Autumn 2017 £2.99
WOMEN’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Special Issue Maximise Women’s Business Conference & Awards 2017
Exclusive interview
Angela De Souza, the woman behind MAXIMISE & Women’s Business Club Get To Know The Speakers
MAXIMISE your results at the MAXIMISE Business Show
ALSO IN
SUE
THIS IS
for in store What’s the d n a ment employ market? labour the self Tax for ed lo emp y
u can!
? Yes yo
Free PR
WIN! A space on The Parenting Perspective Course
Clare Holland Reinventing yourself at Sixty
General Information Meet The Magazine Team
Editor-In-Chief Angela De Souza
Creative Director Lorah-Kelly Beard
Head Copy Editor Eric De Souza
Copy Editor Nikita Tejaa
Maximise Support Kerry Seymour
Letter from the Editor We are in the final stretch of the year now and this is when I start to eat, sleep and breath Maximise! In fact, I often refer to myself as the Maximise Monster too often. It’s not easy pulling off such a large scale event and I think only those who have done so can appreciate the amount of time and work that goes into it. Every year I vow never to do it again and tell those closest to me that this is the very last year that we will be running this conference, but here I am again gearing up for our 5th annual, national Maximise Conference & Awards. The truth is that I love it - afterwards. It’s like being pregnant and giving birth, both wonderful and horrible but when that precious baby is born the troubles fade into the background and you just love on your amazing creation! Sorry to all you non-moms, this is the only analogy I could come up with to describe how I feel. So, with the final countdown in full swing, I have little else to share with you in this issue of the Maximise Magazine that is not Maximise Conference & Awards. It is truly the best day of the year for any business woman and if you have not booked your place yet, why not? Hurry over to the website and get involved as a delegate, exhibitor, award nominee, Dragoness’ Den entrant or general enthusiast like so many others. www.maximise.live Oh and forgive me if you are reading this in October or November but if you have just picked up this issue in December - MERRY CHRISTMAS! Angela x angela@womensbusiness.club
@wombizclub
@wombizclub
Maximise Women’s Business Magazine - Print and Online FOUR EDITIONS EACH YEAR DELIVERED TO: Bath | Bristol | Cardiff | Cheltenham| Gloucester | Newport | Southampton | Swindon | Wimbledon www.womensbusiness.club/magazine (c) 2017 Women’s Business Club All images and text subject to copyright. You may NOT reproduce, in whole or in part, any of the pages from this magazine or quotes of no more than two or three sentences with full credit attached to quote. If you wish to reproduce more than this, please contact the editor-in-chief. While endeavouring to make sure that all published information is accurate, the publishers cannot be held responsible for mistakes or omissions. The Women’s Business Club cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions or endorse companies, products or services that appear in this magazine.
Contents
Clare Holland - Reinventing yourself at Sixty |Page 06
Angela De Souza - The story behind MAXIMISE
Page 26
Get To Know The Speakers
Page 28
Maximise your results at the Maximise Business Show
Page 30
Women’s Business Awards
Page 32
What’s in store for employment and the labour market? |Page 21
Free PR? Yes you can! |Page 46
Tax for the self employed |Page 22
WIN! A space on The Parenting Perspective Course |Page 51
Muffin & Poppy Brittish Shorthair Breeder How To Care For Your New Kitten
Page 04
Nettl Who needs a VA and how do you find one?
Page 10
Business News A brief outline of women’s business news
Page 12
Essential GDPR Compliance Info
Page 16
The Ultimate Business Course When the door of opportunity flies open
Page 18
Member Interview Jen Hall: Business Clarity Coach
Page 24
Author Hub Meet Liz Almond and see our recommended book list
Page 36
Finding your passion in business and motherhood
Page 38
Member Interview Jane Bromley: Business Coach
Page 40
Maximise Fashion Boudavida Activewear
Page 42
The hidden realities of our luxury spa break.
Page 48
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Page 50
Editors Choice M&M Printing and Promotions
Page 52
Women’s Business Club Members Directory
Page 53
CROSSWORD PUZZLE Solutions
Page 54
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine |Member Article
How To Care For Your New Kitten
bowl as plastic can cause acne and greasy chins. Finally, do not give your kitten cat or kitten milk- it will give them the runs! Cats do not have enough bacteria in their stomach to break down the lactose milk contains. Cat litter and tray Litter must be changed often as cats do not like dirty litter. Our kittens usually use Catsan and are used to both open top cat litter trays and closed top cat litter trays and are fully litter trained.
Every loving home should have a British Shorthair kitten. We believe that a house is not really a home until you have one. Therefore, we wrote this guide as a starting point for you and your kitten to enjoy a happy and healthy life. Diet Muffin & Poppy care for their kittens really well, therefore, it is very important for you to follow this guide to ensure your kitten gets the ‘best-est’ care he or she may need. At 13 weeks old your kitten will need at least two meals a day mainly wet food – currently, our kittens eat ‘Felix As Good as it Looks’. With time will be able to gauge how much food your kitten needs. A good guide is: • Dry food throughout the day for your kitten to snack on. We recommend Royal Canin British Shorthair Kitten or Royal Canin British Shorthair if your cat is older than 1 year. • Plenty of fresh water. • Felix As Good as it Looks wet food for breakfast and dinner. lt is strongly recommended that you do not make any sudden changes to your kitten’s diet in order to prevent a visit to the vet. It is also important for your kitten to have access to plenty of fresh, clean water, preferably in a stainless steel or crockery
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Grooming You will find that kittens love to be groomed. We recommend you comb your kitten at least once or twice a week to stop your kitten’s hair from getting knotty and keep it lush. Please ensure your kitten has a scratching post or even a scratching lounge if you would rather have something fancier. A home with a kitten is a happier home! For more tips and recommendations please visit Muffin & Poppy’s nursery page or blog. Written By Muffin & Poppy of Cheltenham www.muffinandpoppy.co.uk
The Home of Gorgeous British Shorthair Kittens www.muffinandpoppy.co.uk
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Cover Story | Clare Holland
Clare Holland Reinventing Yourself at Sixty
Clare Holland on business, family and life’s challenges “This is such a weird time of life,” exclaimed Clare Holland. Most women feel that way at many points through their lives, but the time which Clare is going through and describing is one which can catch us unawares; that period in later middle years when children are grown up, friends retiring and sadly in Clare’s case the loss of her best friend, husband and business partner, Keith. Yet there is still a desire to have a role, with the energy and experience from years of work and a responsibility to want to still contribute. Clare qualified as an Optometrist (Ophthalmic Optician) in 1979 and went on to marry fellow student, Keith. Together they founded their own practice, Keith Holland & Associates, in Cheltenham 1989 just three months after their youngest (of four) children was born. Keith ran the practice from the dining room of their Charlton Kings home for over two years, with their own children often involved with greeting people at the door, or sharing their toys with visiting child patients. “The main core of the work of the practice in the early days evolved from Keith’s passion to help youngsters with vision related learning difficulties. These were kids who were often not doing as well at school as would have been expected, were slow, reluctant readers who sometimes complained of headaches or fatigue yet had often been tested and told that they had 20/20 vision.” explained Clare. “Keith attended conferences and visited leaders in the field in America, introducing Behavioural Optometry to the UK with lectures and workshops
here. He founded The British Association of Behavioural Optometrists in around 1990 and eventually the practice was moved to premises in central Cheltenham when other services were introduced such as advanced contact lens fitting, retinal imaging and adult eyecare with a laboratory too.” Clare was sadly left to run the practice on her own in 2014 after Keith’s untimely death at the age of just 57. She went on to do so successfully with the great team that stuck with her, even winning the title of Optician Family Practice of the Year in April 2016, but Clare sold the business later last year and is no longer associated with it. “This is where the weird times get weirder!”, said Clare, who has re-invented herself at the ripe old age of 60 as a specialist Behavioural Optometrist afresh by launching her own small consultancy in Oxford. “I didn’t expect to be starting something just now, when friends my age are beginning to retire. But seeing kid’s lives transformed when you work to sort out their visual problems, some quite simple like weak focussing, poor convergence so they can’t use the two eyes together easily or immature eye movements are too important and satisfying to just not do it.” said Clare. “I do believe we can trust our instinct and this instinctively feels right, so I’ll keep going and see what happens! Hopefully spending time with these inspiring kids will keep me young too.”
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Tell us about your dream job as a child. Like many a pony mad girl, I dreamt of a job working with horses, even though my parents pointed out the perils of cold early mornings, bad pay and job insecurity, but I loved grooming them and mucking out as much as riding, so I didn’t care! But eventually different interests and ambitions took over, and by the Lower Sixth I’d decided to study what was then called Ophthalmic Optics and train for the very job I still do and still love now 40 years later, so a good choice! Having worn glasses myself since the age of about 8, I’d been happy and excited at each annual eye check as my vision cleared and the world became sharper again with each new pair of spectacles; so I had a good idea what the job comprised of. What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why? My late husband, Keith, and I trained together at City University, London, and in 1989 formed our own small opticians practice in our dining room at home, only three months after our youngest (of four) children was born! Looking back, it’s hard to know how we had the courage but Keith’s motivation was to help children with vision related learning difficulties not to be ‘business people’. So Keith was and is without a doubt my greatest influence, as he had the highest degree of integrity, never worrying about money but always trusting God that enough would come in to pay the bills, even when we had moved to larger premises and employed up to 15 people. What is the best and worst decision you’ve ever made? The team of people we had around us were superb; professional, caring, hard working, involved, innovative, so the best decisions must have been in appointing each of them! As for the worst, well I think I’d rather not say. My second worst decision was spending too much time working in the evenings instead of enjoying family time or discussing business at the dinner table during family time. What do you think is the most significant barrier to women in business? Optometry has become a profession in which
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the intake is largely female and I have notice the same in many other professions. I cannot say that there have been barriers to being a woman in this business or work in general. It has been an ideal job in which to return on a part-time basis after having children: combining motherhood and a fulfilling professional life. What’s the best advice you have received in business? Offer the best service you possibly can, and treat each patient or client like royalty. What do you do for fun? I’m at a very funny phase of my life at the moment, working part-time and in the process of reinventing myself (more later). One thing I’ve realised is that I didn’t really have time for hobbies, with being a full time optometrist, running our own business (which as you know can be all consuming) AND having four children, now all grown up. But I do love reading, and run a small book club, enjoy singing in a choir, walking and travel in general. I just wish I could learn to love gardening! What did you most fear in the early days of your business? I think that I used to fear that enough people wouldn’t come to see us to keep us busy, and that conversely we wouldn’t have enough time to do all the jobs we had to do. What’s next for you and your business? As I mentioned, I’m at a funny phase as I sold the business which Keith and I ran together for 26 years last year, following his untimely death in 2014. I formed my own consultancy, Clare Holland Eyecare, to continue to work in the area of Behavioural Optometry, which in a nutshell considers how subtle visual difficulties impact a child’s reading and learning. It has been estimated that 85% of what we learn comes via our visual system, and having 20/20 vision in the distance doesn’t guarantee that a child’s eyes are functioning at their best for reading. Any child whose academic performance falls behind their verbal skills should have a comprehensive eye exam.
If you could tell your younger you something what would you say? Don’t worry! Even when the worst happens, you WILL somehow cope. Clare Holland www.clarehollandeyecare.co.uk
“Don’t worry! Even when the worst happens, you WILL somehow cope”
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Feature| Business News
Business News Sharp fall in women applying to universities.
So, we might have expected universities to attract more mature students this year, not less.
The number of women over 25 who applied to undergraduate university courses in England fell by almost a fifth this year (-18.3%), according UCAS1.
During the Brexit campaign, the former Education Secretary Michael Gove infamously said, “I think the people of this country have had enough of experts”. But in context, he wasn’t saying, “Don’t go to university”. And while Brexit may well be a factor, it’s lazy to see it as the root cause.
The application service’s June figures revealed a drop of 7,870 applications, leading to one of the lowest numbers of women aged over 25 applying to university since 2012. So why the notable drop? And what does it tell us? There are several possibilities: course fees, falling confidence in degrees or changing socio-economic circumstances, for example. Many may simply feel no need to invest in academia when other training options are available. In contrast to the UCAS figures, however, research undertaken by the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC) for England last year said, “Mature graduates are on average more satisfied with their choices than young graduates2”. 1. www.ucas.com/file/115911/download?token=EokhytEH 2. www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2016/201628/
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Speaking with Maximise, UCAS confirmed the June figures but noted that, as of 31 August, “the reduction between last year and this year is currently smaller for acceptances than applicants; there are 9% fewer acceptances over the age of 25 from England.” That figure accounts for both men and women as gender-specific statistics are not currently available from UCAS. Never the less, -9% is still a significant drop. And, crucially, the new figure is based on acceptances, not applications, so tells us little about the falling appetite of women over 25 to enter university. A UCAS spokesperson commented, “The labour market at present is fairly buoyant and probably accounts for the reduction in the number of mature applicants to higher education. For those
who want to study at a higher level and are able to take up the opportunity, however, university remains a great choice, whatever your age.”
Women tackling the ‘man’s world’. New Zealand’s women’s rugby team, the Black Ferns, return to their day jobs this month following yet another World Cup win – the nation’s fifth since the tournament’s conception in 1991. But not only did the Pacific islanders skilfully dismantle their English opponents in the final – entertaining us with a style of rugby that the male game rarely provides – some of the players have flown home to continue tackling the gender stereotypes in their off-field careers. A police detective, firefighter and pilot featured in the Black Ferns’ squad in Ireland this summer, with only one player currently able to commit her life to rugby full-time. Their success on the pitch shines a light proudly on women who succeed in traditionally male-dominated jobs. Not everyone can play rugby for their country, of course. But research by AXA Business Insurance, released earlier this year, questioned why more women in the UK don’t take on trade roles predominantly held by men. “In 2016,” says AXA, “a tradesman’s take-home pay was typically 15 per cent higher than that of a self-employed professional” and “the five ‘men’s jobs’ that are most in need of female recruits are: stonemason, heating engineer, plasterer, electrician and plumber.3” Chloe Dutton is a self-employed electrician in Swindon. Now in her mid-twenties, she’s wondering how her career path may need to change if or when she chooses to have a family. She raises perhaps one of the biggest reasons for young women not entering the trades. “In my work,” said Chloe, “I can be lifting a lot of stuff and it can be quite dangerous. And I’ve realised that if I have a baby, I’ll potentially find it much more difficult to work than women in less physical roles.” 3. www.axa.co.uk/Newsroom/Media-Releases/2017/constructiontrades-offer-women-excellent-prospects-why-are-so-few-joining/
“I’d never really thought about it”, Chloe continued. “But when I started, my boss told me to do weights to gain strength. I was fit, but not strong enough. If I’m pregnant, I wonder if I’ll have to do something else, work for someone else, and potentially lose my customers.” While self-employed women can take Maternity Allowance – similar to statutory pay during Maternity Leave – Chloe provides a real example of an important, largely undiscussed question which has affected top female athletes for generations, “Why must I risk my career to start a family?” At a time when a new survey by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) claims that asking for familyfriendly working patterns leads to getting fewer hours, worse shifts and in some cases losing jobs4, trade industries need to consider further how they can support women who wish to enter the sector.
Time to fly? Finding confidence in change. Changing career is a daunting task. It’s changing some of the fundamentals in your life: a part of your identity. So who do you trust to get you through it? Do you trust yourself? A coach? Research published this summer by Sarah Archer (University of East London) and Julia Yates (University of London)5, has focused on the role of positive psychology for career-change coaching – placing importance on individuals’ well-being, contentment and satisfaction. Five women with “low-readiness for change” in their careers were chosen for the study which involved attending a series of four career-coaching sessions over a six-month period. The sessions followed a set course: first, assessing strengths; second, visualising the ‘best’ future self; third, raising optimism; and finally, building resilience.
4. www.tuc.org.uk/equality-issues/two-five-low-paid-mums-anddads-penalised-bad-bosses-tuc-study-reveals 5. S Archer & J Yates (2017) Understanding potential career changers’ experience of career confidence following a positive psychology based coaching programme, Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, (10) 2. pp 157-75.
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In their analysis, the researchers emphasised the power of hope experienced by the participants. Hope itself, according to the research, was understood to be “made up of the willpower and energy to get moving towards a goal”. It helped each of the participants “believe change was possible”. But does every potential career-changer need coaching to develop hope as a part of building confidence? Take the story of Nadine Chard from Bristol. “From the age of 14, I was a young mum and had to take any job to make money for my family. When my children were both at school, I decided to look into furthering my education again. I wanted to be more than a cleaner and wanted to be a good role model for my children.” At that time, Nadine had already faced a battle to complete her GCSEs and was raising her children alone after a split from her partner. “After completing my NVQ, I got my first reception job at a local radio station. I was so happy as this gave me confidence, and it was my first job that I was really proud of.” As it turned out, it was just the beginning of a happy 15-year career in broadcast client services. But over time, Nadine had caught the exploration bug. She began setting her sights on higher goals again. “As I got older, I loved to travel more, trying to go somewhere new each year. So when I started to think of my career options, I tried to think of a job that involved both customer service and travelling, but I also had to consider my age.
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“At 42, I felt my options may be smaller than if I was 20 years younger. So after lots of thought, I decided on becoming an air hostess.” Like the participants of Archer and Yates’ study, Nadine initially experienced feelings of self-doubt as she considered changing career. But she kept surprising herself as she progressed through each stage of the training until, last year, she was offered her first airline contract. “The day I completed my cabin-crew training course and collected my wings, I felt proud of myself and felt happy at what I had achieved. “I never thought that I could get up at 2am to go to work, and the best bit about the job is that it’s so busy. Although it’s hard work at times, it’s so fun and the day literally flies by.” Archer and Yates’ study points to the growing area of positive psychology and career coaching in recent years. And it adds weight to the argument for using coaching professionals. But as Nadine’s personal journey shows, confidence is something that can also be nurtured through those around us. In her case, as a young mum, her confidence grew with the confidence of her children. “I had always played it safe in my career. But my son was encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. He was also trying a new career as a full-time magician and motivational speaker. He inspired me, along with my daughter, who graduated in Creative Art Therapy last November. I wanted to make them proud.” Written by Richard Cox of Ridgeway Editorial www.ridgeway-editorial.com
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine |Feature Article
Essential GDPR Compliance Information After four years of preparation and debate, the GDPR was finally approved by the EU Parliament on 14 April 2016. If you are a business owner the chances are that these laws apply to you! And it’s serious! Enforcement date: 25 May 2018 – at which time those organisations in non-compliance will face hefty fines. The fine for not complying could be so huge that your business could close. Yes, it’s that serious, these guys are not messing around with data protection anymore. So I hope this post will demystify some of the basics of what you really need to know asap. What is GDPR? The aim of the GDPR is to protect all EU citizens from privacy and data breaches. The GDPR is unique because it requires affirmative user consent prior to processing any of the user’s data, requiring new technical changes at every user touch point. Read the full version on the EU GDPR website: www.eugdpr.org/the-regulation.html
Brexit and GDPR When the GDPR comes into effect the UK will still be a part of the EU albeit one that is beginning the withdrawal process and the UK will adopt all EU legislation immediately after Brexit. The GDPR will remain relevant to the UK for quite some time and even if it changes it will remain relevant if you have customers who are based in the EU. What do I need to do to get ready? 1. Organise an information audit where you document what personal data you hold, where it came from and who you share it with. 2. Have a clear privacy policy available to the general public. 3. Ensure that all data that you collect is done with consent. Consent must be an active, affirmative action by the data subject and not passive acceptance such as pre-ticked boxes or optouts. Controllers must keep a record and be able to prove how and when an individual gave consent.
What is personal data? Any information related to a person that can be used to directly or indirectly identify the person. It can be anything from a name, a photo, an email address, bank details, posts on social media, medical information, or a computer IP address.
4. Ensure that your data subjects can access their data. People may ask for access to data a company holds on them, and to know why that data is being processed, how long it’s stored for, and who gets to see it. Controllers must generally respond within one month.
GDPR Fines The maximum fine for non-compliance is 20,000,000 Euros or up to 4% of your annual worldwide turnover, whichever is the greater.
5. Store data in a mobile format. Controllers must now store people’s information in commonly used formats (like CSV files) so that they can move a person’s data to another organisation (free of charge) if the person requests it. Controllers must do this within one month.
Appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO) All businesses that process personal data on a significant scale must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) responsible for monitoring internal compliance of the GDPR regulations within the organisation and to ensure that GPDR compliance is achieved and then maintained. What is the ‘right to be forgotten’? Individuals also have the right to ask that their data is deleted if it’s no longer necessary for the business to keep it.
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6. Prepare for a potential data breach. Ensure that you have the right procedures in place to detect, report and investigate a personal data breach. 7. Appoint a DPO who will keep your business GDPR compliant at all times. The above is a brief overview in layman’s terms and doesn’t constitute legal advice but only serves as a guide and introduction to the GDPR.
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine |Feature| Ultimate Business Course
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain” When the door of opportunity flies open. My name is Lynda, proud owner of ‘Raindancers Child and Family Mentoring’. This wonderful, inspirational quote summarises my attitude to life, having overcome my own personal storms throughout the years. It gave me the concept of launching Raindancers. With a passion to help others achieve the same and in particular, children and families. Prior to motherhood, my career focused on the welfare of families and children specialising in Social Services and Child Protection. Then in my mid 30’s and following the arrival of my two lovely (well, most of the time!) boys, my focus expanded to include nurturing and development roles within Pre School Management. Whilst the boys were still young I was diagnosed with M.E. and this impacted all areas of my life, including my ability to work and sadly the breakdown of my marriage. However, over the years I’ve learnt to manage the condition and re-
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establish myself, both at work and within the wider community. My Christian faith, giving me stability, belief and drive to overcome the storms we all face in life also played a fundamental part in my recovery and has always been at the very core of who I am. Now 50, with a career in Pastoral Care and Mentoring (‘Ofsted Outstanding’), along with many years working in Special Educational Needs a rapid change in my work situation was taking place. I was now questioning what to do next? An advert for The Ultimate Business Course came up on Facebook, posted by my friend Lizzie George from Create on the Square. Intrigued, I spoke with Lizzie to hear it was an intense, full time three week course. My heart sank...M.E and full-time, do not mix! Lizzie however was quick to point out that infact the course would run from 9am until 2.30pm, the extra time would be for home study. There it was. The door of opportunity flying wide open! Ten minutes later the last available place was mine and I was set for the following Monday. I had a few ideas, of how I could turn my thoughts
into a business but certainly not the wherewithal. The following three weeks were truly amazing, if not exhausting. But that didn’t matter. By day two my domain name raindancers.co.uk had been purchased and over the following days, taking a massive step of faith, pulling together my experience and expertise Raindancers Child and Family Mentoring had been born. Angela De Souza, with the help of Betaris Training had graciously given The Ultimate Business Course to myself, and fellow learners, for free. The extensive course covered everything you needed to know, not only about starting a business but growing, maintaining and loving your business. Angela’s expertise and passion for business is exuberant and catching and I can’t thank her enough for what she has imparted and inspired. So back to Raindancers. You will recall at the top of this article I started with the beautiful quote about ‘dancing in the rain’ and this indeed underpins everything we do within Raindancers. We delight in seeing children living to their full potential, instilling the knowledge that they are loved and full of purpose. Our aim is to highlight their talents ( that each child has) and to encourage and nurture self worth, build resilience and remove any barriers to their learning, whatever that may be.
Raindancers also offers: • School Interventions • SEN • Hand Writing Skills • PSHE classes. Private groups or within school • Parent Advocacy • 1:1 Mentoring • Group Mentoring • Support with Family Difficulties • Help with wide range of Mental Health Issues • Parenting Courses • Parent / Carer Consultations both in person or via the internet worldwide • Tuition • And very good coffee!! As you can see from that tiny seed of inspiration something beautiful is taking place. So remember; life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain. If I can be of help in anyway please do get in touch. Lynda Taverner www.raindancers.co.uk lynda@raindancers.co.uk 07539259919
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Tear off and pass on to a friend!
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We work with compassion and understanding alongside laughter and fun. (There’s always fun!) and maybe a few tears but tissues are always at the ready! We will individually tailor sessions to bring out the very best in the children (and adults) that we see. And knowing that many things at home or school can feel like storms, we aim to overcome those storms and learn to dance, figuratively speaking, albeit a little jig never goes amiss!
stage of parenting you are at, whether that’s just a ‘twinkle in the eye’ or pre-school and beyond.
The Ultimate Business Course
Our 15-module training course is for anyone wanting to have an in-depth overview of the knowledge and skills required to starting and running a business. At the end of the course, you will have your own detailed business plan, marketing plan, sales strategy, brand and identity, social media plan and financial plan. Once you have graduated you will also be invited to a private Facebook group where you can continue your journey together with other graduates of the course.
Book your place for only ÂŁ189 www.womensbusiness.club/training
What’s in store for employment and the labour market? T
HE UPSHOT IS that it has become harder to predict the impending labour market trends, more normal for people to be self-employed, and significantly we have seen an unmatched period of skills shortage across all sectors. Despite all this uncertainty, the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics have highlighted that employment is at an all-time high, with employment figures continuing to rise, unemployment and economic inactivity continuing to fall, and redundancies at a record low. As of the last statistics release in June 2017, there were 32.07million people in work, 125,000 more than the first quarter this year, and 338,000 more than the same time in 2016. The employment rate was at 75.1%, the highest since records began in 1971. Interestingly however, the mood within the market is to delay and even change employment strategies ahead of Brexit. While some worry on the one-hand about fulfilling temporary, seasonal and low-skilled jobs with looming potential changes to immigration and free movement of people, others worry about the economic impact of the exit, resulting in a lull in ‘plans to hire’ statistics as businesses regroup and seek to minimise long-term risk.
Survey results from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) found that 31% of employers think that the business environment will worsen over the coming 12 months, compared with 28% who believe it will improve. This is a net balance of -3, compared with +6 the previous month. Despite this apparent levelling and reversal in confidence, ultimately, businesses are still looking to hire, with +16 expecting to add permanent staff over the next three
months, and +14 expecting to recruit within the next 12 months. It is believed that the fear of Brexit effects on the employment market is being somewhat stabilised by the current high employment rate and associated skills shortage, but it is unclear how long this will last. Kevin Green, chief executive of REC comments “The jobs market continues to do well despite growing uncertainty but this drop in employer confidence should raise a red flag,” he said. “Businesses are continuing to hire to meet demand, but issues like access to labour, Brexit negotiations and political uncertainty are creating nervousness.” The biggest immediate challenge for businesses is to plan for and offset the costs of the current skills shortage as it continues to bite. Recent evaluation by the Open University has found that British businesses are already paying an extra £2bn per year in higher salaries, recruitment costs and temporary staffing to plug the gap. David Willett, director of the Open University comments “It is now more important than ever that organisations invest in their workforce, to build up the skills they need, rather than buying them in from elsewhere.”
Abi Howell Director
36 Cheltenham Office Park, Pure Offices, Hatherley Lane, Cheltenham. Glos. GL51 6SH
TEL: EMAIL:
01242 701123
info@trulytailoredrecruitment.co.uk
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Finance | Advertiser Article
Tax for the self employed. If you are self employed, knowing how much tax you have to pay and when to pay can be quite confusing, especially if you have just started your business and you have previously been employed and paid all of your tax through PAYE. This article explains how you declare your self employment income and also when and how you pay your tax liabilities. Reporting your income If you are self employed you will need to report your taxable profits from the business along with any other income received by completing a tax return under the self assessment tax system. Your taxable profits will usually be your sales income less allowable expenses and you may also be entitled to allowances for capital expenditure such as a motor vehicle and computer equipment. When you become self employed you will need to register for self assessment with HMRC. Once you have registered you should receive a notice shortly after the end of the tax year (5th April) telling you that you need to complete a tax return for the
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year that has just finished. You can register for self assessment via the HMRC website. You will need to declare the taxable profits for the accounting period ending in that tax year. For example, if you have a year end of 31st December then your tax return for the year ended 5th April 2017 should declare the taxable profits for the year ended 31st December 2016. You will need to ensure that you keep proper accounting records including a record of all of your sales, a record of all of your purchases and retain receipts for those purchases and also your business bank statements. Your year end accounts can then be produced from the accounting records you have maintained. Submitting your tax return Your tax return can be submitted on paper or online. If you wish to submit the return online, then this will need to be submitted by 31st January. If you choose to submit a paper return then this will need to be submitted by 31st October. If you wish to submit the return online but want HMRC to calculate your tax liability for you then you will need to submit the return by 31st October.
When is income tax on self employment profits payable? Your income tax for the year ended 5th April 2017 will normally be payable in 3 instalments: 31st January 2017 – 50% of your prior year liability (1st payment on account) 31st July 2017 – 50% of your prior year liability (2nd payment on account) 31st January 2018 – balance of any tax due plus first payment on account for the next tax year. This might best be explained by way of an example: Phoebe has a tax liability for the year ended 5th April 2016 of £2,000 and a liability for the year ended 5th April 2017 of £3,500. Her payments for
the year ended 5th April 2017 will be as follows: 31st January 2017 - £1,000 (50% of prior year liability) 31st July 2017 - £1,000 (50% of prior year liability) 31st January 2018 - £1,500 (balancing payment) plus £1,750 (1st payment on account towards 2017/18) If you are self employed then you will be liable to pay class 4 national insurance and these are payable at the same time as your income tax. Late payments If you are late paying your tax then HMRC will charge interest from the due date until the date of payment and you will also be liable to penalties on any late payments.
If you are unsure about how and when to make your tax payments then please free to contact us at Eden Chartered Accountants on 0117 9774478.
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Business Lunch Friendly business networking where you can build genuine, authentic relationships over a healthy lunch. www.connect.womensbusiness.club
Member Interview
Jen Hall
is a Transformational Business Clarity Coach for online entrepreneurs who want to make EPIC IMPACT, PLAY BIG & earn the amazing income that comes with owning your greatness!
The club has provided me with essential guidance and support through some very rocky periods both in business and in my personal life! It has enabled me to step up to become the business woman I am today!
She helps you feel ‘on fire’ and in pure alignment with your purpose & up-level in confidence to become the high-profile Leader in your field. She is on a fierce mission to remove the wall between you & the wildly successful because she believes we ALL have the ability to reach those heights!
What have you gained thus far from the Women’s Business Club and what do you still hope to achieve?
Jen Hall has been featured on Thrive Global & YFS, and won Speaker of the Year 2016 and Nominated again for 2017!
I love being a part of the Women’s Business Club, it brings me great strength and a contact to the ‘real business world’ which can sometimes get lost online! I love being able to contribute greatly to the women across all the whole network and I’m looking forward to Maximise and potentially winning Speaker of the Year second year running!
How long have you been a member of the Women’s Business Club and why did you join?
What would you say to others who are considering joining the Women’s Business Club but are not sure what to expect?
I’ve been a member for about three and half years! I joined the Women’s Business Club because I wanted to take my business more seriously and start making a real success, and boy have I done just that! Since starting at the Women’s Business Club I have completely changed direction and am now on my way to earning my first 6 figure year as a Global Transformational Business Clarity Coach!
This is unlike the usual whirlwind networking event. Women’s Business Club is in a class all of its own! With women who are here to do serious business, make lasting advocates and build a strong network over a relaxed lunch, this doesn’t get any more welcoming! You’ll be part of something much bigger and you’ll learn... my goodness you’ll learn!
How does your local club help you as well as your business as well as your connection to the national network?
Jen Hall www.jen-hall.com
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Main Feature | Conference & Awards
Angela De Souza
The story behind MAXIMISE
What is the vision behind Maximise? Maximise is the one time when all of the Women’s Business Clubs come together on one day in one place. It’s a wonderful time for women who have met online to meet in person, for businesses to showcase themselves to each other and for women to be acknowledged for a job well done through our awards ceremony. Although Maximise is centred around our clubs and members it is very much open to all so non-members, as well as men, are very welcome to join us. It’s a great day for anyone in business to network and to be inspired and refreshed. It is a national event and we attract businesses owners from across the UK. How was the idea born? Maximise started as a tongue in cheek awards ceremony at the end of 2013 where we celebrated a successful first year at a special combined Cheltenham and Gloucester networking lunch. After seeing how these awards impacted the
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ladies I decided to take it more seriously and so in 2014, we held our very first ‘proper’ Maximise Conference & Awards and each year as we have added more clubs and members to our network the conference has grown accordingly. Today it is a major highlight and a fantastic way to end the year. Tell us a bit about what to expect on the day. On the day you will be greeted by one of our team and shown where to find the coffee shop! From there you can visit 42 fantastic business stands or wander on upstairs to meet the authors in the Author Hub. You will connect through general networking and speed networking, listen to talks from experts in their field, enjoy the Maximise Fashion Show and Dragoness’ Den on the main stage and end off a great day with our Business Woman of the Year awards ceremony. You will leave both refreshed and exhausted with a whole new list of quality business connections so wear flat shoes and bring lots of business cards.
Proudly Sponsored By
Networking | Exhibiting | Seminars | Shopping | Fashion Show Dragoness’ Den | Awards | Author Hub 6th December 2017 • 9am-5pm • Pittville Pump Rooms, Cheltenham • Tickets £45.50
Find out more and book your tickets at www.maximise.live
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Main Feature | Conference & Awards
GET TO KNOW THE SPEAKERS Describe yourself in three words Angela: Passionate people connector. Jen: Courageous, integrity and inspiring. Andrea: Tall, smiley and creative. Jillian: Understanding, compassionate and fair.
Andrea: I help to promote business, brands and their people; help them build great reputations. Jillian: I am a speaker, author, business woman and philanthropist with a unique story that inspires others to overcome whatever struggles they face and become truly extraordinary! Robin: I am a business coach, I help to double my clients turnover in as short a period of time as possible. Sheryl: I support individuals to manage their critic - empowering them to communicate with clarity and confidence the change they want and need to work and live at their best.
Robin: Husband, father and coach. Sheryl: Kind, generous and likeable.
Tell us, very briefly about your business.
What was your dream job as a child.
Angela: Without sounding too cliché my business really is our strap line - connecting, supporting and empowering business women.
Angela: When I was little I wanted to be anything that sounded cool, first an archeologist and then a marine biologist.
Jen: Helping online Coaches gain clarity on their mission, make epic impact and become a high profile Leader in their field!
Jen: Actress
za De Sou a l e g An Page 28
Andrea: To be a professional horse rider - luckily I managed that. Now I’m living my next dream.
Jen Hall
xton Andrea Se
aslam Jillian H
Robin W aite
Jillian: As a little girl, I wanted nothing more than to be able to reach out to hundreds of people in order to eliminate the sadness and the despair caused by abject poverty. Robin: Pilot – I am colour blind which scuppered that, but I always wanted to be a Top Gun like Tom Cruise in the fast jets. Sheryl: Charity aid worker in Africa
What do you do for fun?
Sheryl Andr ews
Sheryl: Work. I love what I do! To rest, I read, cycle and watch movies.
What can we expect to hear from you at Maximise? Angela: My aim is to speak to business owners who feel overloaded and to share some fantastic keys about how to achieve a Less is More lifestyle. Jen: No more beige, no more bland! Become the white hot kick ass EXPERT Leader in your field!
Angela: My all time favourite thing is to be in my garden! I also love playing my piano, singing, ballet, horse riding and swimming in the sea!
Andrea: I will teach you 5 ways to promote your business for free - or as close to free as possible!
Jen: Fast rides, good food, time to myself, time with my loved ones and a party every now and then is fun fun fun for me!
Jillian: I look forward to sharing with you how I overcame great adversity to become the author, speaker, and philanthropist I am today
Andrea: Run and eat cake .
Robin: Inspiration, motivation and how to keep business simple.
Jillian: Spend time with the people I love. Robin: Surfing and cycling. The surfing nearly killed me in Morocco surfing 12ft+ waves. Caught one wave and fell off the next.
Sheryl: Open hearted story about my journey as an author and how writing my book changed my life and my perception of my own knowledge and wisdom. I hope this will then inspire you to write that book you have been talking about for years.
Book your tickets at www.maximiselive
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Main Feature | Conference & Awards
How to MAXIMISE your results at the MAXIMISE Business Show. You know, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people out there who would love to buy your product or service, if they knew what it could do for them. If they understood how it would make their life better, appreciate the real results and benefits they can get when buying from you. But, they don’t know. Why? Because you haven’t shown them yet.
bowl which is great… but leads nowhere! Versus a conversation where you establish rapport and lead them from ‘just looking’ into working with or buying from you, and they feel absolutely delighted about their decision!
Being face-to-face with your customers is one of the most powerful marketing tools out there. And I’m delighted to be able to give you a few tips on the fastest and smartest ways to grasp it.
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
One of the biggest mistakes that most exhibitors make, leading to disappointment and often lost personal cash is – the lack of planning. Planning makes all the difference between having conversations with visitors that are nice and chatty… where they pop their business card in a
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So, how do you plan...
Questions like: Why are you exhibiting? Who do you want to sell to? Who are your ideal customers AND how will you identify them? Not knowing the answers to these questions often means that despite your efforts, turning exhibition selling into profitable results, simply fails. There is no easy fix, you need to be VERY planned and
organised when you sell at a show. It’s really like a microcosm of all your marketing, held up for scrutiny for just a few hours or a few days. Now you see it, now you don’t! Gone! This means you really do have get a lot of your thinking right before you turn up, or you most definitely risk being one of those shiny suited, clipboard clutching, business-cards-in-a-bowlchampagne-draw, same-as-everyone-else exhibitor who you invariable see at shows (you know, they’re the ones sat around catching up with Facebook, checking emails and using their mobile phones!) You don’t want to be like that do you? NO! NO! NO! Like in all things marketing you must think VERY carefully about what questions to ask yourself to get the strategy right to turn exhibition selling into profitable results. 1. WHO is going to be there … not vaguely but in some detail 2. WHY are they going to be there? …again, think it through properly
3. WHAT outcome are YOU looking for?... are you selling? Raising awareness? Or collecting data? 4. WHAT is that you do, that’s so unique and compelling that they would want to talk to you? HOW can you really ‘scratch their itch’? 5. HOW are you going to get that message across in a miniscule amount of time? 6. And HOW are you going to stand out from the crowd and become that ‘go to’ person on the day…and after the show? Remember, you have about THREE SECONDS to make an impression … and then they are gone. It’s all over. Finished and done. Just think – if you can answer these key questions for a business or trade show, just think how you can apply that knowledge to the rest of your marketing. Carole Stacey 01242 375717 | carole@exhibitex.co.uk
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Main Feature | Conference & Awards
Women’s Business
AWARDS
Recognising and celebrating the best businesses in the country. Nominate any member of the Women’s Business Club at www.maximise.live/awards
The Dragoness’ Den
Do you have what it takes to create an award winning business idea?
The Dragoness’ Den gives you a chance to prove your business idea and win a prize package worth £3,500 to invest into your business. Enter today at www. maximise.live/sessions/dragoness-den
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#MAXIMISE2017 “I was a speaker last year and will be again this year. The stands are great in conjunction with being a speaker as everyone has a point of contact to find you to continue chatting and relationship building! It’s amazing, so much inspiration, you come out so motivated and ready to take on the remainder of the year and the next 10! It planted a few seeds for where I am today. If you’re a woman in business this is the place to be!”
Jennifer Hall
“Very useful. Touching base with contacts I’d made, throughout the year.”
Robin Waite “I hope to get the chance to empower other women to excel in business without using negative competition.”
Jillian Haslam
“I’m looking forward to chatting with lots of other business women and finding out about what they do. I will be sharing some of my knowledge and I hope that what I can give helps others with their businesses. I find that networking and word of mouth are the best ways to get to know potential clients – carve out time in your week to come and join what will be an exciting and inspiring day!”
Andrea Sexton
“I am looking forward to my first ever exhibition. I hope to connect with some local business who could become customers, we want to push local trade at the moment.” M&M Printing and Promotions
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We § what we do!
:
E IN INCLUDE
SPECIALIS SECTORS WE
ministration d A d n a rt o p p • Office Su arketing • Sales and M d Finance • Accounts an pointments • Executive Ap d Warehouse • Industrial an d Engineering • Technical an 36 Cheltenham Office Park, tarial Pure Offices, Hatherley Lane, • PA and Secre Cheltenham. Glos. GL51 6SH urces • Human Reso TEL: 01242 701123 ork W ry info@trulytailoredrecruitment.co.uk ra o p m e T • EMAIL:
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Main Feature | Author Hub
AUTHOR HUB Liz Almond
lives in rural Maidstone with her dog Charlie and cat Poppy. She is an inspirational Spiritual Teacher, Coach, Author, Therapist and Business Mentor, who has spent her life learning how to help others. Liz had an accident in 1996 which was a catalyst for change. It led to her having two years off work and looking for answers about how to regain her health. Positivity and overcoming adversity have been the theme through her life and Liz has recovered her health dramatically. When she started her business, she was confronted with a run of personal bereavements leading her into depression which affected her success, and her business floundered. She found herself in significant debt and had to apply different techniques to regain her wealth. She uses a heart centred approach to get the best for her clients and to help them learn by not making the mistakes she made in life. Liz runs a multi award winning business. She has won the Bronze Award – Alternative Practitioner of the Year at the Kent Health and Beauty Awards 2015 as well as being a finalist for Coach of the Year 2016 and Specialist Coach of the Year 2015 with the Association of Professional Coaches, Trainers
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and Consultants and Finalist for Kent Women in Business – Women’s Champion Award 2015. She also won the Kent Independent Trader Award for Health and Beauty two years running 2012/13. Her book Are you worth it? A Spiritual Guide to Managing Your Money Mindset for Business Owners was published in January 2016. As well as offering a series of workshops focussed around health, wealth and happiness in business, Liz works with business owners on a 1-1 basis to enable them to gain the success they wish for from their business as well as helping them tackle issues which will be sabotaging their success linked to health, wealth and happiness in their home life. She acts as a coach, mentor, therapist, supervisor and accountability buddy, depending on what approach is appropriate. She also helps members of the general public to feel better and recover from chronic illness such as anxiety, depression, cancer, ME, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue/pain syndrome. liz@insightfulminds.co.uk www.insightfulminds.co.uk
The Ultimate Business Book Angela De Souza
The Ultimate Business Book covers every aspect of the business from the very beginning of what needs to be done to get started all the way through to how to operate your business like the big global brands! It’s an intense workout that works along a business plan format leaving both the brand new startup business all the way to the seasoned business owner with a detailed and complete business plan. The Ultimate Business Book complements the online video Ultimate Business Course nicely and offers plenty of templates and download links, so you are getting so much more than a book, it really and truly is all any business owner will need to start, run and grow their business. It will be a resource for life as you can refer back to various chapters at each stage of your business growth to get new ideas and inspiration every step of the way. www.angeladesouza.com/books
Are you worth it?
Your Book is the Hook
This book will benefit any new business owner or one who is struggling financially, to gain the success they desire. Find out why your spiritual path is the key to understanding yourself, where you are going in life, and to find true success and happiness. Change your destiny by completing the exercises and by using the mindfulness techniques taught, so that you can experience a rich and fulfilling future without worrying about what is in your bank account.
Your Book is the Hook is a no-nonsense guide to writing and marketing a business building book. Learn the exact steps you need to take to plan, write, publish and market your book, with the short-cuts to make it easy. If you want to build your credibility, attract more clients, and create a profitable and successful business, then get your copy. Special offer for Maximise readers, go to www.yourbookisthehook.com/new and use the discount code ‘maximise’ to save £5.
www.insightfulminds.co.uk
www.librotas.com
Liz Almond
Karen Williams
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Member Article
MUMS IN BUSINESS Finding your passion in business and motherhood. Amy Box
is a dedicated mother of two daughters, Bailey who is almost five and Phoebe who is two. She is also a wonderful wife to her husband, Dan and runs a successful business as a vocal coach in Bristol, UK. She has run three businesses since I have known her, one of which she sold for a profit before launching her dream business, all before the age of 26! I have known her a few years, and have so admired her as she sets out to achieve things in her business that I very probably would be too afraid to do. I admire her even more so as a mum in business, as she is able to put her family first in all she does, and even going as far as to say that they are her main source of inspiration and motivation in business. I often wonder how on earth she does it all, and still remains such a kind, patient and loving woman
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who not only cares for her family, but also genuinely cares for those around her. If she has been able to do what she has done already, at such a young age, I am so excited to think about what she has in her future! So it is my pleasure to share with you, a little insight into Amy’s world. What was your reason for starting up your own business? I sort of accidentally set up in business! I intended to be a full time mum until my children reached secondary school age. Then when my eldest was 6 months old I was tearing my hair out looking for something else to do. I love my daughter with all my heart, but I was losing a sense of who I was and I needed to do something for me. Even though I always wanted to sing and even looked into teaching after my degree, at this point it never occurred to be to go self employed and if I’m honest - I doubted my skills and abilities and suffered dreadfully with comparisonitis. So I put the singing thing to one side and chose something else I enjoyed - nails. Over a few short weeks this
snowballed, so I thought I’d better declare the income and register as self employed and voila! I accidentally went into business and ended up falling in love with it. I then got involved in the nail art community and fell in love with indie nail polish. There seemed to be a gap in the UK market so after 6 months researching, experimenting and perfecting my method I founded Box Polish. Fast track a couple more years and I realised that while I loved being a businesswoman, I wasn’t in love with my business, and my heart just wanted to sing. A difficult few months of hard decisions later and I sold Box Polish and relaunched myself as a vocal coach (with a new qualification in vocal teaching to help my confidence). How do you juggle being a mum while running a business? With careful consideration, lots of mistakes, and wine! Seriously though, this one is tough... and I don’t always get it right. I tried to work on my business while I had the girls and found my attention was always divided and I felt guilty which ever way I tried to juggle it. The best thing I did for myself, my business and my children was to invest in some childcare. Just 2 days a week, 9-3 gives me enough child free time to teach students, keep up with my accounts, manage social media and do my marketing. Somehow I try to fit in my own singing practise and rehearsal time too. Sometimes it’s crazy, sometimes it’s quiet - but I’ve learned that my work pace ebbs and flows and it’s better if I run with it. 2 days each week are for my business. 3 days are for my children. I don’t work on my mum days (unless they both sleep) and I allow myself to work guilt free on my working days. What advice would you give to any mum wanting to start their own business? Do it. Don’t wait until they’re older if you have that burning desire now. Don’t listen to the guilt gremlins who tell you to devote all your time to the children: I am a much better mum now than I was when I was tearing my hair out and resenting my baby for stealing my identity. And even day to day - I realise I’m a much better mum when I’ve had some time to work on something for me. Something I love. My children get the best version of me because I’ve allowed myself days out to sing, teach, study and build my business. It’s so good for them to have that role model in their lives.
How has the Women’s Business Club been there for you in your business journey? I joined the Cheltenham WBC when I’d only been in business 6 months. I knew very little and had practically no confidence! Angela planted little seeds occasionally that she thought I ought to be singing or doing what I love - the question she asked which I’ll never forget is this: What would you happily do for the rest of your life without being paid for it? THAT should be your business. I knew in my heart it was never nails - it was always singing! The WBC gave me the support network I never knew existed, taught me lots of practical things about business and gave me the confidence to grow and develop the way I have. I’ll always be grateful :) Read the extended interview (together with plenty of pretty pictures!) on the blog! Interview written by Lorah-Kelly Beard for www.motherduck.uk Amy Box - www.amyboxsinging.com
A hub for mothers looking for inspiration, ideas, support and encouragement.
Facebook.com/motherduckuk Instagram.com/lorahkelly motherduck.uk
Member Interview In the resulting discussion the group asks questions, gives their perspective and helps each of us to see the best way forward. We appoint an accountability partner to ensure we each stay on track between sessions. What have you gained thus far from the Women’s Business Club and what do you still hope to achieve? My confidence and self-belief have improved considerably. At each meeting I gain clarity about a new area – and a good way forward. Just a few examples of the benefits I have gained: Hi. My name is Jane Bromley. I am a business coach with a wonderful reputation for excellent results. While I have coached the leaders of Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies, I love guiding ambitious owners of smaller companies to fast track their results. My clients often double or triple revenue. How long have you been a member of the Women’s Business Club and why did you join? I have been a member of the Mastermind Boardroom for several years. I joined because I wanted an objective perspective and a peer group I could discuss business challenges with. How does your local club help you and your business as well as your connection to the national network? The Mastermind group has become a group of business friends that I turn to about anything. The level of trust is superb. I can tell them anything. We start with a relaxed discussion over breakfast. Then one person gives a talk – we have learned all sorts of useful tools and heard inspiring examples of successful companies. Then each person provides a written analysis of their situation – what’s going well and where the challenges lie.
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• Learnt increase sales with far less effort than before. • Mastering new strategies for growth. • Expanding my business into Spain – yey! • Seeing how to overcome an illness I was struggling with. • and many more! I look forward to ramping up my business to a whole new level in the next couple of years. What would you say to others who are considering joining the Mastermind Boardroom but are not sure what to expect? Anyone who is interested should try a local meeting. Then ask yourself: Could I trust these people? Do these people help me to gain clarity and to clear barriers to growth that are in the way? If so, then join and totally commit – with 100% honesty. Jane Bromley, CEO, Strategenic Ltd. www.strategicplanningforgrowth.co.uk Call me on 01672 861767 for a free evaluation and to discuss how I could help your business.
Mastermind Boardroom Intimate peer to peer meetings where we get down to the nitty gritty of your business over breakfast. www.mastermind.womensbusiness.club
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Main Feature | Fashion
MAXIMISE FASHION Boudavida‘s activewear looks good, feels good, and supports women and girls in sport too. The Boudavida Brand Boudavida’s first collection of activewear was launched in 2016, by founder Anabel Sexton and her daughter Gaby. Inspired by the legend of Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe – a strong and active woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer – the name ‘Boudavida’ was created as a way of encapsulating that female strength of character with the notion of living a healthy life. Anabel and Gaby wanted to create a line of activewear that would give back to the women that wore their gym kit. They realised that there was a problem with sports apparel brands that manufacture and sell gym kit to women, and then
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endeavour to sponsor and promote mostly male athletes. They found that this was creating a vicious circle that doesn’t favour talented women and girls or enable them to continue with sport through funding and media exposure. Why not, then, create a business that would not only make great sportswear, but would also support and empower female athletes and women as well as encourage all females to exercise? Boudavida was born with a mission to change the vicious circle into a virtuous circle. They want
to ensure that money from the sale of women’s products goes directly back into women’s sport and exercise. The ultimate aim is to help create role models and communities of women and girls who believe, as they do, that sport and exercise is a vital part of living a healthy, happy life. In short, this will create a cycle of funding that supports women and girls who will one day inspire the next generation of women and girls to get active. By donating 5% of each sale to projects that support women’s and girl’s sport, Boudavida hopes to change the world – one pair of leggings at a time! “This Girl Can!” Anabel Sexton is the founder and CEO of Boudavida, and her vision is a world where all women and girls can feel that sport is a natural pathway for them. Anabel is passionate about sport and all its benefits for us women! Her corporate background is in marketing - including roles with IMG, TaylorMade and Adidas. She has held non-executive roles with The Sport & Recreation Alliance, England Netball and the The England Golf Partnership. She was previously a panel expert for Sport England on their Active Women Funding Round and Anabel is a huge supporter of the “This Girl Can” campaign.
My favourite item from the latest collection is the ‘Spark’ water resistant jacket. We created it to be made from a stretchy fabric, with sealed seams, so that you can run or exercise easily in the outdoor elements and remain dry and comfortable. We sourced a unique water resistant material just for this item and I’ve not found anything as comfortable! It’s extremely lightweight and stretchy, meaning it’s not restrictive at all and gives plenty of room for movement while I’m exercising. I can also pack it away easily – it’s great for travelling! We have plans to expand into various sports – both individual and team – and into a greater size breakdown, ultimately creating kit for every woman, whatever they want to do.” The New Autumn / Winter Collection – The Adventure This season’s new range of activewear by Boudavida was brought to life after an inspirational trip to Wales, and to the rolling hills and dramatic coastline of Pembrokeshire
Having supported her children, Freddie and Gaby, through the teenage years, Anabel decided that it was the right time to launch her own company and Boudavida was born. “I wanted to create a range of activewear that can be worn for a variety of sports activities. I especially love the new fashion focus that has become such an appealing part of yoga and gym kit, and want to apply it to all sportswear.
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With jagged, rocky outcrops, sweeping coastlines with teal and turquoise ocean colours and lush leafy plants and shade, Pembrokeshire proved to be an ideal spot for inspiring the new collection. The angular and striking zig zag print started as inspiration from the jagged coastal rock edges, and the unique leaf print from greenery and foliage surrounding this recognisable coastline. The latest activewear range uses a mix of colours that will suit any skin tone – with bright shades of orange or vivid petrol blue, to deep plum and classic black, grey and white. All Boudavida sportswear is designed to be effortlessly layered making it easy for you to cool off or warm up, adding or removing layers as needed and always looking your best.
jog!) brings together women from a range of backgrounds and capabilities, from seasoned athletes to charity runners to first timers. It is all about getting out and having a go”, says Anabel. Anabel says, “What I love most about the event is the way in which it brings women together. It’s a hugely supportive atmosphere with women encouraging and empowering each other all along the race course. I love coming back to Windsor every September to meet race-goers, and be able to part of this supportive community.” The Boudavida Windsor 10k takes place on the 23rd of September this year in the stunning Great Park.
The Boudavida 10k in Windsor
Boudavida is a small, but fast growing company
“At present we are excited about our sponsored annual 10k race in Windsor. This run (walk or
Sales Manager Anna Tait has been there from the launch in 2016 and has worked closely with Anabel
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to grow and develop the brand ever since. “Of course creating an activewear brand is not all about designing and manufacturing, but all the other numerous business activities that go with it. We are learning a huge amount on our journey! The big question for us was “How do you get an unknown brand talked about and trusted?” We have used a PR company which has been invaluable in helping to give us profile and have had some great features in the media. We also have also been identifying influencers and growing our social media. We sell through our own website and have also been approached by some retailers - both on and offline - who like what we do and have asked to stock Boudavida. This has been really exciting, along with the positive customer feedback we have been getting. In particular the high quality and style of our clothes have been admired. We do feel very protective about the brand – it is our baby! Networking has been a great way to spread the word and raise profile and we have been touched by the support that we have been given by other women. It is fabulous to be part of the Bath branch of the Women’s Business Club, an amazingly supportive community. We have been given so many introductions and sage advice. Natasha (fabulous stylist and the group leader) even went out of her way on her holiday to write a fantastic blog about Boudavida. We are always interested in learning about new retailers or influencers in activewear as we are planning to build on our outlets this year.”
To find out more about the Boudavida story or to get in touch, head to www.boudavida.com
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Advertiser Article
Free PR? Yes you can! Recently I’ve read all sorts of articles about “the death of the press release” and hear people moaning that it’s impossible to get into the media without paying. You will be glad to hear that I don’t think this is true. Here are my PR tips for people on zero budget. • Think carefully about who your customer is and what they watch or read. • Get familiar with these publications. Yes you might get an amazing magazine collection in the process (you should see my office!) but every publication is different and requires a different approach. Also read all the online publications or blogs you have listed really carefully. They all have different sections, formats and layouts. • If you are not confident at writing then use someone who is. This will cost so if you really have no budget then I totally understand why you will need to write your piece yourself. In the very least have a friend read what you have written to make sure it gets the message across. • Bear in mind that no publication will allow you to advertise – they need articles and news stories that are fun to read. Find an angle. New products are good and so are case studies. Put yourself in the place of the reader or listener and decide what you would like to know about.
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• Keep it short and simple. Don’t send too much to read and don’t put it in a PDF. Magazine staff need to be able to easily edit. • Send good quality high res images. In a separate file, not within the text. This saves the time for the publication. I use We Transfer for sending big files. • Think outside the box. Can you give away a product or get one reviewed or create a competition. Perhaps you can help out at an event in return for getting your product in front of people. • Use social media well and thoughtfully. All your promotional campaigns need to work well together whether social, digital or in traditional media such as magazines or radio. • Consider using a professional PR. It’s our job to have all the right contacts and to be able to create a strategy for your particular promotion. Sometimes success does depend on who you know, not what you know. • Remember that coverage is never guaranteed but if you consider the audience, are targeted in your approach to media, and think creatively you will be likely to succeed. Good luck! Andrea Sexton www.andrea-sexton.com
MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Advertiser Article
The hidden realities of our luxury spa break. Struggling to stop my mouth yawning and my head sagging; my shoulders are burning right between the blades, the aching heat forcing its way into my neck and scalp. I’m so tired I actually feel sick, it’s been six hours since I was last able to use the bathroom, the urge to go is making my stomach cramp and yet my mouth is drier than the Sahara and I’m utterly dehydrated. My client smiles up at me from the massage couch “you must have such a lovely relaxing job,” she beams, I smile back as my knuckles and wrists audibly crack from massaging her upper arms, I just can’t bring myself to respond. £3,500 I spent on my initial training and I’ve spent significantly more since. As a highly qualified and insured professional, I was earning minimum wage and having to work long hours without being given the time in a working day to either hydrate or take a bathroom break. I was working 8hours a day in an airless, windowless room that stank of nail polish remover, only having a half hour lunch break and seeing up to fifteen clients a day for less money than I had working part time in a superstore. No wonder the majority of the beauty therapists coming straight from college work for an average of 9 months then completely change their career. Absences due to repetitive strain injury are so high that many spas are understaffed yet overbooked. Most risk assessments state no more than five hours of massage work should be given to any therapist in a day but this is often ignored, the demand for massage just being too high. Working for an agency was not much better, the person at the top often taking more than 50% of
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the money I was bringing in and leaving me to deal with problems; such as not always being qualified to meet each particular spa’s needs, thus causing problems for both the spa itself who have booked specific treatments and now cannot deliver and to myself the therapist who then has to overstretch her abilities; not informing me or paying me for any changes that have been made to a shift at the last minute, causing me to lose both time and money. SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE! I set up my own agency to make sure that the therapists are getting the wages, the care and the appreciation that they deserve. My aim is to change the industry completely. To get the care and respect for such a highly skilled and physically demanding job. In twenty years time, if I have succeeded in my mission, then my business will be completely redundant; spa staff will be getting paid a fairer wage, there will be stricter guidelines on massage limits and breaks that a therapist must have per day and the quality of massage treatments that spa guests are receiving will be much higher and performed in a manner that puts less stress on the therapist thus eliminating RSI and exhaustion and giving the client an overall higher quality experience. This is from my own personal experience and from my discussions with other spa therapists, this is not indicative of every spa out there but it does appear to be far too commonplace in this industry, however in the relatively short amount of time that this agency has been running, we have already seen positive progress. Kayleigh Purser www.kayleighpurser.wix.com/therapies
Kayleigh Purser Therapies Massage and Holistic therapies specialising in pain management and rehabilitation.
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Competitions & Games
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1. Doesn’t belong to anyone else but you 2. To make beautiful 3. Not happy 4. Causing damage 5. Suitable depending on the situation 9. Caused to leave its tracks 10. Very wealthy
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COMPETITION The Parenting Perspective Course (Worth £260) WIN! A free space on The Parenting Perspective Course. This exciting, new, 2 hourly, 6 week course can be geared to whatever stage of parenting you are at, whether that’s just a ‘twinkle in the eye’ or preschool and beyond. • Course date of your choice in January or February 2018 • 4 sessions to choose from; Pre Parenting, morning or evening or Early Years, morning or evening. Courses are held in Gretton, Gloucestershire but do please ask about other locations available. Competition ends on 15th Dec 2017 and can be entered at www.womensbusiness.club/raindancers Don’t forget to share this competition with a photo of the Maximise Women’s Business Magazine on social media tagging @wombizclub and tell us why you would like to win this amazing experience.
READ LYNDA’S STORY ON PAGE 18
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Editor’s Choice
Editor’s Choice M&M Printing and Promotions It’s been like Christmas here at the Women’s Business Club HQ as we have been sent all sorts of fun and interesting goodies to sample from M&M Promotions. There is far too much to review but we have had a lot of fun testing (and eating) all of the samples of what could be used as promotional merchandise at our upcoming Maximise Conference & Awards. My first choice is the Javelin metal twist action ball pen. Pens are still the favourite giveaway for any business. Sadly too often they are poor quality and don’t last but M&M has provided me with some top quality pens that will definitely suit our high-quality brand. The Javelin pen stands out above them all and in a close second I quite like the Beck Ballpen, which is featured in the image on top of this page.
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To go with the high-quality pens we’ve added the excellent quality note books - perhaps not necessarily something to give out to thousands of people at a conference unless you really want to stand out head and shoulders above the rest! They are definitely a quality gift to give your best clients or prospects. However, there are plenty of other affordable options in various shapes and sizes of note books and post-it notes that would be excellent conference gifts. My favourite thing to sample was definitely the sweets! Of course, I had to eat them or how else
About M&M Printing and Promotions Suppliers of corporate executive giftware in Gloucestershire.
We offer a complete service for all your branded promotional merchandise and corporate gifts. From support in developing original ideas, supplying graphic and artwork design, to delivery of samples and prototype assemblies where appropriate. If you require specific items, bespoke branded business gifts, or if you just need some advice on the best product for your corporate identity, we can meet your needs. M&M can source almost any product with complete buying flexibility through our extensive network of suppliers. From small and inexpensive giveaways to high end promotional gifts.
could I honestly tell you about them! I enjoyed an amazing chocolate and walnut Christmas tree, Gold Caviar Chocolate Pearls, Retro Sweets, Mints and more sweets. It would be really difficult to choose which ones to add my brand to and give away as they are all so fantastic but the pocket tins really stood out as I love the case and could see our lovely brand on it. Get your promotional merchandise or some lovely samples to play with from Chani at www.mmprintingpromotions.co.uk
Just need a small quantity? No problem! Large or small orders will all receive outstanding customer service. Many products are available in quantities from 100. Need it in a hurry? No problem! We have a wide range of incentive products that can be shipped in 5 days. At M&M we go way beyond a pen with your logo and phone number. We offer 1000s of items that you can personalise and give away to promote your business and increase brand awareness - from T-shirts and jackets to travel mugs and coolers, frisbees and golfballs to mints and branded memory sticks. A diverse array of merchandise enables us to create custom swag tailored to your business or event.
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MAXIMISE Women’s Business Magazine | Competitions & Games
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Member’s Directory A-Plan Insurance Andrea Sexton PR Arbonne Beautifully Woman Be Free Therapies Betaris Training Ltd Bevirs Solicitors Bold Women Business Clarity Coach St. James’s Place Wealth Management Cuddle Bed Digital Diva House of Robinson Jurys Inn Kayleigh Purser Therapies KLass Beauty Business Coaching Lexus Cheltenham Librotas Lisa’s Multisports M&M Sales Makeup and Hair with Nadezhda Hardiman
Marie Brobyn Acupuncture Muffin & Poppy of Cheltenham Nettl Nikki Nocky Noo Oscars PPS Chartered Accountants Renny Slade Goal Clarity Coach Safe From Slavery Step by Step Listening Strategenic Ltd Spelman Admin Services Sunago Unique Creations The Headshot Diva Thomson & Bancks Travel Counsellors Truly Tailored Recruitment Ubique Plumbing Utility Warehouse Virtual Business Centre Virtuoso Assistant Work Life Balance VA
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