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Leicester Business Women Newsletter Leicester Business Women would like to welcome you to our January newsletter.
Kick starting the year with a fabulous newsletter, and what a year it’s going to be! Leicester Business Women believes 2013 is going to be a year full of new ideas, exciting prospects, amazing adventures, challenges that can be overcome and many opportunities. Ensure you are prepared for whatever may come your way, grab all opportunities tight with both hands, enjoy and make the most of everyday!
“We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work” Thomas A. Edison
“Success will be within your reach only when you start reaching out for it.” Stephen Richard Whether you have a registered business or your dreams are still ideas, 2013 can be the year for you and your business. With a little hard work and determination your dreams, plans and goals could all fall in place! This year ‘step up a gear’, don’t focus on the barriers / obstacles holding you back or that may be in your way, as many of these can be overcome when you start to look at a bigger picture. Think positive and keep motivated, if you get a ‘knock back’ or a ’no’ then learn from this and plan, look at all the other alternatives. “If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?” Joe Namath Take a look back at 2012, what do you think worked well? Of the whole year what experience stands out the most? How far have you come? Praise yourself and your business for your successes, no matter how big or small make sure you acknowledge these. Also look at any mistakes of 2012, is there something that didn’t work or go to plan? Is there anything you would change or do that little bit better? Although Leicester Business Women doesn’t want you to begin the year dwelling over your previous mistakes, you can learn from them and your experiences.
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Henry Ford Our first newsletter of the year is full of support and advice to help you and your business even further in 2013. With advice from the Leicester Business Women coaches, information on the HMRC workshops and their new easy steps to register your business, also details of confirmed training dates for the new Start Up Now Project and information on both the Start Up Loans and Small Business Workout programmes. Plus a tasty treat for Valentines Day as well as advertisements from our members and other organisations. For further information about the Leicester Business Women programme or any of the other projects ran by Skills for Enterprise please contact Nicole Hocking on 0116 251 8730.
Leicester Business Women’s January Newsletter Includes Start Up Loans New Year: New Plans For Your Business Just Pause And Reflect! Chocolate Valentine Cupcakes Recipe Start Up Now Project Meet / Mingle Small Business Workout Easy Steps To Start Your Business With The HMRC HMRC Workshops ****
We hope you enjoy More ways of connecting with Leicester Business Women As well as our monthly newsletter, there are many other ways of keeping up with our information, success, our stories, forthcoming events and advice>. Check out our webportal - www.leicesterbusinesswomen.co.uk Join our facebook group - www.facebook.com/#!/groups/386715381358641/ Like our facebook page - www.facebook.com/#!/leicesterbusinesswomen Follow us on Twitter - LBW_network
We look forward to seeing you there‌..
Are You Aged 18 - 30? Interested In Business And Have A Business Idea? Looking To Become Self Employed Or Start Up Your Own Business?
Then Attend Our FREE 1 Day Introduction To Business Workshop Loughborough 11th February 2013 Hinckley 13th February 2013 Coalville 21st February 2013 There are limited places available so act today and don’t miss out! For further details or to book your place contact David Ryan at Skills for Enterprise 0116 251 8730
New Year: New Plans For Your Business As I write, it’s the last week of January and snow is still lying in so many places. Christmas seems an age ago and there’s many a New Year’s Resolution has been broken or forgotten once again! Southern have complained that the “wrong kind of snow” has affected some of their engines. The nation’s economy seems even gloomier with closures of more high street stores and the resulting redundancies. They are talking now of a triple-dip recession! It’s easy to lapse into more negative ways of thinking, wondering what’s going to happen to your own business in 2013. At times, as a business owner, you may feel vulnerable and unable to change things, at the mercy of local market forces and Government economic policies. In reality, there is so much you can do as a “go-getting” and dynamic entrepreneur, determined to make 2013 a better year than 2012. It begins in your head, though; a positive attitude and a strong sense of survival. Isn’t that what caused you to become involved in Leicester Business Women in the first place! What are you planning to do with your business in 2013? Where are you going to take it? Perhaps you have already decided on your business strategy and thought about your longer term plans. Whether you have or you haven’t, ask yourself the question: “Where do you want your business to be in 5 years?”. If you have ideas about that, what do you need to be doing this year to help towards achieving those goals? You may be following a Business Plan or a Marketing Plan that you put in place when you started trading. It is important for you to review your plans on a regular basis, to ensure that they are still relevant and realistic. More important, do you still feel that passion for your business and its direction? Does that passion still drive you and fire your imagination? Don’t let your own business become “just a job”, as you slavishly follow a plan or a model that doesn’t do anything for you anymore. Don’t forget that your own indifference and lack of passion soon becomes obvious to others, including prospective clients. You may not be a “New Year’s Resolution” maker but I would urge you to think imaginatively about your business plans for the year. You could just carry on doing the same as you have been doing – it may have varying degrees of success and may bring you the level of income you need. However, why not think about additional goods or services that you may offer. Consider the level of service you are giving to your existing clients and how you might improve on that. If there’s one thing clients really appreciate it is the idea that they are so special to you, that you are going to do even more for them. You may have
realised by now that it is easier to sell more to existing clients than it is to get new clients. Putting your company firmly back into their minds, with positive actions may well prompt your clients into buying from you again (and buying more), especially if you have some new and exciting offerings. Don’t forget to show your customers how much you care; we all respond well to being made to feel important. Simply telling clients that they are important to you is not enough: you have to show them that you mean it – go the extra mile for them. What about enticing your clients through a process of fascination? Sally Hogshead, the author of a book called Your Seven Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation, suggests you exploit your own personality traits to “knock people’s socks off”! Have you any idea how you might be able to fascinate others with what you have to offer? Apparently, people will pay up to four times more for a fascinating brand so it is well worth trying to identify how you might fascinate people. You might try to arouse people’s curiosity or even set up a sense of urgency; you probably know your strengths when it comes to “engaging” others. Different things work for different people, though, so you will need to identify more than one way to “do your stuff”. What you want to become is someone who is hard to ignore! When compared with others, people should perceive that you offer something of value that is very much important to them. People respond well when you communicate with them in ways that they can relate to, so if you’re planning to fascinate people on a more individual basis, it is worth investing time and energy into getting to know the kind of people they are. I am a great believer in good customer relationship management and in getting to know your clients even better. People buy from people they like, and investing in your relationship with the people who are your customers (either now or in the future) makes very good sense. Listen carefully to what clients and prospective clients say to you. Asking the right questions and showing more than a passing interest in the responses encourages people to talk. Don’t just rely on memory for those revealed “golden nuggets” either; make a note as soon as you have the opportunity. Whatever you decide to offer this year, don’t feel you have to stick with areas that you feel most comfortable with. It is quite likely that you have many Continued...
New Year: New Plans for your Business continued...
talents outside the ones you exercise regularly, perhaps even untapped skills. When doors open for you that seem frightening , when you feel you might be taken outside your comfort zone . . . don’t shrink back and ignore the opportunity, consider giving it a try. After all, what have you got to lose! If it doesn’t work out for you or you don’t like it, at least you have tried it. You never know what you will learn from the experience and what other opportunities may arise as a result. Remember Mary Shelley’s quote which is so very apt: “Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful!”. Prove this to be so, and may 2013 be a wonderful year of adventure and challenge for you all. If you have done the hard bit in starting the business, you have every right to be fearless. Happy New Year! © Copyright Jim Hewitt, Decimus Training
Just Pause And Reflect! Let’s face it, its part of human nature to naturally seek advice from friends, work colleagues, family, business mentors, Social media sites etc but how often do we just pause and reflect about what we really want from our busy lives and our businesses. Seeking feedback from others is part of our daily lives, but sometimes we hand over our decision making to others and then wonder why things didn’t work out the way we hoped or dreamed they would. This is because we become so dependent on other peoples thinking that we sometimes forget to find a quiet space to think and reflect for ourselves. So with this in mind is it time for you to withdraw and review your life and your business? I only ask this question because for me on a personal level 2012 was to say the least the year from hell! On the outside the business was doing amazing, however my health wasn’t doing too great, I had various hospital appointments, surgery and sadly another death in the family. Then I knew I needed to take some time and space to recuperate from life’s challenges and to prepare myself for the next phase of my life and it’s during these times of reflection that you become aware of your inner reserves and the hidden gifts within yourself. For me this was my time to pause and reflect which made me realise that through all the darkness and tears I had something exciting to celebrate like living life and also winning the Female Achiever Award for the East Midlands in 2012. This reminded me that we do make a difference and we do help others to shine brighter and that you can always bring light into dark. So this year reflect and pause on what you need to do more of and what you need to do less off. A good starting point is reviewing last years diary and thinking what & who do I need to let go of, because the past is over and gone and holds no power over you! So isn’t it time you stopped punishing yourself and started rewarding yourself more? Stop doing at least one thing which drags you down and add at least two things to your life which you love doing, because if you are passionate about what you do and focused on what you are doing, nothing, let me say that again nothing and no one will hold you back. The only limitations we put on our selves are our own and for me the biggest reflection for me was realising that our website needed to reflect me, the challenges I had over come and the success of our company>have a look www.visionconsulttraining.com © Copyright Sharon Roberts, Vision Development Consultants
The common sense approach to resolving issues MIAMs undertaken
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Chocolate Valentine Cupcakes A tasty Valentines Day treat! A cupcake recipe for you to try from Jus Bakes. For the chocolate cupcakes= 175g slightly salted butter 175g caster sugar 3 medium eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 115g self-raising flour 6 tsp cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder and for the chocolate frosting= 150g unsalted butter 225g icing sugar 75g cocoa powder 4 tblsp cold water makes 24 To make the cupcakes= 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Preheat the oven to 170 C / 338 F /Gas 3-4. Line tins with cup cake cases. Cream together butter & sugar. Beat together eggs & vanilla extract and gradually add to the creamed butter & sugar mixture. Sieve together the self raising flour, cocoa & baking powder in a separate bowl, gradually add to the mixture folding in with a spatula. Spoon the mixture into your baking cases. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 – 17 minutes until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool on a wire rack
To make the topping= 1. 2. 3.
Beat the butter in a mixer or with a hand held mixer until pale in colour. Sift together the icing sugar & cocoa in a separate bowl and gradually add to the creamed butter with the water. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate as desired.
Start Up Now Project The new and exciting Start Up Now programme is aimed at helping unemployed individuals start their own businesses. The project is currently available for those living in either Oadby or Wigston. The Start Up Now project offers FREE support, guidance and advice to those who wish to become self employed, have a business idea or would like to earn income from a hobby. Our support consists of 5 training workshops, one to one appointments with a specialist advisor and group events, all aimed at giving information and advice on self employment and business start up. Our previous programme of workshops in September proved to be a big success, the ladies completed the series of workshops and walked away with actions points, further knowledge, motivation, confidence but more importantly belief in their ideas and dreams. Our next series of training workshops have been confirmed for April 2013: Date
Time
Workshop
Venue
Thursday 11th April 2013
10.00am - 3.00pm
Deciding To Start & The Business Plan
TBC
Wednesday 17th April 2013
10.00am - 3.00pm
Motivation & Attitude
TBC
Thursday 25th April 2013
10.00am - 3.00pm
Financial Planning
TBC
Wednesday 1st May 2013
10.00am - 3.00pm
Finding New Customers
TBC
Thursday 9th May 2013
10.00am - 3.00pm
Promotion & Publicity
TBC
Deciding to Start & Business Plan: Explores confidence and motivation. From our experience and knowledge of business owners FEAR and FOCUS seems to be the root of many problems • Developing new market opportunities, working and learning from the competition. Understanding how contracts are won and lost •
Motivation & Attitude: • Understanding your personal behaviour and the fear of conscious and unconscious habits we have developed over time. Successful people genuinely inspire and lead others to stay focused and create success with less stress Financial Planning: • Money affects every area of our lives, but managing if efficiently is not always easy • Develop simple financial solutions you can understand and use Finding New Customers • In order to find new customers you need to know how they think and behave • Understand that behaviour patterns and purchasing decisions constantly change; customer lifestyles and desires always drive product definition Promotion & Publicity • The difference between success and failure in business is more often not determined by the effectiveness of the business marketing and promotion strategy Skills for Enterprise will begin a similar programme for those living in Leicester City from April 2013. For further information or to check your eligibility please contact the Start Up Now team on 0116 242 9482 or email info@skillsforenterprise.co.uk
Meet / Mingle Wednesday 6th February 2013, 6.00pm - 8.00pm At the LCB Depot, 31 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1RE A free event for people thinking about starting up a business or in the early stages of trading. It will bring together Leicester's entrepreneurial enthusiasm and energy in one event. This event is organised and run by a large selection of local organisations that help people start businesses. Following on from your feedback from the last event, we've kept the fun and energetic approach to networking, and added in some interactive workshops giving you the chance to practice what you've learnt on the night. Join us for a packed evening to make connections and meet people also starting out on their business journey, at no cost to you. Agenda: 5.45pm - 6.15pm
Registration and refreshments
6.15pm - 6.50pm
Welcome and introductions, following by 3 mini workshops •
Marketing on a shoestring, delivered by CaSE
•
An effective on-line campaign, delivered by Avnesh of Leicester for Business
•
Delivering an effective elevator pitch, delivered by Kate Cowan of Spring
6.50pm - 7.20pm
Speed Networking
7.20pm - 8.00pm
Refreshments and Networking
Always lots of fun and informal, this event is a great way to Meet / Mingle with around 50 people in the same situation as you, over refreshments in the attractive informal surroundings of LCB Depot. Simply bring yourself and business cards if you have them, so people can easily find out how to contact you. If we're fully booked we'll operate a waiting list system, please add yourself to the waiting list. This is an event is bought to you by a partnership of business support agencies and networking groups including: A4E, b-Inspired, Case-Da, LCB Depot, The Prince's Trust, Skills for Enterprise and Spring. Book your place today, please visit: http://meetminglefeb13.eventbrite.co.uk/?ebtv=C *please note, there may be free on-street parking available around the Cultural Quarter after 6pm, which you may be able to take advantage of. We have therefore opened registration until 6.15pm. We look forward to seeing you there
Small Business Workout The Small Business Workout programme aims to help existing business owners overcome the barriers encountered at key points in the early stages of the business cycle. The programme provides a customised and comprehensive programme of business support, including opportunities for business owners to develop new skills and have access to one to one mentoring and business networking. The programme offers 5 support strands, these include: •
A company Skills Needs Analysis - pre and post programme participation analysis of how well the business is performing. The diagnostic will assess the views of the business owner and its customers and make recommendations for future strategy and development.
•
A business planning clinic - a half day one to one session to ensure that participants are confident in the business planning process and are able to set SMART objectives for their business. This element will be especially crucial for businesses at key stages of development (i.e. growth, taking on new staff, building supply chains etc)
•
One to One Business Mentoring - a dedicated business coach offering 6 half day mentoring support sessions to the Business Owner.
•
Funding Application Support - Support with access to a range of funding opportunities for businesses looking to access funds from a range of providers.
•
Business Networking Opportunities - regular opportunities will be provided for participants to come together to network and develop business to business relationships and to establish local supply chain linkages.
SfE has been successful in securing funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support businesses accessing the programme and are based within Leicester City. For further information about the SBW Programme, please call David Ryan on 0116 2518730 or e-mail david.ryan@skillsforenterprise.co.uk.
Easy Steps To Start Your Business With The HMRC Being on the right side of the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) can only work in your favour and will mean that you do not get any unwanted surprises when starting up your business, that's why the HMRC have launched their new e learning package. An easy way to work through starting your own business with simple step by step guidelines and modules. The HMRC have launched their new e learning package to help you start up your own business. This is an excellent tool with their step by step processes and modules covering all the elements of starting up your new business venture, there are a number of aspects that you can also focus on if you don't want to go through the whole module such as the legal requirements, registering your business and of course tax and VAT. In addition, there are also experiences of others who have started their business and details on how they did it, a great way to pick up useful hints and tips for yourself. To access the e learning tool, please click on the following link http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/courses/syob/syob/HTML/syob_menu.html Please note the learning cannot yet be accessed from iPods or ipads.
HMRC Workshops The Business Education and Support Team are a dedicated team trained to provide help and advice to employers and the self-employed. HMRC has arranged a series of free workshops, delivered in key geographical locations designed especially to help you. HMRC’s forthcoming workshops: Newly self-employed - 6 February and 7 March 2013. • how to register your business with HMRC • understanding what is meant by employment status • different classes of National Insurance contributions • basic record keeping • the tax return cycle, payments to HMRC and penalties • where to go for further help and advice Self employment expenses and Capital allowances - 27 February 2013 • what allowable business expenses are and how to work out your tax allowances • how to recognise the most common types of allowable business expenses • how to identify allowable and non-allowable business expenses • the different ways to work out your motoring expenses • how to correctly work out Capital Allowances for cars, other vehicles and equipment using examples • where to find any further information and help you may need • Self Assessment Online They are all held at Saxon House, 1 Causeway Lane, Leicester, LE1 4AA and are FREE If you would like to book a place please visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/bst/ to book online or telephone 0845 603 2691
If you’re unsure how or when to register your business and would like further support, please give Leicester Business Women a call on 0116 251 8730 to make and a one to one appointment with our experienced advisors.
Want to see you business here? This exciting newsletter will give you the opportunity to advertise and promote directly to our database, all are female and based in Leicester / Leicestershire. In addition, we have a large partner database who will also receive the newsletter. Our next edition will be in February 2013, does your business have any special offers / deal or information to share? Are you holding or attending any events that you think business ladies in Leicester / Leicestershire may benefit from? If so, let us know!! How would you rate Leicester Business Women’s newsletter? Is there anything you would you like to see featured in our next newsletter? What would you like more / less of? Leicester Business Women would like to make our newsletters as informative and exciting to all our members and ladies in Leicester so we would love your feedback. Contact Leicester Business Women today on 0116 251 8730 If you missed our October, November or December newsletters check them out! http://issuu.com/leicesterbusinesswomen/docs/ leicester_business_women_newsletter_october_editio http://issuu.com/leicesterbusinesswomen/docs/ leicester_business_women_newsletter_november_editi http://issuu.com/leicesterbusinesswomen/docs/ leicester_business_women_newsletter_december_editi? Full of relevant business information such as marketing, finance, hints and tips on motivation and confidence as well as information on our, virtual office service, Skills for Enterprise's new project, forthcoming training workshops, networking events, adverts from our members and plenty more!!!