Mary Jane Kingsland wrote an excellent Women in Business column in the EDP on Weds 31st March filled with insightful observations about the challenges of being a “successful” woman in business.
I was recently fortunate enough to reach the finals of the East of England Young Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Now I guess what I should say rather than fortunate was that I was “successful enough” or just plain good enough to be recognised amongst these other outstanding ladies, but I’m a woman and shouting about my success doesn’t come easily. In the run up to the finals, every time someone congratulated me on my nomination or introduced me as “potential businesswoman of the year” I blushed and made some kind of derisory comment about having no chance of winning and it all being some kind of mistake. I was interviewed on local radio but couldn’t help feeling like something of a fraud as my slot came straight after a heart-wrenching discussion about coping with terminal illness and I almost felt I should apologise for being there. All that despite the fact that over the last 4 years, I have worked jolly hard with my business partner, Claire, to establish our marketing and design business from scratch but until recently we have never shouted our success from the rooftops because its simply not our thing.
I ended up missing out on the young businesswoman award but it ignited a competitive spirit which means we intend to enter an EDP Business Award and may also have a stab at the Future 50 too. With words of encouragement from inspiring ladies like Mary Jane I hope that we won’t be the only women putting ourselves forwards.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Friday, 9 April 2010
Networking Queen of Norwich
As the unofficial networking queen of Norwich, I seem to be asked with some degree of regularity to recommend networking events for people in business looking to raise their local profile. I can usually be relied upon to give a fairly frank appraisal of those that I have attended. Unfortunately I am not prepared to share those honest appraisals here but may give you some gems of wisdom in person if you ask nicely!
I thought I would share my latest list of Norfolk business networks, in no particular order before you go getting over-excited! Apologies in advance if I have missed anyone off but I think this list is probably still more up to date than the one in the press!
I thought I would share my latest list of Norfolk business networks, in no particular order before you go getting over-excited! Apologies in advance if I have missed anyone off but I think this list is probably still more up to date than the one in the press!
- Norfolk Netwalking - Monthly walks mixed with informal business networking www.norfolk-netwalking.co.uk
- Norwich Business Womens Network - Monthly lunches, contact Margaret Gotts 01603 751930 www.nbwn.co.uk
- The Womens Business Clubs – Kings Lynn www.thewomensbusinessclubs.com
- The Business Club www.the-businessclub.org Fortnightly evening meetings at Airport Hotel, Norwich plus social events. Contact kate[@]activemd.co.uk to come as a guest (free).
- Buy Local – Social Enterprise encouraging small businesses to trade with each other, approx quarterly meetings and events www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk 01603 766166
- The Antidote Network - Monthly meetings at Holiday Inn Airport Hotel, quite friendly and informal www.theantidotenetwork.co.uk
- Mid Norfolk Enterprise Forum run by Conservative PPC George Freeman www.thenorfolkway.co.uk
- Norfolk Network - www.norfolknetwork.com 01603 663340 Monthly meetings
- Federation of Small Businesses www.fsb.org.uk and then follow links to regions.
- WEETU (Womens Enterprise, Education and Training Union) - www.weetu.org 01603 878343 Centre meetings approx quarterly, very friendly and informal plus a new professional network also recently started.
- Everywoman 0870 746 1800 www.everywoman.co.uk – Regional seminars
- Women in Business Forum - Contact Sharon O’Mahoney, Meetings around Thetford area www.wibforum.co.uk
- Enterprising Women - www.enterprising-women.org – occasional networking events
- Wire (Women in Rural Enterprise) - www.wireuk.org - friendly networks in Kings Lynn, Norwich and South Norfolk.
- Little Acorn Network – monthly meetings for small businesses and artists in North Norfolk www.little-acorn.net
- BNI (Business Networking International) www.bni-europe.com - formal membership-only networking group with networks across Norfolk
- Norfolk Chamber of Commerce – large selection of formal events across the county www.norfolkchamber.co.uk
- ABC Network http://www.abcnetwork.biz/ Weekly breakfast meetings in Norwich, Bury St Edmunds and Watton
- 4 Networking http://www.4networking.biz/events/kings-lynn/ Regular meetings in King’s Lynn and Norwich (breakfast)
- Cambridge Network – regular meetings in Cambridge http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk
- 25AM
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Where are the female role models?
I recently read a brilliant article making astute observations on female role models. It cited the less than superb examples set by women like Jordan and Cheryl Cole who live their lives in the public eye and are regularly cited as Woman of the Year or Mum of the Decade.
Its a topic which I feel really passionate about as a woman trying to make my way in business - fours years after setting up Active Marketing & Design, I am still looking for a truly enterprising female role model who I can relate to and aspire to be like but its been a pretty tough search. And I know what I'm looking for - imagine if you are a young teenage girl with a relatively restricted view of the world and I certainly don't think good female role models would cross your path very often. The media has a part to play in promoting these role models of course and is certainly not guilt-free when it comes to pushing dubious examples forward for the plaudits based largely on their attractive appearance or their "illustrious" private lives.
In fairness, we have had tv shows like The Apprentice which has pushed some savvy businesswomen into the limelight a little (anyone still remember Michelle Dewberry or Ruth Badger?) but has also created some horrors like Katie Hopkins who famously fluttered her eyelids and failed in the stern face of Sir Alan Sugar. High profile shows like Big Brother have also created supposed role models like the late Jade Goody who didnt always set the best example for smart women. I was recently approached to audition for Big Brother out of the blue - it turned out that my name was put forward as i was a finalist for a young businesswoman award and they were looking for some "real" role models. I declined the offer for the sake of my sanity but was intrigued by the approach that this tv company was using.
Historically there were some stunning examples of savvy women - sterling ladies like the late Anita Roddick or Emmeline Pankhurst - and how we desperately need more of them to triumph over the false celebrity women in the future!
To read the article which inspired this post click here:
Its a topic which I feel really passionate about as a woman trying to make my way in business - fours years after setting up Active Marketing & Design, I am still looking for a truly enterprising female role model who I can relate to and aspire to be like but its been a pretty tough search. And I know what I'm looking for - imagine if you are a young teenage girl with a relatively restricted view of the world and I certainly don't think good female role models would cross your path very often. The media has a part to play in promoting these role models of course and is certainly not guilt-free when it comes to pushing dubious examples forward for the plaudits based largely on their attractive appearance or their "illustrious" private lives.
In fairness, we have had tv shows like The Apprentice which has pushed some savvy businesswomen into the limelight a little (anyone still remember Michelle Dewberry or Ruth Badger?) but has also created some horrors like Katie Hopkins who famously fluttered her eyelids and failed in the stern face of Sir Alan Sugar. High profile shows like Big Brother have also created supposed role models like the late Jade Goody who didnt always set the best example for smart women. I was recently approached to audition for Big Brother out of the blue - it turned out that my name was put forward as i was a finalist for a young businesswoman award and they were looking for some "real" role models. I declined the offer for the sake of my sanity but was intrigued by the approach that this tv company was using.
Historically there were some stunning examples of savvy women - sterling ladies like the late Anita Roddick or Emmeline Pankhurst - and how we desperately need more of them to triumph over the false celebrity women in the future!
To read the article which inspired this post click here:
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Social Media FAQs for Small businesses
After I delivered another successful workshop introducing some basic principles of social media to small business owners and managers, it occurred to me that there are some FAQs which keep rearing their heads in discussion. Social media is a buzz phrase at the minute and with any hot topic there are some really strong opinions being aired in the discussion. The most common point raised was "How do i find time to do all this as well as running my business, bringing up a family, walking the dog, putting food on the table etc?" 10 years ago I think people probably said the same about email... and now we can't live without checking it hourly at least. Its all about time management and the beauty of modern technology is that you dont even have to be sat at a computer to carry out your social media strategy. Mobile phones are the most popular way of "Tweeting" and within 2 years smartphones will be in the majority which makes this time-saving technology open to more people still.
Another common concern was "How do i protect my private life?" A lot of this comes down to common sense, in the same way that it would be pretty foolish to drive around with your mobile phone number in large digits on your car bonnet, so its sensible not to give away all your personal details on public social media sites. Sites like Facebook offer a variety of privacy settings that can be used to limit who sees what information so for example family photos can be reserved for viewing by selected friends only. Some bosses are wary about the implications of employees' raucous activities being published widely on the internet but no one will ever censor this completely. Instead a more open-minded view that perhaps it is best to know what employees are getting up to in their spare time rather than have them secretly getting into mischief could be a positive way forwards. Some people advocate the use of separate social media "identities" for private and professional life but I think this is rarely necessary. A small business owner or one man band in particular can use their social media "brand" to enhance their personal branding as this is a key part of the motivation of customers to buy - people buy from people they like after all.
Likewise there is always a question about "how do i get rid of negative comments and customer complaints - its not fair that these are published online." Think instead of how damaging customer complaints can be if they are spread solely by word of mouth but never raised to the business owner. While the initial shock of seeing a complaint in public is unpleasant for any hard-working business owner, at least we have the opportunity to address the issues raised, and respond with our improvement actions. Surely it is better to see these complaints for yourself by engaging with social media rather than ignoring the issue.
Another common concern was "How do i protect my private life?" A lot of this comes down to common sense, in the same way that it would be pretty foolish to drive around with your mobile phone number in large digits on your car bonnet, so its sensible not to give away all your personal details on public social media sites. Sites like Facebook offer a variety of privacy settings that can be used to limit who sees what information so for example family photos can be reserved for viewing by selected friends only. Some bosses are wary about the implications of employees' raucous activities being published widely on the internet but no one will ever censor this completely. Instead a more open-minded view that perhaps it is best to know what employees are getting up to in their spare time rather than have them secretly getting into mischief could be a positive way forwards. Some people advocate the use of separate social media "identities" for private and professional life but I think this is rarely necessary. A small business owner or one man band in particular can use their social media "brand" to enhance their personal branding as this is a key part of the motivation of customers to buy - people buy from people they like after all.
Likewise there is always a question about "how do i get rid of negative comments and customer complaints - its not fair that these are published online." Think instead of how damaging customer complaints can be if they are spread solely by word of mouth but never raised to the business owner. While the initial shock of seeing a complaint in public is unpleasant for any hard-working business owner, at least we have the opportunity to address the issues raised, and respond with our improvement actions. Surely it is better to see these complaints for yourself by engaging with social media rather than ignoring the issue.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Securing Sponsorship
I was recently asked for some advice on finding a sponsor and found myself getting quite carried away with a detailed response which i thought i would share.
When looking for sponsors I would suggest a two-pronged approach. As with any form of public relations or marketing activity, following up and persistence is critical to success. Make an initial contact by phone and ask who the best person to speak to about sponsorship. Try and gauge their level of interest briefly and then offer to send them a sponsorship pack out. Follow up with a call after the pack is received and ask if you can come and see them to explain more. Therefore the pack needs to contain the key details but leave a few gaps/questions which means the target will need to see you to find out more.
I would certainly recommend spending some money on getting your sponsorship brochures nicely presented and bound – the extent to which you spend on this will depend on who you are targeting and how much money you want. If for example you are approaching a blue chip company and are looking for several thousand pounds then the package must be smartly presented. Conversely if you are a small charity asking for a few pounds from local organisations then you may give the wrong impression if you use a plush brochure for your appeal as it looks like you are already rich! The sponsorship package must outline the key benefits to the organisation that this sponsorship association will bring. So if you are a charity you might outline your work, the opportunities for sponsor engagement (eg free tickets to an event), opportunities for sponsors to promote themselves (eg weblinks, adverts in programmes/magazines etc), the profile of existing customers and how this matches to the sponsors’ target audience and so on.
Without knowing the context of the sponsorship need its difficult to suggest anything else but if its an event that you seek sponsors for then you could ask them to attend a previous event (FOC) to see what its like before they commit to funding. Similarly if you are a sportsperson for example then invite potential sponsors to come to an open day at your training centre or watch you compete.
Good luck in your search!
If you would like further support in securing sponsorship then contact kate(at)activemd.co.uk or call 01603 716700
When looking for sponsors I would suggest a two-pronged approach. As with any form of public relations or marketing activity, following up and persistence is critical to success. Make an initial contact by phone and ask who the best person to speak to about sponsorship. Try and gauge their level of interest briefly and then offer to send them a sponsorship pack out. Follow up with a call after the pack is received and ask if you can come and see them to explain more. Therefore the pack needs to contain the key details but leave a few gaps/questions which means the target will need to see you to find out more.
I would certainly recommend spending some money on getting your sponsorship brochures nicely presented and bound – the extent to which you spend on this will depend on who you are targeting and how much money you want. If for example you are approaching a blue chip company and are looking for several thousand pounds then the package must be smartly presented. Conversely if you are a small charity asking for a few pounds from local organisations then you may give the wrong impression if you use a plush brochure for your appeal as it looks like you are already rich! The sponsorship package must outline the key benefits to the organisation that this sponsorship association will bring. So if you are a charity you might outline your work, the opportunities for sponsor engagement (eg free tickets to an event), opportunities for sponsors to promote themselves (eg weblinks, adverts in programmes/magazines etc), the profile of existing customers and how this matches to the sponsors’ target audience and so on.
Without knowing the context of the sponsorship need its difficult to suggest anything else but if its an event that you seek sponsors for then you could ask them to attend a previous event (FOC) to see what its like before they commit to funding. Similarly if you are a sportsperson for example then invite potential sponsors to come to an open day at your training centre or watch you compete.
Good luck in your search!
If you would like further support in securing sponsorship then contact kate(at)activemd.co.uk or call 01603 716700
Friday, 11 December 2009
Shortlisted for Young Businesswoman Award
I'm still coming to terms with reaching the finals of the East of England Businesswoman of the Year (EEBW) awards in the young businesswoman category. All quite a shock as the competition seemed pretty stiff and the judge's questions were very searching, especially on finances.
Since the EDP launched their Future 50 list of entrepreneurs to watch in the Autumn my feelings about promoting women in business have galvanised somewhat, and I have been inspired to do my damnedest to get myself in the Future 50 2010 to grow the current representation of just two women. In the many discussions which the Future 50 has sparked in recent weeks, there are two key points that have been repeated many times. Firstly how do you measure success? The Future 50 criteria relied heavily on the importance of financial success and a scaleable model - the EEBW awards conversely put weight on community involvement and voluntary work and well as cold, hard figures.
The second issue that keeps coming up is the general reluctance of women in business to shout about our success. I have to say I felt pretty uncomfortable compiling my entry for the EEBW awards which required me to boast about the (modest) success of my business. The many kind congratulations I have received since reaching the finals also feel somewhat awkward but I suppose that is all part of learning to have more confidence in our abilities and to shout about it from the rooftops.
Here is the full press release about the EEBW awards for information:
Since the EDP launched their Future 50 list of entrepreneurs to watch in the Autumn my feelings about promoting women in business have galvanised somewhat, and I have been inspired to do my damnedest to get myself in the Future 50 2010 to grow the current representation of just two women. In the many discussions which the Future 50 has sparked in recent weeks, there are two key points that have been repeated many times. Firstly how do you measure success? The Future 50 criteria relied heavily on the importance of financial success and a scaleable model - the EEBW awards conversely put weight on community involvement and voluntary work and well as cold, hard figures.
The second issue that keeps coming up is the general reluctance of women in business to shout about our success. I have to say I felt pretty uncomfortable compiling my entry for the EEBW awards which required me to boast about the (modest) success of my business. The many kind congratulations I have received since reaching the finals also feel somewhat awkward but I suppose that is all part of learning to have more confidence in our abilities and to shout about it from the rooftops.
Here is the full press release about the EEBW awards for information:
A young Norfolk business owner is flying high after reaching the finals of the East of England Businesswoman awards, which will be held in the shadow of Stansted Airport in February. Active Marketing & Design Director Kate Elliott (29) beat competitors from six counties to reach the final three of the Young Businesswoman of the Year category in the Lloyds TSB-sponsored awards, which are organised by the Institute of Directors.
“I’m amazed to have been shortlisted against brilliant businesswomen from across the region,” exclaimed Kate, who is responsible for all aspects of client management, along with copy writing and managing the company’s main office in Blofield. “The entry process was quite rigorous with a 2000 word essay and then an intense interview with a panel of five judges that included Karen Hester, Operations Director of Adnams and a previous winner of the award.”
The judges were impressed with Kate’s drive and enthusiasm to establish the business she conceived just over 3 years ago with work colleague Claire McDermid. Together these enterprising women have built up a client base from scratch, remortgaging their homes to raise start-up capital. Their client list includes public sector bodies such as Broadland District Council, the UEA and independent local businesses like the Norwich Lighting Centre.
A keen networker herself, Kate has also given her time freely to start four local business networks including the innovative Norfolk Netwalking group. Kate is committed to a variety of charitable causes and is a regular volunteer with the Riding for the Disabled, also completing pro bono public relations projects for the Buckenham House Group based at Middle Harling.
Steve Elsom, from lead sponsor Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: "We have been impressed by the high quality of the entrants this year. Their drive and talent is a real credit to them and it says great things about the business being delivered here in the East of England.”
The final will take place at the SAS Radisson Hotel in Stansted on 4th February 2010.
For further information about Active Marketing & Design Ltd visit www.activemd.co.uk or call 01603 716700
For further information about the awards see www.eebw.co.uk
Monday, 7 December 2009
Women mean business in Norwich
I came back with some really strong and inspirational messages from today's launch of the WEETUnetwork at Dunston Hall. It was fantastic to see sparky TV presenter Trisha Goddard complete with big new hairdo fighting fit and well on the road to recovery after battling with breast cancer. Never one to mince her words, Trisha had plenty to say about inspiring our daughters to be the businesswomen of the future, and talked passionately about instilling a work ethic in young people, just as her parents made her work hard for her pocket money as a child. I'm really keen to support young women into business and self employment and to give them the opportunity to consider enterprising ambitions in the future, and it seemed that Trisha would be an excellent role model for them to aspire to.
Trisha referred fondly to memories of her grammar school headmistress who had every day instilled a sense of self-belief in her pupils through rousing school assemblies, something I think is lost in most modern schools since the demise of the daily assembly.
She spoke of how her eldest daughter is currently working her way through university, despite her "privileged" upbringing, and how she encouraged her daughters not to feel the need to conform but to cherish their individuality. It seemed that she was suggesting that this unique selling point in each of our personalities is key to our success as individuals in work and life, a point which resonates closely with my thoughts on successful marketing which is so much easier when your business is distinctive.
Trisha also spoke from personal experiences about the critical importance of balancing health and work, firstly in her own battle with a mental breakdown and of course more recently her cancer diagnosis. She suggested that women usually work harder than men in managing both the home and work and we need to learn to give ourselves a break. These thoughts were echoed by the second speaker, Jane Trippett-Jones (Mayor of Diss) who raved about the benefits of a regular massage to simply reduce tension and stress. Both speakers highlighted the importance of voluntary work as key to building self-confidence and as an ideal route to pave the way for women to return to work.
WEETUnetwork is a new venture from the established Womens Employment Enterprise and Training Unit for "women who mean business". With the room bursting at the seams for the first event and Norwich North MP Chloe Smith notable amongst the audience, it was clear that WEETU mean business with their aim to become the recognised voice for women in the Eastern region and I hope the network continues to grow.
www.weetu.org
Trisha referred fondly to memories of her grammar school headmistress who had every day instilled a sense of self-belief in her pupils through rousing school assemblies, something I think is lost in most modern schools since the demise of the daily assembly.
She spoke of how her eldest daughter is currently working her way through university, despite her "privileged" upbringing, and how she encouraged her daughters not to feel the need to conform but to cherish their individuality. It seemed that she was suggesting that this unique selling point in each of our personalities is key to our success as individuals in work and life, a point which resonates closely with my thoughts on successful marketing which is so much easier when your business is distinctive.
Trisha also spoke from personal experiences about the critical importance of balancing health and work, firstly in her own battle with a mental breakdown and of course more recently her cancer diagnosis. She suggested that women usually work harder than men in managing both the home and work and we need to learn to give ourselves a break. These thoughts were echoed by the second speaker, Jane Trippett-Jones (Mayor of Diss) who raved about the benefits of a regular massage to simply reduce tension and stress. Both speakers highlighted the importance of voluntary work as key to building self-confidence and as an ideal route to pave the way for women to return to work.
WEETUnetwork is a new venture from the established Womens Employment Enterprise and Training Unit for "women who mean business". With the room bursting at the seams for the first event and Norwich North MP Chloe Smith notable amongst the audience, it was clear that WEETU mean business with their aim to become the recognised voice for women in the Eastern region and I hope the network continues to grow.
www.weetu.org
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