Strawberry Communications: Writing & PR

Starting a business with a baby

Johanna — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:39:56 +0000

This article was written for Flying Solo. Have a look here. The first few weeks as a first time parent are filled with fear and questions, but then you relax and start to think about the future. In many ways it’s the ideal time for acting on that great business idea and starting a business.Like many solo businesses, mine started to fit in with a change in circumstances - the birth of my son in May 2006. Before then I was freelancing and working full-time. When I finished my contract and was faced with finding work around being a mum, I decided freelancing from home was the best solution. And I didn’t have to put up with any more office politics!My solution of starting a business worked so well for me as I am fortunate enough to have parents who were willing to look after my son for two days a week.As my business grew I knew I needed more than two days to work and investigated childcare options. My son now happily goes to “school” two days a week and looks forward to his days with “Granny and Poppy” and “Pa and Nanny”.My husband and I agreed I would limit working at evenings and weekends so we could spend time together as a family, but I know many successful business parents who wait until their children are asleep and then start work.The point is that being a solopreneur means you can work to suit yourself.As I started a business that only needed a little initial investment, I didn’t have to budget costs. I already had a computer, pens, notepads, phone and a car and needed nothing else when I started out. The same went for getting advice from business advisers, accountants or solicitors, but I did need to check whether I had to register for GST (I wasn’t earning enough!).Initially operating under my own name, I decided last year I wanted a “proper” business and so registered a business name, commissioned a designer for a logo and business cards and set up a website. I haven’t looked back since and can now afford to be picky about the work I take on.However, I did learn some valuable lessons as I navigated being starting a business and becoming a mum at the same time.1. Young babies never sleep for as long as you’d like, making it tricky for you to finish that important project;2. Putting clients first means it is inevitable that you will need to work some nights or weekends because there are always days that don’t go to plan, especially when children are involved;3. Be careful about saying “yes” to every project that comes your way when starting out because not every client is right for you or your business;4. Factor in time to get out and speak to other business owners, both parents and non-parents, so you can share experiences - both professional and those that involve mashed vegetables.5. Never beg a child to go to sleep so you can work - they sense desperation and feed off it.6. If you have to work while your child/ren is with you, let them play where you can still see them from your office/desk/corner of the dining table or take advantage of hour-long DVDs.When I have our second child in January 2009 I know there will be huge upheaval in my business and household, but I am prepared for change and know the new experiences will add to me as a business owner as well as a mother.

Save Money and Eat Healthier by Growing Your Own Produce

Johanna — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:20:07 +0000

In the current tough economic environment everyone is looking for ways to cut their costs - and what better way to make savings than to grow your own produce?mygreenpatch is a new DIY produce patch business, launched this week to help Australians grow some of their own food, reap the health benefits from eating untreated and ripe produce; and save money in the process.Started by Harvey Baker-Dowdell after years of disappointment at the produce options presented at supermarkets, mygreenpatch is based at Wamberal on the NSW Central Coast.”I was sick of buying tasteless tomatoes that were pink instead of the ripe red they should be, and I couldn’t believe it when broccoli was $8 a kilo at my local Woolworths. I knew I could do better and started a small vegetable patch in my backyard,” Harvey explained.”Soon my thumbs were greener and I wanted to expand my patch to grow everything I could, from tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower to pumpkins, rhubarb and passionfruit.”It was such a thrill harvesting my own produce as we needed it and when I talked to friends about what I was doing they all said they wanted to grow their own fruit and vegetables too, but didn’t have space or time. That got me thinking and I started working on plans for three different produce patches - one to suit everyone, whether they lived on an acreage or in an apartment” he said.Many families spend around $30 a week on fruit and vegetables, which is more than $1500 a year. Even after the initial patch investment, customers will be saving themselves money by growing their own produce within a matter of months.mygreenpatch offers three patch sizes: myproducepatch (2400×1200mm), mystarterpatch (1200×600mm) and myherbpatch/mykidspatch (600×600mm) to suit backyard or veranda gardens. Each kit comes with timber, soil, tools, instructions and seedlings - everything needed to get started growing your own produce. Prices start from $250 including delivery.”What better feeling is there, than going outside on a balmy summer evening and picking the basic salad ingredients from your own produce patch - lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions and herbs?” Harvey asked.Having your own produce patch is also a great way to educate children about where food comes from - and what it should really taste like!”My two-year-old son loves helping me plant the seedlings, water our patches, pick snow peas and dig up potatoes. He will grow up eating organic produce we have grown ourselves and I can see he’ll want his own patch soon,” Harvey said.The website, www.mygreenpatch.com.au, is constantly being updated with news on what to plant when, Harvey’s blog and The Allotment - a community-based forum where mygreenpatch users can compare notes, swap seeds, solve pest problems and much more.For more information about mygreenpatch log on to www.mygreenpatch.com.au or call Harvey Baker-Dowdell on 0438 267 777.

Mingara Makes Another Significant Contribution to the Community

Johanna — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:24:30 +0000

Mingara members and the Central Coast community have eagerly watched the Tumbi Umbi construction site for several months and now Mingara One Fitness, Aquatics and Wellness is open for business.Stage 1 of the project, awarded to Stevens Constructions and worth $5.5 million, has provided Mingara members and Central Coast community with one of the finest fitness centres in Australia. Members now have more equipment, classes, aquatic facilities and expert advice at their disposal than ever before. Stage 2, due for completion in February next year, will include Wellness practitioners, with this additional construction taking the bill to around $7.75 million.Mingara chief executive officer, Paul Barnett said community reaction to the new centre had been very positive and thanks to the expert team at Stevens Constructions, the project was completed within budget and on time.”Our members are very pleased with the new Centre. They wanted more classes, longer opening times and more cardio equipment. All these requests have been accommodated. Our group fitness classes now number over 100 and we have extended our hours of operation to 10pm to cater for those who commute for work, like to work out after dinner and for shift workers,” he said.”Mingara One is now nearly three times its original size and offers members over 104 cardio fitness pieces and 133 pieces of strength equipment. The centre is over two levels and includes Mingara One Aquatics and Mingara One Swim School.”"Over the past 12 months, membership of Mingara One has grown by 41 per cent and this is testament to our decision to diversify our product and improve fitness and wellness facilities for the Central Coast community,” Mr Barnett said.While the fitness complex was designed for Mingara members it also provides an outstanding training facility for elite athletes across the Central Coast and is the official training centre of the Central Coast Mariners. In conjunction with the Central Coast Academy of Sport and the NSW Institute of Sport, Mingara One sponsors up to 25 aspiring athletes developing their talents and helping them achieve their best.”Few fitness centres offer such a comprehensive program of activities and equipment for such a wide range of users groups. We are proud to provide such an outstanding facility to the Central Coast community,” Mr Barnett said.

Don’t Ditch Marketing When Times are Tough

Johanna — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:01:00 +0000

After reading a great blog by Valerie Khoo for Enterprise, called The one thing you must not ignore in a downturn, I started thinking more about what Valerie had said.Many businesses ditch marketing when times are tough, but this is madness, as now is the time to make your business stand out from competitors to compete for the dwindling dollars customers have to spend. Sure, re-evaluate marketing practices to cut out the ones that aren’t as successful and track all marketing activity to make sure it is paying dividends, but don’t chop out marketing altogether.A few months ago I attended the Recession Proof Marketing seminar and Madame Marketing, Sharon Tieman, explored the concept of cutting out marketing in her presentation. She said there were two ways to go broke in tough times – bad maths or bad marketing.

Tieman said if businesses didn’t cost overheads, products, time or service and marketing, it could spell trouble. Whatever the economical situation, people will still eat out, buy gifts, replace broken and worn-out goods, celebrate and maintain what they have. “The economy is not going to stop. See what is working in your marketing and keep doing it,” Ms Tieman said.

“Bad marketing is not targeted. Use marketing that gives you a return on your investment. Find out what is selling and what is popular,” she said. The key to business success is to sell customers what they want. Do some market research, find out what is selling and then offer that product. “It’s no use being a broke original thinker. Let’s be wealthy copiers!”

“If you are good at marketing, the sales are just so much easier. Our strategy in business is just to outswim the other guys.” Ms Tieman offered tips to help businesses market effectively. First find the hungry crowd, ask why are they buying and who is buying? Focus on gaining and keeping customers and have an offer in all marketing. “You need to give a sexy offer, like 10 per cent off, two for $20 or buy one get one free. Free is one of the sexiest offers you can give,” she said. Think about what your business can give away for free. This might be an information report for newsletter subscribers, a product donated or discounted by suppliers but perceived to have higher value, or free time - but Ms Tieman warns, “you have to be confident on your ability to sell while you are there, for example demonstrating a product”.

When comparing brand advertising with direct response advertising, Ms Tieman is adamant now is not the time to waste money on branding. “Direct response is better for small business as it makes people want to do something. It’s like television ads versus infomercials, but it’s being remembered versus taking out the credit card and paying,” she said.

Only do marketing that is measurable. “This is not time for experimental advertising; use proven technology,” Ms Tieman said. “You will get five times better response if you target customers you already have by sending them a letter, fax or email, rather than trying to get new customers. Use joint ventures and strategic alliances to market the business further afield.” Talk to people who have had your customers before you or similar customers and find out what worked. Learn how to negotiate and never pay retail again. “Ask ‘is that your best price?’, because businesses will be able to negotiate more in tough times.”

Marketing is often one of the first casualties when businesses start to struggle, but Ms Tieman warns this is not good business practice. “Cut the fat, not the muscle. Marketing is the muscle in your business. Nothing happens until a sale happens and the easiest way to get a sale is through good marketing,” she said. One of the biggest mistakes businesses make in marketing is failure to implement because they are too busy. “What is your time worth? If you earnt $100,000 and worked 40 hours a week, your hourly rate is $52. What is your hourly rate if you earnt $1 million?” she asked.

“Show customers how to make money from what you do. For example to sell a deep fryer, don’t sell it attributes, but that it fried 8kg of chips in one hour. It’s not the best product, best position, person with the most qualifications, nicest office or biggest budget that gets more sales in tough times, it’s the best marketer,” Ms Tieman said. Opportunities come from customer relationships, efficient systems, your mindset, using cost effective marketing and good financial measuring.

For more information about Madame Marketing log on to www.madamemarketing.com.

Five Rules to Help Working Parents

Johanna — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:23:37 +0000

This article was first published in Flying Solo in June 2008. See the article here.I currently have two jobs: one job is paid for with money, and the other with love. This article provides five rules to help working parents.I am a working parent and, like many other solo business owners, I combine working from my third bedroom, also referred to as my “office” to clients, with changing nappies, making peanut butter sandwiches and reading Peter Rabbit for the zillionth time.I wouldn’t have it any other way, but to make both jobs succeed I have to abide by these five rules:1. Designate work and family daysIt doesn’t matter whether you work full-time or part-time, Monday to Friday or any other combination; what matters is that everyone, including you, knows which days you will be working.It’s good for your child/ren to know when they will spend time with you. If I have to work while my son is at home, which is inevitable sometimes, I set a deadline for how long I will work (for two hours while he sleeps, for example). I then try very hard to stick to it.2. Don’t feel guilty about childcareI don’t want to start a childcare debate here, but I think childcare is good. To work effectively you need a certain amount of undisturbed time. I use a combination of family care and formal day care. This way my son gets to spend quality time with his grandparents, as well as develop with a peer group. Meantime I get four days a week in which to work and three days to be a mum.3. Switch off when you’re not workingTry not to work on your designated family days, that way you will feel as if you’ve had a break. Your family will also feel like they have your undivided attention and it’s a great opportunity to do activities together, like swimming classes, going to the library for story time or visiting the park.4. Set aside work spaceWhile not necessarily a point for working parents only, it is important to have “work” space and “home” space if your office shares the same address as your house. However if working with your child/ren at home with you, I recommend making space for them within your office so they can be near you. I have toys in my office to amuse my son while I am working.5. Embrace both rolesIt is easy as a working parent to feel you are slacking off as a parent, or in your business, or both. The best solution to this is to remember why you started your business in the first place. Whether it was to follow an innovative idea, stop commuting, remove yourself from office politics, or spend more time with your family; whatever your reason it pays to remind yourself so you stay focussed.And if that doesn’t work, I always find a hug from my son reminds me that he loves me and thinks I’m great at what I do!

Lessons Learned

Johanna — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:52:54 +0000

While catching up with my email, I read a great story in the Red Tent Woman newsletter.Peter had just begun his role as a General Manager for a multi-million dollar company. He arrived on his first day, excited and thrilled with the prospect of what lay ahead. John, the owner of the company, gave him his first acquisition and entrusted Peter with a million dollar deal.A few weeks later Peter had made a huge mistake in the investment and lost the entire amount. Humbly he went back to John and told him what had happened with the belief that he would be let go.After listening to Peter’s story John asked him what he learnt from the deal and Peter shared what he thought his mistakes were. Peter then apologised and turned to leave the office. John stopped him and asked where he was going. Peter, confused and bewildered, told John he would make it easy for him and quietly resign. John stopped him and said, “Why would I let you go after having just invested one million dollars in your education?”Sometimes things go wrong in our business that can be really challenging, take up valuable resources and sometimes even feel like we’ve been taken hostage. Ask yourself what you can learn from it instead of allowing yourself to be swallowed up by it. That way it seems like an investment instead of a loss.

Mingara Named Finalist for Two True Local Awards

Johanna — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:16:21 +0000

Mingara Recreation Club has been named as a finalist for two categories in the 2008 True Local Business Awards.The categories are Hotel/Clubs/Entertainment Venue and Clubs over 8,000 members. Mingara would like to thank its members and patrons for nominating and voting for the Club.Mingara Community Services Manager John Millard said being named a finalist in the True Local awards was a great honour for the Club.”We have always prided ourselves on our commitment to the community, but these two nominations and being named a finalist in these categories show us how much the Central Coast community values the Club,” Mr Millard said.”We will honour these nominations by continuing our work with the community. Mingara’s vision has always been, ‘to make a significant contribution to the quality of community life’ and the award nominations prove that is exactly what we are doing. “These nominations are great timing because our new fitness centre opens this month, which will provide even better health and leisure facilities to our members,” he said.In the past year alone Mingara has made cash and in-kind contributions worth $490,000 to the Central Coast community. The Club also incurred costs of $132,000 to operate the Gatorade Regional Athletics Centre, a facility benefiting a diverse range of sports including athletics, soccer, rugby league, grid iron and Oz tag.Mingara’s other contributions include hosting the Australian Masters Snooker Championship, Mingara Relay for Life raising money for the NSW Cancer Council and the Club’s Christmas Under the Stars last year raised more than $12,000 for the Salvation Army Oasis Youth Centre and the Volunteer Rescue Association. Mingara proudly hosted the inaugural Donnica Clarke Foundation Sports Gala Dinner, fully sponsored the Salvation Army’s Central Coast Red Shield Appeal launch and continued to support the community through its CDSE contributions (Community Development Support Expenditure).Cumberland Courier Newspapers holds the True Local Business Awards for 19 regions across Sydney and the Central Coast. The awards acknowledge and celebrate the success of businesses in their local communities.

Mingara Paves Way for Future Central Coast Leaders

Johanna — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:12:18 +0000

Mingara Recreation Club piloted the Max Potential youth leadership program this year to such great success that the club is looking to businesses to help fund a bigger and better program next year.Mingara Recreation Club is calling on Central Coast businesses to contribute funding and time to coach young people so it can be even more successful in years to come.Max Potential started in this year with 12 Tuggerah Lakes College The Entrance Campus students participating. It will be open to Central Coast youths aged 16-25 years from 2009.The program connects young people with their community and gives them the opportunity to work with a coach who genuinely cares about their future. Coaches came from a variety of backgrounds, including Central Coast businesses, Mingara staff and staff of Mingara-affiliated clubs, to inspire the students.Max Potential runs over 22 weeks to develop personal leadership skills and help them maximise their potential during the final years at school and beyond. It also encourages youths to focus on the local community and ways they can work to improve it.Each participant chose a community project to complete during the program. These included a holiday workshop called “Equipping Kids of Fostering Families”, a mural in conjunction with Wyong Community Art Outreach program, a musical workshop for disabled children, fundraising for cancer and a Paralympian and an art workshop for gifted primary school children.Max Potential culminated in a presentation earlier this month at Mingara, where the students showcased their achievements.Coach Les Rogan, of Ray White Berkeley Vale, said he had no idea what to expect or how much he would gain from the experience when he agreed to be involved in Max Potential.”It has been a discovery of great personal reward and interaction with my assigned student, who I have also learnt so much from,” Mr Rogan said.”As a person I not only developed character building strategies, but also discovered invaluable skills in relating to young people. I developed a burning passion to continue on this journey and to set and establish new goals to assist young people from different situations across the Central Coast,” he said.Year 11 student Jake McDonald said he developed new skills and improved others throughout the 22-week program.”I challenged myself to build confidence and perceive success in my life and how to work towards it by completing dynamic projects assisted by my personal coach and the other participants within the program,” Jake said.”My recent community service project allowed me to help by raising desperately needed funds for a young athlete. Max Potential gave me the right attitude and leadership skills to make a difference,” he said.The Entrance Campus principal David Beattie has trained as a coach, so he knew what his students would gain from the experience.”When I heard that Mingara was supporting the Max Potential program I was really keen for students from The Entrance to be involved,” Mr Beattie said.”By linking our leaders of the future with local identities and business people, students can get a better insight and work with their coach to improve their skills and abilities. The projects they developed and refined to demonstrate their leadership and abilities were fantastic and the students’ skills in planning, reflecting, organising and public speaking were enhanced. Be inspired - develop your leadership skills and aspire to be the best you can be!” he said.Max Potential 2008 was fully funded by Mingara Recreation Club, which continues to demonstrate its community leadership and passion for youth through involvement in this program. Gosford RSL also contributed to Max Potential.

Too Busy for Promotion?

Johanna — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:22:01 +0000

I recently presented at The Brew’s Central Coast and Newcastle business exhibitions on using public relations to promote business. I met several people at both events who were so busy working on their businesses that they had no time left to do any promotion.Whether this is a time management issue or the case of small business owners trying to do everything themselves, it doesn’t help the business if there are no new customers coming through the door or logging on to the website. The key to getting these new customers is letting them know you are there through promotion. Wouldn’t it be better for your business to employ an extra person to cope with demand from new customers, than slogging away with same orders month after month?As a small business person myself I have been guilty of being stuck in the same rut. We have to do our own accounts, administration, marketing as well as the work that makes the business run. I am better at some of these tasks than others and have previously written about my procrastination with some. But I still make time to log on to relevant business forums and chat with other business owners about public relations, update my details in online directories, speak at events and keep this blog up to date. Yes I could do more to market my own business, but what I currently do keeps me in touch with potential and new clients all the time and that is the point of promotion (besides the obvious brand building).So spend an hour or two in the next few weeks brushing up on your promotion - send a press release, join a business forum or industry association, attend a networking event or write a newsletter - and watch the new business pile up. You never know, you might get so much new work you need that extra person!*If you would like to see a copy of my presentation, download it from my eBook page.

PR Myths Exposed

Johanna — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:39:16 +0000

I am an Australian Anthill newsletter subscriber and a recent edition featured a great article by Jules Brooke from Handle Communications on the Five Myths of PR.I come across many business owners who aren’t sure of the benefits of public relations to their business. I have no problem with that, because it’s my job to tell them how PR can work to promote their business, but there are some basic assumptions that Jules covered in her article that really resonated with me.1. PR is guaranteed coverage - this is never the case. The whole point of PR is to create a relevant story for the media to cover. There can be many reasons a business’s PR isn’t used by a media outlet, from missing the deadline to the competition used it first.2. PR is instant - while it may be possible to get some early coverage in a PR campaign, PR is at its best over the long term. PR is about building relationships with the right media so when they need something about your business’s industry, they know who to ask. It takes several months for a campaign to reach its full potential, so be prepared to be in it for the long haul.3. Once I have a PR agency I don’t have to do anything else - while a PR agency will do the leg work of finding the media, writing the press releases, sending them out and following up, all this counts for nothing if a journalist wants to speak to the business owner and they’re not available. The story is likely to be shelved, or given less importance than if someone had been interviewed. You will also need to approve information before it is sent to the media, be available for any questions the consultant may have and provide background information about the business to create a better story.4. I will approve what is written before it goes to print - you will approve the press release, but how that information is used after it is sent to the media is no longer in your control. It may result in an entire story about your business, or you may be one of several businesses featured in the article (possibly including your competition).5. It’s easy to get on TV - if your story is relevant and catches the eye of the program’s producers, you may get on TV. However, it is the hardest coverage to secure for clients because there are fewer stations and programs than other media and stories are more time sensitive than anywhere else. It’s important to remember that the point of PR is to promote your business in a positive light to your industry and customers, so it’s best to go for media that your customers read, watch or listen to, than choose TV above everything else.The moral to this story is PR is about building ongoing relationships with targeted media, your industry and customers. If you want guaranteed coverage that you have control over, it’s best to pay for advertising.