Teacup Tuesday....networking

As a small business we try very hard to support those that are in the same boat as us; especially if they share our ethos.

Last Friday I had a good networking day; one of our Twitter followers reached out to me and asked if I could help out on her website (she runs a lovely forum / information site that aims to help people moving). So I popped over there and provided some information; which she kindly thanked me for.

I also discovered a Twitter networking event called #ConnectFriday. This event is for ethical, sustainable, and kind to the environment businesses can all 'meet' and find out what each other does. This means that I can meet and network with people who may run small independent yarn businesses that I could buy my cotton or bamboo off for knitting the softies. We could discover a FSC wooden box maker for Anna's memory boxes, perhaps even a new supplier for our gift wrap cotton or ribbons! I grew up in a country where shopping local, recycling & being aware (kind) of the environment was a way of life not an ethos that people could buy into or brand themselves with. We never saw the word 'eco-' until we moved back to the UK.

Anna & I try to adopt this in our business as well as personal lives - we work with people who use natural materials - sustainable natural materials, or who upcycle materials. Not only do we work with these people but we share their business successes, we let other people know about them, we link to their websites from ours, we retweet their Twitter tweets & share their Facebook status updates. We'll put their flyers out with ours and generally use them as our preferred suppliers.

So today's blog is in honour of all those fellow small businesses that do the same for us - in particular David Earp - Shuktara, Marie Travell - Rainbow Cakes, Joanne McGowen - Act One Adventures, and of course Anna - Godalming Independent Market. These four people are consistently there, networking with us.

Thank you guys, you'll be the first 4 businesses I 'shout out' on the Twitter & Facebook #ConnectFriday event I'll be doing.

Tea Cup Tuesday- Low Cost Marketing

Marketing is a necessity in my opinion when it comes to running a business. In my finding’s, normally also a costly one!

However there are forms of marketing that are free and if you play it right can really help your business bloom.

Here are a few free forms of marketing that I can recommend.

Facebook

Set yourself up with a business page. Update your status with friendly talk, engaging conversation, images of you and your products and lovely links to your website. 
Give yourself a personality. From my experience I have found that people like to know how things are made, what makes them unique and who makes them. 
facebook.com

Twitter

A free way of networking and communicating with like minded businesses. Creating a little fan base by tweeting about your products and following and engaging with potential clients.
twitter.com

Mailchimp

A fabulous way of sending out emailable campaigns to your clients. It’s easy, it’s simple and really quite clever. Sending bulk mailings out via mailchimp means they are less likely to hit the trash or spam files of the recipient.

Mailchimp also helps you design your email in a simple aesthetic way if that isn’t your forte!

mailchimp.com

Community Sites, for instance-

UKhandmade

If you are a handmade crafter UKhandmade have a section on their website where you can advertise your business or product. You are invited to write about what you do and share it with their readers. 

ukhandmade.co.uk

Clearly crafting community,

A great place on facebook & twitter to ask crafty related questions, reply to the client requests,  reply to the CCC requests for products in colour or a beginning with a certain letter and generally follow the chitter chatter of like minded crafters and clients looking for unique products. These community sites are great at marrying a wanting client with a capable maker

Networking

Join local networking communities. Help, ask for help, get your product out there by people seeing your name, you talking about what you do and getting to know like minded business people.

Markets & Events

If you are a maker, book a stall or table at local events and fetes. It's the perfect place to not only sell your product but market it to local lovelies. And don't be disheartened at the end of the day if the cash taken isn't much. If you have had a day of talking positively about your product, smiling and handing out business cards to prospective clients it has definitely been a positive one. The selling experience quite often goes beyond market day....with sales following weeks or months later. Clients taking cards on the day and making purchases in later months is still a market/event sale!

Word of mouth

Always the best form of marketing! In my opinion one of the BEST forms of free marketing!
Talk about your business positively. If you are sold your positive vision will inspire others. Always have a sample and flyers to hand. You never know when you may need them.

unikgifts.co.uk

Monday mentor...

Theo Paphitis #SBS website

http://www.theopaphitissbs.com/

Following on from his success both off screen and on screen, Theo Paphitis is supporting small businesses over on Twitter with his Small Business Sunday.

Each Sunday between 5pm & 7.30pm he gives small business users the chance to pitch their business to him for a chance of a retweet and inclusion on his SBS website.

Previous winners of #SBS have reported that endorsement from Theo Paphitis has provided their small business a much appreciated boost. The retweet usually benefits the business more Twitter and Facebook followers - increasing their market presence and resulting in more traffic to their website. This can often result in an increase sales!

#SBS winners also join an exclusive community of former winners who offer rewards, discounts and offers to their fellow small businesses.

If you're a small business owner who wants to enter #SBS, here are the tips the official SBS website provides:

What to do...

• Tweet about your business in 140 characters or less, directed to @TheoPaphitis, adding the hashtag #SBS.
• Tweet on a Sunday between 5.00-7.30 PM.
• Use humour and topicality if it feels natural to you.
• Feel free to add a link or web address in your tweet.
• Having a website increases your chances of being noticed.
• Ensure your profile sells your business and has a link to your website. Include a colourful graphic.
• It helps to know the names behind the business. #SBS is for small businesses. The personal touch is liked.
• Just tweet once in each weekly time slot.
• Look out for the re-tweets.
• If you are not chosen, don't despair and try again!

Boosted by our #WOW win, Anna and I have been entering #SBS believing that we will one day win this coveted accolade.

Inspirational working Mums!

A few months back, South West Trains had some serious problems and Daddy DayCare only just made it home for SplishSplash time. However, u-ni-k's Anna was still working hard at her other day job and I wondered if her and BigBoyBump needed collecting from somewhere and taking home.

Unable to reach her by phone, I turned to Twitter to see if she'd posted any updates. To my surprise one of the Mummy's we follow was looking for updates from her husband and partner (he designs her website). BabySigningMummy's husband and u-ni-k's Anna were both stuck on a train just outside a station for 4 hours! Having shared exasperation at SWT trains together, I've been drawn to following her tweets quite closely (and not just for transport updates!).

BabySigningMummy is an excellent tweeter: she's supportive of her other Mummy tweet friends, always offers good advice, and is ready with an update or two about being a Mummy to Baby Signing Bella. Bella and Baby Signing Mummy have been championing the cause of Mother and Baby communication for a while now. In fact Louise has combined BSL and Makaton to create the Baby Signing Mummy method.

Anna and The Naughty, Ale and Italian Stallion and some of the other NCT Mummies are keen baby signers. DangerBaby slept at the wrong times for us to take either class (she's very much a routine baby and we both suffer if we don't keep to it), so we've watched as the others have made planes or squished their hands to show they want some milk. It's all very impressive.

BabySigningMummy is very impressive herself. 2011 has very much been her year (and we're only in August):

In May she was voted in the Top 4 for the Best New Children's Activity 2011 in the What's on 4 Junior Awards.

On the 23^rd June, Baby Signing Mummy was named winner of the Best New Business Venture 2011 by the Hampshire Winning Women Business Awards.

The winning streak has continued as she is on the shortlist for winning the Business Parent of the Year in the MumandWorking 2011 Awards.

More recently she tweeted that she's made being a finalist on the 2011 Mumpreneur Awards as well!

A truly inspirational Mummy indeed.

For more information on Baby Signing and the Baby Signing Method, visit her website at: www.babysigningmummy.com

You can follow her on @babysigningmum and follow us @u_ni_k - we're both on Twitter!