the life we dream of!

Starting a Business on a Shoestring Budget

The Secret to Being

Happy

How to Become a Networking Goddess

This Girl...

She is a dreamer through and through, determined to make it happen even when she hasn’t got a clue. She takes time to research and plan her ideas and stays positive despite all those nagging fears. She wakes up every morning with a smile on her face and knows she can do it with style and grace. She’s a networking goddess who can work a room well, spreading word of her business

– This Girl can sell!

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This Girl Means Business

This Girl...

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Meet the Team Carrie Green, UK Female Entrepreneur Association                              

Carrie started her first business at the age of 20 whilst studying Law at university. Over the years she grew it into a successful global business and in 2011 she launched the Female Entrepreneur Association. Carrie is passionate about creating new ideas and then making them happen, she’s a big believer in pursuing your dreams and that life is far too short to be scared of failing. Don’t waste another precious minute, go and make it happen now!

Natalie Walstein, USA Half Asleep Studio                                  

Natalie is a graphic designer & illustrator in Minneapolis, MN with a great passion for art, creativity, and inspiring herself and others to find the beauty in everything. She blogs about her projects, business, life, and inspiration at halfasleepstudio.com.

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This Girl Means Business

Contributors Kerry Needs, UK Kerry Needs is a writer and speaker on managing your mindset and happiness. She trains individuals and companies to improve themselves by changing their thought process. She is also founder of online resource Whole Science, a resource on the mind’s potential.

Sarah Hughes, UK Giraffe Communications A successful entrepreneur, Sarah started her first business, Giraffe Communications, 10 years ago and last year another business, Linked4Success. Known as the Networking Guru, she is paid thousands by businesses to share the secrets of how to network and market for free, both online and offline.

Samantha Green, UK Founder, Every Shade of Green Samantha graduated from Business School in Manchester in 2007, with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and some of the best friends a girl could ever wish for. Her lifestyle blog, Every Shade of Green, documents the little things in life that inspire her.

Kirsten Davies, UK The Food Remedy Kirsten completed a degree in early childhood studies and then went on to study to become a nutritionist.

After qualifying, she spent the summer at the UK’s leading nutritional consultancy, The Food Doctor, learning the ropes from the wonderful Ian Marber.

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Note from Carrie Whilst working on this issue of the magazine I’ve realised that age has nothing to do with success – it’s merely a number, not a reflection of what we can and cannot achieve. In this issue we interviewed Louise Hay, an incredibly successful lady, who at 85 is still going strong and achieving amazing things, and we also talked to three very successful entrepreneurs who all started up their businesses in their early twenties.

So if you think you’re too young or too old, think again. It’s not your age that’s important; it’s how you think. In this month’s feature interview with Louise Hay, she shares her advice on how we can use affirmations and positive thinking to live the lives we dream of… exciting stuff!

I have loved working on this issue and I hope you love reading it.

Carrie Note from Carrie

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{This Girl Means}

BUSINESS ISSUE #03

e on th : cover

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with

Louise Hay

The founder of the self-help movement shares with us the secret of living the life we dream of!

Personal Development 12

Give Wings to Your Dreams: Positive Thinking

15

Affirmation of the Month

18

Success Series: How to Be Happy by Kerry Needs

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This Girl Means Business

46

Interview with Louise Hay: Create More of What of You Want in Your Life

52

5 Things to Try This Month

74

What We’re Reading

Business Development 12

How She Did It: Interview with Amelia Rope of Amelia Rope Chocolate

34

Starting a Business on a Shoestring: Stories of 3

young entrepreneurs who

started a business with very

little money with the help

of Britain’s Start-Up Loans Programme

36

Ask & Answered: How to Setup an E-Commerce Business

70

Did you know? Tips for Building a Presence for Your Brand on Pinterest

78

By Samantha Green The Know-How: How to Become a Networking Goddess

by Sarah Hughes

Health & Wellness 82

Kickstart Your Day with a Healthy Breakfast by Kirsten Davies

This Girl 10

Quotes of the Month

32

Advice from Female Entrepreneurs

Style

44

The Directory

67

This Girl Loves...

84

This Girl Stays Motivated By...

68

Must-Have Accessories

86

Top 10 Tips

Table of Contents

9

Quotes of the Month

“You can have anything you want, if you will give up the belief that you can’t have it.” — {Dr. Robert Anthony}

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” — {Unknown}

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“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.”

— {Unknown}

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”

— {Unknown}

Quotes of the Month

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Give Wings to Your

DREAMS POSITIVE THINKING The road to achieving amazing things is going to get bumpy at times – it’s just the nature of life. It’s not these bumps that will stop you from achieving what you want; it’s how you choose to respond to those bumps. When you’re faced with adversity how will you choose to respond? Will you fight to keep going or will you give in? It all depends on your frame of mind. So, the question is, are you programmed to succeed or are you programmed to fail?

The decisions you make every single day determine your future, are you making good decisions or bad decisions?

Are you on track right now or are you not?

If you are on track right now, chances are that you’ve been making good decisions. If however you’re not where you want to be it’s likely

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This Girl Means Business

that you’ve not been making the best decisions for yourself.

We make decisions based upon our frame of mind, our attitude, how we’re feeling at that moment in time.

So, having the right mindset and attitude is a critical factor in how successful we can become.

Everything you have ever created started in your mind as a

thought or a feeling. If you have a positive frame of mind there’s a much higher chance that you’ll have a positive outcome.

I’m not saying that every second of every day you have to be positive and know where you’re going and what you’re doing, but I am saying that it’s important to listen to the positive voice inside your head – the one that tells you that you can do it and you are good enough and talented enough and worthy enough, rather than listening to the negative voice which fills your mind with doubts and confusion.

If you have a positive frame of mind the decisions you make will be much better – and remember that it’s your decisions that create your destiny.

{ { “It’s in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.

Choose now, choose well.”

- Tony Robbins

However, what happens if you’ve got into the habit of thinking negative thoughts, feeling negative emotions and making bad decisions most of the time?

Do you ever think things like...  I can’t do this!  Other people are better, smarter, or more worthy than I am.  What do I know anyway?  What will other people think if I do this?  I can’t risk failure.  Success is for others but not for the likes of me!

These types of negative thoughts create negative emotions and you end up feeling bad, demotivated you end up wanting to give up. These thoughts and feelings are creating a future that you don’t really want.

However, just as you got into the habit of thinking negatively, you can get into the habit of thinking positively and feeling successful.

Give Wings to Your Dreams

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Feeling Successful

Feeling successful is a habit that most people have never consciously done, but you can start to make feeling successful a habit you do every day. The key is to make it as easy as possible to feel successful on a daily basis.

What things could you do that would make you feel successful and that would be easy to do? What if you

made one important call, went to the gym, learned something new? Would you feel good about that? Make it really easy because most people only allow themselves to feel successful if they achieve big things, which means they are putting off feeling good. The easier we make it to feel good then the simpler it becomes to be even more successful.

Exercise: Getting rid of self-doubt and negative thoughts

1)

Start to pay more attention to your thoughts – what is your inner voice saying most of the time? Are most of your thoughts positive or negative ones?

Do you tend to talk yourself out of doing things or encourage yourself step

to do it? step

2) Every time you have a

doubt or a negative thought stop and throw the thought behind you – actually visualise this (you can also try to shrink the image in your mind until it

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disappears.) This takes practice, so if it seems a little ridiculous at first, keep going with it.

3)

Once you have gotten rid of the thought, immediately replace it with a positive thought — one that makes you feel good and confident.

If you’re not used to doing this then just keep practicing it and soon you’ll start to do it naturally and at some point the negative and worrying thoughts won’t have the same impact on you.  step

Affirmation of the Month: All is well.

Everything is working out for my highest good.

Out of this situation only good will come.

I am safe.

{Louise Hay}

Affirmation of the Month

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HOW She

d id it!

By Carrie Green

Name:

Amelia Rope Company:

Amelia Rope Chocolate - since 2008 Location:

United Kingdom I love chocolate; in fact I don’t know a single woman who doesn’t love chocolate. When I’ve

had a long day I love to snuggle up on the sofa with a cup of tea (yes, I’m English!) and a bar of chocolate. But whilst I merely

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dream of eating chocolate, this month’s story is all about a woman who dreamt about making it.

Amelia Rope had an idea to start her very own chocolatier business and she has actually done it! Her chocolate is beautifully packaged, delicious and now stocked in shops and stores around the UK, including Selfridges.

Her story is one of personal drive, determination and selfstarting spirit. So, get a bar of chocolate at the ready (you’ll need one after reading the word chocolate so many times) and discover how she did it…

What motivated you to start your own chocolatier business?

I think my motivation comes from three things; my background (there were successful entrepreneurs on my father’s side), a lack of money and a strong drive that I’ve always had since I was tiny. For many years I think I was motivated to prove I had a brain - my family is a traditional middle class family and my only professional qualification was secretarial, as it was assumed I would not have a career, but instead

get married and have children. But I wanted to achieve something in my life, something I could look at and feel proud of, and I suppose I have always felt that I had the capability to run my own business.

I never thought I would end up with a chocolate business, but I always thought I would end up running my own business – purely from the way I have been ‘made’. I had a variety of jobs throughout my 20’s and 30’s, which were mainly PA roles in different areas (financial,

How She Did It

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headhunting, working for a premium oven range company, medical and others). I lived in Kenya and the US for parts of my 20’s and I also studied nutrition, herbal medicine and was a qualified aromatherapist - these three elements were important to the products I was striving to produce; the ingredients used and the way I blend for the recipes.

The main turning point came when I went to work for an NHS and private doctor’s practice as the practice manager in my mid 30’s.

This was a very demanding and challenging role. The head of the practice suggested I see a business life coach to help manage the diverse and strong characters working there.

This I did. Soon into my session with Merry Graham I realised that I was finding out about me and my values and needs, and that my life as practice manager was not ‘feeding’ me and probably never would.

{ {

Merry helped me tap into my inner potential and have self-belief – she helped me to just

go for it.

During this time I applied to go on the BBC’s Masterchef – I had seen just one episode with Thomasina Meirs winning it and thought I was similar to her and that I could give it a go. I downloaded the lengthy form and immediately threw it away as I hate form filling (I’m getting better at it now). I then found myself

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downloading it again later and filling it in. The only question I can remember is, ‘What is your greatest achievement in life?’ and my reply being ‘Surviving it!’ I got selected and on arrival at the studios realised I was competing against serious cooks – I am not a chef and never will be – I just love playing with flavours and food to create simple, healthy dishes. I managed to win the restaurant round, but then got kicked off. John Torode came back stage and said to me that what I had in my head was unique (I did a few recipes with a twist i.e. edamame bean puree rather than pea puree, which at the time was not really done) and he said I should go on a training course and do something with my skills.

I went back to my day job, but it dwelled on my mind. I was then asked to return to Masterchef, so I decided to start doing my job part time, and use the very small amount of capital I had in savings to go on courses to help me become more competent.

I went off to Books for Cooks (the best cookery bookshop ever) and chatted to the owner, Eric Treille. He

suggested I go to Valrhona and do a chocolate course, so I booked in for a 5 day bonbons du chocolat course.

It was a time when little was really known about ‘proper’ chocolate and it really intrigued me.

I realised the symbiosis with high quality coffee and fine wine – the importance of how the cocoa trees are cultivated, the harvesting, the different stages in producing the liquor from the bean, the types of cocoa beans and how quality is key to taste, etc. It reinforced my values in food – quality of ingredients, taste, purity with the odd hint of luxury.

I went on Masterchef for the second time and again won the restaurant round – I was amazed that my risotto sold out (I had never really made one before). Again I didn’t go any further in the show, but I didn’t really need to.

I decided I wanted to get into food journalism and having done an ‘elevator pitch’ with Merry, I was amazed to find myself sitting at a

How She Did It

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table with a top food editor, offering me advice and then being bowled over by my handmade chocolate truffles that I had taken to say thank you. That was it – I was put on The Market Kitchen with Tana Ramsay, coating & dipping truffles and several months later found myself dreaming of chocolate and having my own business!

How did you turn the idea of having your own chocolate business into a reality?

I work a lot from visions in my mind – an idea will just appear either as the end product or flavour/taste and then I have to see if I can make it work. My first product was the unique crystallised flora, because I adore flowers. I could just see a rose petal with its lip dipped in chocolate and then decorated with gold leaf.

I was still working part time at this point, so on my days off I bought roses and began to teach myself how to crystallise them. A friend of mine who worked for Condé Nast suggested I drop the chocolates off at national papers and magazines.

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So, I took the day off, having worked until 2am to get them done, and drove around London dropping them off. The response was phenomenal – they started off in The Telegraph’s Stella Magazine and from there it snowballed – even appearing on T V and radio! I was left with orders coming in, no kitchen, no cash to get started, no business experience and no food business experience… Being me, I just got on with it.

As you can imagine scalability of the flora was limited and packaging would have cost a bomb to design so I ‘parked’ them and did a few special orders.

Patrick Reeves, co-founder of Sofa.com, kept telling me to do chocolate bars, to which I replied, “No way, boring and not me.” So two years later Patrick put in a commission for 1,000 bars to be made, which would go out with sofas that were sold in January 2010. I had 6 weeks to find someone to help make them, create the recipe and design the packaging.

This I managed to do and so in February 2010 I introduced my milk bar (Pale Edition 01). I took them

to Ewan Venters, who was then the Head of Food Halls at Selfridges, and I was amazed to get a phone call to say they were right for Selfridges and they then went into store exclusively in September.

I then drew on my aromatherapy past and conjured up the first lot of my flavoured bars. I realised I could have as much fun with chocolate bars as I could with the crystallised flora, they were far easier to get out to the market and would provide me with a business, which is still growing 4 years down the line.

How did you get through the initial start up phase?

In retrospect I set it up in reverse of how any savvy business person would – I had the idea, found out there was a market and once I had started trading, realised I needed a business plan!

{

{

I have had a series of mentors who have joined me in the journey of growing my business.

The main person was Patrick, but I have also tapped into the knowledge of business friends as well as business guys I have come across. I am now about to have a slab of investment and so I will get my mentoring in-house from my investors.

Self-belief is crucial in yourself and also your product.

Merry Graham, the life coach I used to see, helped me find it. I have also always been a risk taker – frustratingly! As a friend said to me, if I’d sat down to do a business plan I would never have done it – I found myself with

How She Did It

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a business and for the first time in my life I was committed. It has been in many ways a marriage, divorce, love affair, the highs, the lows, the constant challenges.

How did you finance it?

With my initial product - the unique crystallised flora, which I dipped in hand tempered chocolate and then decorated with gold or silver leaf - my parents kindly gave me money and my fab brother too.

To roll out the bars, I raised £7,000 from my ‘golden investors’, who were family and friends. I was turned down by my bank for any form of credit – loan or overdraft, even with guaranteed orders, which would have covered near to this amount! I will never forget the bank managers who didn’t believe in me – their names are engrained deep inside my mind. The amount of time and extra anxiety wasted over constantly talking to the managers, submitting relevant information, being told it was likely and then a quick call to say it wouldn’t be an option; it was frustrating. Now ironically I could

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borrow, but it is the early stages which are vital, because without that funding you don’t survive to the next phase.

I have always believed from an early stage that the business had to prove that it was a ‘proper’ business, so every penny has had to earn a penny and if the company can’t afford something it doesn’t do it. Many may say that it limits the growth, but in my experience it has pushed me to build my sales in a solid, grounded way. I wanted to make sure I generated repeat sales,

as to me that is the test of whether your business can really start to get out there. Now the business has grown significantly from these times and so I can deliver the supply and focus on growing the sales both with export and the UK.

What was the process you went through in order to get the first products created?  Research - I used to go to the business library in the British Library and look at the reports on chocolate, its market, areas for growth, trends, etc., which I really enjoyed, but sadly have less time for.  Sourcing the materials – I use the internet, recommendations and get a ton of samples. If I find good suppliers I remain very loyal, as you build up a relationship.  Chocolate kitchen – in the early days I made all my products and had a converted chocolate kitchen in Borough. I now have another team making the bars. I have moved 4 times as I have expanded. I still do all the recipes as it is my palate and if my name is on the product it has

to be totally me. I am very selfish with the flavours, as they are created purely for what I crave to eat!  Packaging of the products is a nightmare. The bars are hand foiled and have an outer wrapper. To begin with I was writing the edition number of each bar, the BBD and the batch number. This has now stopped!

Once you’d had the products created, how did you sell them?

I had the initial commission from Sofa.com and then went round to small delis in Essex and London (both areas I lived in) and realised people wanted to buy them. I didn’t have a minimum order at this stage, which encouraged shops to try them.

I also sold them at Charity Christmas Fairs around England to get people to know about me, taste the chocolate and also buy it. It is a cheap way to test the market and generate sales with low overheads (just the fuel to get there, commission to the charity and cost of the table hire for the day).

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How did you manage to get big stores like Selfridges to sell your chocolate? And what would your advice be to other people looking to get their products sold in large stores?

The product has to sell itself – if the product isn’t right then it won’t work. I was very lucky in that the product I designed appeared to tap the market I wanted, which was premium and Selfridges took the bars immediately.

Larger stores will lower the profit margins in many cases, as the wholesale cost needs to often include delivery. If you need payment within 30 days, which most small businesses do for their cash flow, you can forfeit 4-5% of the invoice total. The larger stores, from my experience, give credibility to your product and create a trust for other retailers to sell it and customers to buy it. You must be prepared to support the products with tastings (if food) or sampling (if not food).

I would also suggest not putting all your energies into just large stores and relying on sales just at this

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level. It is important to build your business selling to small retailers, middle sized retailers as well as the larger retailers. This means that if the product is pulled from one level you have the support and structure of the business spread across other retail segments. I also never really follow the traditional marketing route, hence not just selling in food stores. If there is a saturated market (chocolate is definitely one),

{

{

you need to go where the others are not necessarily going!

I think because of my background and experience I have a different marketing approach.

How have you managed to grow the business?

I have had to invest any money back into the business in order to grow it. Earlier this year I took on a PR team and a bookkeeper.

I began to realise that after a certain time I could no longer work the hours I was working and feel

 Building relationships & showing appreciation  Surviving off nothing and at times, when being told to get a ‘proper job’, just keeping on going  Getting out there – going to business events to learn and meet people balanced. I started to take weekends off this year (most of them, or at least from Saturday afternoon until Sunday evening) and have managed short pockets of holidays (totaling probably 5 days).

I sleep on major decisions and take time in responding to important emails – especially ones which press trigger buttons of frustration or anger!

What has it taken to get to where you are today?

Hard work Motivation & drive Ability to face challenges Support from friends, family but also complete strangers with good hearts  Determination & self-belief  Life coaching    

Have you made any mistakes along the way? If so, how did you overcome them?

Wasted money in the way I set up – my commercial kitchen was in an expensive location and I bought the most expensive equipment, for example my fridge, which packed up and I never got the money back - I bought it for over £4,000.

No time off – it is so important to have balance and carve out slots of time for yourself.

Not getting an efficient accounts system set up – in the early days I tried to do it all on excel and it was chaos and also meant I under invoiced over the busy Christmas period. I now have a fab online one, which is simple but effective at this trading level.

How She Did It

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Amelia’s Top Tips  Test the market with your product before you put too much cash into it.  Trust your gut.  Be selective with who you ask for advice.  Avoid taking on too much debt with borrowing in the early stages, as I feel that pulls you down.  Determination & self-belief.  Be prepared to live it and breathe it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Be ready to go to bed in floods of tears, hating it and then waking up the next morning ready to get on with it.  Have self-belief and take a risk, but try to make it measured.  Don’t spend a lot of money in the early days – do most of it yourself. This way you will find the strengths and weaknesses in the business.  Take your time with taking on investment – it has to feel 100% right at the beginning. Investors can either make or break a business.  Do things in a solid, grounded way – grow at the speed you feel comfortable at growing – if you overextend yourself you may find the retailers/clients you start off with won’t remain with you. Repeat sales and remaining in retailers is important.

>> To learn more about Amelia Rope Chocolate, CLICK HERE.

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Success Series

How to Be Happy

By Kerry Needs

Happiness. It’s such a simple word, yet most of us struggle to feel happy. Happiness is something we all want, yet it feels so elusive to most of us. Why?

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What is happiness?

Firstly, I’ll explain what happiness

is. Happiness is not something that we can obtain or acquire, like a car, a house, or a handbag. It is not something that is

why do we find it hard to be happy?

Most of us aren’t happy because

we’re focusing our attention on the past or the future. We’re either stuck in the

permanent either; we cannot be happy all

past, unable to move on from something

of the time. Happiness is a state of mind.

that has happened to us, or we’re worried

Happiness results from the thoughts we

or fearful about the future. For example,

are thinking about our experience, and

in starting out your business, you may

ourselves. We need to focus our atten-

be fearful you’ll repeat costly mistakes

tion on appreciating something in order

{ {

you’ve made in the past or are worried

to feel good.

that your idea may not take off. Instead of

Happiness, therefore, is on the high end

on situations. How many times have you

of our spectrum of emotions. We need

heard someone say ‘I’ll be happy when…’

to learn how to move more frequently

This is not only placing their happiness in

into ‘feeling good’ in order to experience

the future, but it is placing it on something

happiness more often.

external to themselves, something they

There are no

‘happy people’ –

just people that are more or less happy than ourselves.

appreciating the journey, most of us are forever looking towards the next goal — the thing we think will make us happy. In truth, once you’ve obtained that, after a while you’ll want something else — a desire for more is a natural part of being human.

We also place our happiness

outside of ourselves - on other people and

do not have control over.

Success Series

29

HOW CAN WE BE HAPPY WHERE WE ARE?

In order to be happier where we

are, we need to look at the only thing we do have control over — our mindset.

Happiness comes from focusing our attention on things to appreciate in our current experience. Focus on all the things you’ve done right, not the things you’ve done wrong or are yet to do.

So think about the thoughts you’re having about yourself. Do you value your

{ { own worth?

It’s impossible for us to be happy if we’re thinking negatively about ourselves.

Finally, surround yourself with

Every day, write down three things

things and people that uplift you.

that went well. By training your mind to

Know what makes you feel excited and

look out for the positive things in your

energised. Our emotions are like batteries

life, you’ll start to notice more and more

— when we’re happy (+ve), we’re fully

things as time goes on. We’re so used

‘charged’ and full of energy. When we’re

to focusing on things we lack, that we

low (-ve), we feel down and drained,

ignore all the great and wonderful things

with nothing to give to anyone. Decide

we have that we could be happy about.

that you will commit to raising your

Positive Psychology, the study

‘feel good levels’ every day. Surround

of mentally healthy, or flourishing

yourself with people that inspire you.

individuals, has found that happy people

Play feel-good music to start your day.

like themselves. Happy people have high

Take a walk in the sunshine. Watch

self-esteem and don’t beat themselves

something that makes you laugh.

up if something’s not going the way

they wanted.

moment is in your hands — it’s where

Your happiness at any given

you place your mental focus. 

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words of advice from

Female Entrepreneurs “If you want to have a successful business you have to keep positive, follow your plans and reach for your goals, even if everybody says you can’t do it. And most importantly, keep doing the hard work because YOU are the only one that can make your dream come true!“ — Cristina Antochi, Team 2 Clean, UK

“It is hard to rely on yourself and find motivation during the tough times, but perseverance is key, especially in this economy. Keep smiling!”

— Becky Christian, Craft Creative, UK

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE? 32

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“Keep knocking on as many doors as you possibly can and don’t give up. Eventually someone will open their door to you. — Gg Rogers, What to Wear, UK

“If you come across a problem then fix it, if you do not get the response you wanted either try again or look elsewhere. Time stands still for no man, or woman - hard work really does pay off in the end.”

— Charlotte Lynham, Bespoke RSVP, UK

“Be brave and just chase the dream.”

— Ele Gower, Hire Space, UK

Click here to submit your advice for our next issue!

Advice from Female Entrepreneurs

33

The stories of 3 successful entreprenuers who all started a business in their twenties with very little money.

When starting a business, one of the major problems you hear people talking about is money, or rather lack of it. It’s a

pound turnover mark, which is just

major contributing factor in why people

them on board as ambassadors. Start Up

with great business ideas fail to get

Loans aims to help support young people

started, which is really quite tragic. But,

to get started in business by providing a

is it possible to get started in business

loan of up to £2,500 along with a mentor.

without a significant amount of money?

All of the 12 ambassadors started their

According to the ambassadors

businesses with very little money, so

of the newly back government scheme,

it just goes to show that with a good

Start Up Loans, it is! And the reason they

idea, guts and determination, incredibly

know that is because they’ve all done it.

successful businesses can be born.

All 12 of them, myself included,

incredible when you think about how they started with very little.

That is why Start Up Loans wanted

We chatted to some of the

started a business with very little money

female ambassadors and they shared

and turned it into a success. Some of

with us the first few steps they took

them have even surpassed the million

and their advice… By Carrie Green

Start-Up Loans

35

Emily Bendell Founder & CEO, BlueBella Ltd

“

BlueBella is a fast growing, sensual products brand that grew by 120% in 2010 and 140% in 2011. The company today boasts a multi-million pound turnover and an impressive bunch of investors that include James Averdieck, the founder of luxury chocolate puddings brand Gü. In 2011 the company was recognised in a multitude of business awards including the Fast Growth Business Awards, Growing Business’ Young Guns Awards and the Women of Worth Awards.

But the company was started back in late 2005 when I was 24, on just a small budget and oodles of enthusiasm.

It was during one summer holiday whilst at University that the idea for BlueBella hatched. I had taken a summer job in a sexy lingerie shop and was astounded by the volume of trade they were doing. At the time Sex & the City was revolutionising women’s attitudes towards sex and sensuality. Women had evolved beyond the seaside postcard idea of sexiness and wanted more from their sensual products buying and yet

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This Girl Means Business

there was still a spectacular lack of choice in the marketplace.

I could see there was a huge gap in the market...

for a sensual products brand that incorporated high-end design and style but that was still affordable and accessible.

In late 2005 I gave up my job as a journalist to start BlueBella. I moved back in with my dad to ensure I had few outgoings and spent a few hundred pounds registering the trademark and setting up the company. The key for me was first proving the concept to myself. As I couldn’t afford to produce exclusive products back then, I chose small boutique brands to put a basic range together and I got out there selling. I wanted to start BlueBella with a party plan model sales channel, so I simply did BlueBella Parties myself and soon recruited a small local team to do the same.

I refined and then proved the concept, so that I could go out to raise a six-figure investment from external investors and recruit a top class management team including Janet Mudge, previously Party Plan director at Ann Summers and Allan Bell, previously MD at the Body Shop at home.

– top people are key to growing a company and, as I painfully learned, it’s false economy not getting them in quick. They are often attracted to a young company by the excitement and the possibility of ownership with share options, so never be afraid to ask.

Secondly, I have found other women in business to be incredibly supportive and generous with their time.

My top piece of advice is: get the best people you can on board ASAP

They will often be willing to meet for a coffee to do a little mentoring free of charge. Lastly, however great the product or service, cash is king and having a good understanding of the financials is key.” 

{

{

If there is someone experienced in your industry that you admire, reach out to them.

Start-Up Loans

37

romy lewis LOLA’S Boutique Bakery

“

My business partner and I had no previous experience in how to run a business – neither of us came from management backgrounds, but we chose to go down the road ‘less travelled’ and see where it would lead us. As a result LOLA’s Boutique Bakery was born in September 2006.

Developing an idea from inception phase to implementation stage requires a few key ingredients: a sprinkling of determination, a topping of utter belief in your product/idea and some good old fashioned “hand crafted” research.

Research was key, we knew cupcakes were a huge trend in the US, but rather than risk an untested idea we started small, took on no overheads for the first 6 months and created a simple website to test demand.

Before we launched, my business partner and I spent around 12 months researching and understanding the market we were looking at entering. We identified our competitors to see what they were doing, analysed food trends;

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This Girl Means Business

what was happening domestically as well as internationally in our sector, and based on this knowledge did our best to recognise what the next foodie craze would be and when the wave was likely to hit the UK –

Knowing and understanding your market is of utter importance prior to any launch.

Part of our research involved devouring business books such as: The Tipping Point, How Little Things Can Make A Difference by Malcolm Gladwell and

Practical Advice For Starting A New Business Venture by Steven K Gold.

We scoured websites for information, including invaluable sources such as, madesimple.com and hmrc.gov. uk/startingup. We knew we had to learn about more than just baking, you have to be knowledgeable in all areas including the legal side, understanding the flow of numbers as well as HR regulations and sometimes even psychology when you are managing a team of people.

Another vital beginning step for us was to reach out to all of our contacts, whether it was family friends, friends of friend - anyone who was willing to meet and talk with us to provide us with as much ‘free’ advice and expertise as possible. When you are so involved in something it is often hard to stand back and be objective in the decisions you are making. So to have ‘experienced advisors’ as we call them, that you can turn to for guidance to help formulate your decisions has been fundamental to us, particularly when it comes to financial and strategic decisions.

When choosing a business partner, you need to identify immediately what

your own personal strengths are and therefore what it is that you are a) looking for in a partner (key skills that you don’t have) and b) what it is that they are going to bring to the table. You need to be able to have a completely transparent and open relationship with this person. Like with any relationship, respect, trust and communication are the foundations to a successful partnership, and this for me was the same in identifying a partner I could work with and vice versa.

It’s true that no matter what product you’re selling or what service you’re providing, the principles stay the same. Without a business plan to make sure you have direction, you get caught up in the day to day problems without looking at the bigger picture. Things may not always go as planned (most of the time they don’t) and your business plan should act as a reminder of your path and goal as the business starts to evolve and grow and opportunities come your way. Stay true to your vision, but always be open to new opportunities, and above all follow and listen to your gut, your first instinct tends to be the right one. 

Start-Up Loans

39

GEORGIE COOPER Pretaportobello.com

“

I am 27 years old. My first job after graduating from Bournemouth University with a fashion degree was, and still is, running my own company.

In 2008, I founded pretaportobello. com, promoting and selling clothing and accessories from new, undiscovered design talent with origins at the world famous Portobello, and other fashion markets such as Spitalfields, Camden and Brick Lane. Like these markets, pretaportobello.com also sells vintage clothing and accessories and is the first website in the world that lets customers haggle with the virtual market trader to get instant discounts.

I left university in 2007 with a fashion degree and a pitiful bank balance so I would often visit Portobello market with my sisters to hunt for bargains.

We would always get comments on our Portobello finds – and requests from friends to buy things for them when they couldn’t get to the market themselves.

The majority of designers there did not

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This Girl Means Business

sell online, so the only way to buy their products was to physically visit the market.

To start a business you need a great idea.

You need to fill a gap in the market, or meet a need that is not being met. That’s why pretaportobello.com received such a great response. Everyone loves shopping for fashion at London’s Markets, but

Illustration by Georgie Cooper

we were the first to put the market traders’ products online. Your business idea doesn’t have to be totally unique though, it could simply be that your idea can improve upon an existing business, or serve the market better.

The company was started using mine and my sisters’ small savings. We all lived in a tiny flat in Fulham and based the business there. We worked night and day and saved money where we could.

During the planning stages and at the time of launch, my sisters were both in full time employment, so for the first year, I single handedly ran the business.

Before we even contemplated launching the site, I did extensive research on all the elements involved in a retail business – from VAT to post accounts, from packaging to payment systems, web developers, competitor analysis.

Starting a business, especially during a recession means it’s important to keep a hold on your costs. We didn’t have a lot of money to spend so everything was done on a shoestring – where we could save money, we did and we called in favours from EVERYONE we knew. I did (and still do) all the design and illustrations and I design all branding and marketing collateral. My sisters (who were avid internet shoppers) worked on the website layout, navigation and the shopping process.

{

{

I guess my key bit of advice to anyone wanting to start up their own business is to do your research and build a plan.

Start-Up Loans

41

In doing so, talk to as many people as you can - don’t underestimate the benefit of a business mentor to guide you through your entrepreneurial journey.

That’s why the new governmentbacked initiative,

{

{

StartUp Loans is critical for budding entrepreneurs.

Not only do they lend up to £2,500 to young people wanting to start a business, but they provide mentoring and advice from people who have launched their own businesses, been there and got the T-shirt. I’m one of twelve young ambassadors for StartUp Loans, all of whom have started their own companies across a wide range of industries, here to give support to those that need it.

I get asked a lot about the criteria to be an entrepreneur – I think you

need drive, stamina and confidence in yourself and your idea. If you’re starting up yourself, most likely you will be making up a lot of the rules as you go along. Bear in mind that you still need to have a clear strategy and direction for your company, and don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked. Most importantly, you need to be prepared for the hard slog. Not everyone wants to be fully responsible for their career or livelihood, and prefer to have a more stable job. 

Stability is one thing I do envy, but for me the freedom and excitement more than makes up for that.

For more information on Britain’s StartUp Loans programme, CLICK HERE.

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This magazine is all about inspiring and encouraging women to succeed.

E 01 ISSU iere Prem

How to Programme Your Mind for Success

This Girl’s Strategies for Business Growth: Learn How to Write a Book

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Secrets to Success JAM-PACKED WITH

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Cover Story

46

This Girl Means Business

Louise Hay an inter v iew w ith

CREATE MORE OF WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE Louise Hay is an incredible lady. Known as one of the founders of the self-help movement and dubbed “the closest thing to a living saint” by Australian media, she has helped millions of people to transform their lives through positive thinking. Her story is one that amazes me and really makes me believe that we can achieve anything we want in life, as long as we choose to believe we can.

Life for Louise didn’t start well – she had a tormented childhood and

as a teen was often abused. This led her to run away to New York, where she became a model and married a businessman. Things appeared to have turned around for Louise, but it wasn’t until 14 years later, when her marriage ended, that a new path opened up and she started to discover the power of the mind and how we can use it to heal and transform our lives.

In her first book, Heal Your Body, which was published in 1976, she writes about how positive thought patterns can reverse illnesses. She An Interview with Louise Hay

47

actually put her philosophy into practice after being diagnosed with cancer. Instead of having surgery and taking drugs, she developed an intensive programme of affirmations, visualisation, nutritional cleansing, and psychotherapy. Within six months, she was completely healed of cancer.

She has since written more bestselling books, started an incredible successful publishing company, set up various organisations to help others, and at the age of 81 released a film.

I am honored to have been able to interview Louise and share some of her wisdom and advice with you. As entrepreneurs the biggest battle we often face is with ourselves – we doubt ourselves, we think we can’t achieve what we want, we get in our own way and stop ourselves from getting to where we want to get. Louise teaches us how we can turn these negative thoughts into positive ones and start creating miracles in our lives.

By Carrie Green

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This Girl Means Business

You are one of the founders of the self-help movement, publishing your first book, Heal Your Body, in 1976 – what led you to discover the power of the mind?

Someone gave me a book by

Florence Scovell Shinn called “The Game of Life.” It opened up my eyes to the power of positive thought. From there I began to study the works of Emmet Fox, Ernest Holmes and many others.

You’ve had an incredibly successful and full career – you’re the author of some incredibly loved books– You Can Heal Your Life has sold over 50 million copies. In 1985 you started a support group called “The Hayride,” and by 1988 this had turned into a weekly meeting for over 800 people. You head Hay House, a very successful publishing company that has sold millions of books worldwide.

At 81, you released a film of your life.

You lecture around the world and you also have The Hay Foundation, a non-profit organisation. Along your journey you also beat cancer.

How have you got to where you are today and achieved so many incredible things?

Ever since I put my foot on the

spiritual path, my life has changed. I simply did what was in front of me. In the beginning it was opening the mail and answering the phones, and saying yes to anything I was asked to do. It still amazes me to this day that I have come so far and been able to touch so many lives with my positive messages. I believe my books help people release guilt and fear, which is usually what stops people from moving forward in life.

You say that every thought we think and every word we speak is creating our future. How does this work?

{

{

Affirmations are like seeds planted in soil. Poor soil, poor growth. Rich soil, abundant growth.

The more you choose to think

thoughts that make you feel good, the

Saying affirmations is only part of

quicker the affirmations work. So think

the process. What you do the rest of the

happy thoughts, it’s that simple. And it

day and night is even more important. The

is doable. The way you choose to think,

secret to having your affirmations work

right now, is just that—a choice. You may

quickly and consistently is to prepare an

not realize it because you’ve thought this

atmosphere for them to grow in.

way for so long, but it really is a choice.

An Interview with Louise Hay 49

A lot of people have great ideas to start their own business, but often talk themselves out of starting, because they feel they won’t ever be successful or think they can’t do it – what advice would you give to these people?

We humans have a strange thing

called “happiness anxiety.” There is that within many of us that starts to feel like something is wrong when things start looking too good. Acknowledge the unfolding process and have patience with yourself. You are on track.

Procrastination is a form of

resistance to change. You might find it useful to acknowledge the resistance when it appears. Take the time to notice it then ask yourself when the first time was you can remember feeling that

were formed in a child’s mind. Now, with that awareness and in your loving adult mind, go ahead and do a positive affirmation. A good affirmation for you would be: “Change comes freely and easily for me.

I now move through any resistance and joyously express myself.”

What words or expressions would you suggest people take out of their vocabulary?

I CAN’T and also try replacing SHOULD with COULD. When we say I should do something, we are making ourselves wrong. But when we change the word to I could we are giving ourselves options.

way. Go back and let your inner wisdom guide you. Doing this can help you in uncovering the roots of your blocks. Be gentle in your inward inquiry. Remember, the majority of our beliefs and patterns

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This Girl Means Business

When things in life get tough and people feel like giving in, what can they do to help the situation and move forward?

I have found the following affir-

mation to be one of the most powerful to use especially when we are struggling:

“All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good.

Out of this situation only good will come. I am safe.”

What are the most important steps people can take to start reprogramming their minds for success?

The most important thing I can

share with you is to love yourself and forgive others. This will work miracles in your life. 

Louise Hay is coming to the UK - don’t miss this amazing event!

I Can Do It! is the greatest mind, spirit and body event in the world! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work personally with Louise L. Hay.

I Can Do It! Scotland, 15th & 16th Sep 2012, The Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow.

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// FIND OUT MORE!

An Interview with Louise Hay

51

5 Things to Try This Month

By Carrie Green

1

52

Write a guest blog post.

Guest blogging is a great way to get your name out there and share great content with lots of people and get them interested in you and what you do.

So this month, why not try and write a guest blog post? There are lots of sites out there that welcome guest bloggers - all you need to do is identify which websites have a relevant audience for you. You can identify these sites by doing a Google search or doing a Google blog search.

Once you’ve found some websites that you would like to write for get in touch with them. Even if they don’t state that they have guest blogging, it’s still worth getting in touch to ask – people are always looking for great

This Girl Means Business

content for their websites.

Here are a few websites with guest blogging opportunities to get you started…

Female Entrepreneur Association - We’re always welcoming guest bloggers and we have a network of over 20,000 women. Find out more here!

BLOG HER - Over 40 million women blog on blogher.com – it’s a massive network.

VIRGIN - Yes, you can even blog for Virgin! Find out more HERE. HUFFINGTON POST UK - You can send a blog pitch to the Huffington Post (amazing!!). Get in touch with them HERE.

2

Wake up an hour earlier and make time to focus on yourself.

I started doing this earlier on in the year and have found it to be very effective. I wake up an hour earlier and then use that time to programme my mind for the day ahead and take time to read or learn something new.

I start the day off by listening to

3

a 20 minute hypnosis on programming my mind for success (available HERE). Once I’ve finished that I sit on the sofa and read a book.

Taking time to read and focus your mind on what you want to achieve is so important, but so often we forget to do it, because we’re so busy getting on with day to day activities. So if you can wake up half an hour or an hour earlier and take some time out for yourself it will make a massive difference.

Find a new networking event to go to this month.

Networking is such a great way to make amazing contacts that can help you in so many ways. This month why not try and find a new networking event you can go to – maybe venture to a new city? You never know who you might end up meeting.

5 Things to Try This Month

53

5 Things to Try This Month

4

Make time every day to listen to a song that puts you in the zone.

Music is powerful. Have you ever been listening to your iPod whilst walking down the street and all of a sudden a really great song comes on that makes you feel amazing and like anything is possible? So much so that you start strutting down the street and completely change your posture? Well, find a song that makes you feel like that – one that gets you

5

Create your affirmations.

Affirmations are powerful and can help you on your journey to success, so take some time this month and write some affirmations that mean something to you. Once you have your affirmations make sure you say them to yourself every day – try and say them in front of a mirror and say them out loud. Here was a great example Louise Hay used –

54

in the zone and makes you feel fired up and make time to listen to it at least once a day.

When you’re listening to it visualise what it feels like to be successful, visualise achieving your goals – really feel it happening. It’s a great thing to do when you’re having an off day and things aren’t going so great. I listen to my song every morning after I’ve done my hypnosis and it makes me feel on top of the world and ready to take on the day!

This Girl Means Business

“All is well.

Everything is working out for my highest good.

Out of this situation only good will come.

I am safe.”

Come up with your own and try saying it every day for the next month.

Ask & Answered Q. “After 35 years in the busi ness of fashion, I would like to venture into e-commerce.

We are a small boutique with uniquely curated and limited collections (in other words, I don’t have a thousand widgets to sell) what do I need to consider in order to get set up online?

— Danna Brosius, From the Gecko Boutique, US Virgin Islands

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A. Getting an online shop set up can be a daunting task, so here’s some advice from experts and women already selling online to help make the process easier for you.

John Davidson, Head of eMarketing for Smartebusiness, UK:

The secret to online success is

to realise that

it’s no different from selling via traditional channels – as long as you keep it simple and stick to the basics you won’t go wrong.

“

Real marketing is about behavioural psychology and human beings don’t change their intrinsic nature just because they’re using the internet.

So take it back to the fundamentals and try to relate everything you do online to what you’ve done before offline.

Often we are asked to critique a client’s website and tell them where they’re going wrong. In all cases it’s because they’ve overcomplicated

their marketing strategy, believing that ecommerce is somehow different and more convoluted. And the result is the same list of mistakes recurring time and time again. So here’s what to watch out for: 1. Having Unclear Goals There’s an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland that I always quote to my customers: ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.’ ‘I don’t much care where--’ said Alice. `Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.’ If you set off on your ecommerce journey without clear goals you’re going to waste a lot of time and money. Plus, you’re likely

Asked & Answered

57

to fall short of what your business is capable of. And it makes it incredibly difficult to make basic decisions. If you don’t know where you’re going any road will get you there.

2. DESIGNING FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER, NOT THE CUSTOMER This is a difficult one for many people to come to grips with: Your online business is not about you. It doesn’t matter if you like the way it looks. All that matters is that your customers like it. Too often I see website designs that don’t make any sense. They don’t suit the customers’ needs or the product attributes.

And then I meet the owner and it all clicks into place. The simple fact is that you are probably very different to your customer. And what you like probably turns them off. So look at your strategy from the perspective of your customer and design for them, not you.

3. CHOOSINg BESPOKE SOF tWARE OVER OPEN SOURCE This is a serious concern for most

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people venturing into online retail for the first time: Do I get someone to build me an ecommerce platform from scratch or do I use an off-theshelf solution? There are pros and cons to both, but I believe that opensource is the only safe option. It’s a matter of control; a bespoke system is built in a language that only your developer understands. That means that if you fall out for any reason you won’t find another developer who can make sense of it and you’ll have to start again! This is incredibly costly, of both time and money.

The safest bet it to use an open source platform like Magento. There are literally millions of Magento developers in the world so you’ll never be tied to one supplier.

4. TREATING EVERY CUSTOMER EXACTLY THE SAME Online success is more about understanding your market than it is about understanding emarketing.

So you need to get inside the heads of your customers. And something you’ll notice very quickly is that

they all have very different needs.

Some customers are spontaneous and are itching to give you their money. Others are cautious and take a long time to give you their trust. Some are competitive and motivated by ego. Others are modest and are motivated by more altruistic needs. Each of these buyer profiles requires a different experience from your website.

Your job is to find out what kind of customer you have, ask them what their needs and wants are, and then design your store to give that to them.

5. terrible product imagery Online fashion retail is mostly about aspirational imagery. We’ve seen companies change their photography and double their turnover instantly. With no other improvements!

It’s incredibly important, so you need to make sure it’s up to scratch. Great photography = lots of sales. And lifestyle imagery

outperforms studio shots. So show your clothes being worn in real life situations. Your bank manager will congratulate you for it.

6. TRying to do it all in-house There’s an old adage that says ‘poor people spend time to save money, but rich people spend money to save time.’ I believe that to be true.

It’s all about ‘opportunity cost’ – how much money you’re not making while you’re doing things that could be done better and more quickly by someone else. For instance, I once had a client that spent 6 months trying to build a website in-house when it would have taken us 2 months to do it for him. We calculated that he had squandered over £150,000 in lost revenues during the 4 month period that the site was delayed in going live. Plus his finished store was operating at 50% efficiency, costing him further sales. It’s a false economy to try to do everything yourself with limited skills or knowledge. Let the experts help you and focus on what you do best.

Asked & Answered 59

Anna Zydzik, Aneesi Bath Fashion, UK There are many factors to consider in order to be successful in online retailing - it’s a constant learning curve as e-commerce is a very fast-paced and exciting place to be. I can’t imagine the day when I feel

“

that I finally know it all! I personally believe that the most important thing is to listen to your customers as this is the most effective way to learn and make your business stand out from the crowd. However, first you need to set up key fundamentals to build a credible, user-friendly and secure environment for your visitors and customers. Think about it like building your own house – you always start with a solid foundation before you move on. site ergonomics Remember, you have about 3-5 seconds to impress visitors and gain their attention, and the first

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This Girl Means Business

impression really counts. Obviously, your site needs to express your brand values in a form of its structure, colours and language style. However, The site navigation is one of the most important basics here, you need to absolutely smash it.

It has to be friendly, easy for visitors to find what they are looking for or to inspire them to find what they might want to look for now or in the near future. So make sure that your navigation menu is straightforward and allows customers to create their own way of selecting products accordingly (by price, colour, type, etc.). availability If it’s not in stock, it won’t sell. It sounds simple, but it’s not that easy to execute, as keeping your inventory up to date is an investment.

Especially, when you’re a brand new

start-up business - it takes time to drive traffic to your website, convert and as a result move your stock quickly so you can re-invest in a new inventory. Customers hate waiting, if you don’t have available right now, someone else definitely will.

Remember that if you want your revenue to grow, your inventory needs to grow accordingly to support it.

The Price is Right It may sound obvious, but it usually doesn’t get enough attention. Price is one of the fundamental factors in online retailing – Whether you make a sale or not will often depend on whether you got the pricing right.

So do your research – check competitors regularly, learn what customers are willing to pay for.

Depending on your business you may want to invest in price monitoring

services – they will help you monitor competitor prices frequently throughout the day and you can use these feeds to adjust prices on your own site (within tolerable parameters you set). The key idea here is to make sure that your customers are not disadvantaged by shopping on your site.

Customers seek value and the internet makes it obvious whether you are offering it to them or not.

So while the prospect of increasing your margins by increasing prices may seem tempting, it’s a bad proposition if you don’t throw in anything else into the equation that customers put value on (like strong association with your brand, additional services, etc.).

Logistics This is another challenge as nowadays people want everything

Asked & Answered

61

NOW. That’s why you need to carefully think about order fulfilment and plan for the very step in the process – from manufacturing or partnering with your suppliers, product quality check, storing, dispatching and shipping. This is an investment you need to be ready for and there are no excuses here in front of your customers.

The key is to assess your capabilities carefully and execute flawlessly.

Don’t rush and promise customers what you can’t deliver – this is the worst thing you can actually do. If you can’t offer same day or next day delivery – then don’t promise you can. If you operate in the market where this is crucial then you need to find a way to meet that expectation but otherwise, just be reasonable and find an optimal solution so you don’t over-invest and at the same time you keep customers happy.

Getting this part of the online business right is neither easy nor

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glamorous – however, it’s critical. If you’re just starting up obviously you can’t commit to big volumes – I wish it was that easy, you launch and next day you have crowds knocking to your virtual store doors. And this is what most of distribution and courier companies require, a kind of chicken and egg situation but solutions are out there, just go and do your research.

Customer Service I believe this should be a key part of your overall strategy. In e-commerce where you trade without face-toface contact with customers, it’s very important to show your customers that you care, are there for them and are ready to deal with any enquiries they may have.

A top-notch customer service builds trust, which is key.

It can actually bring you a good or bad PR, a 1-star or 5-star customer

review and encourage customers to visit again.

One of the crucial parts of your strategy is shipping and refund policy. These days more and more customers expect free shipping and no hassle refunds, which are your costs of doing business. Think about it upfront and do the proper financial analysis to determine the right approach. This actually can make or break your online business.

E-commerce is quite complex but of course it doesn’t mean you should do everything at the same time – You need to find the optimal balance between your resources, goals and budgets.

There is so much more to consider like for instance blogging which can boost your traffic and SEO – relevant content is king, generating product/customer reviews which can increase your conversion rate, email marketing, mobile commerce etc.

It’s important to grow at your natural pace so you can keep your focus and your resources under control

– starting up is also about giving yourself a chance to succeed and you should enjoy every step and minute of it, otherwise what is the point?

Asked & Answered

63

Here’s some advice from women who have found other ways to get started selling online…

Victoria Olubi, My Curls

Melina Wilkins, Quint Design

Because I started my business on a tiny budget, I learnt to build my own sites using a few great resources and would love to share them. The

I have found websites that allow for personalised and bespoke selling to be the most effective, as they enable me to have my own storefront, which means that I don’t have to build my own website.

I currently use: down that

“

main e-commerce provider that I’ve used is Big Commerce. It’s great for small business owners, because it’s easily customizable, you don’t need to be a computer whiz kid to figure it out. Pretty much everything is in-built including SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Since using Big Commerce my website traffic has increased significantly and I’m now ranking for competitive keywords. Big Commerce is also really, really cost-effective (under $30 per month), which means that you pretty much have a professional online presence for the cost of a few coffees per month.

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“

little lane, young republic, etsy, and handmade emporium.

I think it has been useful to spread across a fair few quality sites that have good traffic and constantly have new sellers joining.

Check out the various sites available for selling the kind of products you’re selling - there’s no point being on every single site if the products or services don’t fit. >> HAVE A QUESTION YOU’RE DYING TO HAVE ANSWERED? ASK US HERE!

This Girl Loves...

3 4 1 2

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5 6 7 1. Dress from French

Connection / 2. Bracelet from Monica Vinder / 3.

Necklace from Stella &

Dot / 4. Black Orchid Perfume from Tom Ford

/ 5. High Heels from ALDO / 6. Savile Row Nail Polish from nails

inc / 7. Bag from Zara

This Girl Loves...

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This Girl G Loves...

1

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This Girl Means Business

2 3

1. Pen from Mont Blanc / 3. Poster from Art.co.uk / 2. Bird Paper Clip Holder

from See Jane Work / 4. Washi Tape from mt / 5. ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’

ppl you r su

5

e up

4

/ 6. Polka Dot Paper Holder from See Jane Work

ies!

from Paper Source

spic

Eraser

6 clear t he paper clutter and st ore it in s t yle!

Accessories 69

Did you know?

According to Social Media Examiner, Pinterest is the biggest driver of traffic to blogs and it is currently the third most popular social network in the U.S. in terms of traffic.

Shoppers referred by Pinterest are 10% more likely to make a purchase than visitors who arrive from other social networks, including Facebook and Twitter, and Pinterest is also retaining and engaging users as much as 2-3 times more efficiently.

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So, are you Pinterested now?

By Samantha Green Chances are that, by now, you probably know exactly what “Pin it” refers to and, if you’re anything like me, you’re hooked! But, if you’ve managed to stay away from all the hype and have no idea then I urge you to read on because Pinterest is the next big thing and it’s happening right now...

So, for those of you who don’t know - What exactly is Pinterest?

Launched in 2010, Pinterest is an online, virtual pinboard that allows you to ‘pin’ all your favourite finds from around the web. You can then organise these pins into categories, such as ‘Items for the Home’, ‘Looks I Like’, ‘Favourite Brands’, ‘Wise Words’, ‘Recipes’ etc. etc. pretty much whatever you like, and then when you come across something on the web that takes your fancy, you can simply ‘pin’ it to a board and it is there for you to come back to later. The best part about this is that Pinterest saves the source of the ‘pin’, so when you go

back to it later in the day, clicking on the ‘pin’ will take you straight back to the original source. Particularly good when shopping online at lunchtime!

Signing up is quick and easy.

They have just updated their ‘sign up’ process, so whereas before you had to request an invite, you can now login with your email, Facebook or Twitter account.

You’re in! What do you do now?

Well, this is entirely up to you.

Currently, I have over 2000 pins (yes, it’s addictive) of things that I like or find inspirational and with the membership growing in recent

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71

months from 1.6 million users in September 2011 to 14.9 million users in July 2012, it’s clear that Pinterest is quickly becoming the next social media marketing tool for your business;

If you’re currently using Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is definitely your next stop.

August 2012 saw the introduction of the Pinterest App for the iPhone, iPad and Android, so now you can ‘Pin’, even when you’re on the go.

As I assumed and then confirmed, according to Google Ad Planner, women make up 82% of the active users on Pinterest and it is not hard to see why. Pinterst is colourful, cool and on-trend. It is awash with beautiful images, the latest fashion, many delicious recipes and some great ideas for organising/decorating your home. It is also extremely addictive and it would be fair to say that Pinterest is definitely my current guilty pleasure.

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Here are 5 tips for building a brand presence on Pinterest: Aside from being a guilty pleasure, Pinterest can definitely be used as a social media tool for your business.

1. Reserve Your Space – in the same way you would reserve a Twitter name for your brand, secure a Pinterest user name too.

2. Brand Values - show your brand at its absolute best; think colour and style. Keep it current, light-hearted and pretty and don’t over-promote your brand. Instead, try creating mood-boards with a theme (a colour for example) and then scatter your products/branding throughout.

3. Use Hashtags - Pinterest

supports #hashtags, in a similar way to Twitter and they can offer organisational support and increase the chances of your mood-boards being found in search – something that will become increasingly important as Pinterest grows.

4. Engage with the Community – as with all other social networks, you need to listen and engage, not simply broadcast your message.

You can gather some inspiration for your business, too, organize it in a beautiful way, and check back whenever you’re looking to spark some new ideas.

Follow other Pinners, ‘Like’ their Pins and comment when appropriate. Be sure to keep your comments relevant, genuine and friendly. This will take time but will increase traffic to your account and therefore increase awareness of your brand.

5. Add the “Pin It” Button to your website - put it right next to your other social media buttons – this is particularly useful if you’re

selling a product but if you’re not, add attractive images to your website and encourage people to ‘Pin It’.

So, now are you Pinterested?

If you are, be sure to come say hi!

You’ll find me pinning HERE. (Sources: Mashable, Google Ad Planner, Social Media Examiner)

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What We’re Reading Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein Book Review by Ailish Lucas

“She wants us all to look inside ourselves and once we do, we will find all the love, support, and happiness we are seeking.

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When you read or listen to

someone talking about how they are filled with lady love, you would start to question what the heck they are on about. Luckily, in this book, this is right at the end, so you totally understand what Gabby means when she mentions all the different relationships and friendships in her life and how each are as fulfilling as the next.

I went to listen to Gabby talk after a friend told me about her. By the end of her lecture I was hooked and desperately wanted some of the light that radiated from her. But the 300+ people in the room got to the bookstall before me! So I got home as quickly as

I could and bought the audio book. I’m now on the seventh time of listening to the book and I pick up something new every single time I listen to it.

The book focuses on the main principles of ‘A Course in Miracles’ and how you really can find everything you need within yourself. Gabby talks about her life’s journey from having serious issues with food, relationships and drugs to how she has now found everything she needs within herself and how ‘spirit’ is always guiding her.

Gabby uses her own examples to highlight the courses study, and I can honestly say that it is one of the best books I have ever read. Granted, there are some fairly trippy things to get used to such as your ‘ego’ being the source of anxiety, fear, anger and doubt and your ‘~ing’ or ‘inner guidance system’ that is the source of all love, which we get used to ignoring because the ‘ego’ wants us to listen to it.

“You really can find everything you need inside yourself.”

Once you get used to this way of thinking, you can really understand what Gabby is trying to say. She wants us all to look inside ourselves and once we do, we will find all the love, support and happiness we are seeking.

I think it’s an inspired way to live and one of the first ever ‘self-help’ books that I could really relate to, especially addressing the issue of being caught in an existential crisis. I recommend this, because moving away from a fear based mind-set to a more loving way of life can only have a positive effect.

Overall, it’s a book that makes you feel positive, whole, and able to achieve anything once you start looking at life from a loving mind-set.

// GE T YOUR COPY HERE.

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What We’re Reading What I Know Now About Success: Letters from Extraordinary Women to Their Younger Selves

by Ellyn Spragins Book Review by Sam Poliseno, AMORE SOCIAL

“I think every female entrepreneur out there will find someone to relate to in this book.” // GE T YOUR COPY HERE.

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I read this book at a point in my life where

I really needed some inspiration. I was about 10 months into starting my own business and even though my business wasn’t failing, I was still very stressed and frustrated. I don’t know if it was from lack of sleep, lack of appreciation or lack of creativity, but I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere with my business. I was starting to feel like a failure and that I couldn’t do a good job for my clients.

Then I picked up this book... It was a collection of letters from major celebrities and inspiring career women such as Barbara Walters, Diane Von Furstenberg, Soledad O’Brien, Paula Deen, Kate Spade, and Barbara Corcoran. Each one was unique and eye opening.

After reading the first few letters, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I realized I was not the only one who at one point got down on themselves. These amazing women had internal struggles as well, with their career, family, and other obstacles life throws at us. This book

allowed me to see that I couldn’t dwell on my problems anymore and I had to face reality.

I had grown a successful business in less than a year, and I was just holding myself to too high of a standard. No one is perfect. I think every female entrepreneur out there will find someone to relate to in this book. If you are facing some kind of problem in your life right now, it’s nice to know that there are others out there who made it through it.

“This book allowed me to see that I couldn’t dwell on my problems anymore and I had to face reality.”

Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain by Ryan Balir Book Review by Amber Mowery, VISALUS

This book is an inspirational guide for

people who are willing to put in the hard work, time, and dedication needed to see their vision through to the end. Success is a choice and finding the right mentors can change your life and your destiny.

// GE T YOUR COPY HERE. Read any excellent books lately? Tell us about it here and your book review could appear in a future issue.

What We’re Reading

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The This Know-How G

How to Become a Networking Goddess

?

by Sarah Hughes, Award-Winning Marketer & Networking Guru

Q. How can I extend my reach, meet prospects and identify immediate sales opportunities?

A. Become a networking goddess. (Really!)

Whether you love or loathe networking... it’s an essential part of business today.

your position in it, both personally and

preneur, Sarah Hughes, sharing

It’s a free way to increase your

profile,

identify

opportunities

and

immediate obtain

as a company.

Thanks to successful entre-

sales

her strategies for networking success,

better

there’s no better time to discover how

awareness of the market place and

to enjoy it and be great at it.

So are you ready to become a networking goddess?

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The 5 Biggest Networking Mistakes (& How to Avoid Them) MISTAKE #1

Thinking that Networking is About Selling

So many people make this mistake, which is why I think it’s one of the biggest. It’s also why so many people understandably hate networking. If you go networking and think, “I must sell,” you’re more likely to fail than to succeed.

Why? Because...

networking is actually about making connections to see if there’s a mutually rewarding fit between what you offer and what others need.

As an entrepreneur, it’s important to relationship-build and allow the right people to buy from you, rather

than selling to them. If you network with the view that the people you meet MIGHT become clients or referrers, it’s a more realistic, empowering and lesspressured objective.

MISTAKE #2

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

You wouldn’t set out on a journey without a destination and route in mind, so why should networking be any different?

Whilst networking can be a ‘free’ form of marketing, its cost is your time.

So, do your research and be selective about what events you attend. It can be useful to attend events full of your peers (and therefore competitors), but if your number 1 objective is lead generation,

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79

consider events where you’ll meet prospects, referrers or intermediaries.

It’s worth making friends with the event organiser too. Call in advance, be friendly and ask if you could have a participant list emailed to you. That way you can be doubly sure that the right people are attending. Circulate the list to other team members so they can identify anyone they know or would like to know. And if you can’t attend, you have a prospect list to add to your database.

Event organisers won’t always email you a list, but often they will. My motto in life is “Never Ask, Never Get.” Remember, a warm and friendly manner can often work miracles.

MISTAKE #3

Forgetting to Take the 3 Essentials With You

way than to turn up in crumpled clothes that are stained with your mid-morning latte and make up that looks like it was applied last century.

I always take a spare set of clothes, re-apply my make up and (attempt at least) to tame my bouffant before setting foot at an event.

A dab of perfume won’t hurt and brushing your teeth gives you more confidence that you won’t pong anyone out, especially if you had a goat’s cheese and red onion focaccia for lunch.

a full day before you set foot in the event, and you’ve got period pains. At a networking event, no one else should ever know this.

Walking into an event quietly confident, smiling and looking like you WANT to be there means a lot more people will want to talk to you.

1.) Fresh clothing, make-up & toiletries: Want people to think you’re tired and scruffy? Then there’s no better

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2.) A Smile: Okay, so you’ve had

3. Your business card: The

number 1 new business tool, I’m amazed at the amount of networking events I’ve attended where people don’t have one.

Ensure you have an ample supply and keep them in a business card holder.

They’ll then be easy to find and not covered in chocolate biscuit crumbs that have congregated in the bottom of your handbag.

MISTAKE #4

Only Talking to People You Already Know

It’s natural when you enter a room full of people to head for those you know. But for networking to deliver a wider reach, it’s vital to speak to those you don’t yet know, but would like to.

Because you asked for a delegate list, you’ll know who you’d like to meet, so why not ask the event organiser or a mutual contact to introduce you?

MISTAKE #5

NOT Following Up

The biggest mistake that people make with networking is failure to follow up. If you don’t, you may as well not have bothered going in the first place.

As you leave a conversation with someone you would like to stay in touch with, exchange business cards, ask if they are on LinkedIn and ask them if it’s OK for you to invite them to connect with

you. Ensure you then send an invitation to connect as soon as you leave the event.

Did the person you meet indicate that they had an immediate need for your service? Would it be too soon to suggest a follow up coffee?

If too soon, send them an email – it doesn’t even have to be business related.

It could be something as simple as a link to a T V programme or event that is of mutual interest.

At the very least, add that person’s details to your database. A couple of useful tools to do this without even having to type in the details include LinkedIn’s CardMunch app and an app called BC Reader.

Phew, that’s it! You’ve now discovered 5 of the Biggest Mistakes to Avoid to Become a Networking Goddess. >> To find out more about Sarah Hughes, her Networking Masterclass, and to avoid making the 5 other biggest networking mistakes, click here.

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Health This G& Wellness

Kickstart Your Day with a Healthy Breakfast

by Kirsten Davies

We have all heard it; we should eat breakfast. But have you ever been so busy that you simply rushed out of the house without so much as a drop of water passing your lips?

Eating breakfast really is a must for anyone who wants to be healthy, which to be honest is all of us isn’t it?

Eating breakfast doesn’t have to be

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a complex matter, however breakfast should always include a source of protein such as eggs, yoghurt, any lean meats, half fat cheese or nuts and seeds, as these help to balance blood sugar levels and ensure that mood and energy swings become less likely throughout the day.

So its time to eat for health, ditch the 11s muffins, croissants and cereal bars!!

Here are some quick and healthy breakfast ideas…

Oat Pancakes

Fresh Berry Smoothie



50g of oatmeal



100 ml of water



100g of wholemeal self-raising flour



100 ml of apple juice



1 teaspoon of baking powder



Fresh or frozen berries



1 large egg



Strawberries



150ml of milk



Blueberries



1 tsp of vanilla essence



150ml of live natural yogurt



1 tbs of butter or coconut butter



A tablespoon of ground mixed seeds

Place all ingredients, except the butter, in a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk for 1 minute. Make sure the pan is hot (but not smoking hot) before you put in the batter. Set your heat to medium low.

Make sure the heat is well distributed so it will give your pancake a more even colour. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter. Cook for just under a minute using a spatula to keep an eye on how it’s cooking. Cook the other side for 15 seconds. Serve with fresh berries and live natural yogurt or a drop of pure maple syrup, which contains manganese, zinc and natural antioxidants which are important nutrients for a healthy immune system.

Blend & serve over ice for a refreshing, nutritious start to the day.



Cooked Breakfast

2 boiled eggs with cherry tomatoes, rye bread, & a light scraping of butter.

If you’re in a rush...

A handful of mixed nuts and fresh fruit would do the job if you are really pressed for time. 

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This Girl Stays Motivated By...

Running a business is tough and if you have experienced days when everything seems to go wrong and you feel like giving up, fear not! You’re not alone. It’s all part of the journey of running a business.

So, what can we do to stay motivated when we’re having a hard time?

“My Mastermind Group. There are 6 of us, we meet monthly (just on our own) and help each other through successes, trials and problem solving. We have a private Facebook Group and I post there for the boost I need when I need it.”

— Kathy Colaiacovo, Social 4 Business, Canada

“What keeps me motivated during tough times with my business would be my family. I want to bring positive news home with me. I want to make them proud. When one of us makes it, all of us make it.”

— Keara Douglas, Delux Designs, USA

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“What keeps me motivated is the desire to be doing what I love; and that’s being an entrepreneur! It’ll be almost 5 years now (after getting laid off) that I decided at 44 that it was time to do something on my own.

Determination, perseverance, knowing that ‘I CAN’, faith in myself, believing that ‘anything is possible’ being around those that encourage and support me emotionally is key. It’s tough to generate one’s own income, I’ve had lows/highs, especially in these economic times to get new gigs, but the personal fulfilment I attain when I do is simply the BEST!” — Terri Giosia, Teraluna Enterprises, Canada

“1) Remember my WHY. I believe everyone has a mission statement written on their heart. This WHY must be more important than the pain in every situation.

2) Control and dismiss negative emotions. They are detrimental to a strong focused mind and purpose.

3) Give thanks for what IS working and what IS good.”

— Chloe Cahill, Cahill Enterprises, USA

“Working towards my goals is what motivates me. My belief in our idea and our successful months since we started keep me going. And most importantly, my family and friends who have always been there to support me.” — Milena Toncheva, Smart Boutique Limited, UK

This Girl Stays Motivated By...

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{this month’s}

TOP

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10 TIPS This Girl Means Business

Ten Things to Remember ON YOUR JOURNEY

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Your destiny is shaped by the choices you make — so make sure you choose well.

Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or send a daring e-mail.

Don’t wait until things are perfect until you do it, act now.

Think positively.

Remember that happiness is a state of mind and comes from within.

6.

Never ever give up on yourself.

7.

Write down your daily affirmations and say them every day.

8.

Don’t ever think that you’re not good enough or that you can’t achieve what you want — you can!

9.

If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, stop doing it. Focus on doing what you love!

10.

Hire your weakness – if you’re not good at something, find someone to do it for you who is good at it.

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Are you a female entrepreneur with a story to tell?

Share it at femaleentrepreneurassociation.com and inspire thousands of women! >> CLICK HERE

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