WiRE Blog

WiRE member Elene Marsden shares inside information on how to follow up your hot leads. See more about Elaine and email marketing on her Rural Marketplace Page

Are you making the biggest email marketing mistake?

You spend hours writing engaging, relevant messages for your customers and prospects, but you’re missing out if you don’t also spend time planning to follow up.

Most email service providers give you reports on who’s opened and clicked links in your emails.

If you use ACT E-marketing by Swiftpage you’ll also get Call Lists of hot prospects to make your follow-ups easy.

4 Steps to Follow-up

1.            Send out your email campaign as normal

2.            Create a Call List (Swiftpage Pro and Team Accounts only) from your campaign report window

3.            Give your Call List a name using the Save This Call List button

4.            You can add actions to this Call List direct from your browser or use the Call List inside ACT to manage your Follow Ups

Note: Call list actions are automatically added to the contact’s History Tab

ACT Call Lists

1.            In ACT, select  the ACT E-marketing tab

2.            Click the Call List section. If you have more than one Call List, use the Drop Down list to select the one you want to use

3.            Select the Lookup button and choose Hot, Warm or Mild contacts and those with Action or with No Action or all contacts.

4.            Click Group button to add these contacts to an ACT group

5.            Add results of phone calls and follow-ups using the Edit ACTION button

Learn how to be successful with ACT Emarketing here www.betteractnow.com

Watch out for more blogs from WiRE Member Elaine Marsden, her next blog will be about how to create and use video testimonials.  www.youtube.com/elenemarsden

It’s no secret that farmers have been hit hard in recent years following a spate of crises ranging from foot and mouth to the unstable market and changes to the Common Agricultural Policy. In reaction a growing number of farmers have diversified their businesses to develop new revenue streams. It is now common for farmers to offer B&B facilities, petting zoos, farm shops, cafes and even theme parks which are often run by the farmer’s wife or partner.

However, whilst diversification may offer increased financial stability to the traditional farm business it also brings with it a whole new breed of risks. Any one who is familiar with agriculture will know that farms can be treacherous places to work. The danger of a trip or fall or something more serious arising from agricultural chemicals, unpredictable beasts and infectious diseases is always present. When you start to introduce children and curious visitors into this environment it’s not hard to imagine how you could come face to face with some very serious accidents resulting in claims being made against you.

It’s these claims that potentially threaten the future of rural businesses. Whilst it may be easy to tot up the costs of losing your physical assets following a disaster, it’s far harder to estimate the costs arising from injuries to visitors on your land or place of business.  In these litigious times it’s exactly this type of claim that can devastate your business. That’s where Public Liability insurance becomes vital for business.

Public Liability Insurance covers you for any awards of damages given to a member of the public because of an injury or damage to their property caused by you or your business. At BiB we have seen many examples of this insurance in action, for instance, a claim this year following a walker’s foot being trodden on by a cow has an estimated value of around £5000. When relatively minor injuries such as this can result in a pay out of thousands of pounds it’s daunting to think what the ramifications of the E Coli outbreak at Godstone Farm affecting 90 people that made headlines in the news recently could be.

Despite the horror stories surrounding these types of claim diversifying your farm business can be highly rewarding emotionally and financially. Making sure you match your entrepreneurial skills with well planned health and safety practices and the correct insurance for your business will allow you the peace of mind to work on developing your business into a unique and profitable rural enterprise.

For more information about insurance for your rural or farm business please contact Helen Raine at BiB Insurance, helen.raine@bibinsurance.co.uk 01325 347273  www.wireuk.org/bib-insurance

Don’t forget to mention that you are a WiRE Member.

Dear WiRE ladies,

Stress Relief for Female Entrepreneurs part three..

At the week-end, I popped to the cinema to see: ‘ Made in Dagenham,’ wow what an amazing film about a group of lady machinist in Kent who stood up for not getting equal pay at Ford, and then protested and protested until it was made law with Barbara Castle spearheading the legislation for Equal Pay for women, which many of you might know about it, I am sure. Wow, what a film, it’s a must-see as it is so humbling and inspiring how these ladies did it, without any previous experience, or political knowledge! It really makes you think just how powerful we can be when we just focus and keep going after what we want for any aspect of our lives:)

Okeydokie, ladies, over to Ntathu Allen for our final guest blog post piece in which she offers you some top tips on beautiful skin, how exciting? I don’t know about you ladies but I am a little saddened by the ‘push,’ for women to be botoxed during their lunch,  and a filler here and there, it feels sad, and depressing I find facial exercises, good skin care and Nthathu’s tips  much more healthy, but each to their own, of course! Okeydokie ladies, over to Nthathu…

Stress Relief for Female Entrepreneurs – Part 3

 Yoga and Natural Beauty Top Five Tips For Beautiful Skin

 Would you like healthy, glowing young looking skin?  Your skin is constantly exposed to toxins and pollution, whether through poor dietary habits and negative thought patterns or because of exposure to industrial waste and car exhaust fumes.

Effect of Stress on Your Skin

You may not realise it, but your skin is always absorbing and releasing toxins. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Constant exposure to internal and external stress and pollution can cause your skin to look dry, jaded and dull. Have you noticed how tired and strained your eyes feel after a long stint at the computer, or how grey and dull your skin looks during the cold winters?

Effects of Yoga on Your Skin

 The quality and tone of your skin gives you an indication of the state of your health.

From a yogic perspective, good health starts within. All yogic practices help to keep your skin healthy and radiant.

 Yoga encourages you to be body aware, to be conscious of what is going on inside your body and to observe the external signs and systems of imbalance; for example, cracks, ravines, white furry coatings on your tongue indicate internal imbalances; or spots and pimples, cracked fingernails, dandruff, leg cramps, gassy stomach, excessive yawning, all these physical symptoms lead to you feeling below par, stressed and tired.

Five Natural Self Care Tips For Younger Looking Glowing Skin

 To boost and support your immune system, practice the following natural self care tips and see what a difference they make to the quality and beauty of your skin.  Don’t expect miracles, as it can take many months to eliminate toxins and bacteria from your body, but you will notice an improvement in your energy and quality of your skin in a few days.

Many of these tips involve using simple every day household products so you don’t have to spend vast sums of money on expensive manufactured products.

1. Dry body brushing.  Dry skin brushing is an excellent way to exfoliate and cleanse your skin and releases toxins from your system.  Dry skin brushing helps to make your skin smooth and radiant as it encourages the rate at which toxins are released through the body. Your lymphatic system (blood cells and lymph tissue) gets a good boost as you skin brush and release toxins through your skin.  Ideally your body needs to be dry for skin brushing, so it a good idea to skin brush before you shower or bathe.  Use a good quality natural bristle wooden brush.  Always brush towards your heart as this increases circulation. Starting at the soles of your feet, use long deep slow strokes and brush the soles of your feet, work your way up your inner and outer legs, then up your arms, over your shoulders and down your back. Brush your stomach using small circular clockwise strokes. Take your time and aim to spend at least 10 minutes breathing and brushing your skin.  Avoid brushing over sore, tender or broken areas of skin and do not brush over your face.
2. Facial steam – a facial steam releases stale oils from the pores and loosens debris sticking to the skin.  Simply fill a small bowl with hot (not boiling) water.  If you have any herbs or aromatherapy oils sprinkle in a few drops (for example, lavender and peppermint are stimulating, rosemary, eucalyptus and rose are cleansing, and chamomile is soothing).  If you don’t have any, that’s ok.  Place a towel over your head and sit quietly with your head about 20 inches from the water, with the towel covering the bowl.  Breathe deeply for about 5 minutes as you allow the steam to gently ease away cares and stress from your skin.
3. Drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of spring water or herbal teas (nettle, fennel, dandelion teas are great detoxifiers) throughout your day to help flush out your system.
4. Foot massage – at the end of a busy day a foot massage is a beautiful way to relax and release tension and stress in your body.  Wash your feet in warm water and sprinkle in a few drops of your favourite aromatherapy oil.  Dry and massage your feet with a soothing cream.
5. Dab your face with small amounts of olive oil to keep your face glowing and fresh. Have a bath as you allow this to soak into your face.

Everyone wants to look younger and have more beautiful skin and to feel healthy and well.

I hope you have enjoyed this mini series of Stress Relief Techniques for Female Entrepreneurs. In Part 1 we looked at the role of yoga stretches to reduce stress. Part 2  I offered you simple foods to cook or snack on to boost your energy levels; whilst Part 3 showed the effects of stress on your skin and gave you five natural self care tips you can do at home to reduce the signs of worry on your body.

Stay Blessed and Stay Happy

Ntathu -ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk

www.yogainspires.co.uk

Thanks Ntathu, much appreciated! I trust you ladies loved her posts as much as I have:)

Any questions as ever about marketing to women or overcoming chocolate addiction, the best email to catch me on is: carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com. Remember, no question too blonde!

Shortly, I will have  two new businesses to let you know about which I am quite excited about, to put it mildly. Sometimes I feel, it is vital to wait for the right people and to launch something at the right time! Well, this week it is a new moon, so it is optimal for launching and indeed started something new be it a business, a habit, a new way of being- go for it ladies

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxxx

Dear WiRE Ladies,

Stress Relief for Female Entrepreneurs

I trust you are well and are enjoying the  few surprisingly sunny days of late- wow haven’t they been glorious!! As I sit in our conservatory, it is just lovely to have the sunlight beaming onto my workplace:)

Have you been to the cinema lately? Well, I am planning to go and see the movie: ‘ Eat, pray and love,’ next week and am looking forward to it already! I rememer reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book last year and loving it; such a heart-warming account of how she put her life back together  after a rather painful divorce  and how she re-discovered herself and her spirit through travelling and through stepping into the unknown in Italy, India and Bali.

 I have been to Italy myself and I truly loved the open-he arted, warm and friendly people, and the food and the surroundings were divine too ! I have yet to make it to India, but I have been to Bali, most definitely one of the most romantic places I have ever been to, and I loved the hospitable people. When the locals in central Bali discoverd I have travelled on my own, they just kept on inviting me to gathering, took me white water rafting and even to a local wedding which was rather humbling to say the least! Karen Kingston, the space clearer, which is a type of Feng Shui, said that in Bali, you could feel your sacral chakra open and your heart chakra, which I felt too, hence I am not remotely surprised that it is  one of the most popular romantic getaways of the planet! I promised myself I would next time  go with a hot young man, which I have every intention of doing in the future!

Okay ladies, now, let’s draw upon some more inspirational thoughts and words from Ntathu Allen who has recommendations for foods you can eat to help relieve you from your stress!

Over to you Ntathu: )

5 Foods To Eat To Help You Cope With Stress

Welcome Back! How did you get on with the last post’s tips? Were you able to try out any of the stress relief techniques ? I hope you found them easy to slip into your daily routine.

As promised, this time,  we are looking at foods you can snack on to help you reduce stress and calm your nerves. I will start off with a brief background to the effects of stress on your body, particular the role of the adrenal glands in helping you to cope with stress. Then I will offer you five easy to prepare foods you can cook or buy as a snack to boost your immune system.

Please feel free to email me if you wish to find out more about the effects of the foods you eat on your stress levels: ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk

Effects of Stress on your Body

 Food plays an essential part in our lives and  in times of stress and upheaval it is easy to forget to eat or eat foods which make it harder for our bodies to cope. In yoga, you are encouraged to eat foods which have a positive effect on the body and mind, and least negative effects on the environment and other creatures. 

Stress plays havoc with your body’s immune system. When you are stressed, your body undergoes many changes. These include an increased heart rate, migraines, and digestive disorders. Your body has an amazing ability to heal and repair itself form stressful situations. However, during periods of intense stress and uncertainty, the foods you eat can hinder or help you to respond to stress in a more relaxed and positive manner.

Role of the Adrenal Glands to Fight Stress

The adrenal glands are responsible for producing the body’s stress hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine, which regulate the fight or flight response in the body.

During stressful times, your body produces an increase level of these stress hormones which can lead to nutritional deficiencies and an exhausted adrenal gland. When your adrenal gland is exhausted, you can suffer extreme exhaustion and fatigue.

To help your adrenal glands work better when you are under stress, it is vital you eat foods which enhance and support their function and; contain properties which help the body to deal better with stressful situations.

5 Foods To Eat To Help You Cope With Stress

If you are going through a stressful time, try to include the following foods into your diet.

1. Sunflower Seeds – Sunflower seeds are rich in protein, fiber and B vitamins and zinc minerals which have an important role in keeping your adrenal glands healthy. You can eat sunflower seeds as a snack or sprinkle them on breakfast cereals, salads and vegetarian dishes.
2. Cabbage – an excellent stress-busting food. Cabbage is an excellent source of fibre, vitamins (especially C, K, E, B1 and B9), minerals (including iron, selenium and potassium) and beta carotene. Green cabbage is especially rich in these nutrients. The combination of these vitamins and minerals all help to boost your energy in stressful times.
3. Avocados- a rich source of vitamins, especially B2, riboflavin, B6, C and E and the minerals iron, potassium and manganese. The high vitamin and mineral contents in avocados aids in red blood regeneration and prevention of anaemia. Anaemia causes fatigue and lowers your ability to deal with stress.
4. Almonds – almonds are an excellent source of iron, potassium,magnesium which helps support adrenal function. Low levels of magnesium can increase your feelings of anxiety, irritability and sleeplessness. Almonds are also a good source of protein especially when combined with other plant based foods, for example whole grains and pulses.
5. Wholegrain brown rice – is a good source of fiber, vitamins, including B group and minerals (iron, calcium and phosphorous). Rice provides a slow-release energy which helps the release of the chemicals serotonin. This helps to boost your energy and has a calming effect on your brain. Brown rice contains protein which when combined with other vegetable protein aid tissue growth and repair, which is adversely affected during stressful times.

As you can see, it is possible to work with your body and eat foods which help you to reduce stress whilst strengthening your immune system. If you are in the habit of snacking on highly processed fast foods, aim to include at least 2-3 of the stress-reducing foods in your daily diet. You will feel lighter, healthier and in the long run more equipped to cope with stress.

Finally, in next week’s blog, we will take at the effect of stress on your skin and offer you five simple remedies you can do at home to reduce the ageing effects of stress on your face.             

 Thanks so much Ntathu, providing huge value again, it is most appreciated. I know I am relieved to know more about the foods which can help relieve my stress levels! Thankfully, I love avocados and almonds and brown rice! I love cabbage but I do love less it’s affect on me, making me rather anti-social

I am sure you are looking forward like me to her final post on her top tips for natural skin care, as I know that I no longer use skin products full of chemicals as I just do not feel that they are doing me any good, at all.

Any questions as ever, please direct them to: carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com

Any questions or feedback for Nthatu Allen please kindly direct them to: ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk  Or do visit her website: www.yogainspires.co.uk

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxxx

Dear WiRE ladies,

Stress Relief for Female Entrepreneurs

I trust you are enjoying the series of guest posts that I have personally organised for you, from people I like, know and seriously trust! The next series of three blog posts, are from Ntathu Allen, a lovely Yoga teacher who helps people from all walks of life use Yoga to relax and align with their own energy, their own goals and ideas and of course with their own business success. The first of the three posts are to offer you ladies some hot tips on how to build relaxation and stress relief tips into your daily life.. over to you Ntathu!

Hello Ladies, Carrie has invited me to share with you some of my top tips to help you relax, reduce stress and find more ways to build relaxation into your daily life. Like you, I know how busy life is; especially when you add the emotional and financial challenges to grow your business as well as be there for family and friends and have Me-Time.

With so many tasks to do in a day, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck. When you feel like this, it can be difficult for you to think clearly and make informed decisions. How many times have you missed opportunities or left important papers at home, failed to return business calls, because you were so pre-occupied with the day to day concerns of caring for your family.

Your time is precious. You can’t afford to waste time feeling confused, stuck and not sure what to do next. To manage your time effectively, life is easier when you are able to solve problems easily and smoothly. I am not a fan of “systems” or “sticking to routines” but, over the years I have found by sticking to a simple daily yoga practice I find it easier to mange my affairs in a more orderly way. Sure, there are days, weeks even, when every goes topsvy turvey and I run around like a headless chicken. But.the beauty of having a daily yoga practice,  is it gives me the head space to come back to centre and view life through fresh eyes. When you have a growing family and wish to develop business it is so important to have a clear head and keep your perspective.

Sometimes, when the pressure is really on and you feel frustrated and stressed, then a few minutes stretching helps to clear negative thoughts and ease the underlying tension stored in your body.

Here is a simple sequence you can practice, at home, sitting at the dining table or even at work.

.

1. Seated spinal twist – sitting on your chair, cross your left leg over your right.  Place your right hand or elbow on the crossed knee.  Gently turn your body to the left and look behind you.  Stay focused on breathing gently and deeply through your nose for 3 – 5 rounds of steady breathing.  Relax and return your body to the front.  Inhale and as you exhale switch legs and turn the opposite direction.

2. Arms above your head – sitting or standing, raise your arms straight above your head.  Interlace your fingers and turn your palms upward.  Take three – five rounds of deep breathing as you keep stretching up.  If you can, try and keep your elbows beside or behind your ears as you stretch.  Slowly separate your fingers and gracefully lower your arms to your sides.  Repeat twice more.

3. Hand stretches – shake your hands vigorously for 30 seconds.  Relax and squeeze your fist tight. Hold for 3 – 5 rounds of steady breathing.  Relax.  Next, stretch your fingers out wide and make pretty patterns as you wave and rotate your hands. Then sit still, take a few deep breaths and rest your hands quietly in your lap.

Although these yoga exercises are simple, they help you to relax and take your attention inwards and away for a while from the stresses and strains of your daily life. This enables you to return to the task in hand feeling refreshed, energised and more able to cope with any ongoing difficulties.  Try it and see.  I would love to know you how get on.

In next blog post , I will share with you foods which you can easily snack on to help reduce stress and calm your nerves – without grabbing for the nearest chocolate bar, sticky bun or cup of coffee!

Ntathu Allen

Email: ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk/www.yogainspires.co.uk

Wow, thanks Ntathu, I love those tips so easy to grasp and so practical for all of you ladies on the move too!

Any questions, or suggestions or feedback ladies do email me : carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com

Until then, I wish you every success! Keep going, no matter what, you can do it, you can become the success you desire to be:)

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxxx

Dear WiRE ladies,

PR for Women in Business

I trust you are well and adapting to our autumnal climate.  It’s now a matter of putting the heating on a little bit in our house as it is getting quite chilly, even with cardigans and warm slippers…It’s all good though, I happen to love wrapping up in my woolies, it’s my favourite time of year

Here is the final part of three by the lovely Louise Thornton to help you with your PR in your business, which is effective free advertising and marketing for just a little effort. Once you get started with your PR activities, and you get the attention of your targeted media, more and more media will come after you, and that is how it works. But, what if you are without a hefty budget for your PR activities and are a little unsure regarding the mechanics of a basic media-attracting Press Release? Aha, well Louise has written a post below to help you to produce your own press release which works, which works to attract media coverage for you and your business.. yah!

Over to you Louise…

Producing a Press Release that Works

When you’re writing a press release for your business how do you go about it?  If you’re solely aiming to pitch a product then it might be worth rethinking it!

There are millions of businesses in this world all aiming for the same thing – maximum coverage for their product or service but with little or no outlay.  Issuing press releases regularly is great for building credibility for your business but not so great if you constantly plug your own products or services but without offering anything of value to your reader.

So how do you produce a press release that works?
1. Start with the end in mind.  What do you want the press release to achieve?  Are you looking to inform people about a new product or service or are you simply aiming to build credibility for your business?
Be very clear about your outcome, it will be a huge help when you come to write.  When you write with the outcome in mind, you should manage to pitch it in the right tone.
2. Ensure that you include information that’s relative to your business without it being directly related. 
For instance, one of my clients was looking to promote her public speaking business, instead of focusing solely on that we included relative information about the fact that public speaking is one of many peoples top fears and how learning to speak effectively helps them to overcome this issue.
3. Sometimes a little sweetener is a great incentive.
If you specifically want to promote your product / services then it’s a good idea to ensure that you offer a discount or a free sample to the readers.  When you send your press release to magazine staff include sample sizes of your product – if they like it, then they are much more likely to feature it. 
4.  Make sure your information has substance.
If you quote facts and figures make sure they are correct.  There are plenty of people who will take great pleasure in pointing out your mistakes – don’t give them the opportunity!  All it does is reduce the credibility of you and your business.
5. Be creative, but be authentic.
By all means think a little outside the box when it comes to promoting your products / services but remember one thing: be authentic.  People like to buy from people.  Write from the heart, the more human interest you can inject into your release the better.

For the month of October I have a very special offer running on my site where you can try our services for a much reduced cost, as well as benefitting from discounts until the end of 2011!  To find out more then click here http://bit.ly/ltoffer

Wow, that’s very useful Louise, and I know there are quite a few ladies in WiRE who  I am sure will benefit from this particular blog posts as often we can all get overwhelmed especially with Social Media, and the  instant access of the Internet with so many activities to do that we often forget just how powerful Press Releases can be, don’t we? Of course, someone might still network with you, via Twitter, your blog, your website or even your facebook fanpage, but still, Press Releases do work and once you have once sorted they do not take too much time, money or effort.

Any further questions for Louise, then she can be found on facebook at: http://bit.ly/ltedsvs

Go for it ladies, I look forward to hearing how you have got on with them and as always, I welcome any questions you might have at: carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxx

Dear WiRE ladies,

Outsourcing help, PR tips for small business

I trust you are well and working towards some inspiring, big business goals which help you to feel that you are doing something meaningful with your business, but ladies are you keeping yourself and your business a secret and trying to do everything?  If so, then Louise Thornton’s second of three blog posts will help you to look at this more strategically, and start to create a plan which helps you to maximise your time, your skills and to get your business’s name out there into the wider world! Right, now over to Louise….

When you begin working for yourself, the temptation is to work all the hours you can which inevitably means things like seeing friends / family fall by the wayside.  Yet, it is incredibly important to try and strike a happy balance between work and family as far as possible.  No-one appreciates being neglected!
 
However, if you don’t have the budget to outsource projects / tasks from the outset then you need to be particularly tough and focus your time on the tasks that are important and leave the less important tasks to one side until you have time to deal with them.
 
If you need additional help but have a small budget, then one option available to you is to hire a Virtual Assistant.  The beauty of this service is that it is usually completely flexible meaning that you only pay for the hours that you need.  Search online and ensure you pick someone you can work effectively with – there are plenty to choose from.
 
Alternatively, if you have absolutely zero budget for any outside help then something you could consider is a bartering system where you ‘swop’ your skills.  Providing there is trust between both parties then this can be a really good option.
 
Raising the profile of your business is essential for building credibility and awareness of your product / service.  The beauty of public relations is that it is (usually) completely free and once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to incorporate it into your regular marketing strategy.
 
There are many areas that public relations cover – it is no longer the domain of printed media only.  If you properly distribute and tag your press release it can live on indefinitely on the internet and be picked up by a variety of sources including media, bloggers and social media. 
Given that the internet is such a huge presence in our everyday lives it makes much more sense to ensure that you optimise every press release for maximum coverage!
 
Tips to get your press release noticed
 
1.       Planning is key – have the outcome you want in mind as you write.
2.       Know your target audience and distribute to relevant publications.
3.       Post your press releases on your blog / social media pages – viral traffic is good.
4.       You are more likely to get editorial coverage if you offer something for the reader – this could just be specialist advice, not necessarily a product.
5.       Be consistent – issue press releases regularly.

Louise would love to hear from you ladies, with your questions:  info@louisethornton.co.uk

I trust this blog is useful for you ladies, I know it is so easy to feel and think that you have to do everything and especially when your business is like ‘ your baby,’ it can be a little uncomfortable at first, I completely understand but keep going with it and trial out different strategies. Consider, just because you can, does not mean to say you should do something! I know recently, for me, I have been  looking for a Head Coach for my Chocolate Rehab Coaching Programme for 2011, as I have other things that I intend to be doing, and as if by magic,  I have found a lovely lady to do it, which does feel a bit strange but this strangeness is far, far outweighed by the relief of knowing that I do not have to do it! Yep really.

I look forward as ever to your feedback and questions at: carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com

Until next time,  I wish you every success in your endeavours

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxxx

Dear WiRE ladies,

Small business support for women in business

I wonder if you are like me planning for Xmas already and looking to plan your business activities to be successful. Well, I have now persuaded Louise Thornton ( www.louisethornton.co.uk) to give your her top tips to help you to do just that. She will be offering her personal business story as well as a few tips in her field of expertise namely: editing, copywriting and PR, for free, which I am sure you will find both inspiring and useful!

As, always I would love to hear your feedback regarding these postings, and any suggestions you might have for future postings. I am thrilled to let you know that I have a wonderful Yoga and relaxation expert who is lined up for next week, for a series of three posts, and quite a few more women in business too, to help you to become even more successful in your rural enterprises no matter what you are selling and no matter what stage in your business you are at.

 Okeydokie ladies, over to the lovely Aberdeenshire  entrepreneur, Louise Thornton!

 When I started my business it was out of necessity. Last October I was made redundant from my job and the economic conditions at the time meant that there was little chance of obtaining similar employment in my area. I also needed the flexibility of being able to work from home – particularly when my daughter was on holiday / ill.

Being both a woman and a mother has probably made me better at what I do – I can work flexibly and this translates into benefitting other working mums as I can easily schedule meetings for early evenings / weekends to fit around everyone’s commitments. The downside of this is that it can be easy to lose track of the hours that you’re working.

 I’m now a bit more focussed on that and keep a running total – if it looks like it’s getting out of hand then I’ll make adjustments. I do what I do mainly because I love to write, I love to see my words help other businesses gain results and also because I think that if you truly do what you love then your job satisfaction is immense, it almost stops feeling like work.

There are plenty of challenges though! One has been breaking the perception that my service will cost the earth and that I’ll charge in line with big agencies. Marketing consistently and developing my own ‘brand’ has also been a challenge – it’s very easy when you start up to want to be all things to all people and you can end up spreading yourself (and your talents) too thinly. However, for every challenge there has been at least one success.

 From a networking point of view, working for yourself forces you to get out there and I’m steadily building a quality network of other business people. Also, having the flexibility to choose my own hours means it’s easy to fit work commitments around my daughter. One thing I would recommend is finding a good support network.

When I started I did everything myself. Now, I have a VA to pick up the phone / answer emails when I can’t manage or I’m really busy and I also have a book keeper to take care of my accounts. It is definitely possible to fit working for yourself alongside your family commitments. Do your research, be realistic about what you can do and take the step into the unknown – you might just surprise yourself!

I trust you find value in this post and are looking forward, as I am, to Louise’s next post!

Until next time,

Any questions do not hesistate to email : carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com- remember no question too blonde!

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxx

Dear WiRE ladies,

Help for women in business..

It’s the start of the term, for many, and often the renewal of a business idea , and indeed start of a business for others in the lead up to Christmas.  For me, I am about to launch the Blonde Marketing Goddess fully, and I must confess that I  have been struggling rather a lot on what to charge.

I happened to chat to Donna recently about this and she came up with the following helpful tools below which I trust will help you ladies as much as it has helped me!  I am sure there are some of you out there who are starting out and are having problems setting your rates and also some of you out there who are already established but have been considering raising your rates in line with your experience, if so here are a couple of marvelous tools to help to to gain crystal clarity on your fees, honouring your skill set and your clients and potential clients

First over to Donna who is going to tell you her story about charging, so that you can understand where she is coming from. Over to you Donna…

Donnaonthebeach:

I have felt the same way – I really struggled with charging for my services when I first started. In my case there were 3 things going on: my confidence in myself, my confidence in my service, and my belief that taking money for services was somehow wrong or slimy. As my confidence in me and what I did grew (partly from doing a great job for low/no cost) it got easier…but there was still that belief that taking money for services was a bit dirty. But when I pay for a coach, or a CD, or some clothes, I don’t feel that it’s dirty at all. I love spending money! I don’t expect other people to work for free. When they do I am so grateful…and then there comes a point where I feel uncomfortable not paying, so why wouldn’t they feel the same?

Unsurprisingly, when I was uncomfortable charging, I attracted people who were uncomfortable paying me! Lol. Now I rarely come across these people – and when I do, I don’t take it to mean I am not worth paying for, I give them what feels comfortable to me and I am clear that if they want more, they will have to pay for it. My experience has also been that when people don’t pay or underpay, they don’t get the same from it than if they make the financial commitment.

So, that’s my story! My first suggestion is to figure out what’s going on underneath – the whys behind the discomfort about charging. Then work on moving those whys forwards so you can feel great about charging for your service. 
 
Pick a number, any number
 
Putting an actual figure on your services or products can be tough – there’s all the advice out there about “charging what you’re worth”, “Sell low, sell lots”, “Price it right”, “imagine the VALUE of what you are selling if they use it to it’s full advantage”…and as usual, all the advice is conflicting and ends up confusing us more!  Lol.  Don’t get me wrong, all these pieces of advice ARE useful to consider in your decision making BUT they are not critical.  What is critical is what you KNOW inside.  You know what price feels right for you.  The only piece of advice I think is absolutely correct is “be able to stand behind your prices”.  This does not mean charging a ridiculously low price and undervaluing your product or service.  It means getting really comfortable with what you charge.  And one last thing to consider:  clients will pay more than you think when they really want something.  Don’t fall into the trap women often fall into of patronising your client – if we women can pay £100 for a pair of shoes, we can pay for other products and services.  This is not to fleece your customers dry, but to trust in their ability to pay for the things they want – a very empowering viewpoint.  I once did a ‘pay what you want’ promotion for my coaching services – MOST people paid ‘just’ under my normal fees – no one really took advantage of the offer to pay a ridiculously low price!
 
Here’s a couple of exercises to try:

To find the “right price” for you.   What is the maximum price you think you could charge for your product/service?  What is the minimum price?  Double your maximum and start playing with the figures.  Try £1, £200, £46, £73, £102.50 – just play around with what you could charge.  What figures are jumping out at you?  (this is an intuitive ‘jump out’, not a logical one!)  Take the 3 figures that are ‘jumping out’ and write them down on a piece of paper.  Leave the piece of paper overnight, then look at it again in the morning.  One of the figures will jump out at you as ‘the right price’ for YOU.  (If it feels a little high, don’t worry, the next exercise will sort that out!)  If no figure ‘jumps out’, play again with the figures and repeat the exercise.  Let it be easy, let it be fun.  You can always change the price later if it’s not working.  Be willing to make a mistake…and be willing to trust your intuitive knowing!!! 

Getting comfortable with your price.  This is great fun!  Take the price you have decided to charge and multiply it by 10.  Now practice saying “My product/service costs £x10”.  For example, if your product/service is £100, you would say “My product/service is £1000”.  If you can get a friend to play along with you, get them to ask “How much?”  and you reply “£1000”.  When you are next talking to a “real” client, you will feel that your £100 product or service is fantastic value and this will come across!!!  If you cannot stand behind your pricing, your customers will sense that and will assume it’s not worth what you’re charging.  Many of my female clients undercharge outrageously and STILL feel they’re charging too much!
 
You can always change your pricing, so for me the most important piece of advice I can give anyone worrying about setting a price is:  RELAX!  Pick a number and run with it.  If it doesn’t work, change it!  Most of the time, your price revisions will be upwards which gives you a great marketing opportunity:  “My prices are going up in January 2011 by 300% – get it now or pay more later!” (by the way, be authentic with this – do put your prices up!).  If you feel the need to revise your prices down, have a ‘sale’!  Again, a great marketing opportunity.  Who doesn’t love a bargain?!  Trust yourself.  You know what price to charge.  Get comfortable with it, and get that amazing product/service of yours out there for the people who need you to buy!

Ladies I trust that you found value in this post by Donna ( www.donnaonthebeach.co.uk) who I met in person again yesterday, such a lovely lady who was every bit as inspiring and lovely in person as when I spoke to her last week, which is always reassuring isn’t it!

Do let me know if you have any questions or any issues you would like me to look at here on this blog regarding marketing  to women and chocolate addiction – email me: carrie@chocolaterehab.com

Wishing you every success with whatever you set your heart on in your business and life, you can do whatever it is you desire, you really can!

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxxx

Dear WiRE Ladies,

How to successfully market to women using silliness!!

On my way home from shopping today I saw the new Nationwide ads, at my local Bromsgrove branch and they made me laugh out loud featuring Matt Lucas and David Walliams.  This  made me think about how marketing can be funny, and well silly J  Take a look here: www.nationwide.co.uk

Bring on the silly!

Women are so used to being  so responsible for pretty much everyone,  that encouraging a  more light-hearted connection with them is more likely to get them to take notice of you! This works like a dream in social networking, and it can in other ways too.

Let’s look at a national example of silliness, of this courtesy of their  ‘daily giggle.’

Consider how funny  the Maltesers  ads are, as they promote their chocolate as ‘the lighter way to enjoy chocolate!’  This is very clever as they use both silliness and they use their low calorie amount to promote their lightness, so then you have to, ‘find new ways to be naughty,’ hence the ads.  

Here are two of their ads:

1.      This is the shrinking trouser one, remember?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beJzxaYzUqk&NR=1

And this one is the office scene where the one lady lifts up her shirt!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPKIixluNzk&NR=1

I know they make me chuckle and  thousands of other women  too.  Also, I am sure that their sales must have rocketed as a result!!!!!!!

Here’s a  regional example of silliness:

A local Bra company in Bromsgrove in Worcestershire,  2^nd Skin Lingerie, recently attempted a world Conga record wearing bras.  I have no doubt that the connections made, and the coverage that they received, from this will result in a big leap in future customers and  PR for them! It is a perfect example of bringing on the silly and weaving it very cleverly into becoming more successful in your business.  Do check them out on facebook.

A personal example of silliness:

For me, just having the word ‘blonde,’ in my business title, first off makes people laugh and secondly it adds a human touch and  is quite a leveller, so straight away I build rapport with them before anything has happenedJ And as for ‘Chocolate Rehab,’ chocoholics both laugh and cry J J J

Q: What can you do ladies, even if as a one-off experiment in ‘bringing on the silly,’ to connect with your market?

Can you do a funny fundraising event? Can you tweak a product or service’s marketing campaign bringing in a lighter, more fun element to the picture around it and the words I wonder? I am sure you can.

I would be very interested in hearing how you get on with this and love to hear about your successes.

Think about it , when we have fun, when we laugh and  when are silly our guards are down and we are more likely to be ourselves, away from the stress that often can come with running a business as well as into the favourite part of women’s lives which is RELATIONSHIPS!!!

 Remember, me saying that for women it’s about relationships first and business second? Aha, so you can see how bringing on the silly can help you to powerfully build successful relationships with people, and consequently build a more successful business  J

Okeydoke, now for the ‘Chocolatey Section:’

STEP THREE OF THE 12 Step Chocolate Rehab Programme.

 So, by now you have admitted you are addicted to chocolate even if to yourself and you have also gained clarity in your journal as to why you are so addicted to chocolate, so it’s time to go to Step three, but before I do, let me address a common journaling question.

Carrie, why is it  important to write down things in a journal?

Well, the simple answer is that when you write something down something magical happens, and it helps you to take what you write more seriously when you transfer your thoughts and feelings to paper.

STEP THREE: WHY now Chocolate Rehab?

Grab your journals ladies,  as now you need to write down your ‘Choco-story,’ namely I would like you to build on the previous step, and write down in as much detail as possible why you are ready to now overcome your addiction to chocolate.  The more you can write about this the more motivation and encouragement you will have to keep you going when the Chocolate Rehab gets a little tough and challenging which it inevitably will, as it can be a little painful as we grow and let go of stuff that no longer serves us.

A great question here to draw upon is Dr Phil’s who says: ‘ What is ( ie your addiction to chocolate ) costing you?

For me, my own addiction to chocolate was like a substitute boyfriend, and it allowed me to hide myself away on so many different levels from intimate relationships , my bank balance, to my abilities , my social life, and my friendships, well pretty much every aspect of my life, much to my surprise! Yes really.

I appreciate that your addiction to chocolate may not be as dramatic as mine, or might be even more dramatic and also might be costing you in different ways, which is absolutely fine! Just write down what feels right for you, and in as much detail as possible.

Again, ladies I would love to hear how you get on with the above, both the’ bring on the silly’ and Chocolate Rehab Step Three.

Any marketing questions email me: brainyblondbusiness@gmail.com

Any Chocolatey questions: carrie@chocolaterehab.com

Bring on the silly!!!

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsx