Creation|Collaboration

Wedding Wednesday - Wedding Favours

2010-11-10T19:21:00.002Z

The decision to have Wedding Favours is a personal one, but a token gift to say thank you to your guests for attending your Big day is always a lovely touch.

Traditionally, a gift of 5 sugared almonds or Bonbonnierre was given, and these represent health, wealth, fertility, happiness and longetivity, but these days couples tend to get a little more creative.

The history of this goes back to the aristocrats of Europe, notably France and Italy.
The bonbonnierre was actually a box made of porcelain, crystal, and precious stones, but in more recent times this tends to have been replaced by a gift box, an organza bag or the almonds wrapped in netting.

Modern gift trends can be candy, picture frames, personalised CD's with couples favourite music, the ever popular lottery ticket, soaps, candles, and drinks minatures.
What to choose a lot of the time comes down mainly to budget.

My choice for my Big Day was silk notebooks [wth a personalised message] for the ladies and lottery tickets for the gentlemen.
In the evening I had Love Heart sweeties in gift boxes, and a love scroll wrapped in green ribbon to co-ordinate with my theme.

It is also increasingly popular to theme your wedding, whether this be through colour choice or subject matter.
Favours are generally placed at each place setting for reciept during the Wedding Breakfast, but some couples choose to go round with a basket in the evening and hand out each small gift personally.

Whatever you choose try to inject a little bit of your own personality into your choice.
Here is a selection of my favourites.

Wooden All you need is love Key - Le Trousseau

Sweet Shoppe Candy Boxes - Caesars Wedding Favours

A popular choice at scottish weddings is Tablet such as above by Highland Favours
Or if you are really adventurous you could try making your own - Recipe

Wedding Coaster - J.S Favours

Wine Glass Charms - Gift wrapped and gorgeous

Golden Lottery Envelopes - The Wedding of My dreams

Sugared Almonds - Confetti

Wedding Advice - Wedding Dress Shopping - Guest Blogger - Aliya Rose Bridal

2010-11-03T14:04:00.001Z

Today our Guest Blogger is the lovely Liz Wooton of the fabulous Aliya Rose.
Here she gives you her Top Tips of how to be prepared for doing your Wedding Dress Shopping.

• "Go armed with an open mind. You may well have a type of dress in mind, and whilst sometimes instincts are spot on, sometimes when you try on what you think will be your dream dress, it turns out to be your dress nightmare!
Keep your mind open to trying new things – you might just find something you love that wasn’t at all what you thought you would like."

• "Make an appointment. If you’re going to be visiting a bridal shop with the intention of trying on, it’s very much advisable to phone ahead and book a time.
Some stores are appointment only. At Aliya Rose, browsers are very welcome any time, but if we already have an appointment going on, or if one is due in shortly, you may not be able to try anything on there and then.
Bear in mind that Saturdays are our busiest day, and they can book up well in advance, so book early to avoid disappointment!"

•"No question is too silly! Let’s face it, no one starts out as an experienced wedding-dress-shopper. Don’t feel like you should know it all before you start out. So never be afraid to ask questions, and if you want, phone the shop ahead to ask things you’re puzzled about before you even go in for your appointment."

•" If you’ve got a budget in mind, don’t be shy about letting the shop know.
YOU are the boss when it comes to spending, and if you WANT to try on something that’s over budget, then that’s fine, but it should be up to you, not up to the shop to decide if you get to stretch your budget or not.
If you have an unfavourable reaction from the shop when you tell them your budget, then you probably don’t want to be shopping there anyway – so don’t feel bad – you’ve done yourself a favour!"

• "Take the right people with you. You will want someone you really trust to help you choose the right dress FOR YOU, not for them!"

• "Wear big knickers. Getting into a wedding dress is ideally a two-person job.
Bridal gowns tend to be big and heavy, and you’ll never do up the back of them on your own!
So my advice is to let the staff help you in the changing room, and you’ll feel more comfortable doing this if you’ve got underwear on that you don’t mind being seen in. Believe me, we don’t care if your underwear matches, we don’t notice, I promise!!"

• "Don’t worry about the size. Wedding dress sizing can be totally off from what you’d expect. I could (and have!) written a whole blog article on this. But in short, do not under any circumstances get hung up on the sizes of the dresses.
It’s about the FIT, not the size. If you’re losing weight, then talk to the shop and ask their advice about ordering."

• "Make sure you are being listened to.
Every time I start an appointment, I begin by asking the bride what sort of thing she has in mind. That means every appointment will be different, because every bride will have slightly different criteria. You will benefit hugely from the product knowledge good bridal shop staff have – they will know what dresses look like on, they will know which dresses fit your criteria. But if they’re not listening to what you want, then you’re not going to get very far at all. Again, remember you’re the boss here!"

•"Be honest. If you don’t like a dress you’ve tried on, then don’t be afraid to say so. We won’t be offended, and knowing in more detail what you like and don’t like will help us with our job to find you the right dress for you."

•"You can try on too many dresses. It might seem hard to believe, but you actually can go too far with trying on dresses! The process should be enjoyable, so don’t let yourself get tired and frustrated with it by going to too many shops on the quest for something that might be more perfect than the perfect dress you’ve already found."

• "Order plenty of time in advance. Don’t leave it too late. Every shop’s delivery times will be different, but make sure you arm yourself with information. You don’t want to miss out because you’ve left it too late."

• "Above all, HAVE FUN!"

Thank you so much to Liz for giving such marvellous advice. Wedding Dress shopping can be such a worry for some Brides, but hopefully this will go some way to making your experience a much more pleasurable one.

If you are in the Fife area, and would like to visit Aliya Rose Bridal -
18 Millgate
Cupar, Fife KY15 5EG

Phone: 01334 655303

Website: http://www.aliyarose.co.uk/

For Previous Blog on Aliya Rose see here

Images by Martin Pettinger

Wedding Wednesday - The Gift List

2010-10-27T22:26:00.001+01:00

Today I would like to focus on the Wedding Gift List.

Its a contentious issue, with lots of people, not really liking the idea of presenting their nearest and dearest with a list of things they would like.
Some find the notion embarrassing, especially if they have set up home, and being living together for a while.
But its a fact that those that love you want to celebrate your union by getting you a present.
And it is sometimes better presenting a list of things that are useful to you, rather than having a gift you will store in your garage or the guest wasting their money.

When planning your list, its better to think about items that you really need, before you go looking.
And then if you are using a Department store list, visit a few stores to see who has the best selections.

However, there are many different options these days to the traditional Department store list, and these include honeymoon gift lists and money gift lists.

Remember when putting together a list, to put together a wide range of prices and options that would suit individuals, couples and groups.

Traditionally things like cutlery , glasses and linens are popular as well as the odd electrical item.
Choose things together, and start as you mean to go on. Marriage is a partnership so even though shopping may not be his cup of tea, he will more than likely be using the items you list.

The Honeymoon gift list is a great option to either fund a grander vacation or afford you some exciting experiences on your trip which you ordinarily could not afford.

A Money gift list can be a better option if the couple have been together and living together for a while, as money can then be lumped together to buy larger and luxury items that you would like, but that haven't been a priority buy.

Whilst lists aren't for everyone they can solve the problem of six toasters and your umpteenth bale of towels, but it is a personal choice and one that you should both be comfortable with.

Feature Friday featuring Tracey Hatter Smith of Midway Media

2010-10-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to another of our fabulous Feature Friday articles! Today we're featuring Tracey Hatter Smith who owns Midway Media - Wedding & Event Videographers.

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us today Tracey - can you tell us more about yourself and Midway Media?
I'm Tracey, 37 years young and married with 2 teenage children. I have a degree in Law and worked for many years within a legal environment before taking the plunge and a risk into a completely new area of videography!

I am pleased to say that I am an associate member with the Institute of Videographers (IOV), one of the largest organisations in the UK for recognising, training and promoting professional videographers.

Midway Media purely specialises in weddings, events and corporate filming across the UK and wherever needed. No job is too small! I run Midway Media with my wonderful husband, Barry and together we make a cracking team! Midway Media has now been successfully running for 2 years and its good to see that the diary for the years ahead is getting fuller and fuller. Every weekend this summer we have either 1 or 2 weddings to film with no break until the end of October! Out of season weddings are becoming more popular. I got married during the winter season not for any particular reason as I had always wanted a winter wedding anyway. I can honestly say that although I work extremely long hours, I love what I do. I'm certainly committed to the cause.

I am very passionate and dedicated about filming. Weddings have always been something of interest to me since I can remember. I get a buzz from every wedding I film and even more so when I finally see the end result before sending it to the client. There is nothing more satisfying than to receive a text or email from your client to say that they loved their DVD it was amazing to watch and the bride becoming all emotional at watching it and that they can't wait to show family and friends! Not that I wish our brides to cry even though they are tears of happiness but it shows the impact of what a DVD can actually do!

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I have always had an interest in filming but, for a few years prior to Midway Media being set up, Barry would film friends and family weddings while I would purely assist in the background! I finally took the leap at a family wedding with my new video camera working alongside Barry and, although I was very nervous (and I still get nervous now), I filmed and loved it.

From that moment, I knew videography was for me; it seemed as though I had a natural talent for it, as my shots were captured well and were creatively done. From this moment I've never looked back and when Barry was made redundant we invested everything in getting my dream business off the ground and running! It has taken a lot of time, patience and dedication from both of us to where we are today.

What do you love most about your business?
I love filming weddings and enjoy working with people. It’s the people that really make the DVD that little extra special for the bride and groom. I also get to go to many different locations across the UK and film a variety of weddings. No two weddings are the same.

What would you like to change?
I would change the look of our website on some of the pages by adding more visuals to the page to make it more visually appealing with less text. The pictures would be those taken as screenshots from our video cameras. This also gives a more examples of our work to the potential client.

What is your aim for the next year?
I would like to double our bookings for next year and film more corporate work and attend local area networking meetings.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
As well as running Midway Media, I would also like to partake in some freelance camera work for local television. I would also like to cover an equestrian event as I am a keen horsewoman!

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Speak to other women in business to find out how they got their businesses started and how they found success
Tip 2 Speak to a local business advisor who specialises in business start-up
Tip 3 Attend networking meetings and meet key people that can make referrals on your behalf (become a recommended supplier)
Tip 4 Find your niche market using market research and target area and set your objectives accordingly
Tip 5 Use social networking sites and the internet to increase business interest

If any prospective clients are reading this, how can they get in touch with you?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.midway-media.co.uk or by email at enquiries@midway-media.co.uk; I'm also on Facebook so they can "like" me on http://www.facebook.com/editalbum.php?aid=8640&add=1&id=117733244941078#!/pages/Midway-Media-Wedding-Event-Videographers/117733244941078 or they can Tweet me on http://www.twitter.com/midwaymediauk.

Thanks so much for talking to us today Tracey - your job sounds so rewarding and I can imagine being in the middle of such a fabulous event every day is so exciting, as is doing something you love!

Remember, if you are a businesswoman and would like your company to be featured on our regular Feature Friday slot, please drop us an email at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Feature Friday" in the subject like and we'll send you on the info. Also, check out our forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org - we love our Feature Friday women are all joining us there, and so can you!

Wedding Wednesday - The First Dance

2010-10-20T13:28:00.002+01:00

Choosing you first dance can be an incredibly difficult or really easy choice.

The important thing is to choose something that has a personal meaning to both of you for whatever reason that is, and one that makes you happy.

There is also tends to be a lot of pressure today for the first dance to be smooth and choreographed.
Of course, you can take a class to improve your fancy footwork, but who cares about trodden toes, it is really about just being together, and being in love.

Most couples tend to learn the staples like the Waltz, the quickstep, but you can be a little different and choose a more spirited dance like the Mambo, or to a song you particularly love with a more catchy vibe.
Like this one by London photographer Julia Boggio and her husband James http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYhlm9GTAQ0

The traditional pattern followed is that the Bride and Groom dance first, and then are joined by parents, and the other Bridal Party members.
During the first dance, the best man tends to dance with the Chief Bridesmaid, and the other Bridesmaids with any ushers.

Fantastic Perthshire photographer Shaun Ward shares his thoughts on first dances -

"One of the parts of the wedding I look forward to the most is the first dance the bride and groom have at their reception. This is the first time I really see them relax and may be the first time they have a chance to take in what has happened during the day."

"Personally as the photographer I am trying hard to create something unique that captures that moment when they forget about what is around them.
This involves working freely with a flashgun attached with cord to the camera or a static light on a stand or simply trying to use the lights available to create a nice image . These images are as much about trying to create the right mood on screen as the technical aspects."

A first dance is a moment that people worry about for months, but with a little preparation you can dance into a beautiful future.

Photo Credit : Shaun Ward

Feature Friday featuring Sarah Marks from Tiny Gems

2010-10-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to another of our fabulous Feature Friday articles! Today we're chatting to Sarah Marks who is the founder of Tiny Gems.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Sarah - can you tell our readers a little more about you and Tiny Gems?
Hello my name is Sarah Marks and I am the founder of www.tiny-gems.co.uk. I design and make my jewellery under the company name of Hemisphere Handcrafted Jewellery; many people ask me where I came up with the name Hemisphere. Picture the scene; I’d just started playing at jewellery making as a hobby and a way to de-stress from my very stressful full time job. I would sit in the lounge watching TV with my husband, a bead tray on my lap trying to be creative and tiny beads would be flying off in all directions. I said to my husband, where did that one go? He replied I think that one hit the hemisphere. And a name was born.

I have always had a love of all things crafty/arty and like to try experimenting with new things all the time. I am very happily married and have a gorgeous black Labrador of 11 years and a lovable cat of 13 years who are our children.

Tiny-Gems currently has a large selection of costume jewellery, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, sets, rings, hair combs, hair vines, tiaras, all made using highest quality materials, we offer a bespoke design service and are very happy to make amendments to any of our designs to meet your requirements. We have recently started to make one off bespoke fascinators on request to match special outfits which are proving very popular.

Tiny-Gems currently feature another designer – Debbie who design’s and makes her jewellery under the name beadsandglass. I met Debbie through doing local craft fairs and we both have very different design/production styles so we complement each other very well. This allows for more variety of products on tiny-gems although, occasionally, we have spooky moments where we make very similar items. Both Debbie and I are self taught jewellery designers and we love what we do.

We have recently become a supplier for www.erbw.co.uk, a wedding and events planner and are really excited about this new opportunity and working closely with them in the future.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I was a senior manager in the banking industry and had been so for 14 years, wrongly assuming I was in a job for life. I had recently been promoted and everything was fantastic when a bombshell dropped that my whole department was at risk of redundancy. This lasted for over 90 days with much uncertainty and upset for my colleagues and I. I was offered a job if I wanted one; however, I had completely lost faith in the company after the way everyone was treated. I eventually left at Christmas time 6 months after the bombshell had dropped and made the very scary decision after always being employed to begin a new career on a self employed basis. I am delighted that I was brave enough to do it and haven’t looked back once. Banking is now just a dim and distant memory which gave me the opportunity to start my own business.

What do you love most about your business?
Now that is a tough question, there is so much I love about it. I think it would have to be when I meet with someone to discuss their requirements for either a piece of jewellery or a tiara for their wedding or even a fascinator to match their dress for a day at the races. We discuss their ideas and I make suggestions and ask lots of questions to find out their likes and dislikes. I show them examples of my work and we work together to design an item that will be exactly what they are looking for.

Once the design is completed I absolutely love to see the delight on the clients face when they see their item. Tears of happiness are not unheard of, which makes all my hard work worthwhile. I also love sitting in my studio with my ipod on staring at rows and rows of beads and wire, just waiting for design ideas and inspiration to hit me. The worst day of my business beats the best day of working for someone else hands down every day of the week.

What would you like to change?
There are a couple of things I’d like to change; firstly, I would love someone else to handle all the website administration like listing items, photographing items etc so that I could get on with designing and making jewellery. I would imagine most people starting out feel exactly the same way until we all get successful and can employ people to do those things for us. Another change would be to have more hours in the day (maybe that one is a pipe dream and I’m sure I’m not the first to have requested this change).

What is your aim for the next year?
My aim for the next year is to increase tiny-gems activity with more promotion and getting more business contacts and affinities through local and national contacts. Along with expanding our product lines and getting more new designers on board the tiny-gems journey. To take 1st prize in the jewellery design competition I am entered into for tiaras and necklaces.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Ultimately I see tiny-gems as being the name everyone thinks of for designer costume jewellery and accessories nationwide.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - There is no such thing as can’t; you can do anything that you set your mind to the only limits to your potential are yourself or more specifically your own self doubt. With good planning you can achieve your goals. Set good clear goals and how you are going to achieve them to avoid getting distracted and flitting from one thing to another and achieving nothing.

Tip 2 - It’s not personal it’s business, don’t assume everyone wants you to succeed and will work to your timescales make sure you have everything in writing with your suppliers.

Tip 3 - Asking for help is a virtue not a weakness. Do not be afraid of asking as this could very likely avoid costly or timely mistakes; remember, no-one is fantastic at everything so play to your strengths and the strengths of those around you.

Tip 4 - Networking is absolutely necessary, meeting up with like minded business people is invaluable to discuss problems and pick up tips and hints that you may never have thought of like suggestions of suppliers to use or not use from the people you meet. ou may even be lucky enough to forge great friendships as well as business contacts. If, like me, your business is craft inspired, get yourself along to local craft fairs even if you don’t make vast amounts of money to start with it is great mixing with like minded people and a craft business can be a lonely one so it’s a great way of meeting people and getting out of your studio.

Tip 5 - Aim high, the sky is the limit, have faith in your own ability.

If any prospective clients are reading this article and have fallen in love with your designs, how can they contact you?
I can be contacted via our website at www.tiny-gems.co.uk, by email at sarah@tiny-gems.co.uk, I'm also on Facebook where they can "like" me to get updates on new products at http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=186496003750#!/pages/Hemisphere-Handcrafted-Jewellery-at-Tiny-Gems/186496003750 or they can Tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/hhjtinygems

Thanks so much for talking to us today Sarah - your designs are really beautiful and I think the way you started your business will resonate with a lot of people these days.

Remember, if you are a businesswoman and would like your products/service to be featured on our regular Friday slot, don't forget to drop us an email at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line and we'll get back to you with details. Or check out our forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org - happy to see you there!

Wedding Wednesday - Planning your Honeymoon

2010-10-13T11:35:00.001+01:00

Your Honeymoon is that once in a lifetime holiday that you want to enjoy to the fullest, and you will want to enjoy every romantic minute, but that can mean many things.

source

A sun drenched beach, the tuscan countryside, snowboarding in the alps, climbing a mountain, the Australian Rainforest, or a cosy B and B in the Scottish Islands, its all up to individual taste.

source

Traditionally, it was the Groom that organised this really special trip, but these days its usually a mutual decision.
But if you do decide to go traditional, its safest to drop some pretty hefty hints.
Before deciding, its important to consider what you both want out of your time away, a bit like making decisions fo the Wedding, so its an experience you will both enjoy.

Budget is a huge player in deciding where to go.
Get loads of brochures, and scour the internet for best deals.
Be very sure anything is ABTA bonded.
Take the advice of a travel agent, or consider an independant travel advisor like Travel Counsellors or the Travel Architect.

If you plan to change surname you can get your name changed on your passport prior to getting married, but won't be able to travel till after, or of course you can travel in your maiden name.
Make sure also that you have at least 6 months travel left on your passport before it expires.

source

Tips for Honeymoon Travel

- If booking Honeymoon packages there are likely to be some lovely added extra's at Hotels, make sure your travel advisor is aware.
- Make sure you are smartly dressed when travelling as you are much more likely to get an Upgrade this way.
- Make sure you let everyone know its your Honeymoon. Love is infectious and you never know what freebies may come your way.
- If you are changing your name on Passport beforehand, make sure the name on your travel documents matches. Many people have made this mistake in the past, and you really don't want that last minute stress.

Something else that is popular these days is having a Wedding Registry for your Honeymoon, where it can either pay for the trip away http://www.honeymiles.net/ or http://www.honeymoney.co.uk/ or for some luxury experiences when you are away on your break http://www.buy-our-honeymoon.com/
http://www.senduspacking.com/

Whatever you do and where ever you go, it will be a beautiful beginning on the journey that is married life.

Feature Friday featuring Samantha Jones of Samantha Jones Photography

2010-10-08T08:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to another of our hugely successful Feature Friday articles - today we're going to be featuring Samantha Jones from Samantha Jones Photography.

Hi Samantha, thanks so much for taking the time out to talk to us today - can you tell our readers a little more about you and your company? My company is Samantha Jones Photography - I decided to use my own name as I believe that my clients are buying "me" rather than a generic studio. I am based in Faversham, Kent and don't actually have studio which is one of the reasons that my prices are so competitive. My main business is wedding photography throughout Kent, Surrey and Essex but I also very much enjoy family portraiture. I have a small home studio set-up which can fit into the smallest of lounges!

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I was working as a legal PA in London for nine years, commuting four hours per day to and from work. The opportunity came up to take voluntary redundancy and I seized it, knowing that my real passion is for photography and working with people to create beautiful images that they will cherish.

What do you love most about your business?
I love the fact that I am my own boss and that no one day is ever the same as the next. I have met some wonderful people during my first year in business, attended beautiful weddings and celebrated the birth of many babies.

What would you like to change?
I would particularly like to change the perception that anyone with a digital camera can be a wedding photographer. I am finding recently that brides are trying to economise by asking a friend of the family, who has a decent knowledge of photography, to take their photographs. And then, afterwards, I hear that they are not really very happy with the pictures and regret their decision. That is one of my main reasons for offering "Rock the Frock" sessions, which are becoming much more popular now and involve getting back into your wedding dress and taking time to create beautiful and unusual shots which were not captured on the day of the wedding.

What is your aim for the next year?
I love living in Faversham and my aim for next year is to become "The Faversham Photographer". I would love to be in the situation that every bride who is getting married in Faversham or the surrounding villages books me for their wedding!

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
I would very much like to be in the position to employ an assistant at each wedding as carrying the equipment and setting up group shots can be quite tiring and I would much rather have the energy to be more creative. My ultimate aim is to be booking twice as many weddings as in my first year of business and then to expand accordingly.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Never be too proud to take advice, you don't always have to act on it but you can learn so much from those already in business.
Tip 2 Invest in proper branding and promotional materials and don't do it on "the cheap".
Tip 3 Attend courses and seminars which are applicable to your new business. Understand the power of social media, such as Twitter and Facebook and understand its strengths for your business.
Tip 4 Embrace your competition and meet up regularly to discuss ideas and concepts.
Tip 5 Don't give up ... be proud of what you have already achieved and always look to the future.

How can any prospective client contact you?
I can be contacted via my website at www.samanthajonesphotography.co.uk or I can be emailed at sam@samanthajonesphotography.co.uk - I'm also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Faversham-United-Kingdom/Samantha-Jones-Kent-Wedding-and-Lifestyle-Photographer/25818384150 or they can Tweet me at http://twitter.com/SamanthaJones68

Wedding Wednesday - Choosing Wedding Suppliers.

2010-10-06T12:02:00.001+01:00

From working in events over the last year or so, I have found that however well planned, there is always the possibility of having a few little technical hitches.
Usually these are swiftly rectified, and don't overshadow any of the day, but its got me thinking ! [ a bit of a Carrie Bradshaw moment! ]

"How well do we check out our Wedding or Event suppliers ?"

Do we look at a brochure or website and say, oooooooh they look good or do we delve deeper ?

Its definetely all about thorough research, price always has a part to play in a decision but get lots of brochures, samples etc, and book lots of appointments.
And I can't say enough about personal recommendation - ask friends, ask on wedding forums, read testimonials etc.
Take time and research at least 3 suppliers in each catagory of need.

For any supplier it is advisable to have in depth meetings.

For a photographer for example, ask to see lots of examples of different styles of his work.
For a cake maker, ask for tasting sessions of their product.
For a venue dresser, ask if they have dressed your venue before, and especially if they are doing chair covers, make sure they are sure their covers suit your venues chairs.
And the same follows through with each and every other person that plays a part in your day.

For someone that is providing services for you on biggest day of your life, its important that you have a connection, and you feel confident and comfortable that they will provide you with exactly what you are looking for, and so you both know you are on the same wavelength.

And while seeing a professional accreditation is reassuring, it doesn't necessarily make one particular supplier better than another.

A lot of the time, peoples tastes and preferences play a large part and while one may love their supplier, another person may have different views.

You really don't want your event to be overshadowed by avoidable incidents, so choose wisely.

Feature Friday featuring Leanna Doohan of Creative Invites

2010-10-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to another of our Feature Friday articles - today we'll be featuring Leanne Doohan from Creative Invites, a wedding stationery company based in beautiful Donegal, Ireland.

Thanks so much for taking the time out to chat with us today Leanne - can you tell our readers a little more about yourself and your company?
My name is Leanne Doohan and my business is Creative Invites, a handmade wedding stationery business based in Co. Donegal in Ireland. The business has been going since 2005 and I bought it in early 2009. It was well-established and very busy but the previous owner had other commitments which meant she couldn’t continue running it. I hardly had time to find my feet when I took over. It was so busy and there was a lot to learn! In fact, I’m still learning every day!

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I can’t really say that it was my business idea as I didn’t set it up from scratch, but I’ve always done cardmaking and scrapbooking as a hobby. I also knew I wanted to own my own business and studied Business Studies and Marketing at college but I never made any business ideas a reality! It was only when I saw Creative Invites for sale that it clicked with me that this was something I would love to do!

What do you love most about your business?
This is a difficult one! There is nothing like the buzz you get out of being your own boss. Just having the control to get things done. Even when there’s a problem such as a late delivery, I enjoy finding a solution to a problem! I also love working with brides (and grooms!). They are very enthusiastic about choosing their wedding stationery. They’re at a very happy time in their lives and it’s wonderful to deal with that type of person. Getting married is usually a once in a lifetime thing so they are new to all the planning and everything that goes with it. Being a newly-wed myself, I can offer little tips and recommendations for other areas to do with the wedding and they’re always so grateful for any information that helps!

What would you like to change?
I’d like to work less hours and have my weekends to myself! But I doubt if that will happen any time soon!

What is your aim for the next year?
I have a lot of exciting changes planned for Creative Invites in the next six months alone. Customers’ needs and wants are changing and competition is increasing. This keeps me on my toes and means that I am always thinking ahead to see how we can be innovative and improve on what we do. Last year we received national recognition by winning ‘Irish Wedding Stationery Supplier of the Year’ with the wedding forum www.realweddings.ie and we were voted in the top 5 wedding stationery suppliers in Ireland with the wedding forum www.weddingsonline.ie. I hope that 2010 brings the same success!

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
I see myself with a successful business that allows me flexibility in my work schedule. I want the Creative Invites brand to be well-known in Ireland but without losing the small business feel that people like us for at the moment. And I might get around to trying out some other business ideas…who knows?!

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Surround yourself with supportive friends and family and never be too proud to ask for help.
Tip 2 Don’t try to do everything yourself – you can’t know everything! Get an expert to look after things that aren’t your area of expertise, whether that be your website, accounts etc.
Tip 3 Always listen to your customers but more importantly listen to people who aren’t your customers. Ask why people would buy from your competitor instead of you.
Tip 4 Network!! This couldn’t be easier these days with all the social media platforms out there. I have built up fantastic contacts with people in other Irish businesses who I’ve never even met!

Tip 5 For women that work from home, don’t feel that because you are at home you have to do the housework as well. Separate work time and home time although it can be difficult when it is all under the one roof!

If a prospective client was reading this and wanted to get in touch with you, how can they contact you?
I can be contacted via my website http://www.creativeinvites.ie or they can drop me an email to sales@creativeinvites.ie. I'm also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WeddingStationeryIreland or they can Tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/CreativeInvites.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us today Leanne - sounds like a fantastically busy business and well done for such amazing awards! Long may the acclaim continue!

Remember, if you are a businesswoman working from home and you'd like your business to be featured on one our Feature Friday slots, email us at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line. Or check out our new forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org - happy to see you there!

In the Mood - Creating a Wedding Mood Board.

2010-09-29T11:45:00.001+01:00

A moodboard is a collage of materials [images, text, colours, textures] which capture the ambience and feel of something you want to design or create.

As a wedding and event planner and co-ordinator, this is a useful tool to gather thoughts together whilst not having to commit to anything, and it is very useful when presenting initial idea's to a client.

From a brides point of view, this can be created by saving magazine clippings, drawings etc and storing them in a wedding planning folder, which in theory some of us have been subconciously filling since we were 5.

You can save an image of "The Dress", that gorgeous bouquet, those "must have" shoes, that cool car, or the "to die for" stationery you have been lusting over.
This just makes it easier to bring across what you really see as the look of the day.

Below are some gorgeous examples of how you could bring together your Wedding Wish List to create the vision you have.

source

Feature Friday featuring Nicole Bogue & Gabrielle Stepan from Little Giggles

2010-09-24T08:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to another in our hugely popular Feature Friday articles - today we're chatting with Nicole Bogue and Gabrielle Stepan from Little Giggles.

Hi Nicole & Gabrielle, can you introduce our readers to you and your company?
Nicole - In addition to being a busy entrepreneur, I am a Mum to 17 month old Cian and I'm also a teacher.

Gabrielle - In 2008, I graduated from college in the United States during one of the toughest economic recessions. After months of not being able to find a job, I took it as a sign that I am not meant to be in the "9 to 5 corporate world" and that I should look at this as an opportunity to do something different that, under other circumstances, I might have never tried.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
Nicole - I have always been passionate about children and, giving birth to my son last year, made me realise how much I wanted to start my own business. Throughout my pregnancy I was given many lovely gifts from friends and family for our little bundle, and it was amazing to see how spoiled my unborn child already was!

Since we left his gender to be a surprise until his birth, we were overwhelmed by the amount of "neutral" baby outfits we received. Not that we weren't grateful, but it definitely got me thinking about how I could put a twist on the traditional baby gift regardless of the sex of the baby.... This is when I recruited the help of my sister, Gabrielle, and together we created Little Giggles!

Gabrielle - I made the decision to move to Ireland with my sister and together we embarked on the exciting journey of starting up a business. Much like Nicole, I have always been interested in the Baby Gift's industry. We both knew that starting up a business was not going to be an easy task but, in the face of tough economic times, we felt that if we were going to take this risk, we might as well do something that we both find pleasure in. Needless to say, Little Giggles is our labour of love and although we continue to face daily challenges, we really enjoy what we do and we hope that we can continue to spread the word and get people to fall in love with our products.

The concept behind Little Giggles is fairly simple and straight forward, yet unique and practical. All of Little Giggles baby gifts are one of a kind and all handmade. Our products are made in a smoke free and pet free environment. Not only are our gifts pleasing to the eyes, but all of our creations are made with high quality, usable, and practical supplies (or as we refer to them, ingredients) for the parents and the brand new baby. Our products contain ingredients such as Nappies, Toys, Pacifiers, Bibs, Clothes, Teethers, Bottles etc.

We specialise in Nappy Cakes, Nappy Wreaths, Floral Clothes Bouquets, Nappy Bears, Nappy Bundles, Ice Cream Swirls, Milkshakes, Clothes Cupcakes/Fairy Cakes and MUCH more. We are continually coming up with fresh ideas to give us that edge and to help us stand out. Our mission is to provide our customers with a unique gift giving experience. We take pride in every single one of our hand made creations and strive for satisfaction. Our ultimate goal is to bring smiles to the faces of those giving and receiving these gifts!

In addition to our Baby Gifts we also make Wedding Towel Cakes, Christening Gifts, and Big Brother/Big Sister Gifts (so they don't feel left out when the new bundle comes along!)

All of our creations can be made to order, customised, and/or themed. We will work with YOU to create the perfect gift, regardless of your budget.

We have done lots of research on the Baby Gifts industry and we continue to educate ourselves on what's “trendy” and what appeals to new parents. Although we have come across other businesses that do what we do, we have yet to find one that meets our same level of attention, quality, and attractiveness, not to mention our competitive prices. Our products range on average between €7-€100. We take great pride in our work and everything we make exudes the same amount of excitement and love we invest in our creations.

What do you love most about your business?
We love that our business brings so much joy to our customers. It never gets old seeing the happiness on the faces of our customers!

What would you like to change?
We would change that we didn't start our business sooner! However, we have come to realise that things happen the way they do for a reason. And now that we are finally pursuing our dream, we would like nothing more than to increase our fan base and have more exposure!

What is your aim for the next year?
By next year we hope to be able to offer our products in stores and retail shops. As of now we sell our products online and in "Trinkets" which is located in Crestwood Shopping Center in Glanmire, Cork.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Ultimately we would like to open up our own "Little Giggles" retail stores. We hope to start small and local, and over time spread across Ireland and then the world!! :)

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 If you have a dream, just go for it. Don't let anyone stop you
Tip 2 Women are extraordinary beings... just stay confident and embrace all the pitfalls

Tip 3 It's not really a "man's world" let's face it, they would be lost without us! :)
Tip 4 "Slow and steady wins the race" Don't try to execute all your ideas at once! You will overwhelm yourself!
Tip 5 Take all criticisms, good and bad, and use them to your advantage. You are already your own worst critic so don't worry about what others think of you or your ideas

If any prospective customers are reading, how can they contact you?
We can be contacted via our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/littlegigglesbaby, by email on littlegigglesbaby@yahoo.ie or Tweet us on http://www.twitter.com/lilgiggs.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Nicole & Gabrielle - your company is indeed unique and we think that there will be many people interested in your service.

Remember, if you'd like to be involved with Creation|Collaboration, make sure to check out our forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/.

Coming up Roses ! - Choosing Wedding Flowers

2010-09-22T08:37:00.000+01:00

"Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful.
They are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.
[Luther Burbank- Naturalist]

This statement makes your florist a very important part of your event preparation, but firstly you need to be happy with your choice.

Ask lots of questions, about different flowers, whats in season etc

Ask to see portfolio's. You want a florist who's style matches your own.

Its also important to mention any themes, and take colour swatches so that the florist can help you choose the best blooms.

As well as looking great you have to take into consideration the scent of the flowers, some may be very beautiful to look at but can be overpowering in smell.

Consider the locations that need to be decorated.
For a wedding as a general guide you may need -

Church [ pedestal , pew ends]
Reception [ top table, guest tables]
Personal [ Bride, Bridesmaids, groom, best man, ushers,mothers, fathers, gift bouquets]

In an autumn or winter wedding, the addition of a candelabra to the flower arrangements can be particularly striking.
And for any other non wedding event-

Guest tables
Buffet Tables
Pedestal arrangements etc

A good florist will also know many local venues and will be able to give you direction on what works best where.

Also remember that many florists charge a delivery fee and for set up at your ceremony and reception sites.
Take time in choosing flowers for your event, they are usually primary in the decoration of your venue.
See a few different florist, interview them properly, if a florist is pushing you towards arrangements you can't afford, move on.

Also as a cost saving exercise, you can give away your table centrepieces at the end of the evening to special family members or guests, or keep for those unable to attend.

Photo Credit: http://www.bridalbud.com/

Feature Friday featuring Helen Lindop from Business Plus Baby

2010-09-17T08:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to our hugely popular Feature Friday - today we're chatting to Helen Lindop who runs the blog Business Plus Baby.

Hi Helen, thanks for chatting with us today - can you tell us more about you and your enterprise?

Hi, I’m Helen Lindop. I have a blog http://www.businessplusbaby.com/ which helps mums of babies and toddlers start businesses. This week my book was published – it’s called ‘Start a Family Friendly Business – 23 brilliant business ideas for mums (and how to tell which is right for you)’ and I wrote it with Antonia Chitty of http://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk./

Also, I have just launched a web content and copywriting business, www.helenlindop.com

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

One day in September 2008, I took my four-month-old daughter to visit a nursery. I was going back to work four or five days per week the following January and had to sort out her childcare. As I left the nursery, I discovered that I simply couldn't leave my baby anywhere full-time. It wasn’t the nursery that was the problem, it was me.

I hadn't a clue what to do next. I'd had a permanent job for a while, but before that I'd been freelance for six years. I thought that being self-employed might be the only option open to me but, as a new mum, I had no idea how it might work. What type of work could I do? Was it even possible to run a business around a small child?

I started to research some business ideas. I tried a party plan, but selling another company’s products just didn’t grab me. I worked my way through lots of other business ideas but none of them really fitted me or my family. Then I found out (to my surprise) I was expecting our second baby – due just fifteen months after the first.

The goalposts had moved again - with two babies I would need a business that was very flexible indeed! I started blogging because I wanted to connect with other mums in business and I thought all my research might help someone else.

I noticed my blog was gathering some readers so I kept going and it turned into a little business of its own. Through blogging, I connected with Antonia Chitty and we started to work on our book together. Now I’m going to use my blog to help promote the book and I have plans to write more resources to help mums start businesses.

Blogging has taught me about online copywriting and I find it really fascinating. I noticed that many small businesses are struggling with their web content. For example:

They find their website text isn’t getting readers to do what they want them to do, eg sign up to their mailing list, buy, or pick up the phone.
Blogging is a great way to get noticed by search engines, but it’s time consuming and businesses often don’t know what to write about.
Offering a free e-book to potential clients demonstrates their expertise and, if it’s good, clients will want to read it and keep it. That’s much better than advertising, which is often ignored! But writing a good e-book isn’t as easy as it looks and takes a long time to get it right.

I used to write a lot in my previous job as an IT trainer, so I’ve combined the copywriting with my previous experience plus my blogging knowledge to create my new business.

What do you love most about your business?
I love the flexibility to work around my family and the way I get to connect with so many inspiring business women.

What would you like to change?
Earning an income online takes a lot of time and patience. Doing anything when you have small children around takes three times as long as it would without! So there have been times when I’ve been very frustrated by my slow progress.

What is your aim for the next year?
To ease my children into pre-school so I have more time to develop my blog and copywriting business. And to keep learning and improving.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
It’s so hard to say when you have small children. When they are born it turns your life upside down and I’m still getting used to it. Then you just think you’ve got the hang of it and everything changes!

If I can run a business that I enjoy, that earns me a decent income and that allows me to spend lots of time with my family then I’ll be happy.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1. Research, research, research – it’s so easy to skip over this but it’s essential.
Tip 2. Do the maths – many people don’t work out all their costs properly and then end up losing money instead of making it.
Tip 3. Pick something that you love – it’s hard work and if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing you won’t stick at it.
Tip 4. Tweak that ‘something that you love’ so that you’re offering a product or service that people REALLY want. Don’t be a starving artist - It’s so much easier to sell something if people actually want it!
Tip 5. Test your business idea by running it in the evenings. When you’ve got some momentum and you’ve proven it works you can give up the day job.

How can people contact you Helen?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.businessplusbaby.com/ or on http://www.businessplusbaby.com/contact-me/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/businessplusbaby or Tweet me at http://twitter.com/HelenLindop

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Helen - the organic growth of your business because of your family committments is really fascinating and I imagine a lot of our readers will be able to identify with you regarding running and business with small childen in tow! We look forward to seeing your book in print - make sure to drop back and tell us when and where it's available.

Remember, if you'd like to chat with Helen or any of our Feature Friday businesswomen, please check into our forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/.

Childs Play

2010-09-15T10:00:00.000+01:00

Its an age old question - Do I have children at my wedding ?
Whilst angelic voices can be distracting to some, it can be seen to be endearing to others.

You have spent many hours of planning to make this day the most special of your life so it is important to consider the little ones, because all those finely tuned details you have pored over can seem tedious and boring to a child that is used to running around.
It is not the nature of a child to sit still and quiet during the the important bits ie. the ceremony and the wedding breakfast so it is essential that little minds are stimulated.

Consider having some childrens entertainment ie. a magician or a clown, or a jewellery making or craft workshop

Party bags with some age appropriate toys, colouring books and crayons can be a really great idea.
For these consider, http://www.eventsmiles.co.uk/ or get a gift bag and look in your local supermarket for pocket money toys and magazines etc. to make them up yourself and make it a bit more personal.
Bubbles are always a huge hit with kids.

Another option is to have an appointed person in charge of the children, or to hire a mobile creche for the day, and a fabulous entertainment option is a bouncy castle which a lot of the time, the adults like to play on too.

Not inviting children can sometimes be a bit of a minefield as it can bring up the issues of child care for guests that are parents.
However on the flip side, sometimes parents are glad of some personal time.

From a personal point of view, I had a few children on my day, the guest of honour being my 5 day old nephew.
And from attending the recent wedding of a friend, I think it can add something a little bit more special to proceedings.
It can be really funny to hear little voices piping up at inappropriate times, or see little pageboys rolling about in grass with their crisp white shirts.

However it is the day that you have waited for all your life so any decision is an individual one, and something that you are comfortable with.

Feature Friday featuring Annette Reilly of Neki.ie

2010-09-10T08:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to our latest Feature Friday article - today we're featuring Annette Reilly of Neki.ie, a company dealing with Neuro Energetic Kinesiology.

Hi Annette - thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today. Can you explain to our readers what Neuro Energetic Kinesiology is?

Kinesiology is the science of movement. Kinesiology has its roots in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and chiropractic methods. It incorporates techniques such as acupressure and meridian balancing, gentle structural manipulation, massage and nutrition. Kinesiology works to balance all systems of the body and can help with any health issue whether it's physical, mental or emotional.

Kinesiology assesses the patient via a muscle response test. This is a gentle test which detects stresses and imbalances in the four areas of the body's systems:
* Chemical eg nutrition, hormones, pH balance, metabolism, immune response
* Structural eg bones, muscles, tissues
* Emotional eg stress, anxiety, fears, phobias, trauma
* Electromagnetic eg hydration, energy levels, energy fields

In Neuro Energetic Kinesiology we use what are called "finger modes" One mode in particular is called "priority mode" by using this mode at the beginning of a session it allows only that which is priority to work on with each client to come to the surface during a session. In short, Kinesiology works where the body needs it most, in a way that is most effective for each client.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I began training approximately 6 yrs ago in the area of Complementary Medicine. After qualifying in many different disciplines, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Hopi Ear Candling, Reiki Mastership, Kinesiology to name but a few, I discovered the therapy that was producing the fastest and most profound results with clients was Kinesiology. I decided to specialize in the area of Neuro Energetic Kinesiology. I trained in Northern Ireland with a wonderful woman, Orla Brady, and also with the founder of Neuro Energetic Kinesiology Hugo Tobar (Australia). Hugo would travel over several times a year to do intensive training with us. The course began with 35 students and ended with 4 of us qualifying. 3 people in Northern Ireland and just me from the Republic of Ireland.

What do you love most about your business?
I love being able, through my work, to resolve issues in just a few sessions that have been persistent in a client’s life for a number of years. One of the main issues I’m working with at the moment is depression and I’m having amazing results with it. Clients are having huge improvements in as little as three sessions. Also arthritis, learning difficulties, insomnia, digestive disorders, fears & phobias, panic attacks etc. The list of ailments/issues (mental, emotional, structural) is endless that can all be worked on and relieved through the use of NEK (Neuro Energetic Kinesiology).

What would you like to change?
The only thing I would like to change is Hugo’s address!! I would love if he lived a little closer than Australia as he is constantly developing further courses so we can continue our training to a more advanced level. Unfortunately, as there are only 4 of us who have reached such an advanced level of training with him, myself in the Republic of Ireland and three in Northern Ireland, its not really beneficial for him to travel so far as often for such a small group.

Hugo also teaches many courses in Austria and Germany so we have the option of travelling there to train and I plan to travel to Salzburg in early September to do a course that will allow me to teach the foundation level of his work (Principles of Kinesiology) in the Republic. I’m really excited about that as this course has only been developed in the past year and it has never been taught in Ireland before.

What is your aim for the next year?
Over the next year, I plan to teach Principles of Kinesiology throughout the Republic of Ireland. I also plan to do more advanced training on the immune system and vaccination pathways. This course deals with the immune system and all of its related aspects. I will learn how to access the stress on all aspects of the immune system by an extensive formatting system. There will be information on how to access stress with formatting cell physiology and the cell organelles, blood chemistry and blood cells, cell pathology with cancer and ageing, the non-specific immune system, the adaptive immune system, the effects of pathogens such as virus and bacteria, and vaccinations. Formatting, bacteria, virus, fungus, parasites, toxins, liver enzyme balance, 4 types of hypersensitivity balancing (allergies), T helper cell hologram, T killer cell hologram, Antigen Presenting Cell Hologram, Mast cell Hologram, Formatting for CD molecules, balancing transplants, auto immune disease. The training is very intensive and will be run early November 2010 in Northern Ireland.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Ultimately I see myself teaching Neuro Energetic Kinesiology full time throughout Ireland. In the model of Kinesiology, there is a connection between the physical structures such as the muscles, bones, hormones, neurology, etc and the energetic structures. Muscle monitoring through NEK gives me the ability to assess the stress levels in the physical and energetic structures. After the source of the stress has been identified, muscle monitoring allows me to find what would be the most appropriate correction technique to correct the imbalance. This eliminates the need for guess work, thereby making the corrections very efficient. I believe people, young and old can benefit from the effects of NEK and I plan to do my best to bring it to as many homes in the Republic as I possibly can.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 If you are new to business, contact your Local Enterprise Board as you may be entitled to a start up grant
Tip 2 Don’t lose hope when you don’t see clients lining up immediately – be patient, it will happen
Tip 3 Shop around for business cards/brochures they really vary in price from one company to the next
Tip 4 Don’t spend a fortune on advertising - the best advertisement is “word of mouth”. If you provide a good service to people, they will tell their friends etc.
Tip 5 Do what you love and love what you do. When you find a job you love, you will never work a day in your life!!

Interviews with Dublin’s Near FM:
http://www.bernicepaolozzi.com/podcast/42-health/109-interview-with-kinesiologist-annette-reilly.html http://www.bernicepaolozzi.com/podcast/42-health/145-interview-with-annette-reilly-neuro-energetic-kinesiologist.html

How would a prospective client contact you?
My website is currently under construction but can be located at http://www.neki.ie/, I can be contacted via email at nekinesiologist@hotmail.com, I'm on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001110422429 and you can Tweet me at http://twitter.com/NEKinesiologist. If clients wished to contact me via phone, my number is 00 353 85 785 8770.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Annette - the science around Kinesiology seems fascinating and it has to be so rewarding that you can help so many people out.

Remember, if you are a businesswoman running a business from home and would like to become one of our Feature Fridays, please drop us a line at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line. Also, you can join us at our new forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/ to chat to other like minded businesswoman for help, advice and general chat.

How to choose your Wedding transport !

2010-09-08T07:59:00.000+01:00

Whether its a limo, a Vintage car, a carriage or something more quirky, getting to your wedding on time, is a matter of choice.
Its always been traditional for the Bride to arrive in a car or a carriage, bedecked with flowers and ribbon, but these days there are many options for the modern bride to arrive in style.

A carriage can look amazing, and be incredibly romantic, and can encompass the princess fantasy that the Bride has had since they were little, but it can turn out to be a little less practical if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Check with the hire company if they have a covered version.

There are many choices of Wedding car, Daimlers, Mercedes, Beauforts, Rolls Royce etc.
All are incredible, and incredibly stylish, but it all comes down to personal taste.

There are also fun options like Cabs, 1950's style american cars, and campervans.
Whatever kind of transport you choose, make sure you take into consideration whether it is roomy enough to accomodate your dress.
Its important to book your Wedding transport early, cars, especially rare ones can be reserved well in advance.
When booking, some considerations should be made -

How long will you have the car ?
Most drivers arrive about 30 minutes prior to the Bride leaving their home, and after the ceremony, the car usually waits to take the newly married couple to the reception

What about the Extra's ?
With regard to extra's these are usually colour co-ordinated flowers, and ribbon adornment.

What about the price ?
With regards to price, some companies charge a set package price, but some also charge and hourly fee.

How will the driver be dressed ?

Will he be in some sort of uniform, and if not how smart will he be ?

It is also impertaive that you go, and actually see each car, photographs sometimes just aren't enough.
Look at a few, try them out , see how they feel, how much room they have, and close your eyes and imagine sitting in it on your Wedding Day.

Remember if it is a vintage car that you choose, that they are quite old and their is the possibility of breakdown. Make sure you choose a company that has a back up car.
As well as choosing transport for yourself, it is probable that you will need to arrange transport for other family members.
Sometimes you may be able to secure a better monetary deal for multiple hire.
Many companies today also hire buses and mini bus for guest transportation too.

Another money saving idea is for someone you know who has a vintage, quirky or cool sports car to drive you to your ceremony. This can act as a Wedding gift from them, and adds a more personal touch to proceedings too.

Whatever mode of transport you choose, you will be sure to arrive in style !

Feature Friday featuring Gillian Bell of Starweds

2010-09-03T08:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome readers, to our latest Feature Friday article - today we're featuring Gillian Bell of Starweds.

Thanks for taking the time to chat to us today Gillian - can you tell us more about yourself and your company?
My name is Gillian Bell and my company is an online wedding gift service - http://www.starweds.co.uk/. StarWeds is an exciting and unique service for contemporary couples who don't need any more toasters or towel bales. It is an innovative gift list alternative which allows your wedding guests to make monetary contributions as a wedding gift.

The money in your wedding gift fund is yours to spend as you please, ie you are not restricted to spending within a department store or booking with a specific travel agent.

StarWeds has your very own personalised wedding website to which your friends and family can contribute money as a wedding gift. Guests can choose from a variety of quick, easy and secure payment methods (ie credit/debit card via PayPal, cheque or balance transfer).

We provide beautiful, customised invitation inserts so that you can tell your wedding guests all about your website.

Please visit http://www.starweds.co.uk/, and if you would like to view a sample of the personalised wedding website, then please visit http://www.starweds.co.uk/sample.

After your wedding, your personalised wedding website can be saved to a souvenir CD, so that it can be yours to treasure forever.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
We came up with the idea in May last year. My partner, Chris, and I had attended five weddings in 2009 and given money as a gift at every single one. We found that there was no safe and/or easy way to do this, so we developed the idea of StarWeds.

What do you love most about your business?
One of the things that I love most about my business is exhibiting at wedding fayres and meeting our prospective clients face-to-face to advise them all about the dedicated, personal and world-class service that we provide.

What would you like to change?
Recent research conducted by Wedding Magazine found that 45% of couples would prefer their guests to give them money as a wedding gift. We would like to be responsible for increasing this percentage. In other countries, such as China, Poland, Japan and India giving money as a wedding gift is traditional and we feel that with the truly personalised service we provide, we could lead the UK in following this trend.

What is your aim for the next year?
Despite only launching our business in February this year, we have already been lucky enough to have StarWeds featured in both the Scottish Wedding Directory and The Best Scottish Weddings Magazine. In 2011, we would like to reach a wider audience and aim to be featured in national wedding publications too.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Ideally, we would like StarWeds to become renowned as the leading UK provider of not only personalised wedding websites but also as the number one facilitator of online wedding gift funds.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - Provide First-Class Customer Service: The most important tip is to treat your customers as you would like to be treated yourself. Ensure that you provide a high-quality, personal service and make clients aware that you are there for them every step along the way. Chances are if you have your own business, you will be putting your heart and soul into it, so this should shine through in the service that you provide. We understand that a couple's wedding day is one of the most special days of their lives and we want to ensure that they remember their StarWeds experience as enjoyable, stress-free and truly exceptional.

Tip 2 - Daily To-Do Lists: I am a strong believer in to-do lists. If you start each day with a list of what you need to achieve to accomplish your goals, then this helps you to focus and direct your energies more effectively.

Tip 3 – Know your Market: I spent several months researching before I finally set up my business. You need to know who your competitors are, that you are pricing your services correctly and that you have plenty of unique selling points.

Tip 4 - Be Dynamic: Technology-based business is one of the most dynamic environments. We are constantly reviewing, updating and improving our site. Technology business landscape can change in a flash as new technologies are launched every day, so we are forced to be flexible, forward plan to stay ahead of trends and embrace change.

Tip 5 - Network: I have found that networking events, particularly those with other business women are very helpful. These events are a great opportunity to promote your business and to gain feedback. Contacts from these events can be potential customers and possibly open other doorways of opportunity.

If prospective customers would like to get in touch, how can they contact you?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.starweds.co.uk/ or by email on contact@starweds.co.uk; I'm also on Facebook on www.facebook.com/starweds or you can Tweet me at www.twitter.com/starweds.

Thanks so much for taking the time out to chat with us today Gillian, your service is really clever and innovative and I can see a lot of people being really interested.

We really hope you enjoyed today's Feature Friday - remember, if you are a businesswoman running your business from home and would like you and your company to be featured, please drop us an email to creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line. And don't forget to join our forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/ to chat with like minded businesswomen.

How to be Picture Perfect for your Big Day !

2010-09-01T08:15:00.000+01:00

I think every single one of us stress about our wedding photographs, after all it is the one lasting memory of our Special Day.
First there is the monumental task of finding a photographer that suits the style and range we wish, and then we just worry about trivial things, like that big pimple popping up and the weather not being good.
But any photographer worth their salt will have the skill to overcome all these issues.
However, there are ways that we can help ourselves be picture perfect.

Consider an engagement photo shoot.
Spending time with your photographer perfecting the look you want prior to the main event will help you relax more on the actual wedding day, and allow your photographer an insight in how to get the best from you.
Look after yourself inside and out.

Eat well and drink lots of water, take up gentle exercise and get plenty of rest.

Remember to cleanse, tone and moisturise.

Stress and tiredness and lack of care will show in your skin.
Consider long and hard what you want to do with your hair and make up and have trials in both.
If you want to go for a completely different hair look [say long to short] , give yourself a good few months in case it doesn't turn out how you wanted.

And be careful with any new make up, you don't want it to react with your skin.
Practicing your pose in the mirror might sound a little self indulgent, but by lifting your head a little, any double chin will hopefully disappear, and it will give you a chance to find the best way to face your body to disguise any little hang ups you have.

On the day, remember to keep your flowers down , as beautiful as they may be, you really want to have the focus on and show off that beautiful dress.
And probably the very most important thing that you really shouldn't have to practice or think about - SMILE !!!

Feature Friday featuring Vanessa Coppes of Envjewelry

2010-08-27T08:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to another of our Feature Friday articles which are proving hugely popular - today we're chatting with Vanessa Coppes from Envjewelry.

Thanks for talking to us today Vanessa, can you introduce us to you and your company?
Bold, stunning and beautiful are just a few words that have been used to describe my jewelry designs. Taking elements from my homeland, the Dominican Republic, and mixing them with classic and contemporary trends of fashion, I have been able to successfully launch my costume jewelry line in Staten Island, New York in June, 2009. These very diverse and unique pieces are little works of art that you can wear and they will definitely strike a conversation wherever you go. enV caters to all women who love jewelry and fashion, but most of all to those who dare to be different.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
Being creative was always easy for me. I could just look at something and find different ways to use it, or just change it. I was always curious in subjects related to the arts. I disliked Math, with as much passion as I loved Literature. It just wasn't "fun".

I've also always had a job and the need to keep my mind busy. Ten months after I had my son, and being at home, I decided I had to do something for my creative sanity (that and I found cleaning to be very boring ). So I picked up an old hobby, making jewelry. Using techniques I had learned through the years and brushing up on new ones, enV by Vanessa Coppes was established on June 16, 2009.

What do you love most about your business?
I truly love the fact that it's mine.. so, If I need to, I can pace myself. I do enjoy working in my PJ's. I also love meeting women and other artists who enjoy this craft as much as I do. Everyday is a new opportunity to make it better and different. It keeps me on my toes and gives my life balance.

What would you like to change?
I am still learning how to manage my business on a daily basis. I still dislike administrating it. So, if I could go back I would advise myself to be a little more organized with the administrative part of the business, understanding that although it isn't "fun", it's completely necessary for it to be successful.

What is your aim for the next year?
I am aiming to branch out, exploring other venues to sell my jewelry and accessories. I am also finding many of my online colleagues approach me for advice on how to market and run a business. So, consulting is definitely on my agenda as well as getting a lot more exposure.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
When I dream, I dream big...I seriously see my jewelry, not myself, on the cover of a magazine. So all of my energy is focused on getting more known. I don't, however, want to compromise the balance, flexibility and comfort that I get from working from home. So, as long as that balance isn't disturbed too much and as my son gets more independent, I see myself getting busier.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
I cheated, I have 7:

Tip 1: If your heart believes in it, follow your dream. It may be a hard step to take, but you must be able to step outside of the box and dare to do.

Tip 2: Take advice from business professionals who have succeeded in taking the path you wish to take. They know what they're talking about, therefore should be able to give you sound advice.

Tip 3: Be unique and stick to your company's identity. As tempting as it may be to copy someone who may be doing more business than you, in due time, people will start to recognize your efforts, and will flock towards what you offer, attracted by it's authenticity.

Tip 4: Learn how accounting works. If you don’t know how to bill and collect money that is owed to you, keep track of your receipts, or have a fundamental knowledge about accounting procedures, find a qualified accounting firm. It is very important to keep accurate and detailed records of all transactions (sales and purchases). If you have time, and the extra money, take a few accounting and business courses at your local community college to further your knowledge of how to run your business. If you can do it yourself, you will be able to save money and keep afloat during hard economic times. I use Quickbooks Pro and it has worked wonders for my company.

Tip 5: The reaction from the customers who use your services or purchase your products, not only sales, should help you measure your success. Many companies have forgotten what customer service is really about. It is the key to your success. Satisfied and unsatisfied customers talk about your product and services. Bad news tends to travel faster than good news unfortunately.

Bonus Tip 6: Create a sample of your product or services to give away. Contact local charity events to find out if your your product or service can be donated.

Bonus Tip 7: Network, network, network. I have joined Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, and possibly others I can't remember... they have helped me stay current and searchable on the Internet, and gotten me even more customers than I could've gained on my own...it's also helped connect with other amazing women, and we've been able to offer each other invaluable support.

If prospective clients want to buy some of your fabulous pieces, how can they contact you?
I can be contacted on my website at http://www.envjewelry.com/ or they can drop me an email at vcoppes@me.com; as I mentioned, I'm also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/envbyvanessacoppes and they can tweet me at www.twitter.com/envbyvcoppes.

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy life to talk to you today Vanessa - your pieces are truly unique and it's inspirational to see that a successful business can be run alongside bringing up children and having a family.

Remember, if you are a businesswoman running your own business and would like to be featured on one of our upcoming Feature Friday articles, please drop us an email to creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line and we'll get back to you. And remember to join us at our forum where you can meet like minded businesswoman for advice and chat http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/.

What do I do with my Wedding Day Hair ?

2010-08-25T14:13:00.000+01:00

Just when you thought there was enough pressure, the burning question comes up, what do I do with my hair ?

There's so much choice out there and wading through bridal magazines and the internet can make you giddy. It's the most important day of your life and there are some beautiful looks around but remember you need to choose a style that suits your dress and your personality.

There are no clear trends in hair styles, although wearing the hair in long romantic waves or loosely pulled back are popular with brides with long hair.

The key to creating gorgeous bridal styles if you have short hair is being willing to embrace your hair's best features, whether it is straight, wavy or curly hair.

Hair ornaments such as hairpins, brooches, and flowers are popular, as well as the tiara or fascinator.
Make sure you TRUST your hair stylist and ALWAYS have a trial. You may have a picture in your mind of how you see your wedding hairstyle but your hair may not suit the style or the type of hair you have may not work with that particular design.

For more advice see the fabulous Guest Blog on Plans and Presents Blog from fabulous hairdresser Karen Ronald.

http://plansandpresents.blogspot.com/2010/05/top-tips-for-wedding-day-hair-guest.html

Feature Friday featuring Amy Russell of It's Your Choc

2010-08-20T08:00:00.036+01:00

Welcome to another of our fabulous Feature Friday articles - today we'll be chatting with Amy Russell of It's Your Choc.

Thanks for chatting with us today Amy - can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your business:

Hi, I'm Amy and I'm 36 years young, a wife to Jon and mother to Lucy!

It's Your Choc was started in November 2008 after I was made redundant. I needed something part-time and flexible to fit around my daughter and our life. At It's Your Choc, we make personalised and promotional chocolate bars which can be used for any occasion. Every bar is unique and can be designed to your own requirements with your input every step of the way.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

I originally bought a semi franchise but soon realised this was quite limiting. So we rebranded - got our own name, logo and website, and introduced some new products. Since then, its gone much further than just the franchise ever would ever have!

What do you love most about your business?

Every order I produce is for an occasion, be it a wedding, birthday, Christmas, birth announcement, product launch, whatever. I love seeing people's faces when they collect their bars and see the designs we have put together for them. Even though they have already seen them via email, nothing beats seeing the real thing!

What would you like to change?

I wish I had taken the time to set things up better when I first started. I started on the dining room table and am still here 2 years later! I have got so used to it that I am now finding it hard to move to my "office" upstairs!!

What is your aim for the next year?

I would like to introduce some new flavoured chocolate, as well as white and dark so that I can meet customer requirements. Also, I really would love to move more into corporate gifts/promotion - when you next have a coffee in a hotel, I want one of my chocolates on the plate with that coffee!

Where do you ultimately see yourself?

Eventually, I see myself working with a team of wonderfully talented people who love wrapping the chocolate and creating that perfect bar as much as I do!

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?

Tip 1 Dont be afraid to ask for help and advice, but be strong enough to not take it if its not right for your business

Tip 2 Take the time to get yourself set up properly. If you need a desk space to work get this first, try not to make do with the dining room table

Tip 3 Take time out for you and your family. Work is always important but your family should always come first. That email really can wait till the morning

Tip 4 Don't spend a fortune on fancy software if you don't need it. Use Excel for your accounts, for instance, to get you started

Tip 5 Enjoy what you do - when you stop loving your business its time to rethink!

How would a prospective customer contact you?

We can be contacted via our website at http://www.itsyourchoc.co.uk/ or by email at itsyourchoc@btinternet.com. We're also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itsyourchoc and on Twitter at http://www/twitter.com/amyarussell.

Thanks so much for talking to us today Amy, your products look wonderful and I can see just how much you love doing what you do - and who doesn't love chocolate!!!

If you've enjoyed this article and your are a businesswoman running your business from home and would like to be featured, don't forget you can drop us a line at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line (otherwise it might get missed!) and we'll be in touch with you.

Also, don't forget our fabulous new forum where you can chat with like minded businesswomen - and we all know just how important networking is! Find us at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/.

Choosing a Venue for your wedding.

2010-08-18T13:58:00.000+01:00

When choosing a Venue for the most important day of your life, there is more involved than just providing a pretty setting for your photographs.
It has a direct influence on guest numbers, the kind of entertainment you can have and any special touches you may wish to incorporate.
A major consideration when deciding where you hold your wedding is down to budget.

Here are a few pointers on what you should do to find the right location for you as a couple.

- Decide on the priorities you have for choosing your venue. ie, the look, the size, and the atmosphere.
A lot of times it comes down to a gut feeling you have for your venue. Its a bit like the dress, in that you know its "the one".

- After you get engaged, the venue is probably the very first thing you will arrange.
Many venues get booked up years in advance, more so for summer Saturday's.
If you are a little flexible on dates, and especially days of the week, you have more chance of securing the Venue you want.
- Recommendations from friends and family are helpful with venue choice. But it has to be remembered that each person has their own specific wants and requirements, and what one person likes, another may hate.
- You cannot over estimate the importance of research. Get googling and also request lots of brochures.
If you have all the information, you can wittle it down to your favourites, and then create a shortlist, ensuring that you are not going to locations that are completely inappropriate.

- Have a list of questions for the Venue for everything that is of upmost importance to your plans.
Sometimes in the excitement of seeing somewhere we really like, we can forget to ask specifics.

- Don't make a snap second decision, take away all the information and ponder it.
Look at a few locations before making a concrete choice.
Is there somewhere better that can offer you a better deal, be just as pretty or suitable for the look you want etc.?
Pore over small print in Contracts, and check all the fine details.
I speak to a lot of brides that have had venue price hikes, and venue exclusivity taken away.
If you have solid written documentation of all details, then you have a fall back if there is issues.

- Finally enjoy looking.
All too often, it can feel like this enormous pressure to find this perfect place.
Remember this is your special day, and should be a reflection of what you have always dreamed of, not what you think other people might expect.

Photo Credit: http://www.blairquhan.co.uk/

Feature Friday features Vanessa Walilko of Kali Butterfly

2010-08-13T08:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to another of our Feature Friday profiles of woman run businesses - today we'll be talking to Vanessa Walilko who is the owner/designer for Kali Butterfly, a fabulous handmade jewellery company basedin Chicago.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us today Vanessa - can you tell our readers more about you and your company?
My name is Vanessa Walilko and I own and operate Kali Butterfly. I make aluminum chainmaille jewelry and clothing as well as beaded armor pieces and sculptures. I also teach chainmaille jewelry classes throughout Chicago, Illinois. I've been making beaded jewelry since I was 8 and I started making chainmaille about five years ago. I just love working with my hands and having the ability to give form to whatever ideas I can dream up. I'm meticulous, which comes through in my work--I'm obsessed with taking lots of little things and putting them together to make wearable pieces of art.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
As I mentioned, I've been making jewelry for nearly all my life, but I didn't think that I could make a living off of it. I had spent several years doing what was expected of me, and working in safe jobs, even if I wasn't particularly thrilled with them. One day, I just got fed up and departed from the safe path. I wanted to be able to do what I love, so I decided to start a business. I don't want to be doing anything else aside from making jewelry, so I'm determined to make this work. Thankfully, I've spent the past four years working for jewelry designers, so I've learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work when starting and growing your own business.

What do you love most about your business?
I love the fact that I get to do what makes me happy every day. There are few things I love more than making jewelry for people. When a customer tells me that they wear a piece they purchased all the time, to me that means that they really love it. I also enjoy being able to teach chainmaille and to give people the opportunity to use their hands to create a piece of jewelry. It's so satisfying to watch people light up as they're making something that brings them joy.

What would you like to change?
I would love to have more wholesale accounts to provide a steadier income. Aside from consistent sales, wholesale accounts would help me better live my ideals. I make aluminum chainmaille jewelry because aluminum is 100% recyclable and endlessly recyclable. I love the idea that if someone got tired of one of their pieces, they could just toss it in a recycling bin. In order to do a craft show or art fair, you should have about four times as much inventory as you actually hope to sell in order to keep your booth looking full. That's a lot of jewelry! I would prefer only to make pieces that I know people want instead of making pieces and only hoping that someone will want them.

What is your aim for the next year?
Next year I hope to have at least 15 new wholesale accounts and to be more situated on my path as a business owner. I also hope to have more international orders. I've sold pieces to women in Australia and Russia, I'd like to add a few more countries to that list. My plan in the next year is to start making instructions for some of my beaded animals. I designed many of these pieces years ago and I hope to start sharing them with the public.

This past year has been an experiment--if I had to put everything on the line, what would I do in order to make my dreams a reality? So far, I've been working hard and building a fulfilling life for myself and things are coming together in a way that I didn't think was possible. I recently won the People's Choice Award and second place in the Wirework category in the Bead Dreams competition for my chainmaille jacket. Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine also published my Squares with Flair project in their latest issue, and just accepted another jewelry project for an upcoming issue. I've done things in this past year that I didn't think could happen, so I'm excited about facing any new challenges in the upcoming year.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
I'd love to be known as the aluminum chainmaille jewelry queen! Ideally, I would have a studio/storefront in New York City with three to five employees. My pieces would be in galleries throughout the United States. I hope to keep applying to competitions, winning awards and getting more attention for my work. I would also love to start selling some of my chainmaille fashion pieces on commission, since those are my passion projects. I hope to continue publishing projects consistently and selling my jewelry-making instructions to the public.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - Never give up. Starting and running my own business is easily the most daunting task I've ever undertaken. I don't know how many times I've thought that it would be easier if I just decided to work in an office and receive a steady paycheck. At the end of the day, I keep working at building my business because it's really the only thing I want to be doing, and the only thing that makes me happy. If you have a dream, be willing to pour all of your time and energy into making it happen. The rewards are worth both the risk and the fear.

Tip 2 - Be shameless. I spent a long time making jewelry for myself and putting it on my website, hoping someone would notice me. Unfortunately, that's not how things work. If you want people to notice you and what you're doing, you have to put your work in front of as many people as possible. I don't feel comfortable bragging to people I don't know, so I've had to train myself to tell people about what I'm doing. I've also gotten used to doing craft fairs and art shows, applying to every competition that seems relevant to what I'm doing (especially the contests with no entry fees), and posting everything on Facebook and my blog. There are so many things vying for people's attention--you need to be able to provide consistent content to your fans in order to keep them interested in what you're doing.

Tip 3 - Get organized. It's never too early to keep track of expenses and file all of your receipts away in an orderly fashion. As your business grows, you'll be happy that you started organizing all of your paperwork at the very beginning. Having all your receipts in one place also makes tax time a lot easier, especially if you have consignment accounts in a number of places.

Tip 4 - Surround yourself with supportive people. I'm very lucky to have a close circle of friends who support everything that I do as an artist. I spent a number of years with nay-sayers in my life. Negative people are a drain on your energy. As a small business owner, your energy is your greatest resource--don't let anyone take that away! When I talk to my friends, their excitement for me gives me added inspiration, and I feel ready to take on any other challenges that arise.

Tip 5 - Set specific goals for yourself. When running your own business, it's very easy to think about the big picture and get overwhelmed. In order to keep yourself from panicking about everything that you have to do, set specific goals for yourself. One of my goals for this year is to have a piece in a juried exhibition every month. In order to reach this goal, I keep track of calls for art that happen around the country and apply when I feel that my work is relevant. Specific goals help keep your energy focused so that you can see results from your plans.

If any of our readers would like to contact you regarding your fabulous items, how can they do that?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.kalibutterfly.com/ or by email at vanessa@kalibutterfly.com; I'm also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KaliButterfly or I can be tweeted at http://twitter.com/KaliButterfly/

Thank you so much for talking to us today Vanessa - your items are truly unique and stunning!!

Don't forget to check back next Friday when we'll be featuring another woman run business on our Feature Friday slot. If you'd like your company to be featured, drop us an email at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to join us on our new forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/ - lots of businesswomen chatting and networking!

Wedding Wednesday - The Wedding Ceremony

2010-08-11T08:47:00.001+01:00

The Wedding ceremony celebrates the beginning of a couples marriage or civil partnership.
Its an opportunity for the couple to share their union with their friends and family, as they are joined.

Everyone is individual, and in this respect has different needs, so the ceremony chosen needs to reflect the values and beliefs that are shared.

There are many different types of Wedding Ceremony, but the main types are Religious or Civil. Non Traditional, and Commitment Service for Civil Partnership.

*A RELIGIOUS ceremony accentuates the spiritual side of marriage, and is a beautiful expression of love and faith.
This umbrella's many different types of faith, and the differing ceremonies within this.
*A CIVIL ceremony is more suited to those with no faith , but want to retain the importance of love, trust and commitment. This is currently the most popular choice in the UK.
*A NON TRADITIONAL ceremony, such as a humanist ceremony, a pagan or a handfasting ceremony, or those with an independant celebrant are becoming increasingly popular.

[In England and Wales, a humanist service has no legal status and has to be preceded by a Civil sevice, but in Scotland , it has full legal status.]

*A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP is completely secular, and in this respect is similar to a civil ceremony. However registration of the partnership is a little different in that it is legally binding, but not officially referred to as a Marriage.
However steps are being made that there will be the possibility for partnerships to be blessed in Church.
Some things to think about when planning your ceremony, and after you have agreed on type, is the location and celebrant.

In England you can only get married in a religious institution such as a church, synagogue, temple or chapel, or in a venue that has a civil licence.

In Scotland you are free to marry wherever you like as long as you have an officiant and two witnesses.
Secondary to choosing this you may want to consider the type of readings you want, whether religious, romantic reading or poetry, the type of music you wish to include , and any personalised vows you wish in the case of civil ceremony, civil partnership, or non traditional service.
Then there is the LEGAL BIT.

In Scotland it is no longer necessary for reading of Banns, and regardless what type of ceremony you are having, you need to Register with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

This must be done no sooner than 3 months before and no less than 15 days before the Ceremony.

It is also possible to hold a religious ceremony out of doors, or in a Parish where the Bride and Groom are not resident.

For a Civil Partnership in Scotland, the procedure is basically the same as a civil wedding. It is performed by a registrar and is non religious, and the formalities prior form much the same pattern.

In England and Wales, the Bride and Groom must reside in a particular Parish to get married there. After speaking to the minister, or parish priest, the Banns or intention to marry with be read on 3 consecutive Sundays prior to the Wedding.

If you come from different parishes, the Banns will be read in each as well as the Parish in which you will be wed.

For a Civil wedding, both Bride and Groom must attend the Register office in the District in which they would like to marry.

In order for a Civil partnership to be formed in England or Wales, notice has to be given to the Pegistrar in district in which you would like to be joined, but unlike a Religious wedding, it doesn't have to be a district in which you live.

For some more information on the formalities of getting married:

CONTACT

[SCOTLAND] http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

[ENGLAND AND WALES] http://www.direct.gov.uk/

Photo Credit: http://www.raffephotography.co.uk/

Feature Friday featuring Viv Smith of Poppy Sparkles

2010-08-06T08:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to another of our excellent Friday Feature articles featuring new women run businesses - today we're talking to Viv Smith, the designer/owner of Poppy Sparkles.

Hi Viv - thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us this Friday. Can you tell our readers something about you and your business?
I’m Viv Smith, a self-taught jewellery artist and the owner, designer and jewellery creator of Poppy Sparkles. I am based near Blackpool, Lancashire. I have been making jewellery since my early teens. Poppy Sparkles was launched this year, 2010, and offers handcrafted jewellery, predominatently bridal jewellery. The majority of my jewellery is made using Freshwater Pearls, Swarovski Crystal and sterling silver. I aim to create beautiful jewellery using high quality materials, that are designed to be lasting pieces to treasure.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
Ever since I began making jewellery as a young teen I have sold bits and pieces. In more recent years I started to sell online with some success. With two young children, I am currently on a career break and decided that this was a perfect opportunity to put more time into creating jewellery, promoting and selling it. And so, Poppy Sparkles was launched earlier this year. With a real love for Freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals, it seemed logical to focus on Bridal jewellery. Plus, I love being a part of the magic of someone’s wedding and helping a Bride to look her absolute best with well-chosen accessories.

What do you love most about your business?
I love creating beautiful jewellery, especially custom orders. Interacting with customers and creating a piece that is just perfect for them in style and colour is perhaps the most enjoyable and satisfying part of my business. But, in all honesty I love all of it – except the paperwork and accounts side!

What would you like to change?
Jewellery is notoriously difficult to photograph. At the moment I am trying to find the best way to capture my jewellery on camera – looking at different backgrounds, lighting etc, as well as trying to learn how to use my camera to its full potential. I want to ensure that each and every image I have shows my jewellery off properly, so for now the thing I want to change is my product shots.

What is your aim for the next year?
Over the next year I hope to develop my website further, adding an online shop so that people can buy direct through my website. I also want to begin to establish Poppy Sparkles locally and nationally as a place to source quality handcrafted jewellery, especially Bridal jewellery.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Ideally, I would love to be a full time WAHM. Realistically, it is extremely difficult to make a full-time living from creative work. Bearing this in mind, I would like, once my time being a full-time mummy at home comes to an end, to be able to return to work in a more part-time capacity. Obviously, if I were to be able to do Poppy Sparkles full-time I would be extremely pleased.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Write a business plan – it helps you work out where you want to go and how to get there
Tip 2 Keep up to date with paperwork
Tip 3 Create a network of supportive people around you, for WAHMs who may struggle to network whilst at home with children, the internet and social media, like Twitter, is a valuable resource
Tip 4 Have some proper time for your different roles i.e. quality time with family, dedicated time for the business
Tip 5 Enjoy what you do!

All your pieces are so beautiful - if a client was interested in purchasing, where can they contact you?

I can be contacted via my website at http://www.poppysparkles.co.uk/ or by email at viv@poppysparkles.co.uk; I also have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/poppysparkles and you can Tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/VivPoppySparkle.

Viv, all your pieces are stunningly beautiful! We wish you the very best of luck in the future and thank you so much for talking with us today.

Remember, if you are a woman running your own business and would like to be featured on our regular Feature Friday, please drop us an email to creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Friday Feature" in the subject line and we'll forward on the information to you. If you're interested in joining our forum, you can find us at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/ - we'll be happy to see you there!

A wedding planner , I don't need one of those ! - Do I ?!!!

2010-08-04T10:34:00.002+01:00

Most of us, when it boils down to reality, have far from a Royal budget but in focusing on that one special day we all still share much of the same issues.
Basically having enough money, enough time makes for some hard decisions especially in this economy.

The first days of engagement are a blissful time when all that is focused on is shared love, but then REALITY can hit and the actual planning of the day looms, and sometimes it can all seem a bit ominous.

You, of course may love planning, DIY in weddings is all the rage at the moment, but for some, all the organisation that goes into such a special event may be a nightmare, and they may have absolutely no idea where to start.
This is where a some professional help can be vital.
A wedding and event planner can assist you in all the nitty gritty and logistics of creating a day the way you envision, working with you to make your day "yours".

Weddings are a major stress inducer, even when things are going well, we always have that fear in the back of our minds that something will go wrong or we will have forgotton important details.

If you imagine your wedding as a project and each part of the planning as working towards project completion and your wedding planner as a project manager , they will do what a manager does best ie. management.

Your planner will deal with suppliers, doing all the leg work and research for you, negotiating discounts for you and finding you the very best for the best prices and to your direct specifications.
This leaves you the time to relax in the run up to your special day knowing that someone is making your day top priority.

The wedding budget is probably the most important part of the planning process as the day basically hinges on it.
Sometimes couples can end up wasting money through not enough research.
This is where a professional help can be so valuable, through contacts in the wedding industry a planner/co-ordinator can negotiate, and secure savings and discounts.

Sometimes too, couples can get carried away with big ideas they have for their day that are very exciting but sometimes not practical.
The planner will help to find creative ways to make the big day special and distinctive, realising the couples vision without blowing the budget.
A planner can also act as a go between against suppliers, family and anyone that makes the path to your perfect day difficult.

On average, according to statistics a wedding can take up to 250 hours to plan.
These days how may people have that much free time ?

But isn't a planner expensive ?
Some planners charge a percentage of a wedding budget and some charge a set fee but a good planner should strive to make back their fee in the savings they make for their client.

I don't want to lose ownership of my wedding, will a planner not take over ?

In fact a planner should work with you to create the vision you have of your day and usually offers several services from initial supplier and venue searches through to on the day management and of course the full co-ordination option, and everything else in between.

But I have a co-ordinator at my venue ?

This may be true, but a Venue Co-ordinator deals with your venue, nothing else.
They don't act as an intermediary if your family are driving you bonkers. They don't find another florist if yours is sick. They don't get you to the church on time, if your transport breaks down.
A wedding planner is in essence your own P.A. They are on hand to answer your questions when you have that mini freak out, they are there to act as a shoulder when everything gets a little too much, they sort out every little detail exactly the way you want it, so that dream you have had since you were 5, becomes reality

It is a personal choice to have a planner but one that should be considered for the reassurance it brings.
If I can be of any assistance to you with your wedding or event , don't hesitate to contact me

Website: http://www.plansandpresents.co.uk/
Email: alisontinlin@plansandpresents.vpweb.co.uk

Feature Friday featuring Sharon Hawkins of Girl Power Network & Routes2Reality

2010-07-30T08:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to our regular Feature Friday article, featuring a fabulous woman run business - today we're featuring Sharon Hawkins from Girl Power Network.

Thanks for chatting with us today Sharon - can you introduce us to yourself and your company?

Girl Power Network offers an affordable way for ladies in business to meet and share their advice, ideas and services without the rigid structure and expense of member networks. Time is a valuable commodity and so we invite ladies on an informal basis to come along and chat over coffee, at a convenient time that doesn’t eat into work or family life. No membership fees; no pre-booking; just turn up on one of the days that suits and feel welcomed, supported and part of an encouraging community that will help you grow your business.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

Michele and I met just under three years ago at a networking event. We knew networking worked because 80% of our work originated from it, and we couldn’t deny the support we received from other business owners really made a difference. However, we were tired of expensive annual membership fees and rigid structures that meant we had to be in a certain place at a certain time every month: and usually inconveniently slap bang in the middle of the day. Flexibility was something we knew was lacking and so we decided to create a different kind of networking group. And so Girl Power Network was born! The commercial incentive behind the idea was that we would develop our own network and build relationships for us and for others; the stuff that business development is made of.

What do you love most about your business?
Seeing the business grow is exceptionally rewarding. Every meeting sees at least one new attendee and it is wonderful to see the group get so much out of our guest speakers, who we choose selectively for their value in advising and guiding business owners. The fact that everyone always takes something away from each meeting is something I personally love; whether that’s a new contact, an idea, or simply the feeling that they have support and are not alone.

What would you like to change?
Rather than change anything I would say it is more about developing what is already there. I’d like to see a higher degree of diversity of industries attending our meetings.

What is your aim for the next year?
To enhance and build on what we already have is our aim. To grow the number of attendees and in doing so increase opportunities and support for all our attendees. We also intend to expand into new areas: Brentwood for starters is imminent and Thurrock is on the agenda for 2011. Another goal is to attract a wider variety of speakers to add greater value to each meeting.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
The ‘bigger picture’ aim is to develop a franchise offering over time.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - Network
Tip 2 – Seek support from those in the same boat
Tip 3 – Seek advice from those who’ve been there and been successful
Tip 4 – Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Tip 5 – Set clear goals and stay focused on them

If people are interested in attending any of your events, how can they contact you for details?
You can contact me via our website http://www.girlpowernetwork.co.uk/ or email me on info@girlpowernetwork.co.uk; you can also catch us on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Girl-Power-Network/295181547939 and our Twitter page will be coming soon!

he network sounds like a fantastic idea and echoes a lot of what we're trying to set up for Creation|Collaboration - we are firm believers in networking and the huge benefits it can bring for small businesses.

For this Feature Feature, we're doing something different - Sharon actually runs two businesses (where she gets the time I do not know - she must be Superwoman or something) and here is our profile of her second business Routes2Reality.

Sharon - can you tell us about your other company?
Routes2Reality provides affordable, value added solutions for small and start up businesses; solutions that get companies noticed and present a consistent, professional profile. Routes2Reality offers website design; print design; promotional copy writing; online marketing and offline marketing support: basically all the things a business needs to get noticed via an ‘out there’ profile that is designed to be razor sharp and outstandingly edgy when stood up alongside competitors.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
Having attained a degree in Business Studies with a specialism in marketing, as well as a Masters in e-Business, again with a marketing specialism, my natural path was to move into employed work in the marketing sector and all positions involved building and maintaining websites. However, because of the marketing education, the work was not restricted to design; I was always focused on the bigger picture. How will this website work for your business? What do you want to achieve from the site? How will you attract new business and capture data?

After my daughter came along I lost the will to travel 100 miles a day to work and decided it was time to put my experience and bigger picture knowledge into action, doing things the way I knew from experience would work. And so Routes2Reality was born!

What do you love most about your business?
Total diversity; one day I’ll be working on a project for a building contractor, the next will be a motor home manufacturer. Every day brings new opportunities; starkly contrasting conversations and a plethora of personalities with which to deal. Developing a network and bringing clients and contacts together to provide an all round service is one of the greatest parts of the job, as is seeing a project through from start to finish. And I adore the flexibility of being my own boss and being able to allocate time for everything that’s important, including family.

Is there anything you'd like to change?
In all honesty I wouldn’t change a thing, but I would build on what I have. I’d like to receive more enquiries and to expand my network. And I have solid plans in place to do so!

What is your aim for the next year?
To increase enquiries and therefore sales and to expand my network; business building is the major goal for the next twelve months.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Heading the business development arm of Routes2Reality! My strengths lie in building relationships and so I’d like to work more in this area whilst mentoring technicians in the service and quality ethos of the company so that they can get the work done without compromising our exceptional standards; standards for which I want Routes2Reality to become known and standards which are affordable to the smaller business.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - network
Tip 2 – allow a realistic budget for marketing
Tip 3 – know when to outsource
Tip 4 – be comfortable with the fact that you can’t do everything: it’s normal
Tip 5 – never, never, never, ever give up on your goals

If our readers are interested in any of your services, how can they contact you?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.routes2reality.co.uk/ or they can drop me an email at enquiries@routes2reality.co.uk; alternatively, we also have a Facebook page and they can "Like" us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Routes2Reality/331334151368?ref=ts or Tweet us on http://twitter.com/Routes2Reality.

Thanks os much for chatting to us today Sharon - you really are a powerhouse and I don't know where you get your energy from!!!

Something Old...Something New

2010-07-28T08:43:00.000+01:00

I love the Good Luck saying "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a sixpence in her shoe".
Traditions in weddings may come and go, but this is a wedding staple, and I think most brides try to incorporate each little part of it, even though they may think of more quirky and original ideas than their predessesors did back in Victorian Times.

The "something old" represents community and the bond between the bride and her family.
This could mean wearing a family heirloom such as a piece of jewellery, or using a vintage car.

The "something new" represents a wish of good luck, and signify's new beginnings and the hope for a union that will last forever, and this is usually the Bride's wedding gown.

The "something borrowed" is a way that family and friends can show support for the Bride.
Something borrowed from a happily married woman such as a watch extends that luck onto the Bride.

The "Something Blue" represents faithfullness and purity.
This can be brought in through blue ribbon on a garter, striking blue shoes or some nail varnish.

A sixpence is worn in the brides shoe , and it is traditionally a symbol of wealth, more so if the coin is placed in the Left shoe.

Its nice to incorporate traditions, but you can personalise your day any way you like, and make your own special touches as this is Your Day, and you should have it the way You want it.

Start Up Sunday series - Week 8 - Online Marketing & Social Media

2010-07-25T08:00:00.002+01:00

Start Up Sunday – Week 8 Online Marketing & Social Media

These days, the world is far smaller than it ever was – we can converse in real time with people from all four corners of the world via the internet. We are inundated with information all at times of the day and night. Whilst this can lead, at times, to information overload or major repetition (evidence Sky News rehashing the same topic over and over again, from every conceivable angle when something even remotely interesting happens), but from a business perspective it means that there are people out there, possible clients, who want and actively seek out information – information we can provide them about us and our business in an easily accessible, inexpensive and readily available manner.

Small businesses, generally speaking, do not start out with mega marketing budgets. These usually are factored in over time, as the business begins to make enough money to cover those types of costs. Whilst that makes total sense, the question remains – how do you get your message out to your potential customers if you don’t have a budget? How can you compete with the “big boys” if you don’t have a budget to match their marketing strategies?

The question is at your very fingertips. The internet and the use of social media. Most people have heard of Facebook and Twitter and many people use it regularly to catch up with friends and colleagues. But how do you turn something used for social purposes into a vibrant, exciting business marketing and promotional tool?

Firstly, you should know that setting up a Facebook page or a Twitter account costs nothing. It is entirely free. You can set up a business page very simply and add an image of your logo or one of your products. Include details of your website, blog, contact information – add photos and say something interesting about them. Make a page you’d like to read as a possible customer… ask yourself what you’d like to see and provide that. Then you can go ahead and invite your friends and family to join.

When you’ve built up at least 25 fans, you can change your Facebook fan page to what they call a "Vanity URL". When you first create your Facebook fan page, the web link will pretty much just be a string of letters and numbers and will be long and not very attractive. To make it more like your own site link, that contains the name of your company, click on to http://facebook.com/username. At the bottom of the page, you'll see a link called "set a username for your pages". Click on it and then you'll see a drop down - click on this and you should see your "business fan page". At that point, you should put in the name of your company/fan page, ie Soaperstar. Word of warning, at this stage you have to make commitment to using that name - you can't go back and change it later so make sure you've clicked the right thing!!!

After doing all this, you'll have a nice simple Facebook Fan Page address instead of a mass of jumbled up letters and numbers after the dot com. This is handy to quote on your business cards, the end of your emails, on Twitter, your blog, the end of forum signatures etc.

Setting up a Twitter account is really easy also – use an ID name that includes your company name; mine, for example, is @Soaperstar… some names are already taken so try something that is readily identifiable as you. Always, always, always fill out your complete profile – this will help you if people want to find out more about you before they decide to follow you. Personally I won’t follow anyone who doesn’t have some information in their profile (at minimum location and a blurb about themselves, but it’s far better if they have a link to their website – an excellent way to drive people there also). Choose a picture as an image of your and/or your company. Mine is really simple but people know it’s me/Soaperstar. My advice is don’t change it too often or at all – this is because a lot of people rely on the images against account names to recognize a person… change that image too often and people won’t remember who you are.

If you're using Twitter regularly, I would personally recommend that you download Tweetdeck, click http://www.tweetdeck.com/; it's free and it manages the process far easier. You can set up columns for your friends or for specific people you want to keep a track on. If you want to use hashtags (which are used for subjects of interest to people - if lots of people use it for the same subject, it's called trending) then add your hashtags, ie #weddingplanners and/or #weddingfavours to your Tweet. Then people can search for all the #soap tweets if they want. Also it makes it a more trending topic.

Ok, so now you’re all set up. What do you do next? Well, here comes the bit where it is going to cost you … but not in money. One of the real keys to good social media interaction is that you have to spend time on it. Social media works so well because you form relationships with people – you create a page, you show your products, you give them the link to your site… but why should they visit, why should they look at your page, why should they talk to you? Another key ingredient in the successful use of social media is making networks, which basically means making friends. Whilst you may have invited your family and friends onto your Facebook page or chat to them on Twitter occasionally, you’re not really going to make your fortune from them so you need to extend beyond them. However, they can be important to help drive their friends and colleagues to your page so encourage them to invite others to join. An incentive often helps so, depending on your product or service, offer a giveaway or a discount for your Facebook or Twitter friends. People love a bargain, especially in these recessionary times and if they think they just have to send a few invites to your page or recommend you on Twitter and have a chance of getting something for free, then they’ll do it.

One of the problems people have when they first start on Twitter (and Facebook to a lesser extent) is that they have no clue how to start a conversation or get someone to chat to you. How do you make friends? You do it the same way you do anywhere else - online is no different from offline. When you don't know someone but think they might be nice or interesting, you say "Hi, how are you, having a good day?" or something, to them. It's not going to rock their world (but it might make them happy, sometimes a nice hello is worth its weight in gold) but it's going to say that you're a decent nice person... generally speaking, the reaction will be "hi, I'm fine, how are you?” And so it starts. Just like it does no matter where you are - yes, it feels a little awkward at the start but it does in real life too. You cannot get to know someone without starting off with a Hello!

So now I hear you saying, "Ok, that's fine, just say hi, what next?” What's next is keep up the conversation, or chat to others in the same way ... talk about something interesting, something they might want to talk about. For example, imagine you're selling ski equipment - a hard sell but you could start out with a shout out to everyone saying "I've just come back from a ski holiday, it was fantastic, anyone else been on one?". You'll no doubt get an answer or two .. ask them some questions, be interested. Don't jump in with "oh wanna buy some equipment?".. drop the fact that you sell equipment into the conversation but don't make it the topic of the conversation. They'll know now that you sell equipment but it doesn't mean that you're a nameless faceless person selling equipment and nothing else - you're a human being, interacting with them, being interested, being funny (hopefully!) who happens to sell ski equipment. Keep up that conversation over time, make friends, chat when you get online and who will they go to for their ski equipment if they need any?? Their friend, who's a nice person and funny and who, handily enough, sells ski equipment. Get it? That's the beauty of social marketing and the key to it - you have to be a person, you have to be real, you have to be YOU. You are the company yes, but you're also a person with feelings and thoughts and opinions, not just a person selling ski equipment. So share yourself, whilst you're sharing your business.

That's the thing to remember about social media and marketing - it's sociable! You need to interact with people, chat, talk about things, give an opinion, be yourself. Drop in some tweets or Facebook updates about your business in the mix, link it to what people are talking about, let them know that you sell handbags or soap or ski equipment or whatever and do it in a way that it seems to meet people's needs and wants.

You will slowly but surely build up a network of friends, some of whom will become your customers, some not. They are people that see you as a person .. but a person who runs a business and when they need what you provide, the first person they’ll think of is you.

If you're a small business starting out, think about your marketing strategies, your budget available to you - see what time you can offer to social media (it does take time to build up friendships, online or offline, so dropping in and out once a month isn't going to cut it, I'm afraid). Don't be afraid to be yourself, show people that you're someone they want to get to know, be funny, be interesting. Get your brand out there via your profile, your personality and your business related tweets but don't make it just about the business - the business is you not just the brand.

Some key do’s are:

Put time and effort into keeping both your Facebook and Twitter pages up to date and interesting
Plan a certain amount of time a day that you’ll devote to marketing and choose the time of day wisely. Not that many people will be around at 3.00 am but more may be online at 7.00 or 8.00 pm – work out when the best time is for your particular audience
Be personable, be yourself, be pleasant
Do be honest – if you don’t supply something, can’t supply it or can’t provide a service, be honest and say so

Some key dont's are:

Don’t swear or rant and rave about customers or suppliers – it’s not professional or businesslike
Don’t think a “hit and run” approach to social media will work – it won’t. You’re wasting your time if you think you need to drop in once a month and say nothing.
Don’t underestimate the value of social media to your business – you are talking to a huge potential market out there. One of the most famous business Twitter users is Dell, which said that $9m of its 2009 sales came directly through Twitter and Facebook combined . It has been argued that smaller businesses also benefit from using Twitter, since they can compete on equal terms with larger businesses within the Twitter platform . In the UK, a survey indicated that 17% of small British businesses were using Twitter, mainly to attract new customers.

On Friday 11 June 2010, Mashable (one of the most influential blogs reporting on social media) reported on a survey they held asking users to define social media. They noted 20 key words that were used by people as their personal definition:

Collaboration
Network
Conversation
Sharing
Relationships
Multi-dimensional
Inclusive
Information
Community
Personalization
Empowering
A Radical Shift in Communication
Real-time
People
Content Distribution
Self-expression
Unity
Dynamic
Discovery
Power of the Crowd

These words are hugely powerful and illustrate for anyone starting out in business how important involvement in social media is – to network with real people in real time, to build relationships with people, to distribute your company information in a dynamic powerful manner to reach your intended audience. I personally find these words are inspiring for a small business owner because it proves that one person can involve themselves in a community of like minded people, building and maintaining relationship with friends and customers alike.

I hope that this blog post has helped you understand the importance of social media as a key marketing tool for small business. Now... make sure you set that Facebook and Twitter Page up today - link your new pages in the comments below and we at Creation|Collaboration will be very proud and happy to follow you!!

Feature Friday features Tracey Phillips of Bridal Designs Wedding Jewellery

2010-07-23T08:00:00.005+01:00

Welcome to our regular Friday Feature here at Creation|Collaboration - today we're featuring Tracey Phillips from Bridal Designs Wedding Jewellery.

Hi Tracey and thanks so much for chatting with us today. Can you introduce us to you and your company?
My name is Tracey Phillips, I am 38 years old and am the owner of Bridal Designs Wedding Jewellery. I design and handcraft bridal jewellery with Sterling silver and Swarovski crystal.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I was working in a jewellery shop and started studying the jewellery closely - how the stones were attached and the wire looped, I was curious as to how it was done and started looking on the internet for jewellery making instructions. After a lot of practice I made up a few pieces, my sister saw them and asked if I could make her a necklace for her wedding. After changing her mind a few times (brides/womans prerogative!) and after she had chosen her necklace I ended up with quite a collection of different necklaces with no homes. I bravely decided to approach a local wedding shop t see if they would be interested in stocking the jewellery. I was terrified walking into the shop but they said on the spot that they would be interested and I’m still working with them 2 years later,along with others. A year ago I decided to make the move to online selling also and set up my website.

What do you love most about your business?
I love working for myself and I love the feedback I get from brides-It’s the biggest day of their lives and they have allowed me a part of that. I always feel privileged.

What would you like to change?
I’d like to know more about websites so that I could do more to it myself…unfortunately I am quite technically challenged!

What is your aim for the next year?
I have no delusions of world domination-I would just like to be recognised as someone who makes quality jewellery and cares about her customers.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
As a recognised name in the Bridal market and successful enough to have someone on call 24/7 to sort my website for me!

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Don’t let people tell you you can’t succeed
Tip 2 Don’t tell yourself you can’t succeed!
Tip 3 Use Twitter and Facebook-Invaluable for contacts
Tip 4 Listen to yourself-if something doesn’t feel right it’s probably not
Tip 5 Carry your business cards everywhere you go and if you make something wearable-wear it! You are your own best walking advert

How do we contact you?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.bridaldesignsweddingjewellery.co.uk/ or you can email me at info@bridaldesignsweddingjewellery.co.uk; I can also be found on Facebook at http://www.bridaldesignsweddingjewellery.co.uk/ or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bridaldesigns

Thanks so much for talking to us today Tracey - your designs are absolutely wonderful!!

Remember to check out our blog next Friday for another Feature Friday article - if you would like your company featured, please drop us an email at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line.

Wedding Wednesday - Choosing a Wedding Ring

2010-07-21T09:21:00.000+01:00

The wearing of wedding rings on the third finger of your left hand dates back to the 17th Century BC. The ancient Egyptians believed that this finger contained a special vein of love that ran directly to the heart.

The idea was that, by placing a metal band around this finger, your everlasting happiness was assured. There are many things to consider when choosing a ring, but it is an enduring reminder of your special day, and a very important element in the act of getting married so take time to get it right as you want to choose a piece that is timeless, and of high quality.

There are 4 popular metals used in the creation of these rings:

Yellow Gold - traditional and a symbol of wealth, comes in 9,14,18 and 14 carat.
White Gold - increasingly popular and a hot trend as it co-ordinates really well with silver.
Platinum - a stylish and hard wearing metal, but slightly more expensive.
Titanium - a striking grey metal which is extremely durable, and which is a popular male choice.

Things to consider when buying your rings are:

Will it fit/match your engagement ring
Will it be durable enough to sustain implications from your lifestyle

It is really important that you are happy with your choice, as this is reminder that will, hopefully, be with you for the rest of your life. Take lots of time to research different styles, thicknesses, metals. Choosing a wedding ring is a little like choosing your partner, it has to be a very considered choice.

A growing trend these days is to have your ring specially designed, and in the era of all things vintage, using an heirloom lets you honour your family member that has passed, and be very on trend.

Start Up Sunday series Week 7 - 6 Steps to Better Branding

2010-07-18T08:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to Week 7 in our Start Up Sunday series - today we'll be talking about branding and detailing the 6 Steps to Better Branding.

So what is a brand? Well, it isn’t just your logo, your strap-line a colour or your ever so pretty packaging. These are representations of your brand.

Branding is your connection to your customer. It is the personality of your business, key to generating sales and should be at the centre of your marketing strategy.

In order to develop an effective brand there are a 6 things you should know inside out:

No. 1 - Your Competitors: Watch them and analyse them. Social media is great for helping you do this. Follow them on Twitter and "like" them on Facebook.

How does their pricing compare to yours?
What marketing do they do?
What is their product or service offering?

No. 2 - Your Marketplace: Looking at your marketplace will help you determine how to brand your product/service.

How much is the market worth?
What are the underexplored areas?
What are the best selling ranges, products or services?
Can you identify any niches or gaps in the market?

No. 3 Your Customer: What do they want? Know as much as you possibly can about them. Get under their skin, listen to them, understand their lifestyle.

Are they cash rich and time poor or watching the pennies?
Do they have children?
How do they spend their time?
How much do they spend with you?
What channels are best to reach them?
Where do they buy from?
What search terms do they use on Google?
What magazines and newspapers do they read?

No. 4 Your Product or Service: What exactly are you selling? Sum it up in a simple message. What makes you stand out from competitors? Cheaper, better quality, customer service? Once you have researched and understood all of this data, then you can start to decide the look and feel of your brand.

5 Your Tone of Voice: Establish a tone of voice to use across all your communications. Serious and business like, fun and lively, knowledgable and approachable, you choose what suits your brand. If you sell face to face you should be able to carry this across then too, so pick a style that you personally are comfortable with. If you are selling bank accounts your tone of voice will be very different to selling baby clothes. What’s right for you?

Use your communications to spell out the benefits and features of your product or service. For example, a feature of myroo skincare body butter is that it is deeply nourishing and moisturising. The benefit for the customer is softer, smoother skin.

6 Your Style: Develop the visual aspects of your brand, your font, colours, logos and so on to match the output from all your hard research. So if your target market is high end don’t go for lurid colours, if it’s mainly men, don’t choose pink. If you are going for a vintage look, avoid over contemporary fonts and so on.

If this is all a little mind boggling and your business can afford it then it can be well worth spending some money with professionals to help you create your brand identity.

And finally, a little caution, there’s no point in spending time and money developing an image that you can’t live up to. Choose branding that feels honest to you, then aim to always deliver what you promise, maybe a little more, and you won’t go far wrong.

Friday Feature featuring Janet Mc Kenner from Delicakes

2010-07-16T08:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to Feature Friday from Creation|Collaboration - today we're featuring Janet Mc Kenner from Delicakes.

Thanks for chatting to us today Janet - can you introduce us to you and your company?

This is actually my third career - previously I have been an auditor and taken a second degree in psychology as a mature student. I am delighted to be back with my first love of food after originally studying food science and cooking.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
As I was finishing my degree, I realised I was making more and more cakes in the evenings and weekends for friends and friends of friends. It evolved into my business because, being honest, it's all I ever wanted to do was bake and create exceptional sweet foods. I was worried that it may not be financially viable so I agreed with my husband I would not expand out of the home kitchen until after the first year.

What do you love most about your business?
Transforming pure ingredients such as; sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate into a cake that becomes the feature point of a celebration. A birthday party needs a cake to put candles on, a wedding needs a centre piece. I love that the cake provides the central photo opportunity of the event and my creative skills bring pleasure and a WOW factor on special days.

What would you like to change?
I wish that local authorities did publicise your Hygiene score if you work from a home kitchen – but the rules are they only do this if you work from a purely commercial kitchen with no dual use.

What is your aim for the next year?
I want to expand my wedding cake business to form the core of my work. This would mean I have more planned work and less ad hoc and last minute orders. To achieve this I am currently creating my website and it will be styled as WeddingDeliCakes.co.uk

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
I believe, by my third year, I will have a house style and will launch a new range each wedding season in keeping with the upcoming bridal trends for that year.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1: Stop doing the research and give it a go now – especially if you can limit costs
Tip 2: Be financially organised so you know your profit margins on every product you sell
Tip 3: Think of ways of upselling your product or range – in my case if you order a birthday cake, I ask if you want cupcakes to match, or if you order a wedding cake I ask if you want cookies as favours
Tip 4: Be flexible, my original idea for expansion was to deliver cakes to local businesses but I found this was time consuming and not as profitable as celebration cakes – hence I am now going to focus on the big celebrations
Tip 5: Don’t walk before you can run – yes a shop would be lovely but with overheads and the cost of staff this is a step change investment that needs to be just right before

A few last words - How do we contact you?

I am featured on http://www.mykingshill.co.uk/ until my own site http://www.weddingdelicakes.co.uk/ is launched; you can email me at delicakesme19@gmail.com; you can also catch me on Facebook: at http://www.facebook.com/delicakes and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/delicakesme19.

Thanks so much for chatting to us today Janet, your cakes are fabulous looking and I'm sure people are so delighted to receive them!

Don't forget to check back next week when we'll be featuring another woman run business!! If you're interested in being featured on this blog, please drop us an email to creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line and we'll get back to you.

Wedding Wednesday - How to Save Money on your Wedding

2010-07-14T08:00:00.019+01:00

Welcome to Wedding Wednesday on our blog - today we'll be talking about how you can save money on your wedding costs, a hugely interesting area especially in these recessionary times.

Weddings and celebrations can be an expensive business, but there are many ways where you can cut costs, without comprimising on quality.

1. For a wedding, consider a long engagement. This gives you time to save up but, on the flip side, a short engagement doesn't give you time to keep changing your mind.

2. Subscribe to wedding or party planning forums to talk to like minded people who will share their tips on saving the pennies - You and your wedding, Wedding Ideas, Scottish wedding Directory, Confetti.

3. Book suppliers as far as you can in advance to get offered "this years prices". This might not always work though as you have to take the chance, especially in this economic climate that suppliers will cut prices.

4. For a wedding, if going abroad, consider buying your wedding rings there as you can often get better value for money.

5. Consider a midweek or Sunday wedding or event as usually less expensive than a Friday or Saturday event.

6. Look for a stunning party dress at the New Year or Summer sales and also for bridal shop sales for your bridal gown or attendants dresses.

7. Many high street retailers now offer beautiful bridal gowns and bridesmaids wear at reasonable prices - For example, BHS, Debenhams, Monsoon, Coast all stock fantastic party wear.

8. Beautiful tiaras and bridal and event jewellery can now be found in the high street- Monsoon, Next, Debenhams, BHS and consider fantastic designers such as http://www.nujoolz.com/ , http://crystal-jewels.co.uk/ , http://www.weddingandbaby.co.uk/, http://www.chezbec.com/ or http://www.tantrumsandtiaras.org/

9. Ask a friend that is gifted at make up to do yours for your party or big day.

10. When hiring kilts and suits for weddings and events, ask for details of discounts for multiple hire.
Available in places such as Moss Bros and Youngs suit hire, and most Highland Wear suppliers do deals when hiring many.

11. Book that special holiday or honeymoon through an independant travel advisor rather that the high street chains, thus avoiding overheads ie. http://www.travelarchitect.com/ or http://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/

12. If you have time and are crafty, consider making your own stationary for weddings and events.
Hobbycraft is an excellent source of materials for this. However, if you decide to go with this option, it's important to remember what you save in money should be balanced in time cost.

13. Supermarkets now offer celebration cakes that can be customised for your event with your colours and theme. A three tier comes in at under £100, feeding at least 120 people. I am a big lover of the Marks & Spencers cakes having had one for my own wedding. Also speak to many cake designers who these days can be adaptable to budget constraints.

14. Have a buffet or hog roast instead of a sit down meal and, to follow this through, consider an independant venue instead of a hotel where you can bring in caterers.

15. Ask a friend or florist to move your flowers from ceremony to reception to cut down on costs, and consider seasonal flowers.

16. Ask a friend with a luxury or quirky car to drive you, also VW camper vans are very "in" right now.

17. Consider having disposable cameras on your tables, it's a good an cheap way to capture the informal side of the day. These can be purchased at camera shops such as Jessops and in most supermarkets Tesco, Asda etc.

18. Consider asking friends or family that are talented at perhaps singing or playing and instrument. This will save you money on entertainment for your guests and can also be a lovely personal touch to your ceremony.

19.Consider hiring a wedding planner whose job is to get you the best at the best prices and within your budget and who will also save you time and money, ie http://www.plansandpresents.co.uk/.

20. Always, always, always get wedding insurance. It will be the best £50ish you will ever spend, especially in this economic climate.

There are an enormous amount of ways that you can save money on your wedding, without feeling like you're skimping on what you really want - the most important thing about the day, of course, is enjoy yourselves!

Start up Sunday Week 6 - Insurance & Legislation

2010-07-11T19:46:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Week 6 of our Start Up Sunday series - today we will touch on Insurance and Legislation.

Insurance:
Smart business people work to reduce the risks to their businesses from outside forces. One of the best ways to do this is by having in place the relevant insurances. Depending on your type of business and how you trade, you will be required by law to take out certain types of insurance. Other types of insurance are not compulsory but may be appropriate for you and your business.

Employers Liability Insurance - If you have employees, this insurance is a legal requirement. It provides cover for claims by employees who are injured or become ill as a result of their employment.

Vehicle Insurance - You need to insure your car or van for business use if you will be using it for business purposes. Some insurance companies don't carry business car insurance so please ensure that your insurance company does.

Public Liability Insurance - This provides cover against claims made by members of the public who have been injured or has property damaged as a result of carelessness at work by you or your employees.

Premises Insurance - Insurance will be required for the premises you work from, even if you work at home and there is already a domestic policy in place. This is because residential insurance policies usually only cover domestic use. Please contact your own insurer for clarification of your own policy.

Contents, Stock and Materials Insurance - This will be required to cover the replacement costs of contents, stock and materials even if you work from home and have a home contents policy.

Illness, Accident and Life Cover - These will pay a regular income or lump sum if you are unable to work as a result of illness or accident or if you die.

Insurance policies serve to protect you and your business against the unknown and it's vital that you anticipate any risks in your business and protect yourself against these.

Legislation:
All companies will be covered by some level of legislation - and some more than others. Legislation deals with areas such as protection of employees, the length of time worked in a day/week, product legislation, health & safety legislation to name but a few.

As business person, it is incumbent upon you to ensure that you and your company are fully compliant with the various pieces of legislation that apply to your area of work.

As an example, those who wish to start a business selling bath & body products have a raft of EU legislation to adhere to. You might think that making soap or body butters or lip balms would be an easy, fun job and that you could just make them and sell them. However, there is EU legislation that all sellers/producers have to comply with - these will involve ensuring that you list all ingredients in the order of percentage used, that you include a batch number for each batch made, you list your name and address so that any customer can contact you directly if they have an issue with your product and you have to include a best before date.

For this industry, the legislation also insists that you, as a producer, are certified as safe to make the products. You must be certified by a qualified cosmetic chemist and keep full files on every single thing you produce, including a copy of your safety assessment. For each ingredient you use, you need to have these included on your safety assessment and these can, at times, only be used at certain concentrations - for example, if you use citrus based essential oils, you can use these at 1% maximum. For more information on cosmetic legislation, click this link.

If you wish to sell your products online, then you must ensure you comply to Distance Selling Legislation. If customers place orders with you online or on the phone, then this is termed distance selling. You still will have a contract with customer, whether there's a written contract or not. If you offer something for sale at a particular price, and the customer agrees to that offer and pays you for, then you automatically have a contract with them.

You must provide information to your customers prior to sale, to inform them of their rights - this information includes:

You must identify yourself at the seller, giving a name and address where you can be contacted
The characteristics of the goods or services you are providing
The price to be paid, including any taxes
The cost of delivery to each of the countries you are willing to supply
The arrangements for payment - how you will accept payment
The existence of the right to cancel the order
A note about the cost of communication - for example, if you have a premium phone number, your customer must be informed of this PRIOR to them making the call
The period of time for the offer
The minimum duration of the contract

Your customers are also entitled to:

Written confirmation of their orders
Written information on how to cancel the order
Your business address so that they can direct any complaints to you (this must be an actual address, not just your website link or email address)
Details of any guarantees or after-sales services
Details of how and when to end a contract

A well written set of Terms & Conditions on your website will ensure you abide by these regulations. If you require any further information about Distance Selling Regulations, please this link.

We don't have enough time or space here to cover the full raft of legislation that will apply to each and every company, but please ensure that you, as a competent business owner, make yourself familiar with the legislation that is applicable to your specific industry as well as general legislation that covers issues such as Health & Safety and labour, to name but a few.

The key point to take away from this post is that you need to make yourself aware of what is required of you as a business owner. A good business person will have researched all regulations related to their business and worked this into their business plan, especially if there are additional costs involved in you having to comply with these laws.

I hope this quick look at required legislation and insurance assists with your business - the two words to take away from this are "research" and "comply" ... you won't go wrong if you abide by those words!

Remember to check out our next article in the series, which will be published next Sunday. And don't forget to join our forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/.

Feature Friday featuring Emma Hall of Emma Hall Designs

2010-07-09T08:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to our regular Feature Friday on Creation|Collaboration - today we'll be talking to Emma Hall of Emma Hall Designs.

Hi Emma, thanks for chatting with us today - can you introduce us to you and your company?

My name is Emma Hall and I have been running Emma Hall Designs for the past 4 years. I am 30 years old and have been married to my amazing husband for 5 years. I live in a beautiful village in a barn coversion that myself and my husband converted ourselves. I work from my studio that was my old stable – don’t worry we built another stable in the field for our horses!

At the moment it is just myself running the business, which covers everything from Bridal Jewellery & Tiaras, Stationary & Favors to Bouquets and Buttonholes, which are all handmade. We also have many items to hire, which is the other side of the business. Choose from Ostrich Feathers, Beautiful Silk Flowers and Vases, Bay Trees, Wishing Wells, Lights and many many more items.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I initially started making jewellery as a hobby and sold to family and friends at parties. Within 4 months, I gave up my job as a full time chef, and decided to concentrate on the Bridal Jewellery. I was working out of my living room with “Brides to be” making appointments to see me on a regular basis. This quickly escalated into Stationary, Favors and Wedding Bouquets. The Table Centrepiece Hire is the newest part of the business but has quickly become very popular, along with the Candy Bar!

What do you love most about your business?
I Love, Love, Love my job! To see a clients face light up (and sometimes there are tears of joy) when they see their design for the first time is priceless! I also love working for myself, its so fulfilling when you can actually see the difference you are making to someone’s Big Day!

What would you like to change?
I would love to have some help as the business is really busy, and although I have had lots of job offers I am finding it hard to take someone on. I have frequently been called a control freak, which makes me good at my job. If I could clone myself I would, as there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done.

What is your aim for the next year?
My aim is always to beat the previous years targets and to promote the business. I would also like to increase my range of hire items to include more unique items that are simply gorgeous. I also have lots of new ideas in my head for some unique bridal jewellery and tiaras, which I simply haven’t had time to create.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
In the future, I see myself expanding my range and, eventually getting some much needed help. I would love my husband to work with me more, as we work really well together. He usually adds at this point, “when she makes her first million, I will” He might be waiting a long time!

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Make the most of every situation whether it’s good or bad
Tip 2 Treat everyone as a valued future client – manors don’t cost anything
Tip 3 Never say NO to a job just because it would make your day longer or harder
Tip 4 Definitely make the most of free adverting & repay the favour if you can
Tip 5 Remember to have fun along the way, you might be a workaholic (join the club) and work hard, but you stated the business for a reason, so enjoy it!

A few last words - How do we contact you?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.emmahalldesigns.co.uk/, by email at info@emmahalldesigns.co.uk, you can chat to me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Emma-Hall-Designs/241253909915?ref=ts or you can catch me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/emmahalldesigns

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Emma, your designs are so beautiful and any bride would be delighted to wear any of your products.

Remember to check back next Friday when we'll be featuring yet another fabulous woman run business! If you would like your company featured one Friday, please drop us a line at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com putting the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line and we'll get back to you.

WEDDING WEDNESDAY - Remembering !

2010-07-07T12:37:00.002+01:00

There is no better time to remember loved ones then at your wedding.

A wedding represents a new beginning for the bride and groom, a "birth" of their new life together.
But to truly celebrate the future, it is important to remember the past, and those that have influenced our lives in some special way.

From a personal point of view, we dedicated two of the dances at our wedding to my husband's mum who had passed a few years earlier.
She loved Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love" and Chris De Burgh's "Lady in Red" and though it was hard for him, and my sister in law, it made his mum a big part of our day.

Aside from dedicating a song or dance to a loved one, you can consider : -

A special framed phtograph

Remembering your loved one in a speech

Lighting a candle in memorial

Choosing charity pins for favours [ ie. Cancer Research pins, British Heart Foundation pin]

Suggesting a charity donation instead of gifts to your guests.

Incorporating the person's favourite flowers in your bouquet or wedding flowers, and/or leaving your bouquet on the grave of the loved one that has passed.

Also wearing a piece of jewellery that was special to the person, can make them feel much closer to you on the day.

We find that if we choose to pay tribute to those that have passed, then those moments spent remembering will be some of the fondest of the day.

We know that our loved ones are with us in spirit, but remembering them on one of the most important days of our lives is a very poignant way to say "Thank You" for helping make us the people we are.

Photo Credit : http://www.weddingbycolor.com/

Start-up Sunday: Week 5 - Self Assesment, PAYE & VAT

2010-07-04T08:00:00.003+01:00

Good Morning and welcome to Week 5 of our Start Up Sunday series.

Today we are going to touch on the subject that you have all told us scares the living daylights out of you. We are limited for space and taxes is such a wide ranging subject that I will touch on the most common problems or fears. If I do not cover anything you need to know, just leave a comment and we will pick it up at the end of the series. We all like to know how we are doing, so please leave us a comment and tell us what you like or would like to see being featured.

Self Assessment:
When you actually start your business, if you are a sole trader you automatically become regarded as self employed. You therefore have to register your self employed status with HMRC. You can do this online, or via telephone or post. I personally recommend registering by phone. You can find more about the 3 methods or registering on the HMRC website here.

You also become liable for Class 2 National Insurance contributions. If you expect your self employed earnings to be small, less than £5,075 for the tax year 2010-11, then you can apply for an earnings exception. However, please consider your position carefully - Class 2 National Insurance contributions are counted when calculation your entitlement to a basic state pension, incapacity benefit or ESA, bereavement allowances and maternity allowance. If you are over state pension age, you are automatically exempt from Class 2 National Insurance contributions no matter what your projected income may be.

HMRC has several advice teams all over the UK and they run free courses on a wide variety of subjects. I strongly recommend that, whenever possible, you attend the newly self employed course they run. It covers everything from registering as self employed to Class 2 contributions to basic recordkeeping and where to go for further help. I also feel it helps you see HMRC as just another organisation that is human and not something to fear.

So now you are all registered as self employed, its time to keep records.

Record keeping is quite simple; however, it is easy to muddy the waters which is why I recommend you attend the HMRC start up course so you can ask questions and get answers right away. Your records should comprise of 3 or 4 different books, you can keep records electronically and there is a wide variety of software availible for you to do so.

I personally find computers to be unreliable and, as records have to be kept for a minimum of 6 years, I prefer to use paper. You wil need a cash book, a sales ledger and a purchase ledger as wel; as a wages book if you have employees. You can make these out of regular A4 note pads with a ruler to seperate colums but you can buy pre made books from Staples, Amazon and all good stationers. Books can be bought in A6, A5 or A4 size - I personally prefer A4 size as I find the smaller books difficult if you need to write a lot.

So now you have your three or four (if you have employees) books. What do you record in each one?

The cashbook is the final record of what comes in and what goes out of your business, it is often referred to as the cash flow, To help complete your cash book, you need to keep cheque book stubs, cancelled cheques, paying in books, bank statements, copies of your own invoices, receipts and delivery notes, your suppliers invoices, receipts for all your cash purchases, remmittence advice slips from customers, copies of payments made or received using online banking systems.

The sales ledger records sales your company has made, the amount of money received for goods or services and the amount of money owed at the end of each month. It is recommended that you number your invoices and record each number against the entry in your sales ledger, you can then file your invoices in numerical order for ease of finding in the future. It will also help you fill our your VAT return if applicable. More about VAT later.

A purchase ledger records all purchases made by the business, it helps you monitor your business outgoings and how much money you owe at any one time. This also helps you complete your VAT return. It is a good idea to number each bill as you receive it then record the number against the entry in your purchase ledger. You can then file the bills in neumerical order for ease of finding in the future.

A wages book is only required if you have employees - you can use P11's as the basis for your wages book. If you have employees, you should seek professional advise from either HMRC or an accountancy firm/payroll provider and either be taught how to keep wages records or turn that area of you record keeping over to the professionals.

So now we have registered you as self employed and you have kept full and complete records for a full accounting year. It is now time to complete your tax return.

Despite what I have said about my mistrust of computers when keeping records electronically, I always file my tax return online. Firstly, I feel its better for the enviroment - a tax return has quite a number of pages, many not applicable to you yet (on paper, it comes as a booklet and you just ignore the irrelevent bits). Secondly, when filing online, as you complete the sections of the form you can check double check and amend things before submitting which you cannot do with a paper form.

PAYE:
As we touched on briefly earlier, if you have employees you have to operate a PAYE scheme. If you decide to have employees, you will need to register with HMRC as an employer - you can do so here.

I cannot stress too much the importance of attending the HMRC new employer course that shows you how to keep PAYE records as well as covering statutory sick pay, maternity pay and student loan deductions. If you opt to be sent a new employer pack it will contain everything you need to set up electronic records for your employees. PAYE records should be kept electronically for submission to HMRC but this will all be explained both at the new employers course and in your new employers help pack.

VAT:
If you supply good or services within the UK and your turnover of taxable goods or services within the UK was more that 70k in the last 12 monthsm then you will need to register for VAT.

There are all sorts of other reasons you may need to register for VAT, even if you do not live in the UK but do supply goods or services to the UK. There is more about this on the HMRC website here. VAT is an incredibly diverse and sometimes complicated subject. If you feel anything less than 100% confident in dealing with it, I suggest you employ a prefessional to deal with your VAT returns on your behalf.

So there we have it, a brief overview of self assesment, PAYE and VAT. Unfortunately, with everyones circumstance being different, it's impossible to go into specifics using a particular person or business - however, if you feel there is something that we did not cover, then please leave a comment or drop us an email.

If you do have a specific queary about anything specific related to taxes, PAYE or VAT and your liability for any of these, please do contact your local HMRC Office.

Don't forget to drop back next week when we'll be discussing our Week 6 topic - Legislation and Insurance.

Creation|Collaboration Friday Feature - featuring Claire Ogden of Claire Ogden Designs

2010-07-02T08:00:00.004+01:00

We're really delighted to be bringing you yet another Feature Friday article - today we're featuring Claire Ogden of Claire Ogden Designs.

Thanks so much for chatting to us today Claire - can you introduce us to you and your company?

I am Claire Ogden and I have my own business called Claire Ogden Designs, it is an online company that specialises in individual and unique handmade jewellery, wedding jewellery, tiaras and bridal combs.

I have always been a very creative individual and like making an impression. I am self taught and run with the ideas that I see in my mind when I look at the materials - no planning or research, I just make what I see!

I created my website myself - I created it as a scrap book theme to catch my thoughts and processes of making and creating the jewellery, just like a snapshot of what I see before I settle down to create. All of my products have been created to infuse each piece with a sense of individuality, boldness and an impression made to last. A ‘Once seen never forgotten’ philosophy! I love to make a difference and create jewellery that shines through and gets noticed but designing each piece to last the decades and be wearable for a lifetime.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

I began making pieces of jewellery for myself initially, which I found received a lot of interest and comments so I decided to expand into making pieces for friends and family. I then ran with the idea of a website and just keep adding new designs and creations all the time!

What do you love most about your business?

I LOVE making the pieces, I LOVE people wearing my jewellery and I get a large amount of bespoke orders and repeat business but what I ultimately LOVE is the fact that a bride is wearing MY jewellery collection on her wedding day and people are noticing! There is nothing better than making people feel special and I order such a personal service I can do just that!

What would you like to change?

I find that quite hard to answer because I feel I change things all the time, I change the site pictures often to create more interest and work with new designs all the time. My notice board and directory on the site are updated frequently and I run blog and website polls and votes often. I love interacting with everyone else, especially when I have to decide between options or jewellery colours or pieces, it is so much fun!

What is your aim for the next year?

To be a recognised brand on the web, I want people to be wearing my jewellery everyday and coming back and passing the information on, I want people to be rushing on line to buy my new releases!

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
I want to be happy, I want to know I have provided an excellent service to each and every person who has passed by my site, I would love people to stock my jewellery and talk about the fact that it is so very different and desired.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 NEVER give up, even if you feel really bad! Opportunities arise when you are not looking for them.

Tip 2 Customer service is the MOST IMPORTANT thing, offer a fabulous service and be remembered for it.

Tip 3 Don’t be afraid to ask for help, advice, support, other peoples input and opinions

Tip 4 Believe it what you do and ENJOY it.

Tip 5 Be committed and work really hard, my motto is that you have to do it yourself because nobody does it for you.

A few last words - How can a prospective customer contact you?
I can be contacted in several ways - via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claire-Ogden-Designs/121632454543156?ref=ts, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cogdendesigns, on my website at http://www.claireogdendesigns.co.uk/ or by email on claireogdendesigns@googlemail.com.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Claire - your work is exceptionally beautiful, any bride would be utterly thrilled to wear your pieces on her big day!

Next week, we'll be featuring another fabulous woman run business - make sure to check back next Friday!!!

If you are a woman running your own business and would like to be featured in one of our Friday Feature articles, please email us at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Friday Feature" in the subject line.

Creation Collaboration - Wedding Wednesday - The Proposal!

2010-06-30T08:00:00.003+01:00

It's generally seen as one of the most important conversations we will ever have, and to that end, we should strive to make "The Proposal" as memorable as we can.

It can be a daunting prospect, and the intense pressure to do it "right", is immense.

This doesn't mean we have to whisk the love of our life off to some romantic place, or spend silly amounts of money.

The best proposal stories can come from pleasures like a summer picnic in the park, and in the manner one of my friend's, stones laid out on a beach to say "Will you marry Me?" whilst on holiday.

Romance can be as simple as rose petals, and candles, it can be a walk up a mountain to see an awesome view, it can be a spur of a moment decision where you are gripped with such a feeling that you never want to let go this amazing person you have found.

You can go all out too, and have the proposal written in fireworks, or in a banner drawn by a small plane, or in the manner of a recent Scottish groom, on the cinema screen before the showing of "It's a Wonderful Life!

Whichever way you propose, you have to think about your partner, and the kind of things they love and appreciate.

Celebrity's have had differing ways to propose. Michael Douglas made his proposal to Catherine Zeta Jones memorable through asking her to marry him at the Eve of the Millenium. It was a discreet proposal, balanced very nicely by the huge diamond he gave her.

I personally like recently married, Pier's Morgans approach, where he whisked his girlfriend to Paris and whilst there, presented her with a 1st Edition copy of her favourite author, John Updike's book "Marry Me".

For me personally, I was the one that proposed, quite romantically, I thought!

My proposal to my husband was on the 23rd of August 2003, and was on Tower Bridge in London. I was going to do it on the London Eye, but got the wobbles as I'm scared of heights, and wimped out.
It didn't really go so well as I got turned down, but that is the chance you have to take when laying your heart on the line, its a monumental and life changing decision. Luckily for him, he soon realised what he would be missing, and 6 years later we couldn't be happier.

I wish you all your own romantic story, and even if its not, the fact that someone loves you that much to ask you this amazing question is beautiful indeed.

Start Up Sunday Week 4 Website or no Website?

2010-06-27T08:02:00.001+01:00

Welcome to the fourth instalment of our Start-up Sunday series. Today we will discuss the benefits a website may provide to your business.

We have done considerable research individually and collectively over the last months and years and have found many important reasons to have a website.

Firstly, websites can be a key part in promoting your companies name. The Internet provides equal access to all users, you could be a small work-from-home company set up with £100 or a multi-million pound national company and the size of screen you have to convey your message is the same. A well designed website can be set up for very little outlay; one even created on a shoestring budget but with a little flair and an eye to giving the customer what they want will give a better impression than a badly designed website, even if it did cost hundreds or thousands of pounds.

When compared to more traditional marketing methods such as print or radio media, promoting your website is relatively inexpensive. Websites have one distinct advantage over printed adverts which can often become outdated very quickly. As new products and services are introduced, printed materials need revised and reprinted adding costs to your budget. Websites offer the opportunity to provide your customers with up-to-date information when they need it, and allow you the freedom to update the information on your products, services and information when necessary.

With a web site, you can build a customer/user database to save contact and demographic information about people who visit your website. This can enable you to gain a better understanding of who your online visitors are, and create complimentary marketing strategies (direct mailings, etc.) customised to their interests. This is also a great way to keep in touch with customers who have purchased your products, leaving you the ability to send a follow-up email, or occasionally sending them information about new products.

One of the greatest features of the Internet is the ability to link to other websites, and, more importantly, have them link to yours. This allows customers to find your web site through several different channels, increases the potential for building traffic to your site, and essentially provides free advertising for your business or organisation.

For those of you who are members of the Creation|Collaboration forum, why not add a link to your website to your signature. If you are not a member of the new and revised forum please join us here.

From a customer service perspective, having a website is one of the easiest and best ways to interact with your customer. Your website is a great place to publish your own list of "Frequently Asked Questions", or even the rarely asked ones. Well thought out questions and answers, in as much detail as you like, and exactly as you'd like it stated, can provide your customers with immediate help with their question, as well as provide prospective customers with a reference tool. Additionally, you can provide up-to-date information, such as postage times/prices, product specifications, or available dates, allowing your customers immediate access to such information, and possibly saving yourself the cost of extra technical support staff. A website is a great way to get immediate feedback from your customers, through customer surveys, contact forms, and email addresses for your contact personnel. This type of feedback can allow you to provide great customer service based on what your customers really want!

With the ability to get a basic website for literally nothing you really would be mad not to create an online presense for your organisation.

Creation|Collaboration Feature Friday features Caroline Nash from Carolee Crafts

2010-06-25T08:00:00.001+01:00

We're really delighted to be bringing you our 9th Feature Friday - today we're featuring Caroline Nash of Carolee Crafts.

Hi Caroline, welcome to the Creation|Collaboration Blog - Can you introduce us to you and your company?
My name is Caroline Nash and I run a home based business called 'Carolee Crafts'. Designing and making gifts and cards using fabric, lace, ribbon, beads and more, in fact anything that falls into my shopping basket when out and about, just crying out to be bought.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I have stitched and created gifts and cards for over 30 years; getting near to my 50th made me take a look at my life and realise that there was a lot more to it than working in a job and for people I did not like.

I have a real love of stitching and making gifts for friends and family and the obvious progression was to start selling to others and share my talents with them. I wanted to carve out a niche to be fully self-employed and not dependent on other work directions so, in 2003, I started my business whilst still working full-time and was successful enough that in 2008, I was able to give up my job and run the business full-time.

What do you love most about your business?
I love being creative and working for myself; I am in control of my own day, what I do and how I do it. And I really love not to be involved in office politics (something we probably all can identify with!). I am an early riser and start my working day at 5.30 am so I get to enjoy the peace and quiet and the wonderful mornings. Creating is a passion for me and a calling that I just had to follow.

What would you like to change?
I am really happy at the moment - more sales would be nice but I'm really content!

What is your aim for the next year?
I am currently working on party plan products, making samples of approximately 24 repeatable items to be able to then take orders at party events.

A lot of my creations are OOAK (one of a kind) so with with the Party Plan, I need to design and source materials that can be repeated for multiple orders. I already have my first booking from a good client scheduled for September - my goal is to have brought this to fruition by mid August so I'm happy I'm currently on plan.

The next stage is to average two paties a month (if not more!) by the end of November. Please check out my contact details if you're interested in organising any parties.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
I see myself running a successful online and party business, dealing both with repeat customers and sourcing new ones - my plan is that I will achieve this within the next two years.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Always follow your dreams and never put off for another day, as, inevitably, that day never comes. Don't let anyone or anything stop you from achieving your dream!

Tip 2 Be passionate about what you create it shows when you are talking to potential customers. Always have a smile on your face - the saying 'smile and the world smiles with you" is so true

Tip 3 Don't listen to negative comments from family and friends

Tip 4 You do not need a large bank balance to start your dream, start small and reinvest any profit back into the business for more stock, you will be amazed how quickly funds build up.

Tip 5 Join forums such as Creation|Collaboration to get support and advice when you need it

A few last words - How do we contact you?
You can contact me in a variety of ways - firstly on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carolee-Crafts/48769671593, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Caroleecrafts, via my website at http://www.caroleecrafts.com/ and, finally, by email caroleecrafts@btinternet.com.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Caroline, I love that you have such a focused set of goals and targets for your business - your work is so lovely, I can see that your Party Plan products will definitely be a big hit! Don't forget to check out Caroline's fabulous website for further details on her products.

Check in next Friday when we'll be featuring yet another woman run business! If you are a business woman and would like to be considered for our Friday Feature, please leave a comment below with you email address and we'll be in touch.

Collaboration Women Wednesday Blog Hop - Week 10

2010-06-23T07:57:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 10th and last in this series; Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

We hope you have joined the weekly blog hops, we will be doing more of them in the future with a slight difference!

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Last week Jacquie Swain from Soaphora was picked to be our 5th Blog Hop Feature!

Jacquie has incorperated Soaphora and A String of Beads to handcraft beautiful soaps, creams, balms and lampwork beads in her studio.

We asked Jacquie 5 questions so we could find out more about her and her business.

1. Tell us about yourself and your business.

I started my business in 2006 after a lengthy time off sick from my job, I started making jewellery, which, in turn, I started to sell. I then got more and more interested in where the beads came from (ethically) and so started to source British made lampwork beads. I loved them so much I started making them myself. I still make and sell beads and from time to time jewellery, but it's the beads that are my main passion.

2. What do you love most about having your own business?

I love that each day is different, I love being able to lock myself into my studio and create when I want. I love the freedom of being my own boss and making the decisions!

3. What would you like to change?

What would I like to change, apart from the obvious, More sales, the only thing I would change at the moment is to perhaps streamline my range of fragrances a bit. There's always room for change though!

4. What do you love most about blogging?

I love the sharing of information, seeing others creativity. Lovely photographs and always learning something new!

5. What is your most favourite thing you have made?

My favourite thing that I've made, hmm thats tricky. Over the years I have made somewhere in the region of 4000 silver core beads and many many sets and its hard to have favourites as I always see the technical flaws, I'm also a relatively new soap maker and my favourites are based on fragrance and how they feel to me when I use them ( I'm biased I know so am bound to say I love them all!) However I would say that that whatever you make your first should always be your favourite as its a constant reminder of how far you've come and what you've achieved. I still feel excited when I see the first soap I made and although it's not the best and it has no smell I'm still amazed that its soap!

Thank you Jacquie for being part of the blog hop and feature.

Make sure you check out her blog

You can buy her products from her Website

Check out Creation|Collaboration's New Forum! Join us Now!

2010-06-21T20:50:00.000+01:00

To all our C|C users, as you know we have had a few technical problems with the site and a lot of you haven't always been able to post when you want. That's not good for anyone. So from 13th July, the Creation|Collaboration website will move to a much more simple 'forum' only site.

This does mean we won't have some of the nice extras we had on this site, but it does give us a reliable forum where we can chat about being self employed and share all our business challenges and succeses.

We'd love it if you all joined us, unfortuantely you will need to sign up again but we hope you think it's worth it. You don't have to wait until the 13th July, the new forum is active now if you would like to join us sooner.

Sign up for free at our Creation|Collaboration Forum.

We value all of our members greatly and a heartfelt Thank You from us all at C|C for all your posting, feedback and support so far.

We hope you will also follow our blog at http://www.creationcollaborationblog.blogspot.com/ and our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/creationcollaboration.

Please leave us a message to let us know how you are all getting on in your respective areas and we're looking forward to talking to you on our new forum!

C|C Team xx

Creation|Collaboration Blog - New Ideas & Feature Friday

2010-06-20T15:11:00.002+01:00

We at Creation|Collaboration are working on new ideas for our blog but we would love to hear from you, our readers, and see what you would like to see featured? Is there anything in particular you'd like to know more about, do you have any ideas on a series of posts we could do, do you have any questions about running your own business that we could help with? Drop us an email at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Blog Ideas" in the subject line.

We're also looking for women run companies to include in our Friday Feature slot each Friday - these have proved really popular and it's great to see how other businesses are fairing in this economy. If you'd like your company to be featured, please email us at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line and we'll foward you on the relevant information.

All you'd need to do is complete a questionnaire we'll send you and include between 5 - 7 images that show your business off to it's best, including your logo. We have no limit on words so why not take this opportunity to get you and your business some fab (and free!) promotion! All requests are taken on a first come, first served basis and you will be notified of the date that your feature will be published.

Remember, Creation|Collaboration is all about women run businesses networking and helping each other out so don't forget to keep in touch with us - we're here to help you out!

Check out our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/creationcollaboration

Creation|Collaboration Start Up Sunday Week 3 - Writing a Business Plan

2010-06-20T08:00:00.004+01:00

Writing a business plan is possibly the single most important thing you will when planning your business. It will help you develop your business, dealing with the need for financial projections and budgeting, writing about the aims and objectives of your business along with your business goals and will help to collate not only the evidence that you may need to help support a request for financial assistance from your bank or any investors but to help focus and concentrate your own mind on what you want to achieve and why.

A business plan is a document that summarieis various points about your business, such as:

Where has your business come from, what was the concept behind starting out
Where it is at this present time
Where it will be going in the future and how you intend to get it there
What financial package you need to achieve your aims
Why it's different from other businesses which will help you define how likely it is to be successful
What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunites and risks that will face your business as it grows

You don't need to write thesis with a million pages - a simple business plan can be a couple of A4 typed sheets of paper but can run to a couple of hundred pages; this really depends on the business, what it wishes to achieve and how it plans to get there. For small businesses starting out, keep it simple. If you get to the stage where you are seeking financial aid from the bank or wishing to apply for enterprise grants, you may need to update your current plan and delve deeper to provide additional details. However, remember that these are busy people so keep it clear and simple.

The key parts of a business plan are:
Text - the details about your business; this will be the bulk of your final document
Evidence - to support any claims you make in your plan.
Financial information - projections and budgets to show that you afford to get where you want your business to go. This will usually include a projected profit & loss account, balance sheet and cash flow statement

Do not underestimate the need for in depth planning - the old phrase "fail to plan, plan to fail" sounds horribly trite but it's very true. Be very truthful about your business, be clear about what you want to do, where you want to go and how you're going to get there. A good business plan will help you in the planning process because to provides a structure for you to investigate each aspect of the business. It will help you:

To focus your mind and thoughts on the business and provide a structure to include all the information that you might miss out
To help clarify your thinking - writing out your plan will help you clearly define what it is you really want
To help you put foward any answers to any arguements that might be questioned by the bank or other funders - it will assist you in anticapting queries and answering them before they've even been asked
To help you focus on any risks (and any ensuing loss) in your plans - and, conversely, it helps focus on the opportunities and strengths of your business

How to Structure your Plan:

Your business plan should have a structure that allows for easy reading and understanding by the reader. It should include:

1 An Executive Summary - this is a 2 or 3 page summary of the business, your product(s), any opportunities and the company's financial requirements. This is the first part of the report that will be read by any potential investors but the last to be written. It helps summarise all the information and details contained within the body of the report. This is the most important part of your document as it can be the only part read by investors - it's usually this part that helps them decide to read further. It's important to note that most business plans are rejected before the Executive Summary has been fully read so spend time ensuring that you get this right.

2 The Staff - for small businesses, this could amount to one person only but do detail your experience and skills

3 Your Products & Services - what they are and how they are unique from your competitors

4 Your Competitors - who are they and how they could affect your business

5 Your Marketing Strategy - how will you let prospective customers know about your product(s)/services?

6 Your Research & Development Strategy - for the development of new products/services

7 Your Operations Process - purchasing, manufacturing, distribution, customer service, infrastruture

8 Your Financial Details - requirements, project profit & loss information, balance sheet, projected cash flow statements

9 Appendices - any documents or other details that may be of required as evidence of any claims made in your document

Reviewing a Business Plan:

Your business plan helps you focus your thoughts about your business, what it is, where it's going, what you want it to achieve, how it will actually achieve what you want and how, and how much all this is going to cost. Because it is such an important document and can take time to write, it is important that you review it fully before your sign off on it.

Ask yourself, does your plan tell the reader:

Who you are
What your product/service is and what will your customers pay for it
Who your customers are
What your unique selling point is
What will be the price your customers
How many products/services can you supply and how many customers will be willing to pay for it?
What are your delivery and other overhead costs?
What investment is required for further development of the company?
And possibly most importantly, is this a viable business?

Remember that your business plan isn't a static document - as we've seen in the last few years, economies change and businesses, in order to be flexible and stay in business, must be able to move with the changes. Therefore, your business plan must a live document - as your business changes, so must your plan in order to remain current and up-to-date. Growth is a live process, your business plan must be also.

Don't forget to check out our next Start Up Sunday feature - Website or No Website?

Creation|Collaboration Feature Friday - Kirsty Mussett of Your Wedding Dress!

2010-06-18T08:00:00.002+01:00

We're really delighted to be bringing you our 8th Feature Friday - today we're featuring Kirsty Mussett of Your Wedding Dress.

Hi Kirsty, thanks for talking to us today. Can you introduce us to yourself and your company?
Hello everybody, my name is Kirsty Mussett of Your Wedding Dress. I am 23 years old, but don't let my age fool you! ;-) I married my fab husband James last year and we stay in Helensburgh. I opened my bridal boutique in Helensburgh on the 16th January of this year and have loved every minute of the process.

Kirsty & James at their wedding

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

I graduated from University with a Degree in Business and Management, including modules in Public Relations, Marketing and Communications & the Media. Arising from this, I was employed as an Event Co-ordinator at The Lodge on Loch Lomond Hotel for two years. Gaining extensive knowledge within this position, I moved onto setting up my own wedding and events business august 2009. From there, the idea came of opening my bridal shop. I have always dreamed of running my own business since I was young - I think this was helped by the fact that both my parents also run their own companies. The step from employed to self-employed was a big risk - but sometimes these risks are worth taking!

What do you love most about your business?
I love the fact that I have free reign on my company and the decisions are soley down to myself. I think this ensures you take more care for your work which is then translated into a better service to your customer. I also love watching when my brides find their dream dress for their special day - there is NO better feeling than seeing the happiness on someone's face and knowing you have a little input into that happiness. I also love the challenge of every day work and new and exciting decisions to make.

What would you like to change?

I would probably like a bigger shop! Although I am very fortunate to have the store I do, I realise I need to start off small and work my way up - the safer option!

What is your aim for the next year?

Next year, I aim to have taken on another designer for my bridal gowns, and to be recognised in the industry as a young dynamic 24-year old who continues to bring great customer service to the industry and to grow and build new and exciting contacts.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?

I see myself competing on a par with the big companies - even though I come from a small town, it's important to me to show that even an independent business can demonstrate the skills required to succeed in this current economy.

What are your Top 5 Tips for new business women?

Tip 1: Really put yourself out there, word of mouth is a great form of advertising; if you make the right contacts, this can really work for you.

Tip 2: Build strong relationships, even with your "competitors"; you never know when a prospect to help each may happen.

Tip 3: Try and find out what funding is available to you, business gateway are a fantastic organisation to help and support you.

Tip 4: Networking events can really work for you! Just choose the right ones for yourself and your business and there will be no stopping you!!

Tip 5: Have fun, enjoy your business. You are starting a new life for yourself and your family, but you need to enjoy life. Don't stress, every situation can be worked out with a little bit of patience...ok a lot...and a supportive network around you.

A few last words - How can prospective clients contact you?

My address is:
Your Wedding Consultant
28 Sinclair Street
Helensburgh
G84 8SU

Telephone: 0044 (0) 1436 670 339
Website: http://www.yourweddingconsultant.net/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/yweddingconsult

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000872020365

Thank you so much Kirsty for talking us today, your store and dresses sound utterly fabulous! I can totally imagine that there have been many tears of happiness shed when brides have found your amazing creations!

Next week, we'll be featuring another guest contributor - make sure to check back next Friday!!!

Women Wednesday's 5th Blog Hop Feature

2010-06-17T08:29:00.000+01:00

As next week is our last blog hop the blog hop feature will be our last also, all good things must come to an end! But don't forget we will still be doing our Feature Friday so lots of opportunity to be featured on our blog and tell us all about your business.

This week we are picking a winner from weeks 9 blog hop where we had 23 entries.

And the winner is...

Number 12!

Which is Soaphora

Well done, your blog will be featured with next weeks blog hop! We'll be in contact to see if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions to add with your blog feature.