Your children may be off to school for the first time this autumn, or perhaps they’re already well into their school years: either way you might be one of the mums currently thinking about what to do now the dependents are becoming less dependent. More and more mothers are thinking of starting their own business, each for their own reasons: they’d like to work from home; need flexible hours because of childcare restraints; desire a different experience to being an employee; have always wanted to be self-employed; or have an excellent idea for a business inspired by parenting and the parenting community.

Whatever the reason, it’s understandable to be a little overwhelmed at the prospect of setting up your business after time out from work. Even returning to your old workplace as an employee would be daunting enough! Your experiences as a mother, however, can actually help make the transition back to work a smoother one and can be of particular use in starting your own business.

We shouldn’t underestimate the value that our motherhood experiences can bring to other arenas, including business. The transferable skills you develop as a parent are no different in variety or value to the type of skills that can be acquired during other key stages of your life, such as getting married or starting that first job. Being a SAHM is, after all, one of the biggest challenges there is.

So how exactly can being a SAHM help you become a WAHM? Well, for a start, successfully looking after your children involves continuous multi-tasking, managing your energy levels and maintaining a laser focus, not to mention clear goal setting, calmness in the face of emergencies and the ability to think outside the box.

It’s really not a stretch to see how all of these skills are vital in the context of starting your own business and dealing with the pressures of being your own boss for the first time.

In an ideal world, you would be equally expert in all the above competencies. In the real world, no one can expect to be. Before looking at how you can transfer SAHM skills to business, you must first identify which of these skills are particularly prominent in your own unique skills set. Here are a few suggestions for doing this.

1. Take time out to think about which new skills you’ve developed. Try making a list of actions you take during the week and then listing the skills you use to do them. Consider the settings, pressures and essential outcomes. What did you do, why did you do it and what was the result? In what aspect of your start-up could these actions be of value?

2. Think about which skills you’re using whilst you’re actually using them, then consider how they could be used in business. For example, the next time you’re making up a bedtime story with your child, acknowledge the fact that this takes imagination and communication skills, which can be converted into innovative leadership and successful networking.

3. Get feedback from others around you, as they will have seen how you’ve developed as a mother and how parenting has added to your capabilities.

Once you have an idea of the transferable skills you’ve developed through parenting, you can set about using them to go from a mum to a mumpreneur. Here are a few ideas for doing so.

* Creatively use your parenting experiences to sell yourself to prospective business partners and customers. Explain to them how your parenting abilities will benefit your venture. For instance, as a parent you will have learnt to organise your finances in a way that acknowledges it’s no longer just about you, or you and your partner. Having to take dependents into account when you’re doing your own accounts will work in your favour as you start learning to balance your business’ books.

* Before really getting the ball rolling with your start-up, consider seeking out voluntary opportunities where you can test out your newfound skills in a context away from the family. Get involved with a charity or offer to do pro bono work for those you know. Getting leadership and/or project management training is also an option.

* Feedback from others can again play its part. Get suggestions on how your particular parenting skills can benefit your particular business from those who know you well. You could also consider consulting a career guide. There are many good quality career guidance services that not only help people in ‘employee’ roles, but also those who are self-employed or considering self-employment.

If you’re looking for career or business guidance once school’s back in, but you don’t want to commit to anything long-term, the Mums 2 Work Workshops could be for you. Launching in London this autumn, each one-off workshop is designed to help mums whether they’re seeking a return to employment, considering mumpreneurship, or have no idea what they want to do.

Each workshop will be run by Nathalie Ross Metcalf, a Position Ignition Career Guide who herself has experience of establishing a business as a mum to two small children.

To find out more about the workshops and the optional follow-up one-to-one counselling sessions, click here, call Nathalie on 07759 465237  or email her on nathalie@positionignition.com

However you go about it, remember that both returning to work after a break and starting a business are major life events that take a lot of effort. Combining the two things requires patience and realism, but it’s not impossible. Don’t be too hard on yourself, ask for help when you need it, and know that it’ll be worth it once you’re a fully-fledged mum in business!

By the Position Ignition Career Guides. Position Ignition is a modern day careers advisory firm for professionals offering help around careers, transition and personal & professional development. W: www.positionignition.com Blog: www.positionignition.com/blog

Popularity: 3% [?]

As a mum you might feel you have enough to keep your eye on without having to worry about credit card bills, but as a mum in business there may be benefits to using a business credit card.

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of using a company credit card.

The pros:

Keeping track

If there’s one thing that mums are good at its keeping track of things. Whether it’s the children’s school schedules and homework, or the family’s spending, it usually falls to mum to make sure everything runs like clockwork.

Business credit cards can take some of the hassle out of record-keeping when it comes to outgoings.

You receive a monthly business expense report so that you can keep track of what’s going out and where it’s going.

Measuring your success

In a way, the records collected from your spending on a business credit card can give some indication of your success.

As your business credit score grows you will more credible in the eyes of lenders and, potentially, investors.

Building trust

When running your own business, company credit cards can help you build a level of trust with your employees, if you have any.

They allow staff to buy items and services they need for work without having to meet the cost themselves and then submit an expenses claim.

It potentially saves you some paperwork and can be seen as a mark of trust in your employees, as well as making it easier to keep track of spending.

‘Mum’ and ‘Boss’ are separate jobs!

Business credit doesn’t affect your personal credit score, so when you use a business credit card, it does not put your personal score in jeopardy.

The cons:

Don’t mix business and pleasure

Just as with a personal credit card, it can be tempting to spend more than you should with a business credit card, and it could also be tempting to make personal purchases on the business card, before trying to justify them as a business expense, so it’s important to be careful.

Trust works both ways

If you do have employees, and you do give them permission to use your business card, then they will feel trusted and valued, but there is always the risk that an employee will misuse the card, so you would need to be careful about who you allow to use it.

Costs

Some business credit cards are free, but some can charge anything up to £80. If you are a particularly small business, this might not be a viable expense for you.

The alternatives

Business loans

With the downturn in the economy in recent years, it has become harder for small firms to get hold of loans. As a result many more have used business credit cards to temporarily finance their operations.

The bank pays, you pay or pre-pay

Small and medium-sized businesses can request an overdraft from their bank, or use pre-paid cards to allow their staff to make corporate purchases.

The other option of course, is that individual employees pay using their own credit or debit cards and then submit an expenses form to recover the costs.

Mark Hooson writes for the financial team at Moneysupermarket.com about credit cards and consumer issues.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Until recently, the Intellectual Property Office (“IPO”) would refuse to register a trademark application if a search of the trademark register revealed a trademark that was conflicting or very similar to the trademark being applied for. Now, the IPO does not carry out such a search and will only refuse to register a trademark if the holder of the earlier trademark successfully opposes the application.

The IPO publishes the trademark being applied for in its online journal and an objector has 2 months from the date of publishing to challenge the application. This period may be extended to 3 months if a challenger files a notice of threatened opposition within the initial 2 months.

It is therefore more important than ever for trademark owners to monitor applications for trademarks to ensure that their businesses’ goodwill and reputation is properly protected.

You can view the ICO online journal at the webpage at the following address:

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-os/t-tmj/journals/6831/domestic/t-tmj-domestic-6831.html

Lawyers4mumpreneurs is a new legal practice established to focus on mumpreneurs’ needs. We cover the full range of business law services and have over 12 years’ experience at the highest level in providing such services. Our aim is to provide mumpreneurs with a top quality, approachable and flexible service that most importantly is affordable. See details of our experience, clients and testimonials at www.lawyers4mumpreneurs.com 

Popularity: 4% [?]

Are you looking forward to the summer holidays or dreading them? However you feel you can’t escape that they are now upon us. As we embark on the holidays I’m actually really looking forward to a break from the school run routine – but I know that a week or so in I may be longing for some structure and routine back in our lives!

However this year I will be reminding myself that, come September, my youngest will be starting preschool so I really am on the home straight in terms of reclaiming some me-time. But to help me, I’ve come up with my holiday manifesto – the things I publicly pledge to do over the next 6 weeks, to ensure we ALL have a harmonious and enjoyable holiday.

1. Fill in a weekly planner – so the kids can see visually what we have planned for the week, and whether we have a busy day or a quiet day – and so I can see when I have an evening out planned (for my own sanity!)
2. Plan to have at least 1 friend round to play each week or visit 1 friend at their house (so my house isn’t always the one trashed!)
3. Not get stressed out about the mess & the arguing
4. Sort through kids toys and recycle them or put aside for an autumn car boot
5. Get back into the habit of reading (for pleasure and to crack on with my To Read list)
6. Not get sucked into the hype of kids birthday parties & keep eldest’s party simple & traditional
7. Get outside as much as the weather allows, in the garden or at the park
8. Switch off completely from work when we go away for the week as a family
9. Try not to get stressed when potty training my youngest (this could be tricky!)
10. Let the kids have some late nights in the hope that may result in some lie-ins!
11. Try not to feel guilty (about anything!)
12. ENJOY having the children at home

If you fancy having a go yourself then feel free. And just to make things a bit more fun I’m going to tag a few fellow businessmums and ask them to come up with their lists – in the hope that just thinking about it and writing it down might help make it happen. So over to you: Natalie Lue, Kate Griffiths, Amanda Farren, Naomi Richards and Nicki Cawood - what are your Holiday Manifestos?

Popularity: 10% [?]

In this post our blog PR expert Lesley Singleton talks about the importance of good quality photographs for your PR campaigns.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words, yet I’m often surprised at the high number of businesses placing photography so far down on their list of priorities when it comes to running a PR campaign.

It’s not just that business owners don’t always see photography as a priority; it’s that they tend not to realise the impact a decent, professional image can make. Recently, I requested a shot from a client to illustrate a news story their local newspaper wanted to run… I was emailed a grainy, blurred, photograph which, it later turned out, had been taken on a mobile phone. Needless to say, we lost the coverage as well as the kudos with that particular journalist.

A good quality, high res shot can really make the difference. In some cases, it can be the deciding factor in whether a story runs or not. In others, it can help double the amount of space your feature actually gets. You never see a full page of a magazine dedicated to text, but you will see great product images being splashed across glossy spreads.

Regional newspapers in particular are crying out for great images, so make your news stand out from the hundreds of stories they receive every day by offering them an accompanying shot. Here are a few dos and don’ts to help you before you embark on a new media relations campaign: 

• Before you attempt to launch your product, service or news, DO think about how much of the story can be told with a picture
• DO try to be original – what new ‘spin’ can you put on that image? If it’s a new product, aim to show off the item ‘in use’, but don’t forget that some publications will want straight cut-out product shots too (which could also be useful for your own website, brochures etc.)
• If your story is about people (new appointments, the people behind a new local business etc.) DO aim for a selection of poses which reflect the story and brand – DON’T go for suits and formal if that’s not what you’re about; show-off who you are, what you do!
• DON’T expect a picture crammed with logos to grab the imagination of the picture editors – they’re looking for legitimate shots to compliment editorial content
• DO invest in a professional. No matter how good your camera is, or how great that evening class was, there’s no substitute for a professionally executed photo shoot. With a clear brief and direction from you or your PR representative, a good photographer will get you exactly the set of shots you need, in the formats preferred by the media
• Once you have your images, DON’T send them out unsolicited to journalists! Always pitch the story (or have your PR pitch it) first, then offer the images as journalists hate having their inboxes clogged with large attachments they haven’t asked for
• DO find out the technical requirements of the publications you’re pitching to – a good rule of thumb is 300dpi minimum, jpeg file, usually around 1-2mb in size

If there are specific publications or website you want to see your story in, one of the best things you can do is flick through a few copies, look at the style of images they use and have your shots tailored to match their look and feel. It’s always worth creating specific shots for specific magazines to ensure your efforts really stand out against your less-slick competitors.

To find out how Lesley can help you with your PR, please visit www.lsmedia.co.uk or email Lesley@lsmedia.co.uk

Popularity: 10% [?]

I was inspired to write this post after some pretty heated debate concerning the merits of two online parenting forums, Netmums versus Mumsnet. One blogger started the ball rolling, looking at the class divide between the two along with her own negative experience, which generated much debate in the comments section. There then followed a conversation on Mumsnet about the aforementioned blogpost. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions as to which side of the fence you belong. What struck me was how quickly this ‘debate’ became quite agressive and personal, with participants generally coming down on one side or the other.

However, this ‘tribal’ behaviour is nothing new. The world is split into endless groups and sub-groups. Most human beings seem to need to belong to some form of tribe – whether it be a religion, football club, political party, online social forum, pub, networking group – the list goes on. We seem to need to put a stake in the ground somewhere and announce to the world ‘This is what I believe, this is where I belong’.

And this is fine. Until we start to attack and negate other people’s choices (although often I feel this is done when people are wanting to reassure themselves of the choice they have made rather than convert anyone else). And until this blind allegiance starts to make the world in which we live a very small and narrow place.

All too often I think people will settle for the first tribe they feel accepted in, whether or not it is actually the right one for them. There can be such a relief in feeling accepted or wanted, that we are all too happy to end the search and stand still. There then develops a sense of loyalty, a need to defend – and sometimes to attack anything we see as a threat.

Maybe you have slipped into a tribal comfort zone. Maybe it’s Twitter,  the blogosphere? Maybe it’s your networking group? Maybe it’s something much bigger, and more deep-rooted. If so, why not dip your toe in the water and try something new? It’s great to feel accepted, to be a big fish in a small, comfortable pond but it’s a big wide world out there. If you let one tribe define you, you are only limiting yourself.

And don’t feel disloyal. You should check, from time to time, that your loyalty has not been misplaced – and that you are still getting ‘value for money’ from your allegiance. You may be pleasantly surprised, and find somewhere, outside your comfort zone, where you feel even more at home. But if not, at least you’ll have the reassurance of knowing that actually you are right where you need to be.

Do you feel your loyalty to a group has ever held you back? Or does the comfort of your chosen ‘tribe’ help you more than it hinders? How important is it for you to feel accepted? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Popularity: 12% [?]

We all knew there would be some hard cuts ahead from the new coalition government as they seek to make good the country’s large deficit.  Supposedly a fair budget, however, it appears to me that most of my Mumpreneur clients will be worse off.

Many of my Mumpreneur clients have one or two children and have their own business, sole trader and limited company, making anything from small losses up to the limits of the basic rate band.  They are typically not VAT registered.  If this definition applies to you, read on for how the budget will affect you in 2011.

Firstly, the good news, which is that the personal allowance will be increased by £1,000 from April 2011.  This means that you will be able to receive an additional £1,000 tax free as long as you are a basic rate taxpayer.  This will save you £170 in 2011/12.   Further good news for Mumpreneur directors is that the proposed increase in corporation tax for small companies has been scrapped and a 1% reduction has been proposed, meaning that your profits will be taxed at 20%, not the formerly proposed 22%.  If your profits are £10,000 this will save you £200.

However, the reduced eligibility for tax credits will affect many of my Mumpreneur clients who have a combined income of more than the proposed £40k limit.  The further bad news regarding tax credits is that it is proposed that this limit be brought down further over coming years meaning that many of my Mumpreneur clients and their families will cease to be eligible.  The child element is set to increase by £150 for less well-off families, but so far this has not been defined.  Child Benefit will be frozen for the next 3 years which will cost my Mumpreneur clients with one child around £50 per annum. 

But the biggest impact on all of us will be the rise in VAT to 20% from January 2011.  Estimates vary on this, but it is expected to cost the typical family around £500 a year.  However, let’s consider how it will affect non-VAT registered Mumpreneurs’ businesses.  Say you currently spend £1,500 a year on your business stationery, computer equipment, software, etc, under the new VAT rate this will actually cost you £1,532.  It will be as if everything you buy has gone up in price by 2%.  If you buy a large amount of stock for your business, such as retail, the impact on your business will be even greater, and all Mumpreneurs should plan for this VAT rise as far as they can in the following ways:

1. Plan your purchases carefully towards the end of 2010 to make sure you buy high value/volume products before the VAT increase.
2. Consider how the increase in VAT will affect your business and whether you can pass on some of the extra costs to your clients by increasing your prices.
3. As a last resort, and don’t let the tax tail wag the common sense dog, consider registering for VAT.  This should only be considered if most of your customers are VAT registered as the impact of your VAT inclusive prices will not cost them any extra.  However, if most of your customers are non-VAT registered, the fact that you are not could put you at a competitive advantage in 2011/12 as your VAT registered competitors become more expensive.

If you would like any advice in this area or any other areas of accounting or tax, please contact me on 01767 260282 or amy@tayloraccountancy.net, www.tayloraccountancy.net.

Amy Taylor Accountancy takes every care in preparing material to ensure that the content is accurate and up to date.  However no responsibility for loss to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of this material can be accepted by Amy Taylor Accountancy You should always ask your accountant to give you specific advice which is tailored to your personal and business circumstances and properly implemented.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Online social network for homeworkers Enterprise Nation is giving £100 to 100 businesses and would-be businesses for their “good ideas”. The competition, in association with PayPal, is asking its members how they’d spend the money on their ventures, awarding £10,000 in all.

Ideas 101 in association with PayPal launches today and asks, “if we gave you £100, how would you spend it?” And the question’s not hypothetical! PayPal and Enterprise Nation are giving £100 to 100 of its members with the best business ideas. The money can be spent on anything from training, to equipment or branded t-shirts.

Judging the ideas are Enterprise Nation founder and expert Emma Jones, Enterprise Nation community manager and editor San Sharma and experts at PayPal. The judges are looking for the ideas that best help businesses start or grow online.

Emma Jones says: “When starting out, £100 can be a big help in securing that first customer. And for businesses that are growing, good ideas can cost little but make lots! £100 can make all the difference in starting or growing a business – and hopefully Ideas 101 will get businesses thinking about how.”

Cameron McLean, General Manager of Merchant Services at PayPal adds: “PayPal is delighted to be supporting this competition, which we see as a way of stimulating businesses to think of ideas and then turn them in to action with the funds on offer. I’m confident Ideas 101 will help small business flourish yet further in the UK.”

Enterprise Nation is the largest online community of homeworkers in the UK. As well as introducing homeworkers to one-another in its forum, on Twitter and on Facebook, it shares home business, lifestyle and technology advice on its blog. Enterprise Nation is announcing 20 winners each month in the run up to its annual conference in November, where one will be crowned Home Business Idea of the Year.

To enter Ideas 101, submit your idea and check out terms and conditions, visit http://www.enterprisenation.com/ideas101. For more information on PayPal, please visit https://www.paypal.co.uk

Popularity: 30% [?]

Registering as a sole trader or partnership

You should contact HMRC as soon as you become self-employed on the newly self-employed helpline.  They will ask for some personal details and description of your business.  Following this call, they will issue you with a Unique Taxpayer Reference which can be used by you or your accountant to complete your tax return.  Once HMRC have registered you, you will also be required to start paying Class 2 National Insurance Contributions at £2.40 per week (2010/11 rate). 

Registering your limited company

You will need to register your new limited company with Companies House.  The registration process is outside the scope of this guide, but there is plenty of information on the internet to guide you through incorporation, or your accountant can do it all for you.  Once you have registered at Companies House, they will notify HMRC of the new limited company.  HMRC will then send you a pack containing Corporation Tax forms and New company details forms which you should complete and return to them.

Taxes you pay as a sole trader or partnership

As a sole trader or partner, you will be taxed on the profits you make from your self-employment, and any other income you bring in, for example through employment or savings.  We will come to how we calculate your profits later in this guide, but broadly it is the income you make less the expenses you incur, and does not take into account what money you have or have not taken out of the business.  In a partnership, you would be taxed on your share in the partnership profits.

The good news is that the first £6,475 you earn (2010-11 rate shown) is tax free.  This is known as your personal allowance.  The next amount of income you earn, up to £37,400 (2010-11 rate shown) is taxed at 20%, and anything above that is taxed at 40%.  There are some special rules for high earners (over £100,000), but these are outside the scope of this guide.

Taxes you pay as a limited company

As a limited company, you will be required to pay corporation tax on the profits of the company.  Again, we will come to how we calculate your profits later in this guide, but broadly it is the income you make less the expenses you incur, however, in the case of a limited company, this will also be after deducting any money you take out of the company (excluding dividend payments).

Companies do not have a personal allowance, so tax is payable on all your profits from £0 upwards.  The rate for small companies (with profits under £300k in 2010-11) is 21%.  In addition to this, you will have to pay tax personally on any money you have taken out of the business.  Directors often take a mix of salary and dividends as this is considered to be the most tax effective method of withdrawing funds from a company, and your accountant will be able to advise you on the best amounts to take out. 

If you would like any advice in this area or any other areas of accounting or tax, please contact Amy on 01767 260282 or amy@tayloraccountancy.net, www.tayloraccountancy.net.

Amy Taylor Accountancy takes every care in preparing material to ensure that the content is accurate and up to date.  However no responsibility for loss to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of this material can be accepted by Amy Taylor Accountancy You should always ask your accountant to give you specific advice which is tailored to your personal and business circumstances and properly implemented.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Here our resident Copywriting expert Sam Thewlis explains why your web copy should speak directly to your ideal customer.

Now before you start thinking I am touting for business, I am not talking about my own customers who come to me for (very good and exceedingly reasonably priced) copywriting, but your customers, and I want to ask you one simple question:

Does your website tell them what they need to know?

You are probably thinking “Of course it does. Foolish woman” but why not humour me for a moment. Who is your ideal customer- how old are they, what are they looking for from your business, what information do they need? Now muster your best acting skills and pretend you are your ideal customer and look at your website, your packaging, your product literature through their eyes?

By putting yourself in your customers’ shoes you can see where your copywriting might actually need tweaking and revising. Of course, not every customer will want exactly the same from you, so try and make sure your written information satisfies the following key issues:

1. Tone and style. Business sites need to have a more professional style than, say, a blog, but that doesn’t mean you need to lose your individuality and personal expression. Don’t be tempted to swallow a dictionary for breakfast as you will turn your customers right off. Unless you are selling dictionaries of course.
2. Waffles are for breakfast*. Most of the time customers want to find out the information they need in the shortest time possible- hey, there’s a big world wide web out there to get busy surfing. Endearing as it may be that your brother’s dog’s paw injury was, it is probably going to be excess baggage on your business site.
3. Be clear. Not just with your product descriptions and prices, but also with your terms of business. Is your returns policy easy to understand? Can customers easily calculate any shipping charges? What happens if things go wrong? Answer their questions before they ask them and you’ll be in their good books.

And if anyone out there has an ideal customer who is 30 something, holding firmly on to her baby belly but who is great writer, and wants input, just drop me a line…

 * actually, I prefer potato waffles with beans and sausages on top. But I thought you might prefer belgian ones covered in chocolate, cream and honey.

To find out more information about Sam’s copywriting services please visit her website or email her at sam@samthewlis.co.uk

Popularity: 9% [?]

Do you own the intellectual property in your logo, designs and website content? Are you sure?? Suzanne Dibble of Lawyers4Mumpreneurs explains how to ensure your content and ideas are protected.

A lot of people assume that just because they pay a designer to create designs or a logo or a copywriter to create content, that they therefore automatically own the intellectual property (such as copyright) in that design, logo or content. This is an incorrect assumption. It is only when you have an express assignment of intellectual property right in the works, whether in the designer’s standard terms or in your bespoke contract, that you own the intellectual property.

It is important that you own the intellectual property rights in logos, content and designs as if you don’t, you may be restricted as to how you can use and modify that work. In addition, if at any stage you want to sell your business, a buyer will want to know that you have all the rights to the intellectual property used in your business.

You should therefore always make sure that your contract with your web designer, copywriter or graphic designer contains an express assignment of intellectual property rights. Some designers however, have a policy not to assign intellectual property rights and whether you can persuade them to assign them to you will depend on your negotiating position. Of course, you are always in a stronger position agreeing this upfront, when you are still free to take your business to another designer. If designers won’t assign you the intellectual property rights, then you need to make sure that you have a suitable licence to use the intellectual property for all of your needs. You should ensure that the licence is royalty free, worldwide, perpetual and (where the works are bespoke for you) exclusive.

If you need any advice on this area, a review of a contractor’s standard terms to check that they include a suitable assignment or licence, the drafting of a bespoke contractor agreement or a standalone assignment of intellectual property rights (which can correct the problem after the event if you are still on friendly terms with your designer or content creator), please contact Suzanne Dibble at support@lawyers4mumpreneurs.com.

Lawyers4mumpreneurs is a new legal practice that is passionate about helping women to set up and grow their small businesses. We cover the full range of business law services and have over 12 years’ experience at the highest level in providing such services. Our aim is to provide mumpreneurs with a top quality, approachable and flexible service that most importantly is affordable. See details of our experience, clients and testimonials at http://www.lawyers4mumpreneurs.com.

Popularity: 9% [?]

In this post our blog PR expert Lesley Singleton looks at the ways in which bloggers and PRs can work together and enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship.

My name is Lesley, I am a PR and I want something for free from bloggers. Shock horror! Allow me to explain…

I’ve been working in PR and the media since the late nineties but never have I seen a more dramatic shift in the media landscape than over the past couple of years. Print circulations have fallen, established magazines have closed (Reader’s Digest, anyone?) and the web has never, ever, been more prolific in terms of news and opinion delivery. We no longer just consume the news; we create it, engage with it and dramatically shape other people’s opinions with it.

The purest example of this is blogging. Millions of us blog on an infinite number of topics, there are awards for every variety of blogger, which ultimately act as a clever PR tool to get more people engaging with said blogs. And we’re all consuming multiple blogs each week on topics close to us, on both a personal and business level. When something makes us smile, we blog about it. If something winds us up beyond belief, we blog about it. Our musings instantly reach our tens, hundreds or thousands of devotees… and a good PR campaign cannot afford to ignore such a fast-paced, widespread phenomenon.

But increasingly this seems to be a bone of contention and I’m often shocked by the way some bloggers seem have a ‘closed door’ policy for approaches made to them by PRs. Now, please don’t get me wrong; I know from speaking to many bloggers that there are some less scrupulous PRs out there who don’t do their research and that this is the biggest gripe – top complaints are of cold approaches by someone who hasn’t even read the blog they’re hoping to see their client featured on. I’ve even heard of some PRs not bothering to find out the name of the blog author. As with approaches to any media contact, I find this unacceptable and won’t even attempt to justify it. But I have also spoken to some bloggers who feel that PRs are callous, “only after something for free with nothing in it for me” and it is this I want to discuss further.

Firstly, as a PR, I am looking for something for free. To generalise somewhat, my clients pay me to generate editorial exposure for them – not advertising. How I achieve this means getting creative, thinking laterally and creating news which journalists feel is of enough interest to their readers to subsequently write an article. In turn, journalists are given material, products, prizes, samples and ultimately copy and content to shape accordingly for their readers. It’s no big secret that PRs and journalists have a love-hate relationship but there is an understanding from both sides that a mutually respectful relationship can reap mutual rewards. For me, I feel this should be no different for the PR/blogger union.

There are many things that a PR can offer a blogger in return for some exposure for their client, some of which you may not be aware of:

Review products – a PR can give you access to exciting new products, relevant to your blog/readers/lifestyle, which you can test out. You’ve then got at least one blog post of content for your site… ideal for one of those days when you’re perhaps facing a little writer’s  block

Competition prizes – again, although we tend not to have a cash budget to purchase space, PRs often have access to prize products. So you could run an exacting competition via your blog, giving your loyal readers even more than usual… you can tweet about the competition, promote it on your facebook page etc. and in turn attract new visitors and readers to your blog

Hardcore news and information – perhaps if you regularly blog about a specific issue, such as breastfeeding, a PR with a relevant client will be able to offer you appropriate news, research findings, statistics etc. which would make a really interesting and informative read for your subscribers. Again, this can boost your visitor figures and help you avoid that clichéd blogging pitfall of “me me me”. In addition, if you’re having an off-day on the blogging front, you have some ready-made content which will keep your site fresh, up-to-date and keyword-heavy

Feedback and comment – on occasion, you may be blogging your dismay about a certain product or service. But before you do, wouldn’t it make for a better blog post if you could actually include a response or feedback from someone representing that brand? If your supermarket delivery was below par this week and you intend blogging about it, a simple email to the press office can result in a great response which will make your post more meaningful and possibly less ‘ranty’

And in the spirit of keeping this blog post well-balanced, non-ranty and fair (!), I want to flag up the simple yet golden rule that I feel all PRs should follow (and, in fact, which I think a LOT of PRs already do): READ THE BLOG YOU’RE PITCHING TO. A PR should know the blogger’s name, what they like or dislike and have a clear idea of why their client is relevant and appropriate to this particular blog. They should be aware of what the blogger has written about in the past three months at least and whether they already have an opinion of the client/brand or any competitors.

In return, all I’d ask is for bloggers not to tar us all with the same brush. The vast majority of PRs are talented, targeted, do their research and genuinely feel they have an angle for you. I’m also aware that there are many bloggers who are open to PR pitches and some even have a helpful guide on their site for PRs who wish to pitch to them. Based on a conversation I had recently with a blogger who’d been inundated with PR pitches and felt she couldn’t keep on top of them all, here are a few pointers you may find useful when looking at pitches:

Only reply to the ones you’re interested in: PRs won’t be offended if you don’t reply to say thanks-but-no-thanks (we generally have quite thick skins!) and we understand that your time is as precious as ours

Remember that a good PR will follow-up: if the PR really thinks it’s a good opportunity for you, they will come back to you to see if you’re interested. Take a couple of moments to hear them out and if you still think it’s not for you, just say so. A good PR knows when they’re beat!

Bounce some ideas around: maybe you like the brand or product, but don’t particularly like what the PR is suggesting? Let them know and try brainstorming a few ideas together – you might have a perfect way of weaving the brand into your site that the PR hasn’t considered so turn the pitch around and see if you can get it to work even harder for your blog

Feel flattered!: the mere fact that you’re being pitched to by a PR means that your blog has been noticed and deemed influential and important enough to be featured on a PR plan somewhere

My final piece of advice to bloggers is feel free to say no, but don’t be afraid to say yes. You aren’t selling your soul; you’re simply helping to shape an ongoing relationship which really could be beneficial to you both.

To find out how Lesley can help you with your PR, please visit www.lsmedia.co.uk or email Lesley@lsmedia.co.uk

Popularity: 22% [?]

Guest blog post  from our Inspiration Guru Susan Odev - writer, trainer, performer & co-author of Mum Ultrapreneur.

Last month I was inspired to write by a song by Tina Charles. This month I turn to one of the most famous working mums on the planet  – Madonna. And no I’m not about to launch into a blog filled with terrible Madonna lyrics. No, my beautiful stranger, this material girl can get you into the groove, encourage you to open your heart, express yourself and offer you a ray of light to cherish and live to tell the tale on La isla bonita without falling back on tired tricks like that!

No, this is all about playgrounds. School playgrounds, like the one I deposited my youngest two children in this morning. As I stood with all the other mums watching my darlings chasing each other around and dirtying their crisp clean uniforms, I felt sad.

Not sad that I was there but sad that I wasn’t there for my eldest two. My first born son is now 18 and when he started school I worked full time. At first I waited for him to go in and then ran to catch the train. Flexi-time, in theory allowed me to do that but in reality just meant that I started the day an hour behind my colleagues, wasn’t able to join them for lunch because I could only take half an hour, and worked late to make up the time. A neighbour picked my son up and cared for him until I got back  – rushed, tired and feeling guilty not just for not being there for my son but the backlog of work I hadn’t, despite my very best attempts, managed to get through.

By the time my eldest daughter, now 15, started school my neighbour was taking them to school as well. I, like many women of my generation, believed I could have it all. Then with house prices soaring we had no choice - we had to do it all. At the time I thought  I was doing the right thing but then I fell pregnant again.

Maybe because I was older, maybe it was the idea of dropping three kids off at three different places because the eldest two were at different schools, or maybe because my husband had his own business and things seemed to be more secure, but  I was less easy with the idea of going back to work and played with the notion of becoming my own boss.  I chickened out though and recall going back to meet up with my manager to discuss the terms of my return but, on the journey back felt extremely unwell. At first I put this down to the idea of going back to work but the next day realised I was pregnant again. So the decision was made for me.

There was no way I was putting two children in day care; there was no way I could afford it for starters. So I became self-employed.

I had dabbled with my own freelance work before but I worked part-time or full-time alongside it. Now I was out there, on my own and loving it!

I loved the time I had with my babies. I didn’t bake cakes and make mud pies, I’m not that kind of mummy but I was there to kiss them better when they fell and to cuddle them as they went down for their afternoon nap. And I was there to do the school run with my eldest two.

I was poorer but less tired. Some of the bills weren’t paid on the due date but I felt less guilt. Now they are all at school and I have time to really concentrate on building my business and taking it to the next level. I am working hard but I am there, most days, to drop them at the playground. And most importantly to pick them up.

I may be frozen (sorry I promised no more Madonna tracks), soaked or wind-blasted by the time they are released from their class but the smiles of their little smudged faces as they race towards me melts all the pain away. I didn’t have that with my eldest two until the birth of my 8 year old and I missed so much.

For a brief ten month period I went back to work. I commuted for 2-3 hours each way but as Hubby was between roles I felt it  my duty to get a proper job. I wanted to take the day off to settle my youngest into her first day at school. No, there was no one to cover me. I asked for the afternoon off to see her first school play. No. Same reason. Next day I resigned. And it was the best decision I have ever made.

If you are a mum thinking about whether or not you should return to work or set up on your own I hope you give self-employment real consideration. You will work long, hard hours whichever route you choose but the benefits of chosing your own hours, working on your own terms and being there for your children will far outweight the pros of a regular salary. Being a business mum is not the easy choice but being a working mum isn’t either.

Popularity: 12% [?]

There are two reasons for including a terms of use on your website. Firstly it provides all the information that you are required by law to provide on your website and secondly, it provides your business with important protections. This is outlined in more detail below.

The information that you will need to provide on your website depends on whether you are a sole trader, a partnership, a limited company and/or a member of a regulated provision. There are also some very detailed requirements for what you need to include if you are carrying on e-commerce on your website. This article only deals with websites that are not carrying on e-commerce.

The protections that you should include in your website terms of use include the following:
•   that you provide no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information on the website;
•   that the user’s use of the website is at their own risk;
•   that the user may not reproduce any of your content, designs, look/feel etc without your consent;
•   that you have no responsibility for and do not endorse any linked sites;
•   that if you recommend a third party product or service, you have no liability for that product or service;
•   that a third party can’t link to your website without your consent;
•   to prevent unauthorised access to your website;
•   to prevent disclosure by users to third parties of access security information;
•   to exclude your liability for any third party hacking into your site;
•   to exclude liability for a third party posting illegal or defamatory content on your site;
•   to exclude liability for any advice given on your website.

A privacy policy outlines your practice on the collection, storage and use of personal data. You need a privacy policy if you collect any type of data from your users.

You must comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2426) (“Regulations”) (it can be a criminal offence not to do so) and a privacy policy helps you to comply with your obligation under the first data protection principle to process data only for “specified” purposes and to provide information regarding processing at the time when you collect the data.

A privacy policy is also a useful tool to obtain implied consents from the user for (i) using cookies and (ii) receiving direct marketing (which you are required to do under the Regulations). Note however that implied consent will not be sufficient for processing sensitive personal data such as ethnic origin, sexual orientation, political opinions, religious beliefs etc. when you must always obtain express consent for processing.

Finally, as well as helping to ensure compliance with the various requirements of data protection legislation, a privacy policy can also serve a useful marketing function by reassuring customers who input their personal data onto your website that their personal data will be used responsibly and kept secure.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published a Good Practice Note for website operators on the data protection aspects of collecting personal data and all good privacy policies should incorporate this.

Privacy policies are not specifically required under data protection law, but they can help to ensure compliance with a number of its provisions. Failure to comply can, in certain cases, lead to criminal sanctions (with directors and other company officers potentially facing personal liability) and liability for damages, not to mention negative publicity.

Lawyers4mumpreneurs is a new legal practice established by award winning ex City lawyer Suzanne Dibble to focus on mumpreneurs’ needs. “I really understand your requirements in being a mumpreneur – I’m someone who can speak your language, understand your pressures, work flexibly around your working patterns and provide top quality affordable legal advice and business solutions. I am one of the few (if not only!) lawyers who specialises in mumpreneur businesses and I have an indepth knowledge of the types of issues that are likely to be important to you. Moreover, I have a real interest in your business and in helping you to make it a huge success! ”  We cover the full range of business law services, so if for example you need standard terms and conditions drafting, advice on contracts with suppliers or trademark protection, we can help you. Our aim is to provide mumpreneurs with a practical, approachable, flexible service that most importantly is affordable. See details of our experience, clients and testimonials at www.lawyers4mumpreneurs.com.

Popularity: 10% [?]

There are points of everybody’s life which seem to be more significant or marked than others. There are also times of extremes – whether that is absolute quiet and calm or frantic activity and chaos. A business is no different. There are times when everything is going well and according to plan, quieter times and busier times……but there can also be a time when it feels like somebody has just pressed the spin cycle button!

Several different things have happened recently and the combined effect has been quite an experience….and has certainly caused some sleepless nights, some conversations which have ended with more questions than answers and some big decisions to be made.

But the key word that has come from all of this is FOCUS!

Focus at all times on what YOUR goals are. This may seem very obvious, but it is remarkably easy to be side tracked. As your business grows and changes other people will start to ask you to collaborate on projects, or ask you to help or get involved. Whilst this can be very flattering and potentially exciting and offer up new experiences, it may distract you from your goal. Whilst goals and business plans need to be flexible and reviewed, ensure that any new opportunities that involve a new direction still end up at your planned destination.

Recognise your true worth. This is quite a tricky one.  At the start of a business you often are fighting your corner, promoting yourself as much as possible, grabbing all opportunities to climb the ladder to recognition and gain a market share. However, this can gradually change and you need to be alert to that. Often other people can recognise your ‘value’ before you do, and will look at ways to exploit this for their own purpose. Once you start to be approached by other people it is a true sign that you have something of value to others, and you must start to put a value on that. Whilst you may have had many motivations for starting your business you do need to focus on the financial aspects as well. 

Focus on the bigger picture.  Most businesses start small, as a business owner you do everything for your business. It is very easy to become lost in the day to day and smaller stuff, and not focused enough on the bigger picture, the end result.  As the business grows make sure your focus grows with it and learn to distance yourself from the details and delegate out tasks like bookkeeping and admin that can be contracted out. Rather than being the ‘jack of all trades’ you had to be in the beginning your energy can go into planning the direction and growth of the business, and co-ordinating all the people who then make that happen.

Has your business come to a crossroads? Have you had difficult decisions to make? Are you guilty of being distracted by other opportunities? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Today’s guest blog is written by Elaine Boddy, a personal image consultant from Green and Brown.

As I write this, the sun is out and has been blessing us with it’s presence for a few days now, so let’s hope that this is it, spring and summer really are round the corner and we can finally leave the house without a thick coat!

Sunshine is a wonderful thing, it makes us feel so much lighter and happier, just looking out of the window can bring a smile to our faces. And, where wardrobes are concerned, we start to feel more colourful and adventurous. For many of us, during the brighter months, our inner butterfly literally emerges. Whenever I am weeding a clients’ wardrobe I find that colour will be present somewhere, whether it’s in the knitwear, the choice of accessories, 0r even the underwear (I’ve seen some amazing, beautiful underwear in clients drawers, to be worn hidden away underneath dark outwear!) But, most often, colours are found amongst people’s summer clothes.

Holiday time is linked with colour and fun and more carefree feelings, which is why so often, summer clothes have so many memories attached to them; as I look through a client’s outfits, they can bring a huge smile to their owner’s face, as they relive the times and places that they have worn them. So why save that feeling for your summer holidays? The sun’s out, the world looks lovely – so get that wardrobe working for you and savour that feeling for more than 2 weeks in another country.

And by this, I don’t mean that you should then become a walking painter’s palette, unless of course you want to; adding colour to your wardrobe and your lives can be as subtle or full on as you’d like it to be, from a fabulous coloured handbag,  scarf or necklace highlighting a more sombre outfit, to a full on floral dress. It is always, and only ever, your choice how far you want to go with what you wear. Of course, the beauty of holidays in other places, is that you can be whoever you want to be, you can experiment with new outfits and looks amongst people who don’t know you and have no idea that it’s something new for you – then when you know what you feel comfortable in, you can introduce to your every day wardrobe at home.

Go on, be brave, remember how wearing those lovely colours have made you feel and use them every day!

To find out more about the image and personal shopping services Elaine provides please visit www.greenandbrown.eu or email Elaine at hello@greenandbrown.eu

Popularity: 6% [?]