Here is another packed newsletter for you. Last month's competition to win a book about chocolate was so popular that this month we have actual chocolate for you to win. The 'make your own chocolates' kit comes courtesy of www.chocchick.com.
Some of you may know I'm expecting a baby next year. I'll be finishing up work in January and taking the Spring off. I aim to make the most of running my own business and ease myself in gently again over the summer. Even when I'm on maternity leave, you can still buy A Guide to Promoting Your Business and other books and tools to help you do your own PR.
New subscribers can update their subscription by going to the bottom of the page. You can choose to get updates on Family Friendly Working, Business Promotion and more.
Best wishes,
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In the blog this month |
| I hope you're checking out the ACPR blog: you'll get the most up to date small business news there each week.
And over at the Family Friendly Working blog stay up to date with the latest on Flexible Work. |
Mumpreneur Profiles
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Do you love to know how other women do it? I've started a series of Mumpreneur Profiles over at the Family Friendly Working Blog. This month's profiles are from mums who run businesses that get busy at Christmas. In the coming month you can hear from the mumpreneurs behind:
In January there are a range of businesses coming up, in February there is an 'eco mums' theme, and in March we'll be hearing from mums who work freelance in the media or run their own publications. April is open to any sort of business. If you'd like to feature, simply answer the questions here.
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What makes a good website? |
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 Robin Houghton runs eggbox marketing and has a great newsletter full of interesting tips. Read Robin's ideas for a gret website, below.
What makes a good website?
1) Have a purpose
The starting point for any business web presence: have a goal. What must the website do for your business? And how will you measure that? Your web presence is a marketing tool. That means it sits within your marketing plan, alongside the rest of your marketing, and it must contribute to the success of your business or else it's a waste of resources.
2) Be visible
One of the biggest changes of the last ten years is the sheer size of the web and the competition among websites to be found in searches. Add to that the fact that search has gone from being a niche activity to a mainstream one. Visibililty must be built into any website project - I really can't see any exceptions to this!
3) Answer the 4 Ws
These are questions your site visitors will ask.
Who are these people?
What are they selling?
Why should I stick around? (or 'What's in it for me?')
What do I do next?
In some cases you have a matter of seconds to answer these questions. Compelling propositions, transparent contact details, fresh, engaging content, calls to action - leave them out at your peril!
4) Make buying easy
Forget the web for a moment and let's look at how big retailers do it in the 'real world'.
On Saturday mornings my local Waitrose has staff in the car park showing people to the empty spaces as soon as they come available. When the tills are busy staff show you to the shortest line. All the sections have clear signs. Staff are welcoming and serve people quickly. Goods are placed within easy reach and are grouped logically. This is just the simple stuff - the psychology of retail merchandising gets very complex indeed.
Now think for a minute what the online equivalents of those simple things are. Here are few I can think of:
Pages that load quickly
Forms that work
Menus that are unambiguous
Things that are where you expect them to be
Having choice - eg 'buy now' 'save for later' or 'continue shopping'
Speedy, polite answers to emails
Being able to shop without having to register
Feeling the site is alive, not abandoned
... and so forth - I'm sure you can think of others. It's all about making buying easy, and that doesn't just apply to e-commerce sites.
You can sign up for more from eggbox marketing here. |
Win for Mumsclub |
Jane Hopkins at www.Mumsclub.co.uk has been busy. Her site has won the UPS Local Business Award. Jane says, "I'm thrilled to have won the award, particularly because it shows me that all the hours I've put into developing the website has been worth it! It also gives means that I can use it to help inspire more mums to go reach even higher as they continue to grow their own business from home, 'virtually' alongside me."
As a single mum needing to generate an income to stay afloat, Jane , 34, retrained as a web designer, which meant she could fulfil her own need to meet other mums just like her. In no time at all, MumsClub was live and generating interest from the Mumpreneur world. A year on and 600 members later they are all determined to build successful businesses from home, despite the credit crunch...and they are heading for the top!
With the recession casting a shadow over all businesses, in 2009, MumsClub will be focussing on combating the credit crunch. Jan says, "We have introduced mumstores.com, providing low cost web hosting and free websites, mumpreneurdirectory.com, for low cost collective advertising opportunities and the business mums journal; the only business mum's magazine which is being compiled now ready to be distributed through various outlets across the UK from March 2009 including at the NEC's Baby Show in May."
Jane continues, "All businessmums and businessmums-to-be should look out for our exciting New Year New Start competition in January."
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Thanks for reading - and do pass this on to anyone else you know who runs a business.
Sincerely,
Antonia
Antonia Chitty
ACPR |
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Win a Choc Chick Chocolate Kit |
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Do you love chocolate? The CHOC Chick Starter Kit is the ideal first step to making chocolates.
With enough ingredients to make around 80 chocolates, the Starter kit is ideal if you just want to see what all the fuss is about and also make fantastic presents!
CHOC Chick Kits include non-roasted raw cacao powder, raw (cold pressed) cacao butter and a white sugar replacement, agave syrup. And because you make the chocolate at home, it's really up to you which extras to add (obviously no preservatives or E numbers required!). If you'd like to win, visit www.chocchick.com and find out how many different size kits are on sale. Then email antonia@acpr.co.uk with your answer and CHOC KIT COMP in the title. |
| Behind with the laundry and living off chocolate winner |
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The winners of Life Coach Lynette Allen's book of tips for busy women are:
Michelle Thompson
Andrea Kamran |
| Mumpreneurs get a New Source of Advice |
Over the last few months I have been working on a new website, The Mumpreneur Guide. Designed for mums who are serious about starting a business, the site currently offers an e-course taking you through the essentials of getting your enterprise going. In the next few months there will be a book to accompany the course. Do sign up: I'd love to get your thoughts on the course so far, and please forward the information about the course to anyone you know who wants to start a business.
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| New pregnancy book - get involved |
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Author Hollie Smith is working on a title about pregnancy. She says, "As ever, I'm compiling a willing band of contributors who are happy to share brief comments, tips and anecdotes via email, with which I can lift the text and provide real-life perspective on subjects such as stretchmarks, scans, and swollen ankles. If you're pregnant, or you've had a baby recently, I would love to hear from you, and/or if you know someone who is, or has, I'd be indebted if you could pass this on." email holliesmith@tiscali.co.uk if you'd like to be involved. |
| Mumsclub Mumpreneur 2008 |
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MumsClub, the business club for mums, has announced the winner of the 2008 Mumpreneur competition. Melanie Riddell, the Mum behind www.sizzlingscience.co.uk had the most original and inspiring business idea. Her business provides fun and interactive science workshops for children.
Melanie beat off stiff competition from other mum owned businesses to be crowned 'MumsClub Business of the Year 2008' and has won a whole package of prizes for her and her family.
Melanie, from the Highlands of Scotland where she lives with her husband and two daughters, achieved a BSc (Hons) in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry and spent twelve years working in the biomedical industry for a large corporate organisation.
The winner of the additional category for an established business showing the most potential for the future goes to Christine Lewandowski for www.SingleWithKids.co.uk. There are four runners up who each receive 12 months MumsClub Premium membership, personalised stationery sets for the children from Dannalise.com and A Guide to Promoting Your Business:
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