Inspiring, educating and celebrating grassroots businesses
MARKETING during an economic downturn
Plus
Small Business Spotlight
ure t a e F l a i c Spe the
in is h H o w t o fr o n g w it h y e a r s t u s in e s s your b
Mothers and Daughters in Business
IN CONVERSATION WITH Kat Vandal
ISSN 2754-8821
£5.00 AUTUMN isSue
9 772754
6 helpful tips for your small businesses to thrive in a tight market
882003
Welcome to our Autumn Issue
A
s the year draws to a close, naturally, it’s time to reflect on where we want to be. Some of us might feel disheartened that we have not made as much progress as we’d hoped. We might think about how far we’ve come. Between the cost of living and inflation, it might seem like there’s precious little to be done for this year. So how can you finish the year in a strong place with your business? What should you do to ensure that your business does well even in the face of hardship and the many trials that 2022 has brought? We take a look at them in this special feature; we share comments from parents who may be in a similar situation to you. In light of interest rates rising to 1.75% in August 2022, the highest jump in 27 years and the current challenge small businesses face in recruiting and retaining staff. Tutu Popoola, Director and Lead Consultant at Sleek HR, shares helpful tips to employers to help them stay competitive in a tight employment market. If you have entered Q4 in a marketing tailspin, especially if you are a product-based business with Christmas approaching, do not worry. Now more than ever, it’s imperative to have a strategic marketing plan in place. Natasha Rawley, a creative director, shares some top tips on developing a robust strategy and laying the path for Q1 2023.
We have interviews with Kat Vandal, founder of Vandalkids, Steve Bazell opened That Gin & Cocktail Bar and photographer Johanna Elizabeth. Happy reading!
Bridget
Bridget Daley, Editor bridget@parentsinbiz.co.uk PS Don’t miss the WINTER issue OUT 23rd January 2023
Inspiring, educating and celebrating grassroots businesses www.parentsinbiz.co.uk OCTOBER 2022
We are a Work for Good Partner and give a proportion of proceeds to charity. www.parentsinbiz.co.uk
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Contents
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6 Mum and Dad’s the word Modern parents are under more pressure than ever before; social expectations of how we look, behave, parent, and achieve are at an all time high, under the ever-watchful eye of social media. to create the appropriate fanfare and gratitude to all the incredible and hard-working parents, here are some easy and practical tips on looking after your health and putting yourself back on the to-do list.
16 Heartbreak taught me how to take one step at a time Simon shares his personal, heartbreaking journey of when his daughter, Mia, was diagnosed with infantile acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at just seven months old in July 2017 and given a 50:50 survival rate of reaching the age of five.
on the cover
18 Financial protection for business owners Having the appropriate insurance is a key foundation of any financial plan. It ensures that those that matter most to you are taken care of should the worst happen. Having the right insurance in place can ensure that your kids can continue to live in the family home, cover the monthly costs, and maintain a reasonable lifestyle.
8 In Conversation with Kat Vandal Before launching Vandalkids, Kat Vandal worked for 14 years in retail Marketing, branding and visual merchandising for cosmetics brands such as Max Factor, Rimmel and Bourjois. Vandalkids is a clothing brand on a mission to champion kids’ creativity, make parents’ lives easier and be kinder to the planet.
on the cover
14 How to survive being sick and running a small business Being a small business owner is a stressful task at the best of times, but what happens when you get sick? It’s understandable to begin panicking. There are a few things that you can do to try and make being sick a bit easier; in this article, we explore some of these options before the worst happens.
20 Special Feature - How to finish the year strong with your business Between the cost of living and inflation, it might seem like there’s precious little to be done for this year. How do you finish the year in a strong place with your business? What should you do to ensure that your business does well even in the face of hardship and the many trials that 2022 has brought? 26 Interview with Johanna Elizabeth Johanna Elizabeth is a photographer. She was a midwife and started photography as a sideline, photographing the beauty of pregnancy, and that grew quickly into babies, kids and families. Her business has since grown and evolved. She is married and has two daughters, Erin, 15 and Elsie, 8.
CONNECT WITH US @parentsinbiz
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on the cover
28 Marketing during an economic downturn If you have entered Q4 in a marketing tailspin, especially if you are a product-based business with Christmas approaching, do not worry. Natasha Rawley, a creative director, shares some top tips on developing a robust plan and laying the path for Q1 2023. Now more than ever, it’s imperative to have a strategic marketing plan in place. 30 Interview - with Steve Bazell Father of two, Steve Bazell, opened That Gin & Cocktail Bar in Warwick in May 2021. The team behind this fun and unique concept bar, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, pride themselves on being able to take customers on a gin journey like no other, with access to more than 100 uniquely made-to-order flavour infusions. 32 Let’s talk business with Clare Clare Morris is the Parents in Business Magazines “business troubleshooter” It’s not often that before you’ve even launched your business, to pivot, but that’s exactly what happened to Futurum Group. Clare Morris share’s their case study.
on the cover
36 Small Business Spotlight - Mothers and Daughters in Business Meet the mother and daughter team that run a successful business together in Gloucestershire. After a pandemic that has disproportionately affected female-led businesses for the past 2 years, this family company is getting back on track and ready to launch full force into the business of empowering the nation’s female business owners. 38 Our directory members If you are on the lookout for products and services, we showcase some of the products and services Parents in Business Directory members offer. 40 Book reviews Shona reviews How to be a founder – how entrepreneurs can identify, fund and launch their best ideas. Written by Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford.
on the cover
34 Recruitment and retention: 6 helpful tips for your small businesses to thrive in a tight market In light of interest rates rising to 1.75% in August 2022, the highest jump in 27 years and the current challenge small businesses face in recruiting and retaining staff; this article provides some helpful tips to employers to help them stay competitive in a tight employment market
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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Contributors
Meet the people who have taken part in the creation of this issue
Our trusted panel of contributors give you essential advice on everything from PR to wellbeing and finance.
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 CLARE MORRIS, FOUNDER OF CM RESOURCE Creating, refreshing, or enhancing your business model. Clare shares business growth ideas and strategies for new, developing, and established businesses. She can help you innovate, evolve and love what you do. www.cmresource.co.uk
LUCY PATEL, BANT REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST Lucy is a BANT Registered Nutritionist and specialises in chronic stress, peri-menopause and hormone imbalance conditions. As a busy working Mum and business owner, she understands how living a healthy lifestyle when you are ruled by your to-do list can be very challenging. www.lucypatelnutrition.co.uk
TUTU POPOOLA, FOUNDER & LEAD CONSULTANT OF SLEEK HR Tutu Popoola is the Founder & Lead Consultant of Sleek HR, an outsourced HR & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultancy for creative businesses in the UK. She is an Accredited Member of HR Independents and Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) www.sleekhr.co.uk
NATASHA RAWLEY, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, THE CREATIVE CABOODLE Natasha works with clients across many sectors, assisting with brand elevation, marketing strategy, content creation, social media management, social commerce, and sales-driven marketing. The Creative Caboodle was born over five years ago to provide a solution to business owners and entrepreneurs for all their marketing needs. www.thecreativecaboodle.com IAN RICHARDS, FOUNDER OF WORK TO LIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING Work to Live Financial Planning specialise in helping parents take control of their financial future, helping you make the right decisions at the right time about spending, saving and investing your money. They focus on helping you to balance being able to live a great life now with preparing for the future. www.worktolivefinancialplanning.com
OCTOBER 2022
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What advice can you share with a parent who wants to start a business? Working for yourself, alone at home, can be a double edge sword. You’re comfortable and flexible, but it can be hard to get everything done due to a lack of motivation/clear deadlines as well as the distraction of household tasks and school duties. It’s also hard to be inspired due to a lack of experiencing life outside your home/seeing people. I would say be very disciplined with your days. Even if you embrace the flexibility, it should still be fairly structured, so you don’t end up overwhelmed by the amount of work. Keep your daily to-do list short, so you are not feeling deflated at night for not completing it and trying to catch up. Set yourself a start and end time of the day, and take regular breaks (go for a walk, visit some stores, see people face to face, don’t stay home all day). Make sure that when you’re with the kids, you switch off, even if it’s just an hour and work again in the evening after bedtime. Create rituals for your physical and mental health (morning or lunchtime: sport, meditation, see a friend or call a friend to talk about everything else but work). As for the business side of things, surround yourself with experts who care about the brand, and make sure before you spend money on another consultant or freelancer that they love the brand and want it to succeed.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses and make sure you get help where you’re not feeling as confident. Be quick with your decisions, but be patient with the results. Try to feel empowered by mistakes: success is the result of a series of mistakes. See mistakes as learning opportunities, don’t dwell on them, and move on quickly with the learning knowing next time it’ll work better.
Who or what inspires you? I’m inspired a lot by the street: the architecture, street art, street style, people, but also going out to experience new concept stores or concept bars/restaurants. Anything interactive, not just a classic museum, always give me more ideas. My son and my partner also inspire me every day with their ability to think outside the box and their constant joie de vivre.
Kat Vandal www.vandalkidswear.com
OCTOBER 2022
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Heartbreak taught me how to take one step at a time
O
nes Leisure Trainers launched in December 2021. Simon Caulton (Ones Founder) designed and created lightweight, super comfortable and eco-friendly trainers for anyone who needs to stay on their feet all day. The brand creation was inspired by Simon’s own personal, heartbreaking journey when his daughter, Mia, was diagnosed with infantile acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at just seven months old in July 2017 and given a 50:50 survival rate of reaching the age of five. The experience was life changing. Mia was discharged after nine months after having intense chemotherapy, but with a further two years of continued chemo treatment at home. With Simon’s work being predominately based within the Far East and Anjna’s work 15 minutes away, they decided that Simon would become a stay-at-home dad and look after Mia and Anjna would return to work. “This was a very difficult time for me, I never imagined becoming a stay at home dad, this was the right logical step as a family, but I struggled with this adjustment.
The loss of my independence, loss of control, the trauma, isolation, I felt myself losing my purpose, my mental health spiralled downwards quickly, I needed to find a focus,” says Simon. Simon’s first step was to seek help for his mental health; he got help identifying the PTSD he was suffering from. He has since become a passionate advocate of men’s mental health, sharing his one step journey with various organisations. Speaking candidly and openly about his own struggles and the importance of seeking help. He has become an ambassador for the official charity of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves Foundation, for over 2 years and their Head4Health cohort groups. The football team even invited him to talk about mental health at a premiership football match, highlighting the power of talking in 2019.
“We have become a family ambassador for Blood Cancer UK, continuously raising awareness and participating in fundraising events.” Designing the trainers was an incredible chapter. I channelled all my pain and experiences into the brand. Whilst Mia was in the hospital, we were occupants at the Ronald McDonald House Birmingham. This charity offers rooms to parents/families caring for a critically ill child in hospital. The house was a lifeline for us, a home away from home. Every morning I would get ready and sit at the edge of the bed, put my trainers on and stare at my feet, not knowing what the day would hold, I would take a deep breath and then take that One Step towards the door to take on my day. I spent so much time on my feet all day in the hospital I noticed my feet would become quite sweaty
and swollen, and my legs would often become tired and achy by the end of the day. I recall the need for something comfortable, lightweight, and breathable on my feet as it would be a very long day in the hospital.
Ones Leisures has three styles: the Broughton, the Cantlow, and the Cooksley, all poignantly named and dedicated to the three rooms we occupied at the Ronald McDonald House Birmingham.
When I started to do my market research, I identified that many regular trainers could be quite heavy and that the flat insole design would cause aching on the base of the feet when worn for prolonged periods. So, when I designed Ones, my brief became very clear to me, I wanted to create lightweight, breathable, super comfortable and eco-friendly trainers for anyone who needs to stay on their feet all day.
The Ones brand is about each individual’s #myonestepjourney. We have become a family ambassador for Blood Cancer UK, continuously raising awareness and participating in fundraising events. We have committed 10% of all profits to Blood Cancer UK for continued research in kinder, effective treatments and improving survival rates.
From the beginning, I was committed to Ones Trainers being eco-friendly and sustainable, so I partnered with Bloom Materials and committed to three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I drew on all my contacts from the far east and built a partnership with professional shoe designer Katie Ridges who helped bring my vision to life.
We are incredibly humbled by the immense support offered by Birmingham City University’s STEAMhouse Incubator, a unique centre dedicated to providing a space for collaboration, innovation and the development of new ideas, start-ups, and ventures. The pandemic, like for many businesses, also sent Ones development back, having lost our original manufacturer, Richard Scutt - the Incubator manager and Julian Beer, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Birmingham City University - provided sound advice and support to get back on track. Ones won ‘Rising Star of the Year 2022 Award’ at StartUp Awards National Series. Life has taught me the importance of taking One Step at a time. Whether you are on an uphill battle or striving towards something beautiful, we all have our own One Step Journey. Ones Trainers are designed for anyone who needs something comfortable, no nonsense and breathable so they can stay on their feet all day.”
Simon Caulton Co-Founder Ones www.ones.co.uk
OCTOBER 2022
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Marketing during an economic downturn
Here we are in Q4, and it’s a bit of a rollercoaster for small businesses. We are already feeling the strain of the increase in the costs of running our businesses and homes, and now we are awaiting the impact of the economic downturn on our revenue. Product-based businesses are concerned about day-to-day sales and eagerly await new sale notifications, and service-based businesses are trying to retain clients and win new clients during a period where businesses may be making cutbacks.
Q
4 is a critical time for both business types; product-based businesses rely on the Christmas sales of Q4 to fund a large share of their annual profit. Service-based businesses need to promote themselves to engage with
clients and ensure they are considered in the upcoming Q1 budget setting.
This is the time to ensure you are marketing yourself and your business to the highest level possible. Now more than ever, it’s imperative to have a strategic marketing plan in place. If you have entered Q4 in a marketing tailspin, especially if you are a product-based business with Christmas approaching, do not worry. You still have time to develop a robust plan and lay the path for Q1 2023. So let’s share some of our top tips.
1. Confirm the marketing channel that generates you the most income.
4. Shout about your good reviews
Do you measure the effectiveness of your campaigns? If you spend money on campaigns, are you regularly reviewing your ROI? Do you have custom URLs to measure the performance of your campaigns effectively?
This week alone, I have spoken to two clients that are not proactively building a mailing list. In the past, they have had impressive sales but now find themselves lost in the bombardment of noise from social media and are struggling to show up with the algorithms.
If someone has emailed you great feedback about your service or product, ask them if you can share it across your So often, when we start a discovery journey with a client, they channels, including your prime revenue-generating social are unsure which marketing channel is their primary revenuemedia channel and your website. Also, share the generating. Many are shocked to find out it’s Pinterest or top feedback at the end of your email LinkedIn over Instagram. campaign as often as possible. This is the time to ensure When was the last time you reviewed If clients are tagging you via Instagram you are marketing yourself your analytics to know where your and sharing their love for your products revenue streams came from? and your business to the or service, always reshare this and create Website platforms such as Squarespace highest level possible. Now highlights to store them all in. and Shopify have these analytics more than ever, it’s imperative Get testimonials from clients past built into the interface and can very to have a strategic marketing and present to share on your website effectively and quickly create reports and channels. plan in place. detailing the traffic sources and the journey of the clients that purchased a service/product on your website. 5. How is your mailing list?
Do you have a feedback question on checkout to learn about your client’s journey and how they found you? Now that you know your revenue-generating channel, your highest input should be focused here.
2. Once you know your best performing marketing channel, show up and engage. When customers make spending choices, you need to be present and in their thoughts. Yes, spending may be less this year, but customers will continue to support people they like, trust and have an affinity with, so make sure you are showing up in front of the camera on your feed, whether that is Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook or Pinterest. Protect your boundaries but share your story, and build that personal relationship with your current clients and potential ones. Let them know who you are, why you do what you do and why you love it. Remember to engage with your followers. If someone leaves a positive comment on your post as a minimum, like it, or even better, comment on it and thank them. Answers those lovely DMs you received and send a message to new followers to thank them for their support. Invest in and build your community of loyal customers.
3.Focus on your USP (unique selling proposition) Clients will be more particular about how they spend their money during a recession. Make sure you are shouting about your unique USPs. What makes your product or service any different? Why should people buy from you? What makes your product/ service special?
They have not been collecting data at the point of sale or asking regular clients that contact them directly if they can add them to their mail list. With so much noise on social media, mailing lists are your most economical and direct channel to your clients. There is no need to bombard your client’s upselling every week, just a little hello once a month or quarter to keep you in their minds, an update about you, the business, new products or service offerings. Remember, customers will be spreading the costs of Christmas over several paydays this year, so a perfectly timed Christmas products email in mid-October is always a great idea! Invest time in your mailing list database. It will pay off.
6. Make sure you have good visual content Good visual content sells! Product photography, headshots and scene shoots are always a good investment, but sometimes budgets, time, or access do not always allow outsourcing. So here’s the thing, practice makes you better! Take the time to set a scene, purchase a reasonably-priced backdrop, see where the best lighting is, and the most essential step is to take lots of images and get honest feedback from peers, friends and family who can give you valuable feedback on areas of improvement. When you post those great images, do not forget to tag your products/services so the client has a direct route to purchase. To support the Parents in Biz community, we have gathered three free-of-charge resources to assist with the above top tips. If you want access to these resources, sign up using the link below. www.thecreativecaboodle.com/parents-in-biz
Do you support communities such as Parents in Biz? Do you contribute parts of your income to a charity? How do you manage the impact of your business on the environment?
Natasha Rawley
These all make you unique.
Creative Director, The Creative Caboodle www.thecreativecaboodle.com/
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Parents in Business Directory Joy Foster TechPixies
Salihah Agbaje Spoken World Productions
Bhavini Lakhani B81 Designs
TechPixies is an award-winning CPD accredited online learning platform with a social mission to help women leverage the power of modern technology (Social Media, WordPress and MailChimp) to improve women’s access to employment or help them to start a business.
Spoken World Productions are a Theatre in Education organisation operating across London and the globe (virtually!) to bring fun, educational and enriching Drama lessons to primary aged children.
Bhavini is a Milton Keynes-based graphic designer with a shed-load of passion and the experience to match. She has been a print-focused graphic designer for over 14 years, working in-house and for agencies before breaking free and setting up B81 Designs in 2011.
www.techpixies.com
Their sessions are designed to work in line with all subjects and can be tailored to the individual curriculum. So if you are a school teacher, home educator, enrichment officer or parent seeking a drama package for your child to enjoy, they can help.
Bhavini loves working with clients of all shapes and sizes, from Barclaycard and British Gas to business-to-business start-ups. www.b81designs.com
www.spokenworldproductions.com
Patience Modevi Otentikcare Patience created Otentikcare as a wellness hub for women because she believes that wellbeing should be an everyday practice and that even the smallest things in life can bring calm, comfort and care. With this in mind, she shares the mindful products and practices that have revolutionised her own well-being in her online space. She stocks authentic, sustainable products for mind, body and soul wellness, with a particular focus on products for ladies over 40 who are conscious of their wellbeing. www.otentikcare.co.uk
Beverley Bispham - Luvlybubbly Craft Parties Luvlybubbly Craft Parties organise kid’s craft parties for children, where young passions for fashion are born. They strive to inspire the youngest minds of our generation with creative and fun craft parties. They are based in North North East London and organise kid’s craft parties all around London and surrounding areas– including Kent, Essex, Herefordshire and parts of Sussex. www.luvlybubbly.co.uk
Georgina Fihosy AfroTouch Design Afrotouch Design is an unapologetically Afrocentric brand that produces personal stationery items that showcase West African designs uniquely and memorably. Each product is based on and designed with a touch of West African print fabric. The vibrant colours and unique designs allow our customers to connect with the beauty. Many potential customers struggle to find stationery and gift items that reflect their culture, so AfroTouch Design exists to fill this space within this industry. www.afrotouch.design
You can find these businesses and more on our online directory Michelle Molyneux MJM Virtual Solutions
Louise Worsley Worsley Training
Nadene Martin Format Services Limited
Your everyday virtual admin solution provides personal assistant support to conquer general admin tasks, so consultants and small businesses can focus on growing their business. They offer a range of flexible packages to suit your needs, drawing on our expertise in education, Health and Social Care, GDPR and proofreading to name a few.
Louise has over fifteen years of hands-on First Aid experience, both as a global expedition leader and as a parent. She draws from this to bring First Aid to life for participants, providing practical training grounded in realistic examples of how the techniques could be used. Louise is qualified through and regulated by Rescue Emergency Care, Nuco Training and ProTrainings.
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, which you can discuss further as every business is unique.
www.mjmvirtualsolutions.com
Julie Hawkins – Single Mums in Business Network The primary objective of the SMBN is to help you gain exposure to your business. They concentrate on driving traffic to their member’s pages so that you are seen. The secondary objective is to reduce stigma and dispel misconceptions that single mums are work shy. It is the passion of founder Julie Hawkins to raise awareness of the real issue is that work is not in sync with school and wages are not in sync with inflation. www.singlemumsbusinessnetwork. com
www.worsleytraining.co.uk
www.formatservices.co.uk
JOIN THE DIRECTORY The Parents in Business Directory is here to help you! Featuring your business with us will boost your visibility levels. We will ensure that your business, and more importantly, what you offer, is seen by the RIGHT people. www.parentsinbiz.co.uk/join-the-parentsin-business-directory/
OCTOBER 2022
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Book Review
Read through Shona’s book reviews, and discover the best business books.
How to be a founder – how entrepreneurs can identify, fund and launch their best ideas. Written by Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford. What does it mean to be a founder? This book defines a founder and the intended audience as being; “People who want to found a venture-backed, high growth startup that could one day be a public company.” That might not be a massive segment of the small business community in the UK, but even if your ambitions in business don’t match, you can still learn a lot from reading this book. One of the first things I found useful was the section on the 7 characteristics of founders. As the book states, you may not have all of them, but you are likely to see yourself in several. These include being an outlier, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, showing clarity of thought, articulation of ideas, challenging convention, being driven and able to bring others along for the journey. Thinking about yourself as a founder and what makes you tick is always interesting. There is a focus on how to find a business partner, myths about starting a business, what to worry about and what not to, and which business models may aid you in your start-up phase. I enjoyed the examples of successful start-ups being current business references, as many books on business recycle the same founder names as sources of inspiration (Steve Jobs and Apple, for example) If you are looking for sources of inspiration and a framework for your start-up, this is certainly an interesting guide.
“Ideas are journeys, not destinations. A start-up idea isn’t really something you have, and it’s something you create by working on it.” Available on Amazon
Shona Chambers Marketing Consultant www.shonachambersmarketing.co.uk
OCTOBER 2022
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