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Funny how things happen – Norfolk Business Women You Will Love This!

Founder of The Business Womans Network (The BWN), Mandie Holgate shares her excitement and the weird coincidence that led to our newest team member joining us….

“I’d been invited to speak at the Norfolk Caistor Hall, Norwich event. And when I arrived I sat down to get a cup of coffee and this lovely lady sits next to me.

She sums up the new business women that walk through the door of our events, because she said “I’ve never been to one of these before I don’t know what to expect”. That always makes me smile, because one of the things that matters to us dearly is that everyone gets a warm welcome and that we have the same structure to every event wherever you go. I’ve been that nervous shy person (yes I used to be painfully shy and lacking in confidence!) and I dreaded walking into networking events!

From South Essex to North Norfolk you will hear business women tell you what to expect from us, and we care deeply that every single woman in business gets that networking experience – friendly, welcoming, reassuring, supportive and business focused. Denise Bretton was the coordinator at our Norfolk events and like every other coordinator at 10.30 Denise stands up and welcomes her guests and then reminds people of the structure so that those that are new to us, new to networking or nervous can feel at their ease.

To say I was sad when Denise told me that she needed to step down was understatement. The BWN coordinators aren’t a team, we are a family. And I respect and care about their families, dreams, businesses and big ambitions in life. What I love is that all coordinators feel the same. We meet up when they want some training or advice (I’m happy to do this up to once a month and I’m always there on the phone/text/messenger/pigeon) and so I feel we get to know each other very well and have shared a lot of opportunities between each other over the years. Not forgetting the kindness, support and friendship too.

So I’m sat here thinking “I will really miss Denise, whose going to look after our Norfolk events? And then the phone rings and it’s this lovely lady I’ve sat and got to know only a few days earlier at The BWN in Norfolk!” We chat for ages and I don’t feel like I’ve only just met her, but hey, that’s The BWN. That’s what happens, we start to build relationships that turn into good relationships and then lifelong friends. I know that some ladies that have networked with me have now moved away and will still drive for 3 or 4 hours just to meet up and have a coffee and “boost their confidence” with a session at The BWN.

I mentioned the news I’d just had and how sad I was feeling and the lovely lady says “well, I have been thinking for the last few days, The BWN was amazing, how do I get more involved in this? And so I decided to call you.”

That’s the interesting thing about us business women, we do worry far too much about phoning people. I know that there is a whole chapter in my book (Fight the fear) about picking up the phone, because;

• We don’t want to get in the way
• We worry about saying the wrong thing
• We worry about what people will think of us
• We worry about looking desperate

The list is long!

And rarely accurate! The fact is picking up the phone (instead of hiding behind email) enables miscommunication to disappear, the risk of tonality or your own beliefs being interpreted or assumed incorrectly goes away and usually the opportunity for clear focus, new action and new business.

That lovely lady is called Olivia Bucher, and Olivia is a Financial Advisor at Anderson Wealth Planning Ltd. We met up a few days later and  sat in the sun in a garden again I felt like I’d known Olivia for years. I’m really excited to welcome Olivia to the team.

That’s the thing about life, you are sat next to a stranger and you have a nice chat oblivious to the fact that this person will feature heavily in your future.

Would Olivia have joined the team if I’d have chosen a different chair to sit in?

Would Olivia have joined the team if we hadn’t had the chance to chat freely?

I don’t know, but what I do know is that when the phone rings I know it’s usually a great opportunity heading in my direction that is likely to be good for business women too.

I spend my life asking “Will this person/company make a difference to our BWN members?” and it has to be a yes for me to move it forward. With Olivia it was most definitely a yes!”

To learn more about Olivia and her Norfolk events click here

Olivia has a special offer to welcome you all to her BWN Norwich events to the end of the year – £40 for all four events to the end of 2018 AND get a free stand at any 2018 event worth £35. It’s a mini Golden Ticket! Just contact Olivia to learn more.

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How to love the sun and not kill your business this Summer

The sun is shining, summer is here, it’s all sandals, suntans and socials, but what does that do for productivity in the summertime?

Research shows that productivity can take a nosedive as the temperature soars and we head for the ice cream truck in our break. So what can you do to increase productivity, enjoy the sun but not damage your profit margin or Autumn’s success? Here’s our quick guide to just that!

1. Cram it in. Like the tiny suitcase that you were convinced could fit just one more pair of shoes, have a cram. If you really don’t want to work a long day in the office get incredibly focused on what needs doing and only work in 90-minute slots. The only way you will really cram in some top quality work is if you ensure the phone is off and away, you don’t look up and engage with conversation or daydreaming and you don’t open additional tabs to “just check something.” 90-minute slots have been proven to be the maximum time a human can work without starting to damage their flow and results. So….
2. Have a break. It can be hard when you look out of your office window and everyone seems to have an icecream, shades and a pair of shorts on and your stuck in an office with the air conditioning on arctic settings. So take a break. Don’t take the phone, get out and really appreciate some quality time in the sun. And ideally, that will be in the park or at least near a garden. So many studies show the power of nature to help our mindset, attitude and emotions. And that real break can be good for creativity and productivity. You may have stepped out of the office for half an hour but your brain carried on processing what needed to be done!
3. Cool it baby. If you feel hot and sweaty and can’t risk lifting your arm up for fear of sweat rings offending everyone. What does that do for your mindset? And when our mindset nosedives so can our productivity as our confidence is knocked and we just don’t want to be there! Have a handy Summer stay cool toolkit. There may be a strict no bare legs or sandals (unwritten rule) in your office (which let’s be honest may have gone out of the window thanks to the pandemic!), however, at the safety of your desk no one need know if you slip into something more comfortable (and no that’s not a bikini and sarong….or is it? Bottom half can’t be seen right?) Choose the right materials and clothes too. Have the deodorant to hand and if a water bottle is not within reach 24 hours a day then you are at risk of making your brain dehydrated. And that’s never good for results. Studies have shown that we are on average 4% less capable in exams when we are dehydrated – we wish we’d known that in our teens!
4. Get strict Set yourself some kick butt deadlines. Test how fast you really can get that proposal out of the door. This gives you the incentive for next time and helps you to time manage better for the future too. Even if someone is not breathing down your neck for your work, set deadlines that mean you are out of the office at a decent time. Not good at setting deadlines? Head over to the INsiders and let us and those amazing business owners inspire you into action. We know this course of action works powerfully and leads to some amazing things. Not joined the Insiders yet? Learn more here.
5. Change it up. It’s no good acting like the heat is not there. If you having meetings consider having them in the garden, in the park or somewhere outside. Be mindful of papers flying away, suntan cream (you can still burn in a meeting) and have a hat. Ideally, ditch the sunglasses in a meeting. You can risk looking unreadable and that can put people at their unease. Not something you want to see happen in a meeting. Hence a gorgeous hat to shade your eyes is best. Get flexible with your hours too. It doesn’t start to heat up until after 10 am and if you know you can become a literal hothead, get the majority of your work done early. It takes the pressure off of your day, gives you a sense of achievement and means you can get the barbie lit by 6 pm!
6. Watch out! Watch out for the “because I’m worth it syndrome” When we are on holiday our inhibitions drop and we do, eat and drink things we may not do at home. When the sun shines and the air smells less like an urban dust bowl and more like a tropical beach, our brains can easily trick us into thinking its fine to have a glass of wine tonight, and tomorrow night, and so on. Alcohol really can change our ability to focus and get things done. So while it’s lovely to sit in the sun with a cold glass of….. It’s not likely to do wonders for your brains functionality tomorrow. The glass of wine is not the only thing to watch out for. We can become flippant on bedtimes staying up to stargaze and bat watch, we can end up going out for more calorie-rich but nutritionally poor meals and really start to ignore our good habits that we have at different times of the year, with the cry “It’s Summer!” Your career won’t thank you for damaging your success because the sun was shining. Always think long term. You only get the 1 body, so it’s best to look after it.
7. Give in. If you are melting and really can’t face it. Then find a comfy place in the shade and work there. If work feels too much then use the time to learn new skills. Do pick up the phone but don’t hang out on social media with no real purpose (it doesn’t look good for your business either!) What skills could be useful to you? What professional ideas are you interested in? Use this opportunity to brush up on your knowledge, however, make sure you do the first 6 tips first! And remember as an Insider you get a discount on some amazing courses from our founder too. Learn more here.

And if you are lucky enough to be flying/driving off this summer or just staycating, don’t forget our Founder Mandie Holgate’s book Fight the fear can be bought in all UK airports! A top read for the holiday and we love seeing your #Fightthefear selfies by the pool!

And her new book is available on her site along with her FREE book helping you fix your Imposter Syndrome.

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Navigating Your Personal Tax Allowance

As a conversation topic, tax is quite unique, capable as it is of being both sleep inducing and exciting the fiercest of passions.

Most people also find they have an ambiguous relationship with tax. When it boils down to it, no one likes giving their hard won earnings away. But there is also a widespread recognition of the important role tax plays in funding public services, which has lead to a lot of sensitivity around the issue of tax avoidance, and worse, evasion.

Ultimately, all everyone really wants is a level playing field, where the different rates and allowances are transparent and fair, and everyone pays accordingly. Unfortunately, the peculiar complexities of the tax system can be a obstacle to this.

In many ways, business taxes are more straightforward than personal taxes. Yes, PAYE can be complex from an administrative point of view, and VAT can be a minefield. But at least Corporation Tax is easy enough, with a nice flat 19 per cent rate on profits for everyone.

Not so with your personal taxes. With different rules and rates depending in whether you class as self-employed or employed, and whether you draw a salary from your business or take earnings in the form of share dividends, tax on personal income can be a minefield.

Added to that, the rules have a tendency to change regularly, creating more confusion in terms of what you are entitled to offset and what you are obliged to pay. Here are two examples of key changes to personal income tax rules introduced last year, to dividends and to tax deductible pension contributions.

Dividends

In April 2016, the tax regulations on dividends changed. The previous system of an automatic 10 per cent tax credit on all dividend earnings was replaced by a system which treats dividends as gross income. The changes also brought dividends in line with the income tax allowance and rate thresholds. In 2017/18, these thresholds are:

• Tax-free Personal Allowance – £11,000
• Basic/Ordinary Rates – earnings up to £33,500
• Higher/Upper Rates – £33,500 – £150,000
• Additional – over £150,000.

There is a separate £5,000 tax free allowance on dividends, but unlike the main personal allowance this is still counted as part of your gross income. If, for example, you earn £50,000 in overall gross income, tax is only liable on £39,000 overall because of the £11,000 personal allowance. If some of that balance happens to be in the form of dividends, your tax rates are still calculated on the total of £39,000 – you just don’t pay any tax on the first £5000 worth of dividends.

Compared to the previous system, dividend earnings now attract more tax, and must be declared by filling in a self-assessment tax return. But with ordinary and upper rates of 7.5 and 32.5 per cent, compared to the basic and higher Income Tax rates of 20 and 40 per cent, dividends still represent a sound way to reduce personal tax liabilities for business owners, directors and investors alike.

Dividends earned through ISAs and pension funds are still tax free.

Pension Scheme Allowances

Pension contributions have long offered a means of offsetting tax liabilities through Income Tax relief, but as with dividends, the regulations changed in April last year. The existing system of fixed rate relief on gross pension contributions up to £40,000 per annum is still there, but for higher earners, there is now a ‘tapered’ scale which reduces permissible contributions down to a minimum of £10,000 depending on income.

This tapered allowance is triggered if your threshold income – essentially the total income you receive from all qualifying sources – exceeds £110,000 a year. At this point, your threshold income plus the value of any pension savings you have – your adjusted income – is taken into consideration. If your adjusted income amounts to £150,000 or more, then the amount of pension contributions you can make to offset against tax starts to be reduced.

When your adjusted earnings reach £210,000, you reach the end of the ‘taper’, and pension contributions to offset against tax are capped at £10,000.

As with all areas of financial planning, it is always recommended to seek impartial, specialist professional advice when considering personal tax. Fiducial Wealth offers a broad range of award-winning personal and corporate financial and wealth management services. Visit www.fiduciawealth.co.uk for more information.

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Whose In Your Success Team?

As a busy business woman there is so much that falls on your plate, right?
That is why at The BWN if we see something that needs to happen for your success we like to share it with you. And something that we are seeing a growing trend in is the need for a team. (Even for the self employed business woman!)
Founder Mandie Holgate shares her top tips and her own personal insight into the power of a team;
As a business coach and a rather sick one at that (that’s sick as is Lupus and other fun things, not “cool” and kids “dig” me which is clearly the case using words like “dig and cool!) I appreciate that if I want success I don’t intend to do that alone. In my team are some key players. Does that lesson my achievements?
Of course not!

If anything my new favourite saying is “Success is better shared” and I honestly feel that that is true,

it means that the people I rely on and utilise as part of my team I can promote and recommend to others and that is of course the very ethos of so much of our work here at The BWN.

In my team firstly is my hubby. He is the one that passionately listens to me let rip in the hot tub when quite frankly he would rather be turning his brain off. (There’s a good chance he has turned his brain off and he is just making the right “Yes dear” noises at the right times!) However he tends to be critical when I need, encourage when I need it and tell me to shut up when I need that too!

Be aware of those that you love though (I know you don’t mind a bit of honesty here, because not everyone has loved ones that support their business ventures, so ask yourself “Does this person I’m speaking to believe in me or do they want to protect me first?”
Sometimes other peoples love for you can sometimes override their true opinions on what they feel you should do. They say what they think you should do for an easier stress free life not the actions that will lead you to the big goals that you seek. And yes sometimes that means some hard graft, and the ones you love will always try to protect you, won’t they?

Which leads me on to looking for other people to add to your team….
And be wary who you add. Be aware of the likers. There is nothing wrong with the people that like every word that comes out of your mouth, however how are you to grow, and develop if you are not challenged? You need to have in your team people you know that will do those things in a way that suits you. For me I like a no nonsense “Stop doing that Mandie” approach. And I attract people that suit that style.

I’ve a mentor that bounces off of me and volleys back and forth elegantly so that we can verbally challenge each other and I feel like I’ve had a proper brain work out. My whole being feels alive after a session with my mentor, and I’m buzzing with ideas, does your mentor do that?

Also I have a V.A, actually I rely on 2. Well if something works, why not go the whole hog right? I work with Genieve McAllister from Crocus Connect and Jenny Sjollema from PA Angels. The team of these 2 is just genius. It means that we can look after 70+ business women at an event, it means I can deal with my admin in record time, they are far better at copywriting than me (and can probably find a plethora of typo’s in this article!) so they are worth their weight in gold (can you tell they have the week off and I’m flying solo!)

I also have an accountant, a printer, a graphic designer, web designer and IT company and I wouldn’t be without any of them. Could I do many of these jobs myself?

You bet I could!

However is my time better suited to doing what I’m best at, you bet it is! And more to the point it means that I can be out there talking about all of these cool companies too. That’s Paul from Studio Link 11, Lara from Reflect Design for Print, Tim Wilson my IT Guru and so many others.

However on top of these I rely on The Business Womans Network. I know that by walking through the door at these events, I will not only pick up new clients, I will leave with;

• new ideas,
• feeling boosted,
• motivated,
• I will hear of some new website that is great for top tips. (Elene Marsden shared a great site to try out at my May event, Thanks Elene – it was User Testing. A great way to find out if you site looks any good from an independent viewpoint.
• There is always someone with a great piece of advice that they are itching to share. I just love that. I always always learn.
• And I feel supported. In business when your head is down and you are working hard looking after your business and your customers, and your own business sometimes you forget to look up smell the roses and appreciate where you are right now. Getting to these events reminds me how supported I really am. And that I too can give back in so many ways in such an easy relaxed way too. (I love win win relationships!)
• I feel understood. Not everyone “gets it” do they. Your choice to work long hours, or to be on the lap top on a Saturday morning, (they don’t see you not working on a Friday afternoon!) They don’t get your lifestyle choice and so to be surrounded by like minded people is truly good to keep you positive and focussed on your big goals.

So put it together, with my hubby, mentor, back house team and the BWN I feel like I cover all basis to create a winning formula to ensure the success of my business. I know I can deliver to my customers and I know I can achieve my goals, and its great to know I’ve created a team that are like my very own cheer leaders.

As a passionate lover of F1. I’ve felt so much for Hamilton who just didn’t have the back up of technology to get the results he wanted. Having just moved house a few months ago I had to heavily rely on my awesome Tim (IT Guru) to get my IT working again when quite frankly the Broadband company were beyond words shocking (They will remain nameless however their name is very short!)  So I know that when I need my team, they really are there for me. Can you say that about your team? Can you really rely on them?

Look at poor Ricardo at the Monaco Grand Prix? My heart broke for him that his race chances slipped away because basically someone hadn’t got him four tyres! Another lesson that teams need the right resources right?

Can you say that your team has the right resources?

Right now for me and the growing team at The BWN (You may want to be at the 16th June event for some news on that front!) I’m very aware that our resources need to grow and change. Do you continue to reassess and consider this? A great team always looks around them, what’s working? What can we improve? What are we learning?

As I finish this article there are 2 more things I consider in my team. Firstly my children, as teenagers they can be great for being critical of your work in a great way. If you can get a teen to be engaged by your 60 second promo slot you can certainly get a room full of business women to love it!

They are also brutally honest and not likely to pull any punches, and for me that’s good. (I can take it!)

And lastly some one that so few business women tend to get on their side, have you got yourself on your team?

It may seem like a daft thing to say, however seriously do you cheer yourself and say “Yeh me, I can do this!”

Or do you walk out of the door heading to a networking event or big meeting thinking “Oh no I’m dreading this!”

One of the above could be damaging  your success, and one could be great for your team attitude, however if you get yourself along to a BWN event we can have you feeling motivated and ready for anything pretty quick too!

 

 

 

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Networking isn’t working!

Last week we had a call from a business woman who said that she was going to give our network “A go” because she had been recommended to network, and yet after a year of networking, she had gained nothing from it.

“Nothing?” we asked.

“No, nothing” she said.

We found that hard believe. And we as asked more, this business woman did change her viewpoint a little, okay she had gained;

• Some great contacts
• Some nice people to have coffee with
• Some nice 1 2 1’s

But when we asked if it had resulted in anything that was good for business, the answer was clearly no. Okay you could say that networking is a slow burner. As our founder likes to say “A marathon, not a Sprint” “A little acorn that grows into an oak (with the right attention!)” however for this business woman, that clearly was not the case.

So we did 2 things. Firstly we gave her some advice (which she took and it changed the results of her networking) and secondly she is joining us at our networking this month. So firstly here is our advice we shared;

1. Don’t dismiss a network until you’ve given it at least a few months.
2. And make sure you attend regularly.
3. Are you at the right network? Look around you, is this the right environment for you and your products and services. People may say they love what they do, however are those nice comments turning into sales? Most networks are groups of nice people, although those nice people are not necessarily your target market, so check that you know who yours are.
4. What are you saying? If you walk in and talk about what you sell or do, then stop it. Noone  cares what you do (sorry that’s a tad harsh, but its true), they care about the results, and the irony is that although so many people know its about talking about results, and not being salesy, when people network, they slip into telling us about what they sell and what they do. Tell us about the results, your happy customers. Tell us about a million other things than being a 80’s car sales person! Still worried your selling? Check out our reports on this website for some great ideas to get better results. (Our master class slots our packed with ways to sell without selling too!)
5. Follow up. It scares up that so few business women follow up effectively between networking session, that’s between session. Yes we see business women hopping onto our page to post about their event, or to say how much they loved our event or to comment on the brilliant photos, but that’s about it. What about popping in and saying “Hi” and telling us what you are up to this month? What about sharing your top tips for social media marketing, or email marketing, or public speaking, or getting more out of your day, or even how to control your accounts. Remember when you are a useful business woman, you become a powerful networker. And people that are useful, kind and caring get remembered for all the right reasons. And guess what that could do for business?
6. Think this is girlie, “Not going to get me business stuff?” on the contrary this is the stuff that could be the difference between more sales this month (and for the next 6!) and less sales. Remember networking is about supporting your marketing strategy, its not your be all and end all marketing, so what else are you doing? And is that structured and consistent too? Remember networking needs to be consistent and structured. What is your goal, your aim, who do you wish to talk to and what about (don’t start selling) Your aim’s should be something along the lines of; “Make 4 contacts within these industries who are the decision makers in these businesses and arrange to have follow up conversations. And to connect on social media, email and telephone.”How will they factor into your sales funnel for the next month, and we aren’t so keen for them to get added to your mailing list. How is that making you a caring respectful business woman that wants to get remembered for all the right reasons in a months time?

And lastly, make sure you’ve signed up to our newsletter, (because we won’t add you to ours., we appreciate how busy you are and only get in touch with people that want to grow their business and hear from some of the greatest business authors and trainers in the UK) we are currently in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk and in talks to launch in Herts, Kent and London. And are happy to discuss launching anywhere in the UK with business women who would like to get paid to network, would like to work with our founder Business Coach Mandie Holgate for free and get the support to make their networking events a success.

Because in our opinion networking in the right places can be a very powerful way to success. And our business women will tell you it does far more than just increase profit, sales and success. Its confidence, motivation, friends and so much more. Now that makes us very happy!

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Help!

Help

A small word. If  you were being chased by a tiger you would be screaming it.

If your house was on fire you would be screaming it.

And it would appear they are about the only times us business women say that word.

Why is that?

What stops us very talented, educated, successful women from saying four letters?

Why are we so frightened of saying help?

I’ve learnt recently that I don’t say the word at all. And its become natural just to “get on with it”. I’m capable and able so I just do it. That’s good right?

or is it?

You see going it alone is fabulous for so many reasons, however never saying help is dangerous when it comes to success. I worked on my own success 2 weeks ago with a mentor, because I am always looking for ways to power up my own success as I do for those of my clients and that of the women attending the BWN, and I realised working with this business woman that I just don’t ask for help. And even if its offered I tend to say “I’m okay, thanks for the offer.” So I set a goal to change that and ask for help. It’s already paying off dividends in my business. (I really recommend creating clear goals, you are far more likely to achieve them that way and they don’t turn into gaols, which is a goal gone wrong if you aren’t clear enough about it!)

I know you are mega busy so let’s look at why you should accept help and how to do it in easy quick top tips;

1. If you ask for help then you can do the things you are good at, which means you can get through your to do list faster. Which means more brain space to come up with more creative solutions. More you time. And more time to do the money making bits of your business. All positives right?
2. If you ask for help you are enabling someone else. Letting someone else be good at things is good for other people too. It’s not fair that you do all the work and get all the praise. Spread the work, spread the praise, spread the opportunities. If someone else does the work then could get an opportunity off of the back of it. Remember success is better shared. (It really is!)
3. Create a strong enough sense of pain to make you ask for help. If you don’t ask for help what are you agreeing to? Less success? Less money? Less free time? Less family time? More work? More time in front of the screen?
4. What are your long term goals? Are they really achievable if you do everything yourself? Can you physically do it all alone? Tot up the hours. When I work with clients its amazing how often they over or under estimate how long a task is going to take.
5. Fear of what people will think of you could be stopping you from asking from help. What are you assuming people are going to be thinking? Power up your self belief and what you tell yourself about you. If you love yourself enough (and we are not talking about a big head here, just a genuine appreciation of doing what’s right for you) then you would respect you as much as you do anyone else at work, right?
6. New skills and ideas could be yours if you take on board someone elses help. As brilliant as you are (and yes you are brilliant) by getting someone else’s input you could learn a new way of doing tasks that could make you more productive and give you new skills. There fore powering up your success.
7. Success really is better shared. By letting someone else help you, you grow your network in a sustainable way. And by doing that, you grow a trusted network. If you really need help in the future, by having taking the leap of faith and trusted someone before you will know who you can rely on in the future.

A brilliant business woman reminded me of these points when I posted a public thank you. Because as people help you I think its always good to say thank you. (My thank you’s don’t tend to be thank you cards, I tend to give testimonials on LinkedIn and Facebook so that they can grow their business and use them powerfully in their marketing to gain more happy customers – just a thought for you there!) This lady said;

You’re very welcome – I’m pleased my diary allowed me to help. I can relate to the whole asking for help. I’m incredibly independent which is positive. There are times when working as a team gets much better and bigger results and you get to enjoy the journey so much more when you have great people around you (cheesy I know but true!!)  Xx

You know what? I don’t think its cheesy at all. A Business woman with a powerful network is far more likely to be successful. See you at some BWN networking events this month, let’s help each other, network together and do business. It’s going to be an awesome month for business.

I’m on TV speaking about issues impacting on women in business and at Mums Net Work Fest national conference. And we have a very special BBC Essex Radio 30th Birthday show being broadcast live from my house on the 13th May. So much good stuff for business!

To get my book to help increase sales, confidence and success the 6 week course or learning about coaching and training visit. www.mandieholgate.co.uk and do say hi on social media too (all accessible via my website) its great to connect and grow my network!

 

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Charity of The Year – Why We Bother – And Why You Should Too

Every year the BWN year is choosing a charity to give a little extra love to.

If you are a charity that we haven’t chosen this year, that doesn’t mean we don’t love you. As a charity you will always get to attend our events for a discounted rate (even on the day on the door!)

We will retweet, like and share all of your content that you share with us.

(All of our social media is accessible via our website – top right.)

And when we have room we will happily let you bring your banner along to our events.

You can also write for our blog whenever you wish.

(Just ping us the details)

Got an event coming up? We are happy to mention it in our business ops slot. Just email it to your local coordinator.

(Because we really do love everything local!)

However we want to do more (well that’s typical us!) and so we thought how great it would be if we could make every business woman from across a whole county talk about one charity. One charity that works tirelessly to make a difference. As founder of the BWN Mandie Holgate has worked with lots of third sector organisations and so knows first hand the obstacles that they face. And the pots of cash are not so easy to get to any more.

But fear not, charities don’t want just your money. Here’s our top ways to support our charity of the year. If you attend our events we would adore it, love it, and thank you forever if you would do the following for our charity of the year in your county;

Retweet, like share and talk about the charity of the year on line. That way we can like your comments, and share them too. That way your followers and your brand awareness goes up too!

Want to get in the local press? (The answer to that one is yes you do!) Raise a few quid for our charity of the year, mention us and together with the charity there is good chance your smiley face and your bit for charity could get your business in the press. And that is not just good for them, its good for you too. Charities aren’t daft, they know why businesses get involved. Yes we love the warm fuzzy feeling that it gives us, but its also good for business, stands your business a part from the rest, shows you care, and a ton of other things. All good. All worth doing. So fancy sitting in a bath of beans? Giving a £1 for every sale next month? Doing a nude calendar? (We’ve done that…twice!) then go for it!

And its worth remembering your gestures don’t need to be huge. Just talking about the charity, really does help them.

Attending an event? Could you carry a few fliers for our charity of the year?

What about having a 1 2 1 with a member of the charities team, so you could understand what they do, what they need, who the would love to talk to. Knowledge is power and big powerful networks are very good for charities. Could your network be helping our charity of the year?

Add a logo to your website? Remember for charities if you knew the extent of the work that they did you would probably want to be able to do more. Could you add a logo, a mention of The BWN’s charity of the year to your website, social media, business literature. Help us, help our charity of the year.

Write a blog article? Could you write an article sharing what you know, care about? Anything. Remember a charity is not just after money. It’s after staying power. Charities are created all the time, which means that the ones that are already here have to work twice as hard. What could you write about to support our charity of the year? Raise their profile and give them staying power and ensure their future? Charities live on a knife’s edge, never knowing how they will fund the following year. Scary right?

Every £1 spent on a charity in the UK is being fought fiercely over, so if you can raise the profile of a local organisation that is helping in your community you just became a really nice person. Good feeling right?

And here are our loved up Charites of the year;

Essex – Colchester Community Voluntary Services – CCVS

The title may suggest they only work in North Essex, however their work supports groups and organisations across Essex. So by supporting them it means Essex business women really are supporting community groups. And get to attend events meeting third sector, public sector and private sector. Their Banking on business events are proving a great success and Dawn Moss our Saturday Essex events coordinator is already signed up as a Volunteer. And with over 600 volunteers, that’s a lot of good happening in Essex. Can you feel how good that is!

 

Shirley is the business woman from CCVS that you can expect to see at our Marks Tey Hotel events. Get in touch with us to share your ideas to raise money, raise their profile and get your warm fuzzy feeling that makes Essex that much better.

Learn more about CCVS here and please please, prettiest of please’s do get involved in their social media and let them know we told you to!

 

 

Suffolk – Age UK Suffolk

Our Bury St Edmunds events are hosted at Age UK Suffolk’s HQ and so how perfect to support them.

Kinsey Foster and Susan Pope host our Suffolk events and would be happy to talk about how you could get involved to support Suffolk’s charity of the year

Learn more about Age UK Suffolk here and please do let them know that we said they were awesome and deserve your support. You can contact your local Suffolk coordinator direct via your page. However feel free to contact us if you wish to.

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Meet Essex Business Jo Hunt. Jo Smells Good And Business Looks Good Too!

At The BWN it’s important our coordinators get to know our regular business women. Here Joanne Hunt shares her passion for smells and what they can do for your health, wealth and happiness…

What made you set up your business?
It was a pure accident getting involved with doTERRA Essential Oils. My 13 year old daughter is a multi-eventer athlete and had injured her ankle during a training session, after a few sessions of physiotherapy I was asked to try a sample of deep blue rub for her ankle, it was such an amazing product and within a few days she was walking again and in 2 weeks she was back to long jumping. I am also an athletics coach and a few of my athletes had certain aches, pains and muscle issues so we tried the product on them all with 100% success rates – so I knew from then this product was very special.

How many years have you been in business?
I have been running my own Health and Safety Consultancy business Chestnut Associates for over 25 years and have built up to 25 regular monthly clients plus many more on an ad hoc basis. I have been working with doTERRA since May 2015.

What do you love most about running your own business?
By far the best part is sharing the oils with people and letting them have their own oil experience. The results that I have had with my clients has been above and beyond anything I could of ever imagined possible. Meeting the wonderful people that have decided to work with me on my journey with doTERRA and sharing the wonderful business with them to see them grow too.

What do you hate most about running your own business?
There’s only 24 hours in a day – I want more!!

What benefits do you get from networking?
I’ve met some amazing people through networking and it’s a great way to get find out how we can work together and use each other’s services and experience. There is also a tremendous amount of support from the ladies that are members and also from visitors that attend the monthly events. There is also an amazing speaker for each event which means we all come away from the event with an action plan for our individual business. I have met some great people who have turned into very good friends and will be friends forever.

What would you say your greatest skill is? (Be honest you have lots!)
Never ever giving up – I will keep trying and get the result I need for my client.

What was the reason that you decided to be a member at The BWN?
After my first experience of visiting BWN and feeling the amazing buzz in the room during the meeting there was no way I could not join. Mandie is the most supportive lady and does everything possible to link people together.  I find that the women who attend are really supportive and interested in what everybody else is doing. I always come away fired up with enthusiasm and that’s a great motivator once a month.

What do you see the future holding for your business?
That is such a scary question. The way the business has grown for me during the last 9 months has been incredible and I can’t begin to imagine where we will be in another year. The one certainty is that I will be sharing the wonderful world of doTERRA Essential Oils with many people to help their health issues is a more natural way.

Who would it be good to for you to know?
I would like to meet people that are willing to try a more natural way of managing their health. Mum’s are a great start so that they can try a more natural way of helping their children without the standard over the counter medication. People that use essential oils in their work eg. beauty therapists. Sportsmen and women that have sport injuries I would love to help. (Marjoram can be used for muscles pain from overuse, tension, stress, strain or injury. It is also very commonly used for tendinitis.
Lemongrass is most commonly used for Achilles heel and muscle strains.) People that would love to work in a team sharing the oils.

Jo Hunt attends our Essex events and has booked to exhibit at every Marks Tey Hotel event in 2016!

If you can’t wait to learn more visit her Facebook page here.

And Jo’s website is here.
 

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How to create a successful YouTube Channel

Elene Marsden rocked it at our Marks Tey Hotel event in Colchester this January with 50+ business women left wanting more. And 2 lucky business women will be featuring in Elene’s YouTube TV Show very soon. Well done Melanie Winning and Sandra Sparrowhawk! Sandra will be presenting a 10 minute how to use scarves to make a statement and Melanie (award winninng Make Up Artist) will be sharing how to create the Audrey Hepburn look!

(Well done ladies and we look forward to seeing more!)

Elene loves the BWN so much, that Elene has signed up to be a member too! Here Elene shares how to create a successful YouTube Channel, thank you Elene!

With over 1 billion users on YouTube and viewers spending on average 40 minutes a day watching videos, isn’t it time you looked at using YouTube in your business?

What are the benefits?

• Educate customers and prospects
• Entertain your viewers
• Demonstrate your professionalism
• Be a leader in your field and inspire others

Once you decide to use YouTube you’ll need to create your own channel. Follow this link to set things up https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1646861?hl=en-GB

It’s also important to set goals, e.g. how many subscribers do you want, by when?

Follow these steps once you’ve created your YouTube channel

• Fill out the About section
• Upload channel art
• Add social and blog links

Creating the channel art can be tricky, here’s a link to create a template using the correct dimensions

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2972003?hl=en-GB

Now it’s time to OPTIMISE YOUR CHANNEL

• Add a channel trailer
• Add sections
• Consider using Featured Channels
• Create playlists

Divide your own content into playlists and also create playlists using videos that you’ve curated from other channels that complement your own content.

Follow these steps to upload your videos to YouTube

• Edit video before uploading
• Add title
• Add description
• Include links to websites and other videos
• Add keywords
• Watch and like your own video
• Share on social media

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our Preloved Chica Channel where you’ll see these recommendations being put into practice

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBZVyOE7BSpCFaBkoRJDoVg

Best Wishes

“Share our Passion for Fashion.”

www.prelovedchica.com

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Shhh The Secret Keys To Success In 2016

I’m speaking at the University for the Institute of Directors next week and I’ve been asked to share my top tips for networking success. Planning what I will talk about makes me think of my clients and the business women I get to be with at The BWN networking events. And I will share next week the same great stuff I do with you guys all the time. But hey these students will not have me there with them once a month, so what are the most important things I could say to someone that wants success?

And I realised it is the same things that I work with clients on all the time. Ready for the big secrets?

Ready to find out what I think are the keys to your success?

And what is more scary they are things within in our control!
Ready?

The keys to success are confidence and communication.

I’ve had everyone from CEO’s and start up’s tell me that when they communicate effectively they can get what they want. They can get solutions. Ask the right questions to move their business and success forward.

Many people think that networking is something that you do in a snazzy hotel with coffee and business cards. And yet networking is everywhere. In the queue at the bank, having your nails done, or waiting for a client (all of those have happened to me and delivered a new client.) So the first thing you need to master to be a successful business woman is your ability to communicate effectively.

I bet right about now there are a good few readers saying easier said than done. Okay so I get it can be scary and tricky, but anything you want in life has an element of fear and nervousness attached, its how you know you really want it.

I would also say that every single person that I’ve worked with this year has been coached to communicate effectively. From the business owner that wanted to renegotiate one of their biggest contracts (for more money with less work – and yes they got it!) to the business owner that went to a national conference and targeted the dream contract and yes things are happening! You see communicating what you want is what matters, so find out what you really want, who can help you get it and how to get that message across effectively.

But even more important than communication is…

Confidence!
If you have inner confidence you don’t care if you make a fool of yourself and get it wrong, because getting it wrong is on the road to getting it right, right?

Inner confidence means you have the confidence to go up to that person you know you want to work with and say “Lets talk”.

So my big gift to you this Christmas is to know and accept that you need to boost your communication and cocnfidence. And I promise with every cell in my body that if you walk through the doors of The BWN events me and my cooridndators will do all that we can to boost your confidence aand success.

Sales, SEO, Marketing, Social media, PR, Awards, Profit, Time Management, Vision and Mission Statements, Phone and Public speaking fears, branding, Business structure and strategy can all be learnt, but without communication skills and confidence, you will always be able to undermine your success. So let’s power up your success today.

I’ve had so many women say to me “Mandie I can’t do it.” and even if I don’t coach them I’m there for them, and we chat and I share ideas at The BWN and what do you know, suddenly they can do it and they do. Your success deserves that too!

See you soon and Merry Christmas and here’s to a very profitable successful 2016

Stick around aand we could make that happen for you too!

My name is Mandie Holgate and as founder of The BWN, everything that enables success for business women matters to me and I will share it with you. Attracting some of the best speakers in Europe. Yes there are other networks, but ours is the most powerful motivator and supporter of success in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Our business women, venues and speakers tell us that this is true, I can’t wait to help you too.