Whether you are an employer, a self-employed individual or are even just thinking about starting out on your own, the information contained on this dedicated page should prove invaluable.

Simply follow the links to find out more.

FREE WORKSHOPS

HMRC has arranged a series of free workshops, delivered in key geographical locations designed especially to help you.

For a list of the Workshops and to download a booking form, CLICK HERE

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE E-LEARNING TOOL

HMRC have recently launched a new e-learning tool that advises on the tax and National insurance issues involved in starting your own business.

The package can be completed in bite-size pieces and covers subjects including:
Starting in business
Registering your self employment
What records should I keep?
What can I claim against my income?
VAT registration
Becoming an employer

Incorporated into the package are learning checks and videos as well as links to further advice on Business Link website.

Remember - this information is for your guidance only. It does not cover all you need to know about this subject. It will be updated each tax year.

CLICK HERE to access the Electronic Learning Package.

HMRC ON YOU TUBE

Yes - they even have their own Channel on You Tube consisting of a series of short videos which are really useful.

CLICK HERE to access their Channel.

HMRC TAX WIDGET

KEY MESSAGES AND EDITORIALS

Documents will be added to this list as and when they are published. Just click on each one to view.

January 2012
December 2011
October 2011
September 2011

WEBINARS

A series of webinars will shortly be available. More details coming soon.

“I’m too busy to network”
“It’s a waste of time”
“I don’t meet the right people”
“It’s costly; when will I see a return on my investment?”

Networking works, but you have to work at it! When I attended my first networking meeting I was terrified. I worried that nobody would talk to me or that the room would be full of high-flyers who would look down their nose at a training consultant.

I actually had a really positive experience and have been successfully networking ever since. Everyone knows that you get a more positive response from people who you meet face to face yet we still shy away from networking or don’t use it to its full potential.

My 6 top tips for growing your business through networking are:

1. Don’t talk about yourself too much
Aim for an 80:20 ratio with you asking the other person plenty of questions about their business, this is the best way to determine if they would have any use for your service or product. It also gives the other person that “warm fuzzy” feeling if you seem genuinely interested in their business and, after all, most people love to talk about themselves!

2. Practice your 60 second commercial
Most networking events allow the attendees to give a 60 second commercial so make sure yours is memorable but professional…don’t get the other networkers to stand on one leg while humming the National Anthem, you’ll just make them feel ridiculous and alienate people.
Your 60 second commercial can also be used in answer to “So what do you do?” and is especially useful if you provide a service or manufacture a product that wouldn’t be instantly recognised by a lay person.

3. Talk to as many people as possible
Without being rude or cutting conversations short, try to speak to as many people as possible. Don’t ever dismiss somebody if they don’t seem like the kind of person you would do business with as they may be very well-connected and may refer you to a contact.

4. Take plenty of business cards
Give your card to everyone that you talk to, or why not give them two or three and ask them to pass the extra ones on to a contact whom you may be able to help?
Some networking groups may email a delegate list out before the event with each person’s contact details on……keep this.

5. Follow up
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF NETWORKING!!! If you don’t do this then you might as well not bother with networking. Call everyone who attended the networking event a few days later, don’t worry if you didn’t speak to them at the event. Why not try the following approach;
“Hi, we were at the same networking event yesterday and I really wanted to come and have a chat with you but didn’t seem to get the opportunity. Would I be able to just take a minute or so of your time now to see if it would be worthwhile for us to meet for a coffee and find out more about each other’s businesses?”

Don’t feel cheeky doing this, ultimately everyone goes to networking events to win more business or to find solutions to their business headaches. If you promised to send some information or introduce a contact then make sure you do this within the next couple of days. Use LinkedIn to connect with people you have met also.

6. Give to Get
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his essay, “Compensation,” wrote that each person is compensated in a like manner for that which he or she has contributed. The same applies to networking; if you can introduce two people who might be able to work with each other, then they are more likely to reciprocate. Whether it’s an introduction, expert advice or information, it all helps.

Networking isn’t a quick fix to solve your business problems; it’s a slower but more sustainable method for growing your revenue as long as you make the most of it.

Author: Helen Jones, Sandler Training and Cherchez Member
www.southmanchester.sandler.com

Exciting Exhibitors

Wonderful Workshops

Fantastic Food

Tremendous Tips for getting press attention

Lots of Lovely Ladies

No-Nonsense Networking

The day was shared between some familiar faces and lots of new ones too who thoroughly enjoyed their first experience of doing things the Cherchez way. The Conference Centre excelled in their delivery of fresh tea and coffee throughout the day, with pastries available as the ladies arrived in the morning and with a selection of mini cakes during the afternoon break which were very enthusiastically received!! We were treated to a wonderful buffet lunch providing hot and cold choices for all tastes with a fantastic basket of fresh fruit to follow. It really was amazing.

Sue Southern of Ithaca Photography was kept busy all day snapping images of the proceedings and you can a tiny selection of her photos here.

The Workshops proved really interesting and inspiring and my thanks go to Anna, Helen and Becs for all their hard work and effort in making them such a success. Keep an eye on the website for details of where you may be able to see them present to Cherchez again in the future.

Those who took advantage of the exhibition opportunity all seemed to have enjoyed some additional business from the day. Read some of the comments below.

Bridget Batty was the lucky winner of the business card draw which saw her receive a voucher for a complimentary session with Linda Curtis, professional business and personal mentor.

And Mary Murtagh provided a splendid final session to the day with her upbeat and direct delivery of her Top Ten Tips for producing a perfect press release to get your business noticed. Everyone was scribbling away to capture the mountain of information that Mary shared with us in such a short space of time. It really was a great way to round off a hugely successful day. Keep an eye out for our September lunch time meeting dates as Mary will be visiting one or two of our regions to enlighten those of you who were unable to join us there. You don’t want to miss out, believe me.

And then those that were able joined me in the Conservatory for a cocktail or two which, in my own case, was well-earned - I can tell you!!

Thanks again must go to those ladies who kindly sponsored the event with their support:

• Shout Out Graphics
• Ithaca Photography
• Rainbow Wrappers
• The Manchester Conference Centre
• PA-as-you-go.com
• AE:ON Aesthetics
• Linda Curtis

Who wants to do it all again next year…………??…………!!

“I’m really glad you’ve had good feedback from this event, it was a lovely atmosphere and I met some wonderful ladies a couple of which I am having meetings with over the next few weeks. I agree with your comments about the venue, it was just the right size, the breakout rooms were really nicely laid out and the food was fab!” Helen Jones, Sandler Training

“For Geraldine and myself (Forever Living Products) it was a very successful day. We met some very interesting and personable ladies and we know for sure that we will meet them again as 17 of them want us to drop off a box of samples, 7 have offered to host a house party and another 2 may want to come on board - brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the day. I thought the speakers were excellent and I would have liked to have attended all three talks. I will definitely be attending some of the local lunches and I look forward to meeting you again.” Kind regards, Lynne Paigge

“Just a quick note to say how great it was to meet you all in Manchester last friday!. I was really nervous about it but you were all so friendly. I also want to thank those of you who have booked a Templespa evening with me and I can’t wait to come along and meet you and your friends and spend a great evening of pampering! I am a Yorkshire gal and am trying to move my business into the Manchester area and so really appreciate the support you gave me…….
I have also chatted to one or two of you and am really excited about the ideas we are coming up with to work together to promote each others business. Please do ring with any more ideas!!! Looking forward to seeing you again, Love Heather x” Heather Pearson, Templespa

“…. I attended one of these sessions delivered by Cherchez Member, Helen Jones. Here’s the recommendation I wrote on Linked In:
“Having recently attended Helen’s Business Development Roundtable, I can recommend Helen’s sales training. I came away with sales strategies to put into practice, a deeper insight into buyers’ behaviours and, importantly, motivation to step up my sales effort! I recommend Sandler’s holistic approach to sales, combined with Helen’s professional, yet relaxed, delivery of the training.” Janice Mills, Higher Ground Coaching

“Hello all, Although two weeks after the event, i would like to thank you all for the fruitful morning you have created for me personally as well as H & D Diamonds’ future. This was my first time in a networking event and i am thankful to all of you for making me feel so comfortable and at ease.”
Orit Adiri-Niemogha

“Had a great day and met some great people - thank you for inviting me along. Hope to get to the Warrington and South Cheshire groups soon xx” Becs McNeill, Linked-In Workshop Provider

“It was great to meet you last Friday at the Cherchez Networking Summer Spectacular. I hope, like me, you really enjoyed the day. Well done and thank you Helen for organising the day. As a follow-up I am writing to outline an offer to everyone who attended on the day ……..” Julia Gardner, SanSins Wines

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OUR NEXT EVENT

DATE: Thursday 1st March 2012
TIME: 12 noon - 2pm
VENUE: 5 Moorgate Farm, Carrbrook, Stalybridge, Cheshire, SK15 3NS
COST: £8 Members; £10 non-Members, including refreshments

The next meeting of the Tameside Women’s Enterprise Network/Cherchez Networking Tameside Group is being hosted by Deborah Heywood of Uniquely Upholstered and the venue is 5 Moorgate Farm, Carrbrook, Stalybridge, Cheshire, SK15 3NS. Please do not use this post code in a SatNav as apparently it takes you to the wrong place.

We are delighted to announce that our speaker for this meeting will be Karen Hands from Thought into Action Ltd who will giving us tips about building the confidence we all need to give great presentations.

“From Panic to Poise – Powerful & Persuasive Presentations”
How many chances have passed you by because you didn’t feel confident about speaking to an audience or giving presentations? Everyone gets butterflies before talking in front of people – the skill is to recognise that they bring an edge to your performance which draws people in. No matter what your business, we all need to communicate what we do effectively to others. Karen will entertain you with stories of life on the podium while subtly provoking you to examine your attitude to presenting yourself. Unless and until women speak up, we will never discover how we can help each other to grow and succeed in business. This talk is a taster of a 2-hour seminar Karen and business partner Catherine Sandland run at locations in Cheshire and Lancashire under the banner Phenomenal Woman.

Book your place for this fantastic event right here using the button below.

Cherchez Tameside, 1 March 2012

Cherchez Non-Member £10.00 GBP Cherchez Member £8.00 GBP

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Previous Events

17 January 2012

Our January event was split into two sessions - one lunchtime and one evening - as it was a Marketing “Hot Seat” session so numbers were limited. Whilst the groups were small, they were perfectly formed and this concept of a more focused debate centred on real issues was certainly a great hit. Watch out for more of the same in our other Cherchez areas in the months ahead. And if there’s more demand for it in Tameside, who knows, we may just do it all over again. Email us if you’d be interested.

The groups that met at this session already have plans for a follow up in a couple of months time.

Here’s what some of the ladies had to say……….

“Very useful, comfortable environment. Would like more sessions like this.”

“Very interesting and learned what marketing is. Also have some really good suggestions.”

Well, with comments like these, why wouldn’t you want to try out Cherchez for yourself? It works!!

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13 October - Reborn Holistics, Audenshaw

The October meeting was hosted by Amita Patel who runs Reborn Holistics. This business offers the complete range of holistic therapies including Ayurveda, Reflexology, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy and various types of massage. Those who attended, enjoyed some freshly cooked samosas together with other snacks and a range of herbal teas and other hot drinks. Amita had set up a display of various products which she sells in addition to the therapies. The whole ambiance was very soothing and everyone left their stresses of the day at the door!

Amita very kindly donated three sessions at Reborn for our business card draw: either a massage or one of her Bliss half hour taster sessions. These were won by Collette Ratcliffe, Tricia Gibbs and Gill Bradley with Adele Fielding winning the free place at the next meeting. All in all, a successful outing for the ladies!

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16th June - Joshua Bradley, Gee Cross

We enjoyed a lovely venue this month with delegates that included Julie Baudelin from France who has been on a work experience placement with Kate Millett from Staly Mag for five weeks. Unfortunately Tracey Rush was unable to attend at the last minute but her husband and business partner (and the technical side of Asone) Joel came in her place (no one minded!) and he was excellent. We also had two winners from the recent Pride of Tameside Awards: Bradley’s Bakery (who have also won a Silver Medal for their meat and potato pies recently at the British Pie Awards) were Retail Business of the Year and Asone were Innovative Business of the Year. Guide Bridge MOT were runners up in Business of the Year.

Joel gave an informed presentation on why and how you should use Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others) for your business. He explained the growing importance, even above search engine optimisation in using this type of media and he answered questions which were many and varied. As you will see from the feedback everyone appreciated the advice being given.

This month’s business card draw winners were Kate Millett who walked away with the bottle of bubbly and Gillian Bradley will be coming along again to another meeting free of charge.

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12th May - The Sycamore, Ashton under Lyne

“The meeting itself was very friendly, comfortable, felt relaxed. No pressure. Enjoyed meeting other business ladies. Will definitely come again”

“Nice opportunity to meet and discuss issues. Thought good idea to have sessions on business issues”

“The meeting was well run with lots of opportunitites to talk/listen/network and good information to take away…”

Despite some catering problems, the feedback received was very positive. and for a relatively small group there was certainly a lot of chatting going on and some great business contacts were made. Jane would like to arrange future meetings around a theme relating to a topical business issue and the ladies present thought this was a great idea. As well as businesses already operating in Tameside, we were also joined by Deb Feather and Heather Pearson from Temple Spa who are currently based in Holmfirth but are looking to expand their business into the Tameside area. Heather very sensibly decided to join Cherchez and took advantage of the discounted rate for meeting delegates. Welcome aboard Heather! The business card draw winners this month were Karen Anderson from Je Suis Lingerie who has a free place at a future meeting of her choice and Dot Birchfield from Willow Wood Hospice who took the bubbly. Well done to you both.

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We had a great launch meeting on 14th April at The Priory Tennis Club in Stalybridge. A nice mix of businesses were represented with some familiar faces being joined by a number of newbies.

“Very informal, relaxed atmosphere. Good networking opportunities.”

“First networking event. I was very nervous about attending but have found it to be a really useful and enjoyable few hours.”

After a light lunch, Jane Michael took to the floor to explain how Cherchez and the Tameside Women’s Enterprise Network had come to work together to promote networking for the business women of Tameside. Despite Jane recently leaving her job with Tameside Council, she remains a great ambassador for women’s issues and and she will bring her energy and enthusiasm to the Cherchez group going forward.

Winners of the business card draw this month were Ginny Diggle from EJD Mortgages who bagged herself a free place at a future Cherchez event, and Theresa Cearns of Collective Legal Solutions who walked away with the bottle of fizz. Congratulations to both of them and we’re looking forward to our next event which will take place on Thursday 12th May at a venue to be confirmed.

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NEXT EVENT

DATE: Friday 3rd February 2012
TIME: 12 noon till 2.00pm
VENUE: Alsager Golf and Country Club, Audley Road, Alsager, ST7 2UR.
COST: £14 Cherchez Members; £18 Non-Members
GUEST SPEAKER: Caroline Hampson

Caroline is the Author of Tickover or Takeoff : How to build a multimillion pound business (described by Tim Smit KBE and Chief Exec of the Eden Project as an inspiring book that is about dirt under the fingernails entrepreneurship….a must read for wannabe tycoons, moguls and psychiatrists). She works extensively with a wide range of SME’s across the North West.

Through her business Inspo Ltd, Caroline has been heavily involved with the NWDA LEAD programme and the NWDA mentoring scheme and now splits her time between continuing to write on the subject of entrepreneurship, its challenges and solutions, working with businesses in the region who are keen to develop their own growth plans for takeoff and speaking at various events throughout the Northwest.

Caroline will share elements of her journey, stories from the writing of the book and a simple and inspiring philosophy to help you prepare for Takeoff!

There will be time for relaxed and informal networking over lunch (Chef’s making us sandwiches and chips!) and we’ll have the usual prize draw for a free place at the March meeting or a signed book by Caroline.

This really will be a fabulous event and I’m looking forward to welcoming some familiar faces back and to meeting some new ladies too! Book your place right here using the button below.

Cherchez South Cheshire, 3rd February 2012

Cherchez Non-Member £18.00 GBP Cherchez Member £14.00 GBP

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Previous Meetings

13th January 2012

It was great to hold our first South Cheshire meeting of 2012 back in the historic Main Hall at Reaseheath College. Many thanks to Anne Sharrott of the Enterprise Delivery Hub at Reaseheath for encouraging, supporting and accommodating us.

We had a wonderful turnout that included both new and familiar faces.

Our guest speaker, Becs McNeill, was very well received as she shared her expertise in making social media work for our businesses.

In the business card draw, Vicki Spibey, from Arbonne, won the free place at the February meeting.

“Excellent talk from Becs! Venue good and good selection of businesses.”

“Very interesting to learn about the social media side to marketing … got some work to do now!!”

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2nd December 2011

“I just wanted to write and thank you for the meeting on Friday. I never like going into a room where I don’t know people, but it was a very welcoming group, so thank you. I loved the talk by Nicola, and look forward to seeing you at the January meeting.”

Our seventh South Cheshire meeting saw us back at the delightful Wellness Centre in Nantwich.

New and familiar faces enjoyed networking while sampling “alternative” nutritious drinks and protein shakes for lunch.

Our guest speaker was Nicola Cupples from My Style Companion who delivered an engaging and entertaining talk on how to style ourselves confident and stop making do! Charity shops will see a boom in business as we all come away and de-clutter our wardrobes!

In the business card draw, Caroline Gowing, from Pink Spaghetti PA Services, won the free place at the January meeting.

“Really good speaker. Buzzing event!”

“Loved it! Great speaker and my favourite topic!”

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4th November 2011

“Great venue, lovely food, great company and inspirational speaker!”

“Excellent again – really enjoyed it. Great guest speaker too – definitely food for thought.”

Our sixth South Cheshire meeting was kindly hosted by the North West Enterprise Hub within the stunning Main Hall at Reaseheath College, Nantwich.

Networking flowed quickly and easily over a lovely lunch and our guest speaker, Karen Hands, inspired us with her story of how she moved ‘from panic to poise’ when public speaking.

In the prize draw, Michelle Potts from Arbonne won the free place at the December meeting and Sue Roberts from The Utilities Warehouse won the prize donated by Karen Hands.

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Regent’s Park, Nantwich, Friday 7th October 2011

Our fifth South Cheshire meeting was the biggest and best so far!

Eighteen women in business enjoyed networking over a tasty lunch provided by Anna Morales at her delightful and ever successful Funky Monkey Café. Anna shared her inspirational story of the café, from her initial vision and opening of her first premises to her recent expansion into a space eight times bigger, where she already enjoys days when there’s not a table free!

This month’s talk was from Helen Jones, Managing Director of South Manchester Sandler Training. Helen gave us useful insight into personality types and the importance of choosing our communication styles to complement those of our business associates.

In the prize draw, Rosemary Douglas won the free place at the November meeting, Mumtaz Hussain won the Jamie at Home prize (kindly donated by Sue Kay) and Kate Nicholls took the sales book brought by Helen Jones.

We’ve had some really amazing feedback some of which is summarised below. For all the comments, go to our Testimonials Page.

“I really enjoyed my time with the ladies at Cherchez today and hearing all the great stories. I look forward to meeting you all again soon. I have already made some great contacts through networking, with seeds planted for collaborations!

“A big thanks to Janice for the event yesterday & to Helen for a great talk.”
Mumtaz Hussain, Redshift Radio and Adamsons Law

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The Wellness Centre, Nantwich, Friday 2nd September 2011

Our fourth event saw us returning to The Wellness Centre in Nantwich – such a feelgood light and airy space for networking - with many new faces from a diverse range of businesses and backgrounds.

Delegates enjoyed healthy drinks on arrival and got to choose from a mouth-watering menu of smoothies for lunch.

Networking got underway quickly and easily and the highlight of the event was our guest speaker, award-winning journalist Mary Murtagh. Mary shared her top tips on how to market your business for free by writing a killer press release that would grab the attention of journalists. Her inimitable style of delivery made for an extremely informative and entertaining session.

“100% fantastic – thanks Janice” - Corinne Christou

“Lovely to meet everyone, mixing and learning in such a relaxing atmosphere! A big thank you to Janice for choosing such a wonderful venue and speaker. “ - Chrisoula Sirigou

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Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Friday 3rd June 2011

Our third South Cheshire meeting was back in the wonderfully light and airy space of the Circle Bar at Crewe Lyceum theatre.

We were delighted to have as our guest speaker Pam Dawson from The Blue Orchid business development agency. Pam brought her wealth of experience as both a business development adviser and as a business woman who has an eye for new business opportunities and acts upon them! We were all riveted by Pam’s enthusiastic (and humorous) talk and notes were being taken enthusiastically as Pam shared idea after idea. Most of us were challenged in our business thinking and it was interesting to see people having their individual “aha moments”!

On the networking front, women from a diverse range of businesses were supporting each other in true Cherchez style:

* recommending other Cherchez women who could provide services they needed
* exploring ideas to work collaboratively
* encouraging each other

In the business card draw the free place at a future Cherchez meeting went to Emma Berry (Personal Trainer), the bottle of fizz to Tracey Bastiman (H R Consultant) and the homemade cake to Helen Jones (Sandler Training).

Feedback from the session included:

“Brilliant. Loved listening to Pam Dawson with her no-nonsense approach! Very inspirational.” Emma Berry, Personal Trainer

“Thanks Janice for another great South Cheshire meeting, the talk by Pam Dawson from Blue Orchid was great; packed full of no-nonsense and practical advice.” Helen Jones, Sandler Training

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Friday 6th May - Nantwich

The second South Cheshire meeting was kindly hosted by The Wellness Centre in Nantwich, a perfect, bright and airy space for networking Cherchez-style: relaxed, supportive and friendly over a light lunch.

Jill Jeffries of The Wellness Centre gave a very insightful talk about health and nutrition, with simple but effective ideas for fitting exercise into the busiest of lives (must check my cupboard for two tins of baked beans) and we all saw our breakfast habits in a new light!

In the prize draw, Helen Jones won the bottle of bubbly and Sue Edbury took the free place at a future Cherchez meeting.

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Friday 8th April - Crewe

“Great Launch event. Enjoyed the talk by Janice and meeting the other ladies”

“What a pleasant comfortable meeting”

The first Cherchez South Cheshire meeting got off to a flying start. at Crewe’s Lyceum Theatre on Friday 8th April: great venue, good food and what a lovely group of ladies!

From Personal Trainers to Human Resources Consultants, we had a wonderfully diverse range of businesses represented and networking got underway quickly and easily.

A huge thanks to Jacqueline Wilson, from Cheshire East Council, for joining us. Jacqueline shared her genuine enthusiasm for supporting local women in business and raised everyone’s awareness of business development opportunities available from the Council.

Janice took the spotlight session and gave everyone an insight into Life Coaching and its benefits, along with some fear-busting strategies to take away and put into practice.

The business card prize draw saw Susan Kay taking away the bubbly, Emma Berry winning an hour’s coaching with Janice and Lucy Hill winning free entry to a future Cherchez meeting.

TITLE: HOW TO DO YOUR OWN PR

This half-day workshop helps small businesses and entrepreneurs get free publicity in print and social media, radio, television and online.

Is your business missing out on valuable media coverage because of fear of journalists and confusion over what they want? Well, help is at hand.

Award winning journalist Mary Murtagh has spent 12 years as a reporter on the UK’s biggest regional papers. She knows what makes the media tick and how to attract their attention. With her specialist training she can teach you the skills needed to promote your business in print and on radio and television.

Got a new contract you want to brag about? Mary can teach you how to present this information in a way that engages reporters and gets it on their news agenda. Want to drum up clients and contracts? She will teach you how to raise your profile to attract potential new customers.

The areas covered include:

* What makes a story and how to spot them in your daily business routine
* How the media works and what to do when approached by reporters/photographers
* Putting together press releases which always get used
* Insider secrets about how to get your business media coverage

The workshop is fun and full of vital information you won’t find in any marketing book or PR website. It is a mixture of presentations, discussion and practical hands-on training. Participants walk away with a simple toolkit of skills to get the best for their business out of the media.

“Great workshop. I’ve got an interview with my local radio station lined up as a result of following your advice so thanks Mary”

The usual cost for this Workshop is £99, but Mary has slashed the price just for Cherchez to just £75 for non-members and only £70 for members. This is a ONE-OFF Opportunity to arm yourself with all this insider information at Cherchez’s specially reduced fee. Mary will only be doing ONE WORKSHOP for each of our groups.

Don’t miss out - book your place right here - right now!

MANCHESTER
DATE: Friday 27th January 2012
TIME: 10.00am till 2.00pm
VENUE: to be confirmed shortly
COST: £70 Cherchez Members; £75 Non-Members - including a buffet lunch and drinks

Manchester, 27th January 2012 2011

Cherchez Non-Member £75.00Cherchez Member £70.00

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Here’s how to make your business greener in the coming year.

Step One: Identify your existing habits and practices

Spend a week or two analyzing your current habits and practices. What habits need to be changed to become more “green”? For example, do you commonly print all agreements or receipts? Do you leave your computer and electronics on at night when you’re not using them?

Keep a journal of the habits you can or want to change to support your resolution.

Step Two: Research how far you can take it

How green do you want to go? For example, do you want to simply modify your existing habits? Or do you want to consider becoming a business that runs solely on natural energy? Decide exactly how green you want to go.

Step Three: Start laying out your plan

You’ve identified the habits you want to change to support a greener business. You have also made a decision about how green you want to be. Now it’s time to plan for success. To achieve success you’re going to need to change your habits, or better still, replace them with completely new ones.

For example, if you have realized that you often leave your electronics on when you’re not using them, you can modify this habit by plugging everything into a power strip. Then you simply turn off the strip when you’re not using these items.

If you’re making major changes like converting to 100% solar power you’re going to want to investigate how to make it happen. This will require not only a change of habit but also a complete overhaul of many of your systems.

Achieving success takes a commitment. Consider motivating yourself with a reward when you achieve success. For example, if you’re converting your office to 100% solar energy you might throw a party to celebrate your accomplishment. This is also a great way to generate some press and publicity. You could speak at your local Small Business Association, at various Networking Groups, or at Chamber of Commerce local events about how you made your business greener.

Going green is a noble goal. You’ll not only save money for your business, you’ll improve the world around you. Identify where you can make changes in your business - and then create a plan to make it happen.

Start Planning Now - Green is Good!

Of course, there will always be temptation, but when you equip yourself with anti-temptation tools, you will be able to quickly re-focus your mind on your greater goal of getting healthy!

Using Affirmations to Make Healthy Food and Nutrition Choices

When everyone around you at the office is indulging in burgers, fries, and sugary drinks, it’s awfully tempting to join in, isn’t it? But what if you could stop that temptation in its tracks and actually choose to make a healthy choice? You don’t need me to tell you that fatty and sugary choices are not the kinds of food that your body needs - you need to tell yourself!

It can be hard in moments of temptation to make the right choice, but with the help of positive affirmations, you can re-train your brain to replace the desire for junk food with healthy choices.

Affirmations can help you stick to your diet, say no to temptation, and eat nourishing and satisfying foods. How? By replacing the negative spiral of thoughts in your mind with powerful, positive ones. But first you have to believe that it is possible to gain control over your thirsts, desires, and cravings. The first step in making a lasting change in your life is to make the commitment to success. Are you committed? Do you believe that you can overcome your cravings?

Once you’ve set your commitment in stone, you’re ready to learn the top 10 affirmations to get you through moments of weakness.

Top 10 Food and Nutrition Affirmations

Before reading the list below, you should know that affirmations are most successful when you internalize the saying and repeat it frequently. Whether you’re having a good or bad day, you need to be constantly repeating these positive statements in your mind. Temptation will strike when you least expect it, so it’s better to be prepared!

1. I can neutralize bad habits with good food, exercise, and healthy living.

2. I am proud to reach out to my support network instead of leaning on bad habits for comfort.

3. I am improving my lifestyle for me because I love me.

4. I set aside time just for me.

5. My good health and productivity are the rewards for the nourishing foods I eat.

6. Weight gain happens over time, so weight loss equally requires time, patience, and lifestyle changes.

7. I use self-care, not self-control.

8. The more I take care of myself, the better I feel.

9. I am firmly committed to staying active and healthy.

10. I deserve a healthy body and mind.

When you look at these food and nutrition affirmations, they may seem like ideals - behaviors and thoughts that you only wish you could have - but each time you reaffirm them by saying them aloud, you’re slowly changing your mindset. Over time, these ideals will become a reality through your thoughts and actions.

But remember, you must first believe you can change. Once you make the commitment to your success, you will change your attitudes about food and you’ll be thankful you did!

Step One: Define what you need. Before you go on a hunt for someone to help you, determine exactly what you need help with. Each virtual assistant is going to have their own strengths. Some might offer a variety of services ranging from basic to quite technical and complicated whilst others may specialise in a specific industry or a specific type of service.

For example, one virtual assistant may specialise in editing, proofreading and transcription. Another may specialise in forum management or WordPress installation and general website maintenance. In order to determine who to hire, you need to first determine what you need them to do.

Step Two: Begin the search. In addition to perhaps posting the job on classified job sites, social networking sites and your own website, start searching. Ask associates who they recommend. Use a search engine to find service providers. Start gathering candidates for the position.

Step Three: Narrow the field. Once you have a list of candidates, start narrowing the field. Use references and recommendations to shorten the list. Consider speaking with the top candidates on the phone to find out how they work, what their policies are and to see how they communicate. Half of an effective relationship is communication. You must be able to clearly and effectively communicate with each other.

Step Four: Test the waters. Ask the top two or three candidates to manage a small project for you. The purpose of this is to essentially test how you work together, how the virtual assistant manages the project and their professionalism. If you end up with two or three perfect virtual assistants, that’s okay. You can then choose the one that offers the best rates or the one that you most connect with personally.

Step Five: Keep your new VA busy. Once you’ve found a great virtual assistant, or two, then keeping them busy is a great way to keep them loyal. Service providers need to keep their schedules full to keep their business alive. If they can count on you for a certain amount of work each week or month, they’ll make a consistent place in their schedule for you. This means you’ll be able to receive your projects on a timely, and consistent, basis.

PA-as-you-go.com can provide a wide range of professional and affordable services for your business. A small network of associates can cover services from basic typing and transcription work, book-keeping and accountancy tasks, translations between most world languages, and website design, development and marketing.

Great virtual assistants can be difficult to find, so why not take a look at PA-as-you-go.com to start your very own search for that additional and affordable support your business needs.

Women are especially attracted to the possibilities the Internet offers. Some are true entrepreneurs who recognise the benefits on offer from doing business online, whilst others are mums who want to work but need a flexible schedule, or those with health issues that make it difficult or impossible to get a “traditional” job. Whatever the reason, more women are making money online than ever before.

There are numerous ways to earn money online and here are some of the many options available today:

* Ecommerce - Whether you sell at online auction sites or set up your own ecommerce store, selling online provides great income potential. With proper promotion of your site and/or products, you can sell almost anything online. Everyone with an Internet connection and a credit or debit card is a potential customer, so if you get the word out, you’re bound to find someone who needs or wants what you have to offer.

* Blogging - Many Internet users maintain blogs as a hobby, but did you know that you can make money blogging? You can sell advertising or promote affiliate products on your blog, and if you have a substantial amount of traffic, you can make good money.

* Internet marketing - Selling ebooks, software, and other downloadable products online is a great way to make money. It doesn’t require a large investment or much overhead, and you can get paid over and over again for one piece of work. Delivery can be completely automated, leaving you to handle little more than marketing and creating new products.

* Services - Selling services online has become a popular way for talented women to make money. Those with secretarial backgrounds often excel in virtual assistance. Cherchez owner, Helen Byrne, operates her own online business as a Virtual PA. See more details at PA-as-you-go.com. Other talents that could make you money online include graphic design, proof-reading, photography and writing.

* Domaining - Buying and selling domains can be a very lucrative online business. The best domains have sold for millions. This is a rather tricky business these days, but if you can master it, the income potential is tremendous.

Starting a business online has proven to be an effective way for a woman to be her own boss and make a steady income. With all of the opportunities that are available today, almost any woman can find something to do online that she enjoys.

There’s no time like the present to jump on the Internet’s money-making bandwagon.