Parents in Business Magazine Winter 2022

Inspiring, educating and celebrating grassroots businesses

10 Tips to make bookkeeping

a breeze for small businesses

PR

that makes an impact

How to

challenge yourself and stick to your goals

Plus

ess with in s u B k l Let’s Ta rris Clare mo io n s Solut f o r wa r d S t r a ig h t S t r at e g ie s and

IN CONVERSATION WITH Ogo and Claire Mkparu, founders of Akwa Baby

ISSN 2754-8821

£5.00 Winter issue

9 772754

882003

How Alister Esam Reduced his 80hr Working Week to 14hrs

DO YOU WANT MORE EYES ON YOUR BUSINESS? INTRODUCING THE

Parents in Business Directory The Parents in Business Directory is here to help you!

FEATURING YOUR BUSINESS WITH US WILL BOOST YOUR VISIBILITY LEVELS.

We will ensure that your business, and more importantly, what you offer, is seen by the RIGHT people.

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

Welcome to our Winter Issue

E

very issue, I’m blown away by how amazing parents who are running a business are. In this issue, our cover stars are Ogo and Claire Mkparu, they have 3 children and are the founders of Akwa Baby. They are passionate about acceptance and self-love. They have created a unisex kids clothing range that is made to stand out and spread a positive message. Inspired Nigerian heritage and the African art of storytelling textiles.

There’s an interview with Georgina Atwell, the founder of Toppsta.com, where you can read book reviews and recommendations for the latest children’s books.

Each issue we shine the small business spotlight on remarkable small businesses, we are shinning the light on Alicia Lai, founder of B_Boheme, a vegan, ethical footwear brand (page 18). Also, Matt & Ella Davidson, the husband and wife team behind The Book Publicist, an award-winning PR agency specialising in promoting non-fiction books and the brilliant people behind them. (page 24).

It gives me pleasure to introduce you to Clare Morris, our very own “business troubleshooter” answering your questions (page 16).

Clare will be providing you with straightforward Solutions & Strategies.

Are you are considering hiring your first employee, or have you already taken your first people on board. Tutu Popoola writes how to overcome seven key HR challenges (page 20).

As 2021 showed us, the marketing world moves at the speed of light Natalie Trice has worked in PR for nearly 25 years and knows just what it can do for businesses, charities, and organisations big and small. She has some ideas that can help you shine in 2022 and beyond. (page 22). Also, on (page 15) you’ll find five low budget marketing ideas for your business.

I hope this issue helps you get your 2022 off to a wonderful start.

Bridget

Bridget Daley, Editor bridget@parentsinbiz.co.uk PS Don’t miss it SPRING issue OUT 25th APRIL!

Inspiring, educating and celebrating grassroots businesses www.parentsinbiz.co.uk JAN 2022

We are a Work for Good Partner and give a proportion of proceeds to charity. www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

1

Contents 10

20 on the cover

on the cover

6 How I reduced my 80hr working week to 14hrs

16 Let’s talk business with Clare

Alister Esam, Investor, CEO and Author of The Dirty Word, explains how he transformed his life and business by developing and applying processes while reducing his working week.

Clare Morris is the Parents in Business Magazines “business troubleshooter”. Clare resolves the dilemma of pivoting a business.

18 Small Business Spotlight B_Boheme 8 The struggle with the juggle As a busy parent in business, how often do you find yourself thinking you you’d love just 5 minutes of peace? In business, self-care is important, especially if you are stressed and overwhelmed. on the cover

10 In conversation with Ogo and Claire Mkparu, founders of Akwa Baby Ogo and Claire are passionate about acceptance and selflove. They have created a unisex kids clothing range that is made to stand out and spread a positive message. *Photos credit Àsìkò www.asiko.co.uk

15 5 Low budget marketing ideas for your business You need to market your business to make money, but marketing costs money. Thankfully there are some low-cost, even free, methods of marketing that may be the solution you have been looking for.

Get in touch @parentsinbiz

Alicia Lai’s business started with her dream to show a better way to produce fashion for the environment, people, and animals.

20 How to overcome 7 key HR challenges If you are considering hiring your first employee or have already taken your first people on board. Tutu Popoola writes how to overcome seven key HR challenges. on the cover

22 PR and your small business Whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer, or entrepreneur, if you’ve wanted to understand and use PR, Natalie has some ideas that can help you to shine in 2022 and beyond.

24 Small Business Spotlight The Book Publicist Matt & Ella Davidson are the husband and wife team behind The Book Publicist – an award-winning PR agency specialising in promoting non-fiction books and the brilliant people behind them.

26 31 6

26 Why is data protection important to small businesses Whether a sole trader, charity, limited company, or any form of social enterprise, if you are processing personal data, sit up and pay attention to the evolving regulatory landscape that surrounds you. on the cover

28 10 Tips to make bookkeeping a breeze for small businesses The fundamental purpose of bookkeeping is to provide a record of every financial-based transaction your business carries out. Anthony has ten tips to help you make bookkeeping a breeze. on the cover

31 How to challenge yourself and stick to your goals

34 Interview Georgina Atwell is the founder of Toppsta.com. A website you can visit to read book reviews and recommendations for the latest children’s books. Georgina is a mum of 2.

36 Our directory members If you are on the lookout for products and services, have a look at some of the products and services Parents in Business Directory members offer.

39 Book reviews Remote Work: Redesign processes, practices, and strategies to engage a remote workforce. Written by Chris Dyer and Kim Shepherd. And The Long Win: The search for a better way to succeed written by Cath Bishop.

A new year is always a good time to make new goals and begin over. How do you challenge yourself and still ensure you can stick to your goals?

32 My self-publishing journey Kassi Psifogeorgou is the founder of Adventuresome Words.

She is a Milton Keynes-based children’s author and content writer. She shares her self-publishing journey.

Disclaimer Views expressed in the articles are those strictly of the authors. Every effort is made to ensure that all information given is correct but Parents in Biz limited accepts no liability for inaccuracies, errors or omissions that may occur or their consequences. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher. Copyright includes (and not limited to) the content syndication of the RSS feed of this publication. The content and images used in any of the articles of this publication. The Parents in Business Magazine logo and any of its derivatives.

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

3

Contributors

Meet the people who have taken part in the creation of this issue SHONA CHAMBERS MARKETING CONSULTANT

Shona Chambers is a Marketing Consultant and owner of Shona Chambers Marketing, a Marketing Agency based in Nunhead near Peckham. Specialising in helping Small Business Owners and Freelancers with their marketing. *Photo credit Portrayed Photography www.shonachambersmarketing.co.uk

ALISTER ESAM AUTHOR OF THE DIRTY WORD Alister mission in life is to solve what he sees as an endemic problem in business; work just doesn’t work. His book The Dirty Word addresses the way we disregard creativity and disempower individuals as we scale businesses. He is an investor and mentor to 12 start-up companies. www.alisteresam.com

CLARE MORRIS FOUNDER OF CM RESOURCE Clare share’s business growth ideas and strategies for new, developing, and established businesses. Creating, refreshing, or enhancing your business model. She can help you innovate, evolve and love what you do. So that you increase in confidence, overcome challenges, make well thought out decisions and feel positive in your business. www.cmresourceco.uk

TUTU POPOOLA FOUNDER & LEAD CONSULTANT OF SLEEK HR Tutu Popoola is the Founder & Lead Consultant of Sleek HR, an outsourced HR consultancy providing HR support, HR software and Payroll Services to fast growing creative businesses in the UK. She is an Accredited Member of HR Independents and Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) www.sleekhr.co.uk

Our trusted panel of contributors give you essential advice on everything from PR to wellbeing and finance.

Magazine designed by B81 Designs www.b81designs.com

KASSI PSIFOGEORGOU FOUNDER OF ADVENTURESOME WORDS Kassi Psifogeorgou is the founder of Adventuresome Words. She is a Milton Keynes-based children’s author and content writer, living with her husband and three boys. She would describe herself in three words, writing, creativity, and curiosity. www.adventuresomewords.com

BECKIE SANDERSON BRANDING DESIGNER, PUBLISHING SPECIALIST AND AUTHOR Beckie Sanderson, branding designer and publishing specialist at Miss Digital Media and author and creator of The Boost Yourself Journal, explains how businesswomen can use journaling for self-care to help boost themselves, their business and their brand. www.missdigitalmedia.co.uk

NATALIE TRICE PR DIRECTOR Natalie Trice is a PR Director based in Devon. From CEOs of international TV channels and Finance Directors of IT companies to entrepreneurs at the forefront of their industry and ambitious start-ups, Natalie has worked with them all and many more. www.natalietrice.co.uk

JACQUE WILLIAMS OUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ADIRU CONSULTING LTD Mum to two daughters, Founder and Managing Director of Adiru Consulting Ltd, supporting businesses with their regulatory compliance through the implementation of good governance practices. Her remit includes charity and corporate governance, human resources management, data protection and risk management. www.adiruconsulting.co.uk

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

5

How I reduced my 80hr working week to 14hrs

Alister Esam, Investor, CEO and Author of The Dirty Word, explains how he transformed his life and business by developing and applying processes while reducing his working week.

M

any CEOs suffer from an overwhelming desire for their company to be perfect. As the ultimate driver of high standards, you’re drawn into correcting and spotting little things day-to-day. You probably set reminders to check up on the jobs you want to be done, the loose ends you want to tie up before you can relax and move on.

This paradigm shift meant that the business effectively ran itself, and I was eventually able to sell my business and exit within two weeks. The key was not all the extra hours I had put in, but rather the proper structure I had put in place and that I’d equipped my staff with the tools they needed to confidently do their jobs well and consistently. This might sound like an amazing feat, but the biggest barrier to progress had been me.

As your business gets bigger, this constant vigilance becomes overwhelming. You either work yourself to the bone (without ever managing to keep on top of things) or are Imagine if you could capture all the things that make forced to lower your expectations and standards, accepting a company great, different, special and turn them that few things in this life are into something repeatable – and reliably and perfect, people have flaws, and “Once you have mastered consistently so. This is the essence of the the only way to preserve your process – which the Collins dictionary defines as time, you will understand how sanity is to accept the way “a method of operation”; and/or “a series of actions true it is that most people things are. or changes”. overestimate what they can When I built my company, I It is the detail of the process that an organisation’s accomplish in a year - and became an accidental CEO special ingredients lie in. And it is through the underestimate what they can without any real training to be pursuit, capture, packaging, and execution of a good achieve in a decade!” in that role. My assumption process, a business owner/manager can expect that I needed to control to achieve a state of fulfilment as the organisation Tony Robbins everything made for a stressful begins to deliver the expected results – without time for everyone. For me compromising their health or happiness. personally, it was a miserable time – and over the years, I have found it astonishing how many other CEOs say that A strong, effective process is something that will enable their business is making them equally unhappy. When a your business to run like a well-oiled machine, while business is making its staff stressed and distraught, it’s simultaneously releasing you so that you are no longer usually because the process isn’t functioning correctly. bound to it day and night, allowing you to spend more By developing and applying processes, I transformed both my old company and my life, reducing my time to a fifth of what it had been. While not quite making myself redundant, I was able to let go and extract myself from the day-to-day detail and my controlling obsession with checking that everyone was doing their jobs as I expected.

If you’re looking to kick-start your own transformation and recover your work-life balance, there are three things I recommend: 1. Accept it’s okay to release control of your business and let other people get involved and run it.

2. Give your staff tools to help them run complex collaborative processes confidently and competently without having to remember everything.

3. Remove yourself from any gaps you’ve been trying to bridge and trust your staff to fill them. time with family. I went from working an 80-hour week as a hands-on, meddling business manager to putting in just 14-hours a week as a strategic business leader.

your life, making your business more successful and more independent from you. So, I would urge you to make the leap.

When I eventually sold my business, it was in fantastic shape. What’s more, I was able to extract myself within just two weeks. By then, my team was pretty much running the business and didn’t need me. And that’s all because I had put the right processes in place. I proved to the business purchasers that due process was being followed and that employees embraced and took ownership of everything that went on.

Remember: It’s important to take a step back, even if you have to watch people wobble at first. It’s by faltering and recovering that we learn. If you’re worried about the business leaking money during the initial transition, consider this as an essential investment if you are to let go and make time for things that matter most.

You may experience some initial discomfort when you first start to loosen the reins on your business and trust your staff to run things themselves. It can be a little disconcerting when you first let go and relinquish control.

But it is all worth it when you realise how it will transform

JAN 2022

Alister Esam Author of the Dirty Word www.alisteresam.com

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

7

The struggle with the juggle As a busy parent in business, how often do you find yourself thinking you’d love just 5 minutes of peace? In business, self-care is so important, especially for those who are stressed and overwhelmed.

M

any parents feel like this, and many experience the struggle with the juggle of managing their business, home and family life.

They want to practice everything

they’ve learned about personal development, mindset, business development, planning, goal setting and manifesting but don’t have the time to do it. So, how can we fix this?

Accept the Truths

I created The Boost Yourself Journal for ambitious businesswomen who feel stressed and overwhelmed and Running a business and parenting all simultaneously is may be blocked by limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome. difficult, so first of all, we need to accept that fact. We These businesswomen struggle to juggle their business, also need to understand that we will fail occasionally, but personal life, self-care, and wellbeing everyone does, the employed while developing their business and parent, the entrepreneur, and their brand.

We also need to understand that the stay-at-home parent; everyone has a bad day where we will fail occasionally, but The Boost Yourself Journal helps nothing goes to plan. That everyone does, the employed businesswomen focus on their personal is normal and ok, so take a and business development and put parent, the entrepreneur, and breath and believe you are to practice journaling, mindfulness, normal. Social media makes the stay-at-home parent; gratitude, reflection, and manifestation. it all too easy to believe that They can use the lined and blank pages everyone has a bad day where other people are flying through to get things off their chest, record nothing goes to plan. life without a care in the world achievements and keep themselves on when in reality, it is just as track by writing, colouring and doodling tricky for everyone. Take care away stress. not to measure your success against anything you see online – all that glitters is not gold.

Nikki Sawyer, Anxiety Coach at Sentinent, said, “The Boost

Remember Why You Started When it seems too hard to juggle, focus on why you started this venture. Go over your visions and values and remember how you planned to achieve them. Remember that you are the driving force and stop putting yourself down. You had a plan and can still reach that goal; you might have a few more twists and turns than you first thought. It does not mean you have failed though, The ability to respond and replan is a tremendous skill that you should be proud of. Boost yourself! You are a legend.

Yourself Journal will provide you with prompts to start tweaking! Tweak how you talk to yourself, view yourself, love yourself and first and foremost, give yourself permission to do all of the above. Beckie has provided a very much needed tool to practise and implement change.

This tool will be a vital element of your journey, you will fall in love with it, I guarantee you!”

Make a Schedule Even if you cannot stick to it, planning your day is essential. Colour is a great visual way to see what lies in store. Use red for any items that must happen that day, picking up the kids, touching base with a client etc.; use green for anything that would be nice but can slip if time gets too tight. For example, a load of laundry or tidying up the accounts can wait for another day.

Get Help Make sure you aren’t taking on tasks that do not make financial sense; for example, if you hate cleaning and it takes you far too long, and you can earn twice as much in an hour as it costs to hire a domestic service, outsource! Getting everything done is one thing; doing it yourself is entirely different. The same applies at work; if you are not good with numbers, hire a bookkeeper to help you get everything tidied up, so all you have to do at the end of the year is hand your accounts over, and your accountant can submit them and tell you what you owe.

Beckie Sanderson Branding designer, publishing specialist and author www.missdigitalmedia.co.uk Order The Boost Yourself Journal on Amazon

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

9

Ogo and Claire Mkparu

O IN CONVERSATION

go and Claire Mkparu have 3 children and are the founders of Akwa Baby. They are passionate about acceptance and self-love. ​ They have created a unisex kids clothing range that is made to stand out and spread a positive message.

Inspired by Nnenna Emily’s Nigerian heritage and the African art of storytelling textiles, the clothing carries symbols representing affirmations and positive messages of self-belief and love.

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

11

We would love to know about your journey; how did you get here?

Claire: Ogo and I met at a music festival in 2016, and we just recently celebrated our 4-year wedding anniversary.

At the time, Ogo owned a property company, and I worked in events, nothing to do with the fashion industry.

The arrival of our first daughter, Chia, turned our world into complete disarray (as babies do) and also brought a whole new perspective on life and our purpose in the world.

We decided to set up Akwa Baby over dinner one night as a newborn Chia fell asleep in her Dad’s arms. We wanted to buy her some African fabric clothing to match with her Nnenna (Ogo’s mum) at an upcoming family event. Buying clothes for Chia on the high street really started to open my eyes. Faced with rows and rows of very traditional, Western prints and colour palettes, I realised that only a certain type of baby was really considered. I wanted vibrancy and a stunning nod to her heritage to show off our pride - but I also wanted it in baby-soft clothing.

We started studying a bit about fabrics from the African continent and read about how the process of producing these prints was often passed between generations and that the symbols or the line formations you see can also be meaningful messages. Ogo and I have always been in synchronicity when it comes to knowing how we want our children to feel growing up. It was at this point we had our lightbulb moment about what we could do to not only help build the self-esteem of our children but to maybe even help start a movement amongst all little people!

Ogo: We worked with a designer, Eddie Lyons, to create our first African inspired print we call OBI (meaning ‘heart’ in my Igbo language); we integrated hand-drawn and geometric symbols from the ancient Nsibidi writing system to represent three positive affirmations:

How do your values show up in the work you do?

“Celebrate colour to us means: I see and love the uniqueness of myself and the uniqueness of others”

I am loved, I am courageous, I celebrate colour.

Celebrate colour to us means: I see and love the uniqueness of myself and the uniqueness of others.

Tell us about how your products are sustainable?

Ogo: The OBI range has been produced with all Oek-Tek, GOTS and OCS approved fabrics and components using organic cotton and bamboo mix fabric, and the Celebrate Colour t-shirt and sweatshirt range is crafted from organic fabrics, some including recycled polyester.

We’re also proud to say there is no plastic between the manufacturer and our customers. All branded tags, attachments, and packaging have been produced from natural fibres, and FSC approved paper.

Ogo: Akwa Baby is driven by our values as parents and born out of our personal experiences of the world.

As a Black man born in 1980’s England, I had experiences growing up that left me feeling negatively about my skin colour and heritage and from this, I imposed limiting self-beliefs on myself around who or what I could achieve in life. I spent my twenties undoing a lot of that social conditioning to become incredibly proud and confident in myself, and then becoming a parent reinforced to me the importance of self-esteem.

Our mission is to Empower the New Generation with selflove and confidence. We do this through storytelling prints against a backdrop of African Heritage.

Pride in heritage shows up in how we’ve named the brand, Akwa means ‘cloth’ in the Nigerian Igbo tribe language, and the garments have been named after many of our family members.

Claire: We will continue to release prints that carry affirmations relating to embracing identity, and our Celebrate Colour message is one that we want to see in as many households as possible. We’re encouraging everyone to have the important conversations about race and equality through this mantra. The more comfortable everyone gets with discussing the topic, the greater chance we have of creating substantial and positive change.

What was the last thing you did that made you proud?

network of consultants and designers to help us put the brand and the range together. We’ve definitely taken the scenic route into this business, but we have a core team of suppliers now we feel really confident about working with.

Ogo: We launched Akwa Baby officially in June, so I think just making this idea of ours come to life has been a huge Ogo: Yes, everything has definitely moved a lot slower milestone. I believe that children learn by watching what because of all the learning on the job we’ve had to do, but you do, not just what you say, so it’s we’re in a good place to get things going important to me to set an example to my this year. kids by leading a life I feel has passion “Our mission is to and purpose, where I’m contributing to Empower the New and creating something positive, and How do you manage Akwa Baby is doing just that.

Claire: For me - it has to be giving birth to our third child without an epidural 3 weeks ago!

What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

Generation with self-love and confidence and we do this through storytelling prints against a backdrop of African Heritage”

Claire: Definitely our lack of experience in the fashion industry! I’ve spent every spare hour researching and learning since we came up with the idea, building a

your time between family and business?

Claire: We put supporting each other first as the kids are still very small (we have three under four years old), so we need to balance everything around them.

We divide the parenting and business roles equally and are each other’s biggest cheerleaders to make sure we have both enough energy and mental capacity to keep everything going.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Ogo: Spare time is somewhat of a premium at the moment, but I’m passionate about reading, I’ll read every day, even if it’s only one chapter, and mainly books on self-development, culture and history just so that I am doing something for myself on a daily basis, outside of being a dad.

Claire: Spare time is definitely just downtime for me, a rare moment of not breastfeeding or running after a toddler. I’m looking forward to getting my yoga practice back, but right now, I’m happy rolling on the kitchen floor with my babies!

Who or what inspires you?

Claire: Our children inspire us to do and be better, they are schooling us every day with the amazing and challenging life lessons that only parenthood can do. And definitely the community of people we’ve met since we launched Akwa Baby. We’ve received such brilliant support online. We took the brand to Camp Bestival and Big Feastival last summer, where we met hundreds of families all totally aligned with our beliefs and brand values. It was heartwarming and motivational, to say the least, finally having meaningful conversations face to face with customers and seeing our Celebrate Colour message become so amplified.

www.akwababy.com *Photos credit Àsìkò www.asiko.co.uk

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

13

Coming Soon!

Parents in Business Community Podcast

Stay Tuned! www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

5 Low budget marketing ideas for your business

Y

ou need to market your business to make money, but marketing costs money.

If you feel like you are stuck in a catch 22, you are not alone, but thankfully there are some low-cost, even free methods of marketing that may be the solution you have been looking for.

1. Ask for referrals

5. Apply for business awards

Word of mouth was always the best sign of a good tradesman, and nothing has changed in the digital era.

Getting referrals from customers is a great way to grow your business. Offering a discount on the next purchase for an existing customer when their friend converts to a sale is a great low-cost motivator and is easy to set up and administer. Enclose information in every item you send out and publicise it across your social channels and website.

Here’s the deal if you have ever wondered how business award winners even got their hat in the ring to start with.

They nominated themselves! Not everyone is aware of this fact, but most business awards are self-nominated, and you will then go up against anyone else in your category, and who knows, you might even win. This is a great platform to gain traction in your industry. Don’t forget to blog about it, too - your social channels are a great place to show off your nomination (as we say, most people are unaware these are self-nominated) and if you win or place as a runner up, be sure to shout it loud!

2. Collaborate with other businesses Collab is a buzzword for businesses of all shapes and sizes. The key here is to pick an industry that perfectly complements yours. If they are also a small company selling, the idea of collaboration shouldn’t be that tricky. You can go all in and market each other’s products; maybe you make shoes, and they sell socks, or you can keep it looser and add the odd post for each other. It immediately doubles your audience on social media when they post about you to their fans, and you post about them for your fans. This is also a trust relationship so ensure they have a product suitable for your customers as they trust you,

3. Offer to speak Setting yourself up as an industry expert is a great way to gain the trust of prospects, and it helps solidify your brand.

If you know your stuff, do not be afraid to use it. Offering yourself up as a speaker to groups that contain your demographic is a great way to get your name known. Events are always keen to have speakers onboard, and free ones are incredibly enticing. All this costs you is your time, and the payback could be valuable.

Further reading Visibility Marketing: The no-holds-barred truth about what it takes to grab attention, build your brand, and win new business Available to purchase on Amazon

4. Write for industry publications If you are not comfortable standing up and speaking in front of an audience, writing for an industry publication can have the same outcomes. Be sure to check your facts and figures, cite your sources and spell check the document before submitting it. Again, this doesn’t cost anything but time, and you can credit yourself and your company to help raise your profile and get your name out there.

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

15

LET’S TALK BUSINESS WITH CLARE

STRAIGHTFORWARD SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES

H

ello, I’m Clare – your positively creative Problem Solver I’m at my very happiest partnering with business owners like you to strengthen and confidentialy move your business forward. When not working you’ll find me outside, rain or shine running or wild gardening! Clare Morris is the Parents in Business Magazines

“business troubleshooter” answering your questions.

The Dilemma: Pivoting A Busines Alex and Lindsay own Puddini. Parents to two lovely girls and wholly invested in their business. They own an innovative catering business based in Cambridgeshire. They provide the most amazing, creative, and beautiful bespoke catering services for weddings, parties and corporate events. But lockdown and ongoing restrictions massively impacted their core business. How could they pivot their operation to share their passion for Italian cuisine?

I worked with them to help find a solution to bridge their income gap. I also wanted to keep them well connected to their customer base. So, we took an in-depth look at the issues they were facing, helping them identify ways to diversify their offering. And meet the evolving needs of their customers.

The Challenge Happy Customers Needed The Puddini team had been furloughed. And the business had just taken on bigger catering premises. What could we do to keep the business name at the forefront of people’s minds and get back to delivering delicious, memorable suppers?

Knowing how well Puddini were known for catering the Arts Theatre, weddings, corporate events and more, gave them a strong reputation.

As it wasn’t possible to service any of these areas now, we drew a line out to the edge of Willingham village. Talked to the team about moving into the delivery arena and started testing meals.

A. did the food stay hot until it reached the perimeter of destinations. Some very lucky villagers were asked to help out!

B. was the timeframe for delivery achievable. Could the team cycle with the number of deliveries needed to make it pay and get there on time?

C. how many people would be interested. Well, a lot, as we found out. With such positive feedback with so many wanting food to their door, the supper club was more than a takeaway.

The Ideas: Cycling, Stamping and Collaborating Puddini Caterers is well known and loved.

Alex and Lindsay’s passion for food and being genuinely lovely people meant that we had no problem with our foodie community. But how did we get the message out there?

Flyers were printed. The cycle team were primed, and house numbers counted. The flyer was perfect, but the reverse was blank. What if it fell face down? During lockdown, everyone had a message, so we knew it would be challenging to get noticed.

We needed a cunning plan.

Already incredibly popular with existing customers, the supper club has also broadened its fan base. They regularly bring on board new customers. They are partnering with more and more local businesses to complement their supper club.

And finally, they are deservedly busy. Alex and Lindsay have achieved so much in such a short time, helped by our amazing brainstorming sessions.

"The solution often turns out more beautiful than the puzzle."

Richard Dawkins

Alex and Lindsay decided to go sustainable from the outset, and one of their investments were paper bags to hold the delivery suppers. And a stamp had been purchased to show their lovely logo on the bags.

So, one very hot afternoon, Alex sat and stamped over a thousand flyers, with their logo on the reverse. What a great chap and what a success.

We would distribute flyers in the village and surrounding area and ask some of their local suppliers to collaborate. By putting the supper club flyers into their orders as well, the busier Puddini got, the busier their suppliers were.

The Results Bigger and Better The outcome was the Italian Supper Club. A delivery service where the team provides high quality and delicious Italian food delivered directly to the door. And it is very, well received.

“Clare has been the breath of fresh air that we so desperately needed!

Always a pleasure to speak to and immediately able to offer such practical and creative advice.”

I am ready to answer your questions, which can be anything business-related, but don’t restrict the situations to just inside work. If they are affecting your life-work balance, I would love to address these.

Click here to send your questions to me or email Info@parentsinbiz.co.uk Connect with Clare www.cmresource.co.uk JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

17

Small Business Spotlight B_Boheme Alicia Lai Briefly tell us about you?

I

have two daughters called Matilda and Scout, aged 10 and 12. I came over from Australia to the UK in 2000 backpacking and never left. I have 14 years’ management experience and am a clinician by trade, having worked as a Podiatrist for many years and completed a Masters in Public Health.

I’ve been a committed vegan for years. I brought my children up that way too. However, one thing I really struggled with was finding vegan shoes.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve always wanted to make a difference.

It started with my dream to show that there was a better way to produce fashion for the environment, people, and animals. There was a lack of style-led fashion, ethically produced, and represented my own ethics and beliefs as a vegan.

Like many vegans, I care passionately about the environment, yet most vegan shoes weren’t environmentally friendly when I looked into them. They made heavy use of plastics and weren’t at all hard-wearing. I’d wear them a couple of times, and they would be ready for the bin. Even shoes that aren’t leather use animal glues. The few that were on the market were uninspiring, in dull colours, and I love bright colours.

As a podiatrist, I also believe that shoes should be as comfortable as they are beautiful. It was a long list of requirements; it appeared I was a difficult customer to please. When I realised that what I wanted just didn’t exist, I set out to make it myself, and B Boheme was born.

With a background in podiatry rather than fashion or sustainability, I researched and built my knowledge of the sustainable footwear industry. I spent years researching sustainability and attending trade fairs, where I could speak face to face with material suppliers who could provide just what we wanted, which was eco-alternatives to leather.

The business has always been entirely self-funded. It first started out as a marketplace, where we brought in other brands to sell, exhibiting at vegan shows and attending trade shows, developing a huge fan base amongst consumers and retailers. As a pioneer in sustainable fashion, I have guest lectured at the London College of Fashion and the Fashion Retail Academy. It was an honour when B_ Boheme was one of only six brands chosen to take part in a British trade mission to Sweden to showcase innovation and sustainability.

I am a driven, energetic, dynamic, and innovative entrepreneur, and I’m now recognised as a thought leader in sustainable fashion.

Tell us about your niche?

B_Boheme is a vegan, sustainable, ethical shoe brand. Our designer shoes use no animal products and are made to order, so avoid the waste of the fast-fashion industry.

People are tired of ‘safe’ design in their homes and clothes.

Our collections are exciting and a little different. They’re inspired by everything around us, from vintage fashion to nature and architecture. We are in the ‘affordable luxury’ price point. All can buy, but as something to keep and treasure for some time. We source plant-based and sustainable materials to create hard-wearing, beautiful shoes with the lowest possible carbon footprint.

I’m a qualified podiatrist, so comfort is considered in the design of all shoes. We’re launching our new collection in November 2021 for delivery from January 2022.

The business has come out of a genuine need, but to hold an ideology so central to my life and make the business a success is really rewarding. It proves that if you really have passion for something, you can turn your dream into reality. With two young daughters brought up vegan since birth, I want them to be proud of me by showing them the sky’s the limit in what they too can achieve. They are my daily inspiration. www.bboheme.com

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

19

How to overcome 7 key HR challenges If you are considering hiring your first employee or have already taken your first people on board. Congratulations on taking such a huge step towards the successful growth of your business.

I

t’s an exciting time, though not without its challenges so, you might want to familiarise yourself with some of the key HR challenges that come with employing people.

It’s important to carefully draw up the skills you require your ideal candidate to have and a clear and transparent description of the role. This will guide you in selecting the right for your business and avoid picking someone that ‘looks good’.

1. Hiring the right people

2. Paying your employees fairly

Hiring the right people will have a huge impact on your business, whether positively or negatively.

There are several legal responsibilities, such as setting up a PAYE scheme and making National Insurance contributions.

If there is a delay in making the final decision, it’s important to maintain regular contact with your candidates. It will ensure you keep the best people engaged, especially in a candidate driven market.

Due to auto-enrolment laws, you’ll also need to source a pension provider for your business.

Also, the UK national minimum wage typically increases in April every year.

There’s a perception that smaller businesses pay less and expect more; this is sometimes incorrect. It may be because their pockets are not yet as deep as larger organisations; this can understandably impact the quality of applicants.

It’s worth reviewing similar job adverts to see what other businesses are offering. You could leverage sites like PayScale and Glassdoor to learn what employers in your area and industry offer for similar roles. If the salary you are offering is not competitive, you may be able to compensate with other perks and benefits.

Equity, typically in the form of stock options, is the currency of the startup world. Founders use it to lure talent and compensate employees for the salary cut that they may take when joining a smaller business.

3. Developing your employees The route to professional growth in smaller businesses is different from the route in established corporations, and it’s unlikely that you have the resources to hire a learning and development expert.

Smaller companies may be more suited to entrepreneurial people who will treat their work as a business opportunity or also have a side hustle. Most likely, they already have their own professional and personal development goals that reflect their individual interests. You should seek to understand these and see how you can play a role in getting them there.

Also, you could position learning as a ‘lifestyle’ instead of a structured programme by creating a learning catalogue of podcasts, books, and resources relevant to your company and industry that staff could engage with and share relevant insights.

You could also explore the option of mentoring and shadowing opportunities on different aspects of the business. There are also free mentoring platforms such as the Mentoring Club to support people looking for support on their professional journey.

Understandably, many startup businesses choose to enlist the services of outsourced HR specialists. External professionals can help you navigate the minefield until you can recruit in-house HR people.

6. Retaining good staff Staff retention can be difficult for smaller businesses.

After the investment of time and other resources, staff become key to the overall operation, and when they move on elsewhere by better pay, facilities, and perks, it leaves a gaping hole to fill and the daunting prospect of having to do it again.

To minimise this, when you have a star player on your team, you could go the extra mile to keep it that way. Listen to them, act on their aspirations and give them additional responsibilities so they don’t become disengaged. Make their life easier by providing the resources they need. Let them be part of important meetings and networking events, where they can be proud to represent your company in the local business community.

If you can’t manage a pay rise, reward them with time off in lieu or other perks and benefits that may be equally valuable to them.

7. Carefully managing exits No matter the circumstances of staff resignations, exits are a fact of business life, and it’s important that they are managed carefully.

If you initiate the exit, it’s important to get HR advice to protect your business from falling foul of employment law.

Conducting exit interviews, especially in cases of resignations, offer a deeper look at your workplace culture, day-to-day processes, and employee morale. It’s crucial to leverage any negative feedback to make improvements for the future.

Tutu Popoola Founder & Lead Consultant of Sleek HR www.sleekhr.co.uk

4. Managing performance This goes hand in hand with developing your people.

It does not have to be a cumbersome process; sometimes more is less. Develop a simple process that involves setting SMART objectives, agreeing on a reasonable timeframe to meet them and asking about the support your staff need to meet these goals.

For this process to be effective, your staff should be involved to ensure two-way communication throughout to keep them engaged.

5. Understanding the employment law that applies Employment law can be a minefield for employers, even the minimum requirements covering working environments and facilities, contracts, and statutory rights.

Further reading The essential HR guide for small businesses and startups: best practices, tools, examples, and online resources Available to purchase on Amazon

Falling foul of employment law can result in tribunal cases and can cause financial and reputational damage.

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

21

PR and your small business

N

atalie Trice has worked in PR for nearly 25 years and knows just what it can do for businesses, charities, and organisations big and small. So, whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer, or entrepreneur, if you’ve wanted to understand and use PR, Natalie has some ideas that can help you to shine in 2022 and beyond.

Read the papers and scroll social media You might be clear on who you are talking to daily, but do you know which publications, blogs, or social media platforms your target audience reads and uses?

PR is a great way to build your profile and reach people, but unless you are reaching the right people, you could be wasting your time and simply securing vanity coverage.

Over the next few weeks, take time to get familiar with newspapers, magazines, and websites your customers use, look at where you ‘could’ fit on the pages, find contact details, and add all of this to your plans.

Write things down When it comes to PR, the press want information yesterday.

Be prepared by having clear product descriptions, service

plans, prices, and high-resolution images ready, and you will be able to make a good first impression that could have a lasting impact.

Think about training Now is the perfect time for a little professional development, and there is no reason why this can’t be for PR. If you don’t have someone to do the job for you, there are some fantastic courses and workshops that can fill the gaps and give you the confidence to go out there and do it yourself.

Be social media savvy If you’re behind on social media for your business, use these late winter nights to catch up. Check which accounts you have (it’s amazing how many people don’t know), ensure they are branded correctly and you are using up to date links, and start populating them to communicate with the outside world.

Twitter can be a fantastic PR tool, and the #journorequest hashtag is one way to find potential media opportunities.

It is easy to find media outlets and communicate with journalists and influencers – just don’t stalk them.

Liking and commenting on your connections’ content helps to start conversations, nurture relationships and in the longterm, you will hopefully be on their radar and able to help.

Again, think about what media your target audience consumes, and if you know they read Grazia and Red, follow those magazines and their writers. If it’s more about business, look at Forbes and Business Insider to get a feeling for who writes what and what they’re looking for.

Plan your content The great thing about PR in the digital age is that you can be your own media maker. Yes, you want to be seen on the pages of magazines and feeds of influencers, but you don’t need anyone’s permission to be visible anymore.

Start to plan content for your website and think about piggy backing on New Year’s resolutions, eating well, exercising, as well as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, as these are all topical subjects that lend themselves to PR.

Get your photos in order They say a picture paints a thousand words, which is so true when it comes to PR. Set aside some time to see what images you have right now, what is missing and make sure that is rectified and fast.

Go for clean, clear product images and bright, fresh, creative headshots (no red eye or white backgrounds) and if you can, hire a pro to do the job for you.

FURTHER READING PR School: Your Time to Shine can be ordered from Amazon

Natalie Trice PR Director www.natalietrice.co.uk

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

23

Small Business Spotlight The Book Publicist Matt & Ella Davidson Briefly tell us about you?

W

e are Matt and Ella Davidson, the husband and wife team behind The Book Publicist – an award-winning PR agency specialising in promoting non-fiction books and the brilliant people behind them.

We are also parents to three messy, mischievous but pretty marvellous boys, Barnaby (9), Ben (6) and Wilbur (2). We live and work together from our chaotic house full of books in Herefordshire, surrounded by our dog, cat and six chickens.

What inspired you to start your business?

Both of us had been working in London in jobs we didn’t like. So, when Matt was headhunted for a job in York, we decided to quit and start a new life in North Yorkshire.

Ella moved without a job, so while she was at home, she reached out to one of her favourite previous employers – a non-fiction publisher – about doing some freelance PR work. This first freelance client gradually

turned into more and more, and within just a few months, she had built a business that gave her a really good living using nothing more than a laptop, a spare room and a lot of hard work.

of entrepreneurs, fitness experts, life coaches, psychologists and parenting experts who don’t even have a book, but we’re still able to position them as the “go-to expert” in their field.

Shortly after our first son was born, however, all the staff at the company Matt was working for were made redundant. He got the phone call with the news while giving baby Barnaby one of his first ever baths at the kitchen table, and with Ella off on maternity leave, it suddenly turned the happy “new baby” period into quite a worrying time.

Our job is really just using our relationships with magazines, radio stations, podcasts and other media outlets to put people in front of the right audiences.

That might mean getting a book reviewed in one of the national newspapers, having an expert interviewed on a BBC News or getting an author the opportunity to tell their story on the This Morning sofa – every campaign, and every day, is different, and that means we still get a buzz out of the job even after all these years.

A few hours later, once the baby was finally asleep, we sat down together, and Ella said, “Why don’t we use this as an opportunity to give ourselves some freedom?” We decided that we could both work on the business while splitting the parenting duties 50:50 to create a work/life balance we both love.

Fast forward to today, and we are super proud that the little company Ella started has grown into a team of 10 brilliant people – all while fitting around raising 3 wonderful little people of our own.

Tell us about your niche?

As the company name implies, we specialise in publicity for non-fiction books, which means we work with lots of different authors and publishers.

However, what’s interesting is that for many of the clients we work with, it is much more about sharing their ideas and expertise with the right audience to help build their profile, rather than just promoting their book as a product. In fact, we work with lots JAN 2022

We feel fortunate to work with some of the world’s leading experts to help them share their ideas. We might be talking to a World Cup winning footballer about combating racism in the morning and a parenting expert about coping with toddler tantrums in the afternoon, but the insights we get from them are always genuinely fascinating, and we’d like to think these ideas might help make the world a little bit better place for our kids to grow up in. www.thebookpublicist.co.uk *Photo credit Sally Corrick Photography www.sallycorrickphotography.com

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

25

Why is data protection important to small businesses Why is data protection important to small businesses? The simple answer... because it’s so important to modern life.

I

will provide you with the fundamentals of the current UK legislation and best practice. Whether a sole trader, charity, limited company, or any form of social enterprise, if you’re “processing” personal data, sit up and pay attention to the evolving regulatory landscape that surrounds you.

In this digital age, data is now the most valuable commodity.

Previously gold, oil, and even spice data is currently the most precious resource. Why? Because it’s intrinsic to modern business and everyday life. Just think identify theft, malware attacks, international organisations locked out of their own systems by ransomware. Consider surreptitious banner advertisements persuading you to make that online purchase or (although extreme) algorithms that profile individuals based on their content choices in order to influence the direction in which they cast a political vote.

Perhaps not so extreme…?

The wrongful use of data in these scenarios can impact private individuals to entire countries, causing anything from a minor inconvenience resulting from cancelling banks cards and resetting passwords; to destabilising a nation’s

political landscape, the ramifications of which can be felt for years.

I know what you’re thinking: “I’m a small business; I don’t really have to worry about those things until I scale up!

Securing a steady income and establishing my brand are the current priorities”. Well, sorry (not sorry!) to share, but compliance to data protection is essential – regardless of the size of your organisation.

In fact, as a smaller business, you face greater exposure without access to resources or technical expertise that would support your privacy compliance.

The Legislation In the UK, the principle acts of law that collectively form the UK data protection legislation are: the Data Protection Act 2018; the UK General Data Protection Regulation (remember when GDPR came into effect in May 2018? This is the UK-specific equivalent in accordance with our exiting the EU, ratified into UK law on 1st January 2021.) Finally, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation 2003 mostly relates to digital marketing (and why you need that check box for visitors to opt-in to your website subscriptions). Other legislation exists, but these are the primary ones a small business owner should have an awareness of.

What is “Processing”?

If you’re doing ANYTHING in your business activities that involve the personal data of private individuals, consider yourself to be “processing”. The legislation is broad in its interpretation and includes using, recording, storing, analysing, restructuring or deleting data.

Data protection has been introduced to safeguard individuals’ personal information. As a business owner, you see both sides of the coin. Approach your use of customers’ data with the same respect you expect when you are the customer, or your families and children: keep it safe; be transparent in its use (by way of a Privacy Policy on your website); ask permission when using special category data; understand how long you will keep the data for and determine a method to delete it when appropriate; be aware of the rights of private individuals and always, always consider the impact of the way in which you use their personal information.

Non-compliance risks damaging your business’ reputataion, customer retention and negatively impacting growth.

Whereas implementing robust governance around your handling of personal data will establish the solid foundations from which to scale.

Data Protection in the UK is regulated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), a publicly funded independent authority that monitors the compliance of all organisations to privacy legislation, ensuring the rights of individuals are upheld. Ordinarily, suppose you process personal data as part of your business activities (beyond that of your staff for payroll purposes). In that case, your business will be listed on the public register, and you’ll be paying an annual registration fee. Unsure...? Just look yourself up on the ICO’s website.

What is “Personal Data”?

Personal data is defined as “information that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person”. This means any data that can be directly connected to a living individual and any information, when combined with another piece of data, could indirectly reveal the identity of an individual. Typical examples include name; any unique identifier such as NHS number, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses from digital devices (think “cookies”), even vehicle number plates as these are usually registered to a single individual.

The following are excluded and therefore outside the scope of the legislation: information about companies and public authorities; deceased individuals (not considered as “natural persons”); or anonymised data, which is stripped of all personal identifiers.

The legislation makes additional provisions for is what is described as “Special Category” data. This personal information is considered more sensitive, as the mis-use could significantly impact the rights and freedoms of the individual, and therefore is afforded even greater protection.

Examples include race and ethnic origin data; religious or philosophical beliefs; political opinions; data related to sexual preferences, sex life and/or sexual orientation; and several more.

JAN 2022

Jacque Williams Founder and Managing Director of Adiru Consulting Ltd www.adiruconsulting.co.uk

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

27

10 TIPS TO MAKE

BOOKKEEPING

A BREEZE

?

FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

The fundamental purpose of bookkeeping is to provide a record of every financial-based transaction your business carries out. That is all money that comes in and all money that goes out.

Cashbook – An overall record of your cashflow

If this is all starting to sound complicated – fear not! We have ten tips to help you make bookkeeping a breeze.

?

2. Use Accounting Software The organisation is crucial, and accounting software does more than just record details. Keeping track throughout the year removes the headaches associated with the end of year reporting and tax return. With this in mind, consider paid-for package such as Freeagen QuickBooks or Xero. If you use an accountant for your annual reports you can hand over the login, and everything they need is waiting.

5

Sales Ledger - Products/services sold. Each with the invoice marked paid/outstanding Purchase Ledger – What you spend money on and how you paid for it

?

? ? ??? ?

1. Decide on the Best Method Accounting has two methods. For turnover less than £83,000 a year' Cash Accounting' is probably best.

You pay tax on paid transactions only, so you record transactions using the date money was actually received or paid out. 'Traditional accounting' is the only/mandated option for turnover above £83,000.

Transactions are recorded on the date the invoice was raised for sales/purchases, regardless of whether they are paid or not.

Bookkeeping Basics

'Money in' tends to be the easier bit – that is, every product or service you sell. 'Money out' can get a little more complicated as you need to account for every penny from manufacturing costs to internet connections, wages for staff to sub-contractor payments and more.

Accountant's base everything on three key financial ledgers:

1

??

2

6. Keep on Top Be sure to update your software and stay on top of things regularly. It might sound obvious, but things can slip really quickly and then suddenly, there are three or four months of invoices to generate (especially if you work in a shop environment where transactions aren't recorded directly into your software and a stack of receipts that need to be uploaded. Be sure to file any paper-based records in chronological order to make them easy to reference.

7. Open Communications Not everyone has time to keep their books, so it is often a job that gets outsourced, but as a business owner, that doesn't just mean you can forget about it. Whether bookkeeping is under the remit of an employee or outsourced to another freelancer, you need to stay in the loop. You should expect regularly reporting and take the time to go through this in-depth at least quarterly. Be sure to see your balance sheet and profit and loss statement and the end of every month.

3. Record Everything We cannot stress how important this is. Proper recordkeeping removes the potential for issues down the line. Keep receipts, even those considered petty cash levels, and record them all in your software, right down to coffee and biscuits for the office. You can scan receipts into your software package to complete your records.

3

4

re d re ng moves h the

sider a eagent, e an ports, and g.

4. Define Terms Be sure to define clear terms to your clients and pay your bills on time to avoid potential cash flow problems. Most people are respectful of due dates but having clear protocols in place means you can chase any problem payers before it becomes an issue.

It is important that you make timely payments, especially when it comes to paying your tax bill. If someone regularly fails to pay on time, you may need to reconsider that relationship.

5

5. Create a 'Paper' Trail Of course, it isn't always physical paper in this day and age, but you need to have records to substantiate things you are spending money on.

Should you need to show your expenses record, it helps if they are already organised, and any paper records are filed in an easy-to-understand system.

It can be more challenging with a small business but keep your personal finances separate from your company.

6

8. Agile Working and Tracking More people have employees working at remote locations because of work from home orders, making it harder to track overtime, holidays, etc.

You can get cloud-based timekeeping that can eliminate the problem by tracking when people are logging in and out of work. Chose a cloud-based software that integrates with your accounting software, and you have saved a lot of work.

7 8

₿ $ €₽ ¥ 10 ₣ 9

₩

₹

10. Bring in the Professionals There comes a time when you need to consider outsourcing the whole process. If you do not have staff, you are trying to keep on top of everything alone, which can get too much. If you are going to outsource to a professional bookkeeper, make sure they have the skills to take it right through to return for you. But again, as with a bookkeeping assistant, be sure to keep in contact and get updates.

9. Other Currency Transactions If you work in more than one currency, paying attention to the exchange rates is essential. There is daily fluctuation, and this can mean that the rate you are paid is not the same as the amount paid out or received in.

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

29

Collaborate with us Become a guest contributor and showcase your expertise amongst the Parents in Business magazine readers.

Contact us info@parentsinbiz.co.uk

How to challenge yourself and stick to your goals Be Realistic

T

here is no point in challenging yourself with unrealistic goals because you are setting yourself up to fail, which is not good for confidence or self-esteem. This applies to both work and personal life. For example, a popular personal goal is to lose weight, which is fine but define it with a realistic slant. If you have never been a size zero, the chances are you won’t ever be, so you are immediately doomed to failure. So, your goal should be to eat healthily, exercise regularly, and as a side effect, there will be weight loss leaving you feeling more positive about your bodily image. The same applies in your work life; set realistic goals and narrow them down to achievable steps that will boost your confidence as you pass each step along the way.

Find Your Tribe We are not designed to walk this world alone, and support can make much difference to what you can and cannot achieve. January is always seen as a great time to make resolutions, and this brings about a sense of community as so many people will be joining the January vibe. This gives you a support network, and it is essential to talk to friends and colleagues as this has been shown to lead to lasting results and longer-term commitment than going solo. It also pays to build in some accountability, and friends can be great at this. You can also track your progress with various apps and social media interactions but keep this positive as it can go the other way and make you feel like you have failed when you are doing fine.

Give it a Date Stamp Challenges and goals should be set and measured in SMART terms, and if you know about this method of working, you will know that the T stands for Time. We have already covered the rest of the acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Relevant). Finally, we need to give ourselves a deadline to stay on track. Think about how clean your house can suddenly become when a family member is coming for dinner, or how fast we can get a piece of work out the door when the client has paid for express turnaround. The same applies to our goals and how we challenge ourselves. Without time limits, it is too easy to bump them down the to-do list or put them off for another day – procrastination is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to success, so set a deadline and stick to it.

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

31

My self-publishing journey I’m Kassi, the owner and founder of Adventuresome Words. I’m a Milton Keynes-based children’s author and content writer, living with my husband and our three boys.

This is the story of how I started my self-publishing journey and why I think writing a book is such a rewarding experience.

I

f I had to describe myself in three words, I’d say writing, creativity, and curiosity. I was born in Athens and raised in Volos, a beautiful coastal city in Greece. A wonderful place to grow up, where I spent most of my childhood playing outside and swimming in the sea with my friends.

Even though I always found it fascinating to write my own stories, I didn’t plan to become a children’s book writer. Instead, I studied cell and molecular biology. I got a master’s in biotechnology, a second master, and a PhD in neuroscience. After several years of working in labs and as

a science writer, I decided to take a career break to raise my children.

My return to the corporate world brought me face to face with a dialogue I could not help but relate to. “Our recruiter shouldn’t recommend candidates who have taken time off from their careers, regardless of the reason, said the HR manager “. “I agree. Technology advances every three months, much less every five years,” the manager replied. I wondered. Is this right? Is it ethical? Like many others, the candidate took time off to care for his children. As an adult, I realized how many of us struggle to fit into the boxes set by modern society.

As a neuroscientist, I believe that acceptance and forgiveness can have strong and lasting beneficial effects on well-being.

So, a thought stuck in my head. How do I explain to my kids that the people you surround yourself with are important?

The people with whom you spend time at school and later at work matter.

To gain knowledge on the subject, I took an intensive course in understanding Health First Aid and Mental Health Advocacy in the Workplace. If I could put it into two sentences, mental health refers to a person’s emotional and psychological well-being. It’s the ability to energetically participate in everyday life and positively interact with family and friends.

When surrounded by friends, you don’t hesitate to share your worries, knowing you’ll be heard, right? Healthy relationships have that kind of impact. I firmly believe that improving the world takes one step at a time. For me, children hold the key to that. Using open communication, they’re honest and constantly building trust with each other; I can’t think of a better example. Our children will improve our society as many generations have before.

It is my children’s world that inspired my colourful children’s books. I created Foodland, the fantasy world of sentient food. My first book, ‘Operation Befriend Mr Pizza!’, is a humorous story aimed at children who are nervous about opening up and making friends at school.

As a neuroscientist, I believe that acceptance and forgiveness can have strong and lasting beneficial effects on well-being. This idea became the core of the second book in the Foodland series, ‘The wicked turnip in Christmas Foodland’.

Through these stories, kids learn the journey of the “hero” and “anti-hero” while practising acceptance, respect, forgiveness, kindness, teamwork, and empathy.

I now am a freelancer and work full time as a children’s book writer and a content writer. My books give me the opportunity to bring my mental health wellness and science passions together. The next step in my publishing journey is to release my first science book for young minds, featuring the great aspects of being a human.

Self-publishing was a better choice for me than traditional publishing. It is not time-consuming and gives me complete creative control. During the process, I am able to work with people who are in line with my vision, which JAN 2022

adds an extra spark to the project. It is also easier to make changes if something isn’t working well, such as textual or design changes.

My goal is to inspire more young people to cultivate a resilient mindset, raise awareness about important issues, and engage more children with the fascinating world of science.

As a freelancer, I have the opportunity to do a job I chose and work around my children’s school schedules. I get to put love into words and help my young readers connect with the moments that matter. It’s also wonderful seeing my kids engaging with my projects and sharing their ideas with me. We have never missed dinner together, and we always share news about our day.

Changing careers is not easy, but it is possible; and also rewarding.

Kassi Psifogeorgou Founder of Adventuresome Words www.adventuresomewords.com

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

33

Interview with

Georgina Atwell Georgina Atwell is the founder of Toppsta.com. Where you can go to read book reviews and recommendations for the latest children’s books.

close eye on our expenses and meant doing everything myself. I kept track of all our costs month by month, and I spent a lot of time watching Youtube tutorials. It meant a lot of our activity “You don’t need half looked very amateur, but it also meant that our readers realised I was just a of them, particularly Mum with a business idea, trying to do my best, and I think that resonated with in the early days. Start many other parents.

Tell us about your journey. How did you get here?

T

he glossy version is that I studied English Literature at University, joined the graduate scheme at The Penguin Group and then Apple called to see if I was interested in running their eBook store small and build slowly. It before I left to start Toppsta.com in 2014. However, life is never that simple! doesn’t need to look slick How do your values show I was made redundant on my first maternity leave and originally started up in the work you do? from day one” Toppsta.com in 2010 but put it on hold Everything we do is about getting books to take the Apple job, only returning to it into the hands of children. We send out free books to four years later. It certainly hasn’t been a straight and families and schools under the guise of a fun competition, simple path! but the bottom line is literacy. We’re trying to get kids reading more and reading a variety of books beyond the What challenges did you face early books you see in supermarkets, often featuring debut authors and less well-known authors and illustrators. 90% on, and how did you overcome them? of our readers are outside of London, and many don’t have I had very little money in the early days, literally zero income access to books at home or school. I love that we are both in the first year, leaving us reliant on my husband’s income helping children to find great books and helping authors and when we’d been living on two. It forced me to keep a very illustrators find young readers.

What was the last thing you did that made you proud?

I’m lucky that I can read the new reviews from children each and every day on the website, and I know that we’re having an impact on their lives. We just hit 100,000 book reviews, and so many of our reviews mention how they wouldn’t have picked up this book, but now they love this author or how they’re going to buy other books in the series. This job is 24/7, and those reviews make it all worthwhile.

Who or what inspires you?

The reviews from the children keep me going. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hamster wheel of daily life, dealing with emails and piles of washing. If we can help get one child reading, it’s worth it. I get up every morning knowing that there’s no other job in the world I’d rather be doing.

www.toppsta.com

If you were to give advice to a parent thinking of starting a business, what would it be?

Keep your costs really low from day one. If you can do it yourself, do. If you can’t do it yourself, teach yourself! You may have come from working in a business with lots of people, an office space, expensive agencies, numerous overheads. You don’t need half of them, particularly in the early days. Start small and build slowly. It doesn’t need to look slick from day one.

How do you manage your time between family and business?

With difficulty! After 7 years, it’s still very much a learning curve. I organise everything quite far in advance and factor in a lot of extra time for issues like childcare falling through, children being unwell etc. I’ve also recently decided to reorganise some of our projects so that they’re busier in term time and I think that’s really going to help. I’m determined that next summer, I’m going to take some proper time off to relax with the family instead of trying to continue to work full-time and parent full-time.

“We just hit 100,000 book reviews, and so many of our reviews mention how they wouldn’t have picked up this book, but now they love this author or how they’re going to buy other books in the series” What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I’ll be honest, there isn’t a lot of spare time when you’re running your own business, but I’m lucky in that my job is also my passion, so as long as I’m reading, I’m happy.

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

35

Parents in Business Directory Joy Foster TechPixies

Salihah Agbaje Spoken World Productions

Vee Roberts Insight2marketing

TechPixies is an award-winning CPD accredited online learning platform with a social mission to help women leverage the power of modern technology (Social Media, WordPress and MailChimp) to improve women’s access to employment or help them to start a business.

Spoken World Productions are a Theatre in Education organisation operating across London and the globe (virtually!) to bring fun, educational and enriching Drama lessons to primary aged children.

Insight2marketing is a Full-Service brand & Marketing agency led by Vee Roberts, an award-winning Brand & Marketing Coach.

www.techpixies.com

Their sessions are designed to work in line with all subjects and can be tailored to the individual curriculum.

So if you are a school teacher, home educator, enrichment officer or parent seeking a drama package for your child to enjoy, they can help. www.spokenworldproductions.com

For the last 25 years Vee has been working with and for businesses globally to help them develop, promote and grow their brands.

You’re in the right place if you need help with your brand and marketing.

Insight2marketing is a Full-Service brand & Marketing agency led by Vee Roberts, an award-winning Brand & Marketing Coach. www.insight2marketing.com

Patience Modevi Otentikcare Patience created Otentikcare as a wellness hub for women because she believes that wellbeing should be an everyday practice and that even the smallest things in life can bring calm, comfort and care.

With this in mind, she shares the mindful products and practices that have revolutionised her own well-being in her online space.

She stocks authentic, sustainable products for mind, body and soul wellness, with a particular focus on products for ladies over 40 who are conscious of their wellbeing. www.otentikcare.co.uk

Leanne Parry - Werk Lifestyle Management

Shannon Reed Mockingbird Makes

Werk Lifestyle Management offers a new, modern approach to personal and business support, supplying you with transparent and uncomplicated assistance when you need it most

Shannon of Mockingbird Makes, mindfully Make beautiful bespoke hand knitted crocheted or embroidered handicrafts, co-creating alongside her clients (partners, really).

It is a service for businesses, entrepreneurs, or anyone who needs business support to offload tasks or bring structure to their home life.

Her Makes have been called “sunshine in product form” that have a ‘huge feel-good factor.’

www.work-werk.com

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ MockingbirdMakesCo

You can find these businesses and more on our online directory Michelle Molyneux MJM Virtual Solutions

Louise Worsley Worsley Training

Nadene Martin Format Services Limited

Your everyday virtual admin solution provides personal assistant support to conquer general admin tasks, so consultants and small businesses can focus on growing their business. They offer a range of flexible packages to suit your needs, drawing on our expertise in education, Health and Social Care, GDPR and proofreading to name a few.

Louise has over fifteen years of hands-on First Aid experience, both as a global expedition leader and as a parent. She draws from this to bring First Aid to life for participants, providing practical training grounded in realistic examples of how the techniques could be used. Louise is qualified through and regulated

by Rescue Emergency Care, Nuco Training and ProTrainings.

Format Services is a Virtual Assistant Company taking care of all of your administration needs. Offer various services which can support you to grow your business, and you can view them further in the Services section. There are many benefits of outsourcing your administration, which you can discuss further as every business is unique.

www.mjmvirtualsolutions.com

Julie Hawkins – Single Mums in Business Network The primary objective of the SMBN is to help you gain exposure to your business. They concentrate on driving traffic to their member’s pages so that you are seen.

The secondary objective is to reduce stigma and dispel misconceptions that single mums are work shy. It is the passion of founder Julie Hawkins to raise awareness of the real issue is that work is not in sync with school and wages are not in sync with inflation. www.singlemumsbusinessnetwork. com

www.worsleytraining.co.uk

www.formatservices.co.uk

JOIN THE DIRECTORY The Parents in Business Directory is here to help you! Featuring your business with us will boost your visibility levels. We will ensure that your business, and more importantly, what you offer, is seen by the RIGHT people. www.parentsinbiz.co.uk/join-the-parentsin-business-directory/

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

37

ACCESS EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS

Book Review Remote Work: Redesign processes, practices, and strategies to engage a remote workforce Written by Chris Dyer and Kim Shepherd In March 2020, work changed overnight.

Corporations scrambled to set employees up at home & small business owners of all kinds pivoted to online-only working.

I don’t need to say much more becvause whoever you are, you lived it.

However, remote working was not new to everyone. Some people already worked from home, and some had even started remote companies without first having occupied office spaces.

Kim Shepherd, the co-author of Remote Work, established a remote business in 2002 and never looked back. Along with her co-author Chris Dyer, she wanted to create a book that would offer a blueprint to anyone wanting to do the same.

Remote Work is a useful book for anyone who wants to create a team that only ever work remotely.

The book covers selecting people who will thrive working remotely and how to create a culture when people are not in the same office space.

I enjoyed reading the useful case studies of companies that have only ever worked remotely, such as Buffer, the social media company. The reasons why they decided to make the move to 100% remote and whether it has worked for them.

I’m not that familiar with Chris Dyer or Kim Shepherd as people, but the stories they generously included brought their work experience alive. By the end, I did have the impression that both of them are speaking from a position of experience, which is always reassuring when taking advice from authors.

Recommend a read for anyone considering remote work for their business.

The Long Win: The search for a better way to succeed Written by Cath Bishop The Long Win by Cath Bishop has the subtitle ‘The search for a better way to succeed’, and having read it, this book really delivers on this.

Cath Bishop is a three-time Olympian, world champion and Olympic silver medallist in rowing. Although Cath reached the top in her athletic career, she’s very honest about the gruelling training and how cruel it can be for the people who don’t win in competitions.

10,000 people dream of Olympic success and train for years to get there, yet only 300 people walk away with a medal at the end of it.

Did you know, only gold medal winners in the UK team get to sit in first class on the way home from the Olympics? The other medallists

JAN 2022

are defined as less important or losers and have to sit in economy! Can you imagine how you’d feel?

This book covers sports because of the author’s background but is also very much a business read. I would say it is the most original I’ve come across in years.

Instead of offering well packaged soundbites showcasing the author, it delves into the psychology of why humans are so obsessed with winning, with lots of history, science, and business examples to back it up.

Cath is now a consultant, following her post Olympic career as a diplomat, and she regularly comes up against companies who want to win at all costs, but when she asks them why they want to win, or even what that means to them, they flounder.

I’d recommend this book to anyone thinking about more collaborative working and winning as a somewhat toxic concept.

Shona Chambers Marketing Consultant www.shonachambersmarketing.co.uk

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

39

Now that you have read me go ahead and share me!

SHARE SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. There's no need to be an influencer with a following of thousands to make an impact.

Everyone has some following, and even if your network is small, you can make a difference.

WRITE A REVIEW It only takes a couple of minutes to write a review. Legitimate customers are often a deciding factor for someone thinking of buying the magazine. Leave a review here https://g.page/r/CehqD03xaj9EAg/review GIVE A SHOUT OUT/ POST A PHOTO It's so simple to give a shout out; it's the best way to show your network and fellow business friends.

JAN 2022

www.parentsinbiz.co.uk

41

ADVERTISE WITH US

Raise the profile of your brand among the Parents in Business readers worldwide Contact us info@parentsinbiz.co.uk