The Power Of Positivity (and Negativity) On Your Success

2 Fabulous Business Women Know that Positivity is Key To Your Success

We all know someone that moans about their business.

“I don’t have enough clients”

“I can’t get organised”

“I’m too old to learn new stuff”

“Twitter & Facebook wouldn’t work for us”

How much fun are they to be around?

Be careful how much time you spend with people that bring negativity into your business, even if it does not apply to you. Their mood can still impact on your success. Never underestimate the power of your mind to dictate your actions. Have you ever got out of bed to find the cat had been sick/car won’t start/roads are jammed/heel snapped off of your shoe/computer has lost everything?

The next thought naturally is What will go wrong next?

You have a choice when anything bad happens to react in a way that creates motivation and determination to overcome adversity or to question why me?

And ask yourself how useful is the Why me approach?

Does it get you nearer your goal?

So when you have a less than brilliant start to your day what can motivate you to pick yourself up and carry on?

If not what, then who?

We all know someone that motivates people and seem to have an endless buzz and passion about your business – so connect with people like that regularly to keep you motivated.

And if  you need an extra boost the new book from our Founder Mandie Holgate could be just for you. One sentence a day to help you stay motivated and focussed and learn new top tips and tools to help your business success. Learn more here.

The Rise of Women in Business – Infographic

Remove should from your dictionary

The word “should” I have always had a problem with. I should wash the floors, I should answer my emails, I should fill in that form, I should wash the car. There is no fun in the word what so ever. So recently I decided to get rid of it, with great results. Maybe you would like to try it too, to give you a taste of what effect it can have here’s some of the great things that I have discovered having removed that word.

Instead of saying I should wash the floors, while secretly thinking it will hurt my back and within the hour the kids and the dog will have ensured it looks like Glastonbury’s fans have just traipsed through the house. I say I would love to have shiny clean floors because it really finishes off the room. Creating an image in your mind of how great the finished article will look will spur you on far more than thinking of the obstacles that you could face.

If I am really not feeling it then I do not do it. If it really feels that horrendous with my “should” then I back away from the task. I know that my gut instinct is trying to tell me something that I am ignoring. Tasks that I have put off I find that for one reason or another have far better results when dealt with when I am in the right frame of mind to deal with them.

Ok so some things are essential to life and have to be done. However, if they are really that awful work at a way of getting round it, or of changing the way you think about them. Think about something that you love to do and describe it in detail. For instance cooking a nice meal – enjoying the music, laughing at the conversation, perusing the cook books, sourcing the ingredients, savouring the flavours, now apply the happy descriptive words to the revolting job. Try it you may be surprised at how well this can work.

This can be applied to all the words that we use when thinking about tasks and goals that we constantly put off. If you remove your must, should, and have to’s from your vocabulary you can create a more optimistic place to begin any challenge or goal from. Be aware of the words that you use and get them working better and more productively for you.

I am always happy to hear how things work for you, so please keep in touch. To learn more and get tons of free ideas for your goal and business success check out www.mandieholgate.co.uk

Mothers of Innovation Conference

We’ve been alerted to this conference in London on the 19^th June. And since its before our next BWN event it won’t make it in to our business ops so here’s a dedicated blog post to keep you up to date on a possible event for you and your business;

Hi BWN Business women,

I just wanted to alert you to the Mothers of Innovation conference taking place on 19 June at Microsoft in Victoria. There are some great speakers and should be some interesting ideas and it struck me that it was something that you might potentially be interested in. There’s a bit of information about it below. If you’d like a comp, do let me know – it would be great to have your input.

best wishes
Geraldine
Mothers of Innovation

Mothers of Innovation is a conference exploring and celebrating the power of mothers to change the world – in education, health, business and work. We will launch ground-breaking research looking at why it pays to invest in mothers as innovators and how mothers innovate in different and distinctive ways.

· Mariella Frostrup, founder of the Great Initiative
· Ayla Goksel: Transforming Education in Turkey
· Geraldine Bedell: Mothers of Innovation research
· Karyn McCluskey: Reducing gang violence by mobilising mothers
· Mar Alarcon: Social Car: peer-to-peer car sharing in Spain
· Julia Lalla-Maharajh: female genital cutting
· Carrie Longton, Mumsnet: Mothers as consumers
· Diane Perlman, Microsoft: Lean startups
· Karyn McCluskey: Mobilising a community
· Babou Olengha-Aaby: Mumpreneurs and the next billion dollar market
· Caroline Tomlinson: Innovation when parenting doesn’t go the way you planned
· Charles Leadbeater: New directions for innovation
· Dafna Ciechanover Bonas, Founders Forum For Good: New directions for innovation
· Kathy Dykeman, Facebook: New directions for innovation
· Kathryn Nawrockyi, Director of Opportunity Now, new directions for innovation

Mothers of Innovation will take place at Microsoft, Cardinal Place, 80-100 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL from 9.15am (registration and breakfast) to 4.45pm on 19 June.

There is also a reception at Google HQ from 6-8pm on 18 June at which Yvette Cooper MP will speak and to which everyone who is coming to the conference is cordially invited.

#mothersofinnovation

Thank you for the info Geraldine and business women of The BWN if you attend this event do let us know what you think and mention @BWNcouk in your #mothersofinnovation tweets!

New Regulations on Telephone Numbers

It has been brought to our attention that some business women could be effected by new regulations on telephone numbers. We are not the experts in this and so share with you content received from Windsor Telecome Plc;
There has been a lot of conflicting information recently about the impact of the Consumer Contract Regulations on 084 and 087 telephone numbers when they come into effect this week ­ not least articles in the press stating that ³callers must not pay more than the basic rate to call an organisation² and ³after 13 June your 084/087 numbers must not be live².

I hope the following will be of some assistance to you:

The Regulations state:

Helpline charges over basic rate
41.‹(1) Where a trader operates a telephone line for the purpose of consumers contacting the trader by telephone in relation to contracts entered into with the trader, a consumer contacting the trader must not be bound to pay more than the basic rate.
(2) If in those circumstances a consumer who contacts a trader in relation to a contract is bound to pay more than the basic rate, the contract is to be treated as providing for the trader to pay to the consumer any amount by which the charge paid by the consumer for the call is more than the basic rate.

The first thing to clarify is that the provisions are concerned with ensuring that the consumer does not incur excessive phone charges when ringing a seller about an existing contract.

– A consumer is defined as ³an individual acting for purposes which are wholly or mainly outside that individual¹s trade, business, craft or profession².
– Acceptable number ranges which cost no more than basic rate include geographic numbers (01,02,03). Free to call numbers (080) can also be used, so long as an alternative geographic number is provided for callers using a mobile phone.

So, the call must relate to an existing relationship between the trader and the consumer and the call must be from an individual consumer, not a business.

This means that using an 084 or 087 number as an enquiry line for members of the public, with whom you have no relationship, is not in breach of the regulations. Nor is using these numbers for businesses to call you. Technical support lines are exempt, provided the trader makes it clear that they are a separate service, not one for post purchase problems.

BIS (Department for Business, Innovation & Skills) has published advice that confirms that where there is an equally obvious option to call a basic rate number, the provision of a non-basic rate number will not breach the Regulations, as the consumer is not ³bound² to call the 084/087 number – they have a choice.

If you feel that you need to offer your customers an alternative geographic contact number, we can get one set up quickly for you. Our 01, 02 and 03 Geo numbers come with the same call handling features as our 08 numbers.

If you have specific questions relating to your organisation, we (or our advisors) will aim to assist you.

Regards

Sue Kempton
Customer Services Manager

Tel: 0333 123 8080

Putting On The Pounds For St Helena’s Hospice

Local business owner, Liz Leatherdale of Colchester Classics and Classical Music Columnist is putting on the pounds for St Helena Hospice, Colchester. Liz Leatherdale said “Yes, I’m raising money for St Helena Hospice again to help them continue their important work in our community. Since my late Dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 I’ve been occasionally raising money for St Helena Hospice. He so enjoyed his weekly day-time activities and care from the Hospice.  I’ve raised £1,231 so far since 2009 and this year I’m hoping with your help to raise a further £500 with one of the biggest challenges I’ve done for the hospice.”

Liz Leatherdale is attempting to shed pounds through exercise with the help and support of trainers at Elms Personal Fitness Colchester and Nutritionalist, Angela Attwood.   

Liz commented “While I’m having fun at the gym (yes it actually is) I’d like you to pile on the pounds sterling for St Helena Hospice. As anyone who knows me, the shedding of pounds and going to the gym is a tad challenging – bit like pushing treacle up hill.” 

Thanks for reading this and caring about the important work that our local hospice achieves and if you have a spare £1 or few please – click here to make a donation.

Even if you can’t donate then just a retweet, a like and or a share all helps and its gratefully appreciated. So thankyou!

Trading as a Sole Trader

 If you’re thinking about going it alone but don’t need a huge amount of capital to get started, and you’re more interested in giving self-employment a try-out before going bigger, then becoming a sole trader is probably the easiest way to establish yourself in business.

This is often the route chosen by for whom the constraints of larger organisations and conventional employment are just too heavy a burden.

As a sole trader, you don’t need to notify Companies House, or to deal with any of the usual accounting requirements that limited companies need to.

However, you do need to register with HM Revenue & Customs as being self-employed. If you’re a sole trader, this simply means you’re running your own business as an individual; you’re ‘self-employed’ and you get to retain all your business’ profits after you’ve paid tax on them.

It doesn’t mean you have to work alone. This is a common misconception. You can take on staff. The “sole” part just means that it’s you who is responsible for the business. You’re also allowed to use “simplified expenses” which allow you to use flat rates instead of working out actual business expenses; the latter necessitates more complex calculations.

HM Revenue & Customs have wealth of information available on their website or by phone on the different ways of establishing yourself in business and, specifically, trading as a sole trader.

For tax & National Insurance purposes, your business income will be calculated alongside your existing personal income. Unlike with a limited company, you will be personally liable for any debts you incur in the running of your business, so it’s best to seek the advice of a good accountant if you need finance for your enterprise.

For accounting purposes, you’ll need to submit an annual self-assessment form to HM Revenue & Customs and to keep accurate records of all business income and expenditure. You’ll pay income tax and national insurance contributions on all profits – but remember too that any losses you incur can be offset against any income you have from other sources.

Naming your enterprise can be good fun. You can call yourself pretty much anything, but you can’t use anything like ‘Limited,’ ‘Ltd’, or ‘public limited company,’ ‘plc,’ etc., of course. Also, you can’t use “sensitive” words or expressions or use any name which is too close to a registered trademark or any existing business in a similar sector; so “McDonalds” may be out if you’re entering the fast food business, for example!” Also, any name mustn’t be offensive – and, finally, you have to include your own name and business name (if you decide to use one) on all official paperwork.

Reading- Britain’s Silicon Valley

With its origins dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain, Reading, then known as Calleva Atrebatum, was nothing more than a port town. The town played a pivotal role in the English Civil War coming under siege in 1642 by Parliamentary forces looking for King Charles. Literary geniuses Jayne Austen and Oscar Wilde both spent periods of their life there, Austin being educated at Reading Ladies Boarding School between the years 1784-86, as for Wilde, he was imprisoned in Reading Gaol from 1895-97.

However, instead of resting on its history Reading has gone on to become one of the most strategically important settlements in the UK, it is to London what the Silicon Valley is to California.

As the ceremonial capital Berkshire, the might of Reading has helped the county climb to 19^th place in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) table of regions’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With a GDP per capita in 2007 $47,516, Berkshire finished two places above of New York and 23 places above California, making Reading is one of the most affluent areas in the world.

In a similar vein to Silicon Valley, . Following the initial arrival of International Computers Limited and Digital, who are now Fujitsu and Hewlett-Packard , Microsoft, Oracle, Intel, Verizon and Xerox have all set up camp in the town. In an area that is just 61km2 it comes as no surprise that office space to rent in Reading is becoming sparse, London by contrast is 1,572km2. Thankfully, due to the high market demand from companies wanting to move into the area the local council have the funds to expand, which they are doing through Benson Elliot, who will develop the Station Hill area in the centre of town. This will see 1.2m sq ft of development, most of which will be much needed office space but there is 32,000 sq ft allocated for retailers, 9,000 sq ft for leisure amenities and circa 300 flats.

Reading is constantly growing, population wise it has grown from 143,124 inhabitants in 2001 to 155,300 in 2011. As the population continues to grow, so will investment. More housing will be needed and infrastructure will have to be updated to cope with the increasing population. If you you’re familiar with Keynesian economics you’ll know how beneficial this will be. With councils having to invest in construction, low level workers will have steady employment, which in turn means they’ll have more money in their pocket thus they have more disposable income which would result in further growth. Per se, every £10 in a workers pocket, £1 will go back into the local economy. Unlike the disastrous Keynesian politics of the Labour party in the 1970s, this is natural growth and one that is sustainable.

Growth leads to job creation and Reading unsurprisingly is the best place in the country to find a job. With a 51.9% yearly start up rate, the fifth highest in the country, and the third highest ratio of businesses to people, for every 10,000 people there are 396.8 businesses – these in turn give Reading the highest employment rate in the UK at 78.1%. There are upwards of 30,000 people that commute to Reading daily to work, it has a similar sucking effect that London possesses. Reading is growing at an unprecedented rate and by all accounts will continue to do so.

Due to the town being heavily involved in modernised business it has been able to ride the recession wave. Where dated industrial businesses faltered, the IT sector that engulfs Reading has gone relatively unscathed and when you consider that 177,700 people are employed by private sector companies in the town, it just goes to show how stable their micro-economy is. With the average wage being £606, the second highest in the country, Reading will continue to suck in some of the best employees that the country has to offer and as such their GDP will again rise.

Reading is definitely the Silicon Valley of Britain, combined with London they make up an economic behemoth.

Hitch Then Ditch

‘When will they ever learn?,’ you think to yourself as news of another celebrity marriage hitting the rocks ends up splashed across the tabloids. The most recent high-profile split involves Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin. As sure as eggs is eggs though, it won’t be long before they are knocked off the front pages by another high-profile split – or ‘uncoupling’, as Paltrow put it on breaking the news on her Lifestyle blog.

But statistics reveal that your average Joe or Joanna are fast losing the moral high ground, with the divorce rate on the increase again – albeit by just 0.5% from 2011 to 2012, according to recently released figures by the Office for National Statistics. Possibly one of the reasons why celebrity couples split so easily is because they know they can afford to stand on their own two feet, And this seems to apply to the general public too, with the rise in the number of divorces taking place in England and Wales coinciding with the UK coming out of the recession.

As house prices are starting to climb again, couples trapped in unhappy unions may decide to finally call it quits because it’s a more profitable time to split assets. The growing independence and empowerment of women, who are statistically far more likely to divorce, is probably another contributory factor.

The ease with which you can get a divorce must surely help fuel the increase too. Nowadays you can even book yourself into the so-called Divorce Hotel to nip the nuptials in the bud before a mattress spring is sprung. The ultimate ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ is in the Netherlands and offers weekend divorce breaks, in the most literal sense of the word.

Weekend hotel breaks (ups) are not the only way to hitch then ditch in a split second. This divorce lawyers’ article on “quickie divorces” talks about the availability of an online £65 separation package that takes only a matter of weeks to be processed if circumstances permit. Naturally, the more complicated the case the longer it will take for a divorce to go through and the higher the legal costs will be. The website quickie-divorce.com is now in its sixth year of trading and incredibly was used by 15,000 people in 2013. Divorcing couples should also remember that they have to budget for the unavoidable £385 court fees on top of whatever they pay to online sites.

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Essex BWN Business Woman Has a Short Story For You, Please Read

 Thanks for taking the time to my read my story.

Yes, I’m raising money again for St Helena Hospice.

Since my late Dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 I’ve been occasionally raising money for St Helena Hospice. Why?

Because he so enjoyed his weekly day-time activities and care from the Hospice. Since 2009 I’ve raised £1,231 and this year I’m hoping with your help to raise £500+ more. This time I’m attempting to shed some of my pounds and I’d like you to pile on the pounds (£sterling) for St Helena Hospice.

As anyone who knows me, the shedding of pounds and going to the gym is a tad challenging – bit like pushing treacle up hill. Any encouragement , comments and donations would be great. Thank you for any donation you can give.

http://www.justgiving.com/LIZZIE-LEATHERDALE1

Thanks for reading this and caring about the important work that our local hospice achieves and if you have a spare £1 or notes are good too – click here to make a donation. (But just taking the time to read this blog and maybe retweet it and share it will help too. So thankyou.