Breakout sessions include:

• Get Started! Invaluable advice on how to set up your own business by Julia Chanteray, Channel 4 business expert
• Get Out of Your Rut! Ongoing business development. How to keep up the momentum and revolutionise your business practices by Carmen MacDougall of The VA Coaching and Training Company
• Get Noticed! Branding and brand promotion by author and award winning entrepreneur Mumpreneur Guide Antonia Chitty of ACPR
• Get Confident! Robyn Hatley, coach, Mums the Business

The afternoon starts with a Case Study, “Business Stripped Bare” – hear how Jo Wise’s started a new service to beat the recession. Get Social with Nikki Backshall of Webmums who shows how Harnessing the Power of Online Networking can get your name out there. This is followed by a panel discussion and your chance to question Sophie Cornish of NOTHS, Sam Willoughby of WhatsOn4 and Alex Stone of Just too Busy

The Business Mums’ Conference 2010 will help you get inspired and learn skills to develop their business. Book at earlybird rates until 30th June. For more about The Business Mums’ Conference 2010, see www.businessmumsconference.co.uk

I love blogging and it has made an enormous difference to my business. It has allowed me to reach far more mums interested in flexible work, self employment and running a business. I know, though, that not everyone finds blogging easy and want to share some tips for blogging success.

1. If you want to blog but are unsure where to start, try Erica Douglas’s Mum Blogger eBook. The first of its kind it takes you step by step through creating a fabulous blog.
2. Slot in time each week to blog rather than waiting until you feel like it.
3. Spend an evening brainstorming everything you might blog about so you can start writing as soon as you sit down.
4. Try allocating different types of post to different days – a ‘photo-post’ day, a competition day, a product review day etc.
5. If you have a blog but aren’t getting the comments and visitors that you’d like, the Mum Blogger eBook really comes into its own. It shows you hundreds of ideas for attracting readers and making your posts into ones that get comments.
6. If you can’t face blogging, let me and my team of writers blog for you! I can usually double the number of targeted visitors to a site by providing keyword-rich content.

We have a great offer for you on the Mum Blogger eBook. Get 20% off with the code ANTONIA20. Follow the link below to buy.
]]> http://www.acpr.co.uk/pr-blog/2010/06/6-tips-to-help-you-start-or-grow-your-blog/feed/ 0 http://www.acpr.co.uk/pr-blog/2010/05/offer-for-wedding-businesses-13-off-today-only/ http://www.acpr.co.uk/pr-blog/2010/05/offer-for-wedding-businesses-13-off-today-only/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 15:36:26 +0000 admin http://www.acpr.co.uk/pr-blog/?p=856 If you run a wedding business, did you know that media coverage could be worth thousands of pounds to your business? And if you do your own PR you can get your products seen by brides-to-be who are looking for just what you offer?

Make sure that writing and sending press releases and quick updates about your business is a regular part of your business promotion. And to make it easier, use the Wedding Media Contacts database, which puts details for all the leading national and regional wedding magazines and websites at your fingertips.

The database is usually £150, but for today only get it for £97. Offer expired Midnight 27 May 2010. Click here to buy the Wedding Media Contacts database now.

Annabel Karmel’s ‘Eat Fussy’ range is the Number 1 Kids Chilled meals brand and the fastest growing year on year. She is also the author of 22 books with global book sales of over £4million. At the BusinessMums Conference Annabel will be sharing her advice for mums in business and would be mumpreneurs. Annabel Karmel is pleased to be part of the event and says, “I wish there had been a business mums conf when I was starting out. The BusinessMums Conference in October in Brighton is a unique and exciting event that celebrates the growing contribution that business mums make to the economy. It has taken me many years to build my business and I’ve learnt so much along the way. I’m looking forward to sharing my business advice and experience first hand to so many inspiring mumpreneurs along with my top tips on how to manage motherhood and a thriving company.”

The Business Mums’ Conference 2010 will help women get inspired and learn skills to develop their business. At the show you will meet other mums running their own businesses, plus those thinking and planning to start up. You’ll meet people who have attended the Mumpreneurs Networking Club, those from the Mums in Biz training events and mums from across the south of England and beyond. It’s a chance to catch up with old friends, meet people you have only ever emailed or chatted to on forums, and to make new contacts. It is going to be a fun and glamorous event, with lots of practical applications for any mums who own a business.

For more about The Business Mums’ Conference 2010, see www.businessmumsconference.co.uk

For more about Annabel Karmel see www.annabelkarmel.com.

80% of parents have changed their working pattern since having children. The main reason parent change the way they work is to spend more time with the family. Just over half of parents explained that their priorities have changes, while nearly 3 in 10 found that their work hours didn’t fit the childcare available, and 3 in 20 found that it was financially no longer worth working due to the cost of childcare. Overwhelmingly, parents are happy with the choice they have made. Not one respondent wished they had never resigned, while 4 in 10 say that is has been the best decision they ever made, and nearly 6 in 10 describe the experience as ‘hard at times but worth it’.

Only 43% of parents who responded are now employed with the rest self employed, seeking work, studying or taking a career break.  And only 17% are working full time. Director of mumandworking and Practical Parenting Business Parent of the Year 2007/08 Sam Willoughby says, “This shows how traditional employment patterns are no longer normal. The 2010 mumandworking awards which are supported by Sarah Beeny reward and recognise the companies and individuals that make flexible working possible and show that family-friendly employment not only supports family life but give real benefits to the companies involved.”

Changing the way you work after having children has a big financial impact – seven out of 10 families have seen a drop in income and for nearly half of those this reduction is between £10-£40k a year. Three in 10 feel they are financially ‘fine’, while four in 10 are ok most of the time but struggle sometimes. Nearly a quarter struggle financially more often than not, with just under one in 10 finding they never have enough money or even have serious debt problems.

Money is not the top priority for parents, however. When asked to list their top three priorities, time with the family came out first for a massive 17 out of 20 parents, while flexible hours were a priority for three in four. Seven in twenty prioritised how much they earn and three in ten prioritised job security. Career progression was a priority for just one in 10. Director of Family Friendly Working and Inspirational Mumpreneur of the Year 2009 Antonia Chitty says, “Employers need to take this message on board to attract and retain employees. I’m pleased to support the 2010 mumandworking awards that recognise outstanding companies and individuals who are committed to flexible and family friendly work.”

To enter the awards or nominate someone go to www.Mumandworking.co.uk. Nominations are open now and there are a range of exciting prizes for the winners.

“Coochiecou baby fairs As it is the day for thanking people – a very very big thanks to Antonia Chitty for her help, advice, support and guidance – I have learnt a huge amount and would recommend her to anyone who is trying to do PR and marketing for their business.”

Debra McVicker of www.hamptonblue.co.uk

If you have a business that sells products to use outdoors, now is a great time to get in touch with  gardening magazines.

Send a press release to gardening magazines to get good coverage of your products for readers who love their gardens.

Not sure who to send your release to?

Buy the Gardening Media Contacts database NOW. It is the essential database of contacts at gardening magazines and newspapers.

I check these databases to ensure that the contacts are up to date, so this database is only on offer for a limited time. Today is the last day I will be offering it, and to make it easier for you to buy today ONLY it costs just £87.

Media coverage gives readers an independent view on your goods and can be far more influential than advertising.

Make the most of media coverage:

• Add ‘as seen in xxx gardening magazine’ to your website and blog to increase buyer trust.
• Tweet links to your coverage
• Post it on your facebook page

Get in touch with gardening journalists NOW to appear in the key summer issues of the magazines when most people are buying for outdoors. Gardening journalist are writing NOW for the May, June and July issues.

Whether you sell plants, garden candles or outdoor toys you’re missing out on great coverage and sales if you don’t know who to contact at gardening magazines and pages.

Don’t waste time doing the contacts research yourself: our contacts database contains up to the minute contacts for the top 12 UK gardening magazines plus Gardening Journalists at national newspapers. Buy the database and you can simply mail out the press release and get on with business. For even more effective media relations use the telephone numbers on the database to follow up.

Buy the Gardening Media Contacts database NOW.

Today ONLY just £87.

Offer expires midnight when the database will be withdrawn from sale.