ISSUE 11 • JANUARY 2021
IN CONVERSATION WITH
Dionne Thurland Founder of pocketbum
The how and why of letting go 5 Essential Ways to Use Scarcity to Increase Sales
The power of community in building a successful business 1
CONTRIBUTORS EMILY BAL, CONFIDENCE COACH AND FACILITATOR
Emily Bal is a confidence coach and facilitator and helps successful people realise how extraordinary they are so they know they can take control, create balance and be happy. After 17 years in marketing and creative roles in the non-profit sector, she moved into coaching so she could work flexibly around her young family and because she firmly believes if a person is thriving and realising their potential everything else will follow. Her digital homes are @life.work.balanced and www.emilybal.co.uk She lives in Ealing, West London with her husband and three children. *Photo credit Jo Mieszkowski www.emilybal.co.uk
SHONA CHAMBERS, MARKETING CONSULTANT Shona Chambers is a Marketing Consultant and owner of Shona Chambers Marketing, a Marketing Agency based in Nunhead near Peckham. Specialising in helping Small Business Owners and Freelancers with their Marketing. *Photo credit Portrayed Photography www.shonachambersmarketing.co.uk
SAMANTHA FRANCIS, POSITIVE PARENTING AND RELATIONSHIP SPECIALIST Samantha Francis is an award-winning Positive Parenting and Relationship Specialist and number 1 best selling author. She has been working in this field for over 8 years and integrates her knowledge as a holistic therapist and Belief Clearing Practitioner. During this time, she has been recognised and praised by children and adolescent mental health practitioners and the bestselling author, David Walliams, along with being featured across the media including Channel 4 News and BBC News. She has contributed to magazines including Families magazine and is a regular contributor to parenting and wellbeing podcasts. Her work consists of one to one private sessions, group courses and products such as her anxiety books for children and newly released Inspire affirmation cards. www.samanthafrancispositiveparenting.co.uk
MELISSA GAUGE, FOUNDER OF SPAREMYTIME Melissa Gauge, the founder of SpareMyTime, focuses on creating practical solutions to small business stresses. She is on a mission to democratise high quality, affordable virtual assistance for entrepreneurs and small businesses, whilst championing truly sustainable, flexible careers for women. With over 20 years of executive experience in the City and having established her own successful Virtual Assistance company, she utilises her extensive knowledge to support small businesses in stepping up to the next level. www.sparemytime.com
LEANNE SCOTT , LIFE COACH Leanne Scott is a life coach mother of 3. She helps mums move away from overwhelm to self-belief in their amazing-ness. She loves reading, drinking tea and eating cake. Founder of REAL Mums Facebook Community. www.leannescottlifecoach.com
RENATA TREBING, FOUNDER OF NOURISH WITH RENATA AND RECIPE DEVELOPER Renata is a wife, mama, and foodie and loves delicious, healthy food. Renate loves creating good recipes that taste good. She is all about nourishing your body through amazing, healthy, and, most importantly, delicious food. www.NourishwithRenata.com
BHAVINI LAKHANI , GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bhavini is an independent graphic designer specialising in branding and design for print, and is a mum of 2. She’s based in Milton Keynes, with a client base that spans global brands such as Conti Espresso, Barclaycard and British Gas, as well as local businesses across the UK. www.b81designs.com
Do you like what we do? Why not become a guest contributor. Let’s collaborate contact bridget@parentsinbiz.co.uk Magazine designed by B81 Designs www.b81designs.com Disclaimer views expressed in the articles are those strictly of the authors. Every effort is made to ensure that all information given is correct but Parents in Biz limited accepts no liability for inaccuracies, errors or omissions that may occur or their consequences. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher. Copyright includes (and not limited to) the content syndication of the RSS feed of this publication. The content and images used in any of the articles of this publication. The Parents in Business Magazine logo and any of its derivatives.
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EDITOR’S WELCOME Welcome to the 11th issue of the Parents in Business Magazine. And just when we thought the chapter of homeschooling and running a business had come to an end here we go again. This issue is full of practical guidance from industry experts and inspirational stories from parent business owners, all to support you! We’ve all been told that community is key to a successful business, Melissa Gauge writes about the power of community in building a successful business. If you want to improve your selfconfidence Emily Bal a confidence coach and facilitator writes about confidence in action. Shona Chambers reviews the following books, Survival Skills for Freelancers, The Success Rebellion, and Michael Rosen Book of Play. We are shining the small business spotlight Nadene Martin, the owner of Format Services. We have inspirational interviews with Dionne Thurland, the founder of Pocketbum, Dionne created the no fuss and fastener-free baby grow.
We also interviewed Dr Sophie Niedermaier-Patramani, a co-founder of Little Tummy, a paediatrician with more than 10 years of working experience in various healthcare systems. And Laura Crawford, the founder of Mama Bamboo. Mama Bamboo became the first UK Company to sell nappies that are made from organically and sustainably grown bamboo and the only company in the world whose nappies also include fully compostable linings and packaging. Whether you are thinking of starting a business or own a business, the Parents in Business Magazine offers the best advice to support you on your business journey.
Happy reading
Bridget
Bridget Daley Editor
www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
We are a Work for Good Partner and give a proportion of proceeds to charity.
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In Conversation with
Dionne Thurland Founder of Pocketbum
Pocketbum, the no-fuss and fastener-free baby grow, was created, Dionne Thurland and inspired by the first Pocketbum Pioneer, her now 2-year-old daughter. The brand was built on the belief that it’s ok, as parents, to take the easy route. Fitness, travel and fashion are Dionne’s biggest passions. After an established fashion pre-baby career, it was a natural progression to start her own brand after having her daughter. She was ready to live life on her terms, whilst utilising the invaluable experience from her time spent working for big labels, Pocketbum was the answer. 10
If she can help alleviate some of the pain points that parents experience with changing their baby, to free up their time; she’ll be happy. For Dionne living her best life is travelling, working out and enjoying sociable activities with her daughter like toddler gymnastics and swimming; building memories with her little one. Tell us about your business journey. How did you get here? I’ve had an interesting pathway to starting Pocketbum, mainly via my career in fashion. The myriad of experiences to date have helped shape and prepare me for starting my own business. My career in fashion has taken me around the world and off on a tangent. I have lived in the UK, Trinidad and Tobago and Switzerland. Over the last decade and a half, I’ve worked in Visual Merchandising, Interior and Fashion styling, finally settling into Creative Production Manager roles. Bringing the creative vision to life for major fashion brands was a role I relished, however, the designer itch and desire to do my own thing was always there.
It was being raised by a Caribbean solo parent who instilled hard work, drive and tenacity that was the key to kick starting my career. Those were the days when you could get a number for an HR contact, personally send your CV to them whilst on the phone and literally pitch for an interview spot. That same fearlessness means that I will approach mums on the street to consider their babies for modelling opportunities and introduce Pocketbum to new mums at toddler groups. When I became a mum, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ I felt expected to buy, yet amazed that amongst all the gizmos and gadgets, poppers were still the dominant fasteners for baby grows. Changing was a
chore, and it got more stressful the more my daughter started to wriggle about. Then there were the night-time changes that brought further challenges. New parenthood was wonderful but exhausting. It took a few years and the hard knocks of life to fully embrace my mantra ‘Be Brave’. Looking back through my career, I realised that I had to challenge gender preconceptions and find my voice as a woman, putting forward cases for budgets for new creative ideas for the brands I worked for. Having to interact with predominantly male directors helped to embolden me and instil confidence. This has been invaluable in helping me push Pocketbum to be the success I believe it can be.
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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT My name is Nadene and am the owner of Format Services. I offer administrative support to small business owners in London and beyond. My services have expanded through my time freelancing, and I love the variety that it brings me, covering all the tasks which business owners say they either hate or spend far too much time on. For me, stepping in and covering those tasks is what can propel a business forward. There are so many benefits to outsource, it can sometimes take a while to understand how, but I promise you that it is always worth it in the end. 18
I am a self-confessed organisation freak; I love nothing more than having all my ducks in a row! I am mum to two gorgeous teenage boys, my eldest is 19, and my youngest is 13. Born and raised in South-East London, love it here and don’t intend to change it.
What inspired you to start your business? I set up in 2017 whilst still working full-time. Imposter syndrome would rattle me every now and then making me believe that I belonged in a 9-5 role forever. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely always loved the 9-5, the client-facing roles and helping to build Companies with my skills. Jumping back to where it all began though, in 1998, I landed my first role as an Office Junior, this was supposed to be temporary as I didn’t choose to attend University. This was supposed to be a stop gap while I figured out exactly what I wanted to do. The rest they say is history.
My experience built up in various industries, including the NHS, Property and even education. Every job I went for, I ensured I had the right skillset for the job, and there would also be new skills/systems which I could pick up along the way. Each role came armed with more responsibility, more work and new challenges! The plus side about my work is that my skills are transferable to so many industries, so I can pick and choose where I wish to position myself. I chose to give freelancing a go because of my children. They have been my ‘why’ in all that I do. My eldest has ASD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I noticed that he was at a great school with amazing support, but what would happen once he left? I knew that he wanted to attend College, but what College was it going to be. I would spend hours trawling the internet for ‘the one’, and booking meetings/visits took up a lot of time, especially during the working day. Of course, my Manager was always sympathetic when I had to take time off. There was always something in the pit of my stomach feeling bad about not being present at work.
I was going to secure great clients. Ideally, I want to grow Format Services into a team of VA’s who can offer lots more to the public. I worked with one or two clients on an ad hoc basis while still working full-time, and once I was able to place my son somewhere, which could cater to his needs. I handed in my notice and went full-time with it. How scared was I? Scared but I knew in my heart, not only was I highly skilled in many areas, I knew I could work from home and be on hand for my children if/when they needed me. I ran the days; they no longer ran me!
As I say, my skills are transferrable, and I don’t want to put myself in a box missing some great opportunities. I really love what I do, and clients usually wish that they had not taken so long to take the leap and invest in a Virtual Assistant. As I say, ‘You never know what you need until you need it’. Nadene Martin Format Services www.formatservices.co.uk *Photo credit Portrayed Photography www.portrayedphotography.co.uk
Tell us about your niche? When I began my journey, I did not have a niche and felt that I wanted to help everybody, my niche eventually found me. I offer support to Authors, international Coaches and Educators mainly, although I will never turn a client away if they do not fall under this umbrella. Diary Management/Email Management is one of the more popular services in which clients want. I encourage my clients to work smarter, not harder!
I sat down one evening and made a list of how I would make Format Services happen, everything from the services I could offer to how
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The power of community in building a successful business We’ve all been told that community is key to a successful business. But why? Why in an age where we have little understanding of the true form of ‘community’ is it deemed an essential cornerstone to growth?
What is community? The meaning of ‘community’ has slowly eroded alongside the physical dominance of the institutions it once mirrored. Church groups, unions, schools; once dominant in our minds and lives, are increasingly finding themselves lower down the priority list, fighting for our limited time and attention. However, in their place has formed a different version of community. One that continues to grow exponentially with the ever-booming adoption and proliferation of smartphones. One that gets carried along on its journey by the ever-growing dominance of digital media.
And herein lies the point of our confusion. The constant mismatching of the word ‘community’ to digital audiences, followers and customers has created distraction and disorientation from its true meaning: ‘a matching of interests, values and beliefs with a proactive coming together to interact with one another.’
So how can this true sense of community help when building a successful business? Humans are sociable animals, craving a sense of belonging and meaning. When businesses are able to build a com mon
purpose for the brand, their employees and their customers, they build with it a stronger sense of loyalty and therefore, a more viable business model. They build a base of support that engages with their business and brand beyond their products. In an increasingly consumerist age where we are constantly bombarded with information, this is an intangible but hugely valuable and durable asset. The easiest explanation as to the strength of building a community is to look at the success of brands who know what they are doing: Airbnb, Starbucks, Disney … the list goes on. Each of these businesses has a brand that reaches further than their underlying products. A true demonstration of where small businesses can learn from our larger counterparts.
Here is why they do it Word of mouth network: Social advocacy gives huge value to a business; building a community of advocates that will champion a brand is a game changer. Community members become emotionally attached to your brand, extolling its virtues to colleagues and companions. Having highly engaged customers
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and employees leads to a sense of communal direction and belonging. Something to feel proud of and build relationships around. We all know that promoting our businesses can feel uncomfortable, however, it is possible to find ease in this when you build an organic referral base to do the hard work for you Retention rates: A sense of belonging will extend the retention rates of customers and staff. Consumers today reflect the desire for a deeper understanding and connection with their purchases. They want to know more about who they are buying from. They want to be inspired and make conscious decisions in their purchasing. By fostering a more engaged consumer base, your customer loyalty will be high, in turn, meaning they are highly likely to come back and buy again. Feedback loops: By creating engaged communities, you also establish tighter feedback loops in terms of time and accuracy. When members engage with one another, you can learn from their conversations and implement positive change. You can receive quick and detailed feedback on products and services from an audience who knows and believes in your values. Your response has the potential to further garner goodwill and support amongst your community.
As a small business, how do I grow my community? Communities are built on trust and respect, so don’t expect to grow one quickly. However, here are some key steps to start on the right path: 1) Understand your Why: Why do you want to build a community? How will a community help you achieve your goals? What common beliefs do your business and your members share? Why are you coming together? All of these elements will inform how you approach building your community and what values will be integral in that process.
2) Research: a strong sense of community can be sparked by relatively few people. Identify who these key players are. Who are your most engaged users; who could you transform into members? Your starting point needs to be understanding who and where your key audience is and where to find them. As you progress with your business, this understanding of your target audience will deliver again and again as you build and hone your wider business message and positioning.
3) Engage: make it worth your community members’ while to engage with each other and your brand. Create online spaces for them to interact, create campaigns where they can show off their knowledge of your service or project, encourage them to engage with one another and with you. This is where you can foster a swell of social advocacy and credible conversation around your brand. 4) Expand: Encourage your community to expand by making it easy and valuable for your members to share with others and help it grow. Whether through incentives, high quality shareable content or triggering discussions, if you nurture your community others will want to join. Communities can be hard to establish but are immensely rewarding and worth the time to build. Start small and build up with time. Enjoy your members and what they have to say. Feel encouraged by their interactions and learn from their comments. Most importantly, believe in your community and enjoy their contributions. They are there because of you, after all. Melissa Gauge Founder of SpareMyTime www.sparemytime.com
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PARENTS IN BUSINESS DIRECTORY
You can find these businesses and more on our online directory
Vee Roberts Insight2marketing
Shannon Reed Mockingbird Makes
Michelle Molyneux MJM Virtual Solutions
Insight2marketing is a Full-Service brand & Marketing agency led by Vee Roberts, an award-winning Brand & Marketing Coach.
Shannon of Mockingbird Makes, and I mindfully Make beautiful bespoke hand knitted crocheted or embroidered handicrafts, co-creating alongside my clients (partners, really). Mockingbird Makes have been called "sunshine in product form" that have a 'huge feel-good factor.'
Your everyday virtual admin solution providing personal assistant support to conquer general admin tasks, so consultants and small business can focus on growing their business.
What you'll find
Research
Services offered Strategic Planning Campaign Design and Implementation Brand Development Web Design Leaflet Distribution
Handmade keyrings Handmade cardigans Handmade hats
Social Media Management and Event Services
Handmade sunshine products and more
www.insight2marketing.com
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ MockingbirdMakesCo
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Services offered General administration Proofreading and editing Virtual personal assistant www.mjmvirtualsolutions.com
Louise Worsley Worsley Training
Nadene Martin Format Services Limited
Bhavini Lakhani B81 Designs
Worsley Training is run by Louise Worsley, a professional teacher with an instinctive ability to make learning First Aid memorable and enjoyable. She has over fifteen years of hands-on First Aid experience, both as a global expedition leader and as a parent.
Format Services is a Virtual Assistant Company taking care of all of your administration needs. Offer various services which can support you to grow your business, and you can view them further in the Services section. There are many benefits of outsourcing your administration, and this is something that we can discuss further as every business is unique.
Bhavini, is a Milton Keynes-based graphic designer with a shed-load of passion and the experience to match. She loves working with clients of all shapes and sizes, from the likes of Barclaycard and British Gas to business-to-business start-ups.
Some of the courses offered Baby and Child First Aid Paediatric First Aid Mini Life-Savers (first aid for primary school children) Teen-Aiders (First aid for teenagers & secondary school children) Basic Life Support with Defibrillator First Aid Training So many other courses are on offer so be sure to check out the website. Notebooks and planners
Services offered Email Management Transcription Project management
Services offered Branding Marketing material design Business stationary design Advertising design www.b81designs.com
Venue Bookings And so much more be sure to check out Nadene's website www.formatservices.co.uk
www.worsleytraining.co.uk
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