ACPR Blog

A fellow author at White Ladder Press is looking for mums and dads to tell her about their kids and food. Please do email her if you can help:

I’ve just started work on a new book which is all about kids and food. It aims to look at the many and varied isses that arise for parents with a vague aim to successfully nourish their children and I’m on the lookout, as with the last one, for people willing to share their thoughts, experiences, and advice. So if you’ve got (or have had, in the reasonably recent past) a fussy eater or an overeater, a child with a bizarre predilection for one or other food group, a child with an allergy or other medical issue that’s linked to what they eat, or if you just have some very ordinary experiences or views that you would like to share on matters like how to encourage healthy eating, school dinners, passing on positive messages, etc etc, then I would be very happy to hear from you, on holliesmith@tiscali.co.uk. No real names required. No rewards either - just my everlasting gratitude. Please feel free to forward to friends, too. My thanks, and all the very best, Hollie Smith 

Do you need to:
attract more customers
maximise marketing opportunities
run a PR campaign on a shoestring
make sales calls with confidence
understand web-based marketing
encourage web-based sales
If the answer is yes then GLE oneLondon can help. On Thursday 20th March, 10.00 - 17.00, GLE oneLondon are running a FREE event in south London aimed at small businesses who have been operating for at least 18 months offering tips and quick wins that you can apply to your business TODAY.

Come and listen to Antonia Chitty, author of “A Guide to Promoting your Business”, provide practical tips on how to generate more business, through cost effective marketing and PR.

AND

Simon Kincaid, web services specialist, will be sharing his own experience of how to set up a website, manage your web content, and interact more effectively witth your customers.

For more information or to book your place, click here

If you combine work and a family, you will enjoy Working Mothers - the Essential Guide by Denise Tyler (£8.99 Need2Know Books) I started the book expecting that there would be little new in it for me - I’d already researched plenty of information for working parents as part of my book, Family Friendly Working. The first few chapters on Flexible Working, Childcare and Starting Your Own Business were the ‘essential guide’ as advertised, full of clear facts presented in an easy to read way, perfect for someone returning to work after maternity leave and wanting to gen up.

I found the second part inspiring and interesting. And if, like me, you have been juggling conflicting demands for years, this is the part that will make the book worth buying. Denise, a working mother herself, manages to get the right level of inspiration and encouragement, gently coaching worn down working mums on subjects such as Your Health, Staying Positive and that old favourite, Guilt. I managed to read the book in stolen moments on the train: it is light enough to slip in your bag and browse when you have a chance.

If you want some inspiration to help you start your business promotion off, sign up for the ACPR newsletter.

This month there are lots of PR tips, and an exclusive newsletter article on being a case study. If you want media coverage for your business, sign up here or email antonia@acpr.co.uk

I was feeling uninspired about what to blog, but got a nice boost this afternoon when I picked up a copy of Junior Pregnancy & Baby magazine, which contained an article about starting a craft business. I spoke to the journalist a couple of months ago and she mentioned my book, A Guide to Promoting Your Business, in the article alongside some PR tips which you can read below:

Wise up to PR. Mother of two and PR guru Antonia Chitty advises women with small businesses. Here are her top five tips:

1. Get inspired. Join online business forums, or find a parenting website with a section for work-from-home mothers like www.mumszone.co.uk, www.netmums.co.uk or www.babygreenhouse.co.uk.
2. List all your ideas for promotion on a wall planner so you have activities planned for each week. By planning ahead you’ll see when you need to start promoting an event you are attending, for example.
3. Do one PR task every day. Even when you are very busy, find 15 minutes to make a call or send an email. Attacking promotion in small chunks makes it more manageable
4. Build up good contacts in the media. Call journalists to find out what sort of story they want and send out press releases on a regular basis. It can take several mentions of your business name before people start to buy.
5. Cultivate your customers. Every time someone buys from you, ask if you may add them to your mailing list. Send regular newsletters to clients and potential customers so they know about your sales, events and promotions.