Category Archives for Blogs

Mixing!

What do you get when you mix together a Stylist, a Consultant in winning tenders, a LinkedIn Consultant, a hair and make-up boutique MD, a practitioner & consultant in personal safety, an expert librarian, a safety software developer, a VA, excellent food, inspiring speaker, great venue?

Take a pinch of entrepreneurship….

A successful 1230 TWC Cornhill business meeting!

Today was the launch of 1230 TWC Cornhill and the first challenge was to find, the so discrete members only, Eight Club Bank venue! But find it they did and were so able to benefit from the many cross synergies and connections at the meeting.

Additionally, Guest Speaker Sev Necati impressed upon us the importance of personal safety awareness and shared some useful tips. We look forward to Sev joining us at other 1230 TWC meeting locations.

I look forward to seeing everyone again on Wednesday 5 October, if not before. And as a new group we are happy to hold the 1230 TWC Bring a Girlfriend offer open.

See you soon

Posted by on 08/09/2011 01:37:26

Pleeeeze!!! Not Another 90 Day Challenge!! Posted on September 3, 2011

Yep! I accepted a 90 blogging challenge!
Write a blog and post it every day for 90 days.

90 Day Blogging Challenge!

So why would I accept the challenge?

Well getting into the habit of blogging has been on my ‘To Do’ list for almost two years!! Shocking really, isn’t it?
So this is my invitation and opportunity to do something about it.

(Check out the full blog at http://www.heatherbond.me)

What have you been promising to do and putting off? Is it time?

What have you been putting off?

I understand the value of blogging and what’s more, writing has always been a passion of mine. But because I liked it I didn’t give myself permission to do it. After all I’d just be wasting my time and for what purpose?

So What’s My Purpose and Intention For This Blog?

So there is a purpose to my blogging now and I’ve chosen to share some of Skills, tools, lessons and stories I’ve gathered in my life so that you can create more freedom, exquisite happiness, love and absolute calm in yours. And hopefully, help you avoid some of the enormous challenges that I seem to have chosen for myself.

I’ll share warts and all, the highs and the lows, the successes and the outright failures.In full Technicolor, with my heart thrown in.

My heart thrown in!

So Why Should You Care?

You’ll get practical stuff for all areas of life – yes including business and leadership. I love leadership, especially self-leadership.

You could actually find a post will help you change something you’ve been resisting for two years or longer.

Your beliefs and view of the world could be shifted,

It may be just what you need to hear on that day.

Sometimes it’s just nice to know you’re not alone.

You’ll learn of the power of words in all areas of your life.

You’ll have an invitation to explore, play and review your life through practical tips, shared experiences and laughter.

You’re Reading this for a Reason

You’re reading this for a reason. I don’t believe in coincidence and my SEO ranking is not that great yet, and yet you found me!

Hi! Lovely to meet you! And thank you for taking the time to stop by.

There is something here for you. A gift of a word or the gift of knowing that my intention is to help you to create the future of your dreams now!

Let’s Begin…

What one thing could you commit to changing over the next 90 days?

Are you willing to join me? I’ll hold your hand every day as I move through the three things I’ve chosen to change because it’s time for me.

Is it your time?

Ponder.
Get curious.
Get excited.

What would it be like if…

Until tomorrow, play and have fun.
Remember this is your story you’re writing.

http://www.excellenceaddicts.com
http://www.heatherbond.me

Posted by on 04/09/2011 11:57:20

Balancing the Bump – Deciding on whether to return from maternity leave

Annabel: One of the things employers find difficult about maternity leave is the fact there is no obligation on a woman to let them know if she is not going to return. A woman can have a year’s maternity leave and then say “Oh, I am not coming back” and there is nothing an employer can do.

Allie: Iit is a difficult decision for the employee, especially in the current economic climate..

Annabel: Childcare in the UK is expensive and nursery places get booked up in advance. The average cost of 25 hours nursery for a child under two in England is £5028 (http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk/pages/childcare-costs-surveys.html), but the highest cost of day care was £14,300 for 25 hours a week.

Allie: Add up the cost of childcare, travel, lunches, and clothes for work, and weigh it up against the cost of your take home pay, travel time and your health and well-being. For women earning less than £12,000 a year this can simply be impossible (unless free or highly subsidised childcare is available) http://www.workingmums.co.uk/working-mums-magazine/all/page_4/2509116/families-struggling-with-childcare-costs.thtml

Even if you are earning a good deal more than minimum wage, this is a good time to start thinking about whether your current position is helping you towards your future career plans.

Annabel: Employers can take the opportunity to review a position. A flexible working request may arrive towards the end of maternity leave and it is a good idea to work out whether you could get the job done on fewer hours, or with altered duties.

Allie: If you don’t return to full time work while your children are small, you can keep your skills up to date: through additional training or qualifications, getting involved with local community projects or networks. Some of my clients have offered their skills to local employers in a similar business and act either as a virtual assistant or as a ‘consultant’ where they can be called on for help. Women are very innovative. One woman went from a banking position to creating all the birthday and celebration cakes for the local schoolchildren in . This can be the moment when many women start their own business.

Annabel: Many employers put ‘non-compete’ or ‘restraint clauses’ into their contracts. If you are thinking about starting your own business you should read your contract to make sure that you do not breach any term of your contract. Even if there are no specific clauses you should be careful that you are not using confidential information that belongs to your employer or mailing lists.

Allie: There are so many unknowns and variables when having a child. You may not wish to return to work but then, should your partner lose their job, everything changes. No wonder we try to keep options open! It can be really difficult to work with the baby’s needs, your partner’s needs (if you have one), your boss’s needs and your own. Don’t forget your partner can have paternity leave now. According to the Fawcett Society every additional one month’s paternity leave increases a woman’s lifetime earning potential by about 7%.

Annabel: Employers can get confused by the status of conversations around leaving a job or not returning. Some misinterpret “I might not be able to come back” as “I am not coming back”. You should be very clear about when you are considering options and where you have made up your mind. It is a good idea to confirm by email or letter what you have said and explored.

Allie: If you don’t start talking until the last minute and then need answers quickly and decide on the day of your return not to come back, this can seem to your employer as if you are being difficult and obstructive. If you need their support you need to plan in enough time for them to respond. It may be this is your moment to strike out on your own and set up your own business – many women have done so around having a first child.

Are you thinking about becoming self employed? Follow this link for a free download on things to consider.

Posted by on 01/09/2011 16:42:16

My Book Launch 29th October

I am so excited that I have to share this.

Waterstones in the Whitgift Centre, Croydon has agreed to take up my book BIRTH MADE EASY and I will be doing a book launch and signing there 29th October, so if you are free do come along.

My book is about hypnobirthing which is the use of hypnosis for a wonderfully natural birth.

Posted by on 18/08/2011 09:24:17

Help!!! Not going to Uni

The ‘A’ Level results are out and students may not be receiving the results they hoped for or a place at their chosen university.

This situation can make parents and students panic about what to do next. As a career coach of many years standing, I do know it all works out but when you are in the middle of this situation, solutions may not present themselves. Currently, employers are keen to recruit ‘A’Level students to their own training schemes rather than take graduates. This gives an employer the opportunity to develop the right skills in young people.

If you decide to take a year out, go for ‘projects’ where you are going to be a volunteer see the vso.org website. For other opportunities, escapethecity.com has some interesting openings. These focused experiences will be useful on your C.V.,more than general travel. Employers are keen on people who have demonstrated skills in action and those who understand the needs of others and how to service those needs. Check out Radhanath Swami for inspiration on You Tube
So,if you know of anyone who would like help with their next step, put them in contact with me. I run groups or see people individually. There is also a useful website called notgoingtouni.co.uk which may give you some alternatives.

Posted by on 18/08/2011 09:53:25

Self-hypnosis workshop 22-23 October

So looking forward to my next Inner Power Self-Hypnosis Training Weekend Course October 22nd – 23rd 2011, at the Aerodrome Hotel, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 4LT.

The course will be a life changing experience as you learn so much about language and positive thinking. You also learn how to take yourself into, and out of, hypnosis and to write programmes to effect the changes that you desire. Using hypnosis you are able to
Improve your health and the quality of your life. By being more positive you can improve your business sales or your number of clients as well as your marketing.

So why not come along and have a great weekend, and a fun learning experience. All details are on my web site, www.innerpower.co.uk on the Self Hypnosis Courses page.

The course is usually £300, but for 1230 members I am offering this fantastic course for only £250, saving £50. A full manual and Self Hypnosis CD are included in this cost.

This offer is available until 30th September 2011. This is on the Offers section of the 1230 website too.

Self-hypnosis workshop 22-23 October

So looking forward to my next Inner Power Self-Hypnosis Training Weekend Course October 22nd – 23rd 2011, at the Aerodrome Hotel, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 4LT.

The course will be a life changing experience as you learn so much about language and positive thinking. You also learn how to take yourself into, and out of, hypnosis and to write programmes to effect the changes that you desire. Using hypnosis you are able to
Improve your health and the quality of your life. By being more positive you can improve your business sales or your number of clients as well as your marketing.

So why not come along and have a great weekend, and a fun learning experience. All details are on my web site, www.innerpower.co.uk on the Self Hypnosis Courses page.

The course is usually £300, but for 1230 members I am offering this fantastic course for only £250, saving £50. A full manual and Self Hypnosis CD are included in this cost.

This offer is available until 30th September 2011. This is on the Offers section of the 1230 website too.

Posted by on 17/08/2011 19:18:19

Inner Power Hypnobirthing Workshop 10th September

Know any one who is pregnant?
Or are you pregnant?
Would you like to have a magical birth experience where you are in control working with your body which is designed to give birth?

Then why not come along, with your partner, to my next Hypnobirthing Workshop and learn all the tools you need to have a wonderfully natural birth and gain tools for life?

For more information visit my website www.innerpower.co.uk
All 1230 members who book by 31st August will be given a £20.

Posted by on 17/08/2011 19:37:31

Homeworking

You may find yourself having to consider homeworking:

• as part of a flexible working request;
• as a disability adjustment;
• in order to cope during the Olympics; or
• a whole variety of other reasons.

Employment law, health and safety, and data protection controls are just as necessary for the homeworker as they are for the office worker, and there are other issues to take into account as well.

There is no legal definition of a homeworker. Someone who answers a work-related telephone call at home may be working at home for a few minutes. But a “homeworker” is usually regarded as someone who has a regular time when all or part of their duties are conducted from home.

If your employees work from home they are covered by your normal policies and procedures, as set out in their contract of employment. But you have to make additional arrangements to cover the homeworker at home.

You need to consider:

• environment suitability
• health and safety requirements
– including eye tests, workstation assessment
• equipment provision
• insurance cover
– including employer’s liability
• rental or mortgage agreement
– check to ensure it allows homeworking
• ongoing and non-recurring costs
• tax liability

Homeworking incurs specific liabilities for the organisation, and responsibilities for the individual. So it is best to draw up a separate agreement with such staff, to ensure that important points about this type of working relationship have been mutually discussed and understood.

We recommend using a formal process, with a paper trail, so that the ‘homeworker’ and their employer review these points and record an agreement about how the arrangements will work. Clarity really helps here, before you get too far down the road. It’s much cheaper to sort out possible problems before they arise.

If you already have people on ‘homework’ arrangements that are not well documented, then we recommend that you get it sorted out right away. We have created a ‘Homeworker Agreement Application’ and a ‘Homeworking Employee Agreement’, to make this process simple and smooth. Click here to get your copy – http://www.koffeeklatch.co.uk/Contracts.html.

Posted by on 10/08/2011 10:41:46

Great Choice!

Have you noticed the huge choice of business networks out there? Great, isn’t it having so much choice? We can pick and choose when, where, which and who we talk to. “Variety is the spice of life”, “A stitch in time saves 9” don’t know quite where that came from – but “quality not quantity” should be one saying applied by the discerning business networker.

Effective business networking is about building relationships. OK, some may be the equivalent of a one night stand, dashing here and there, dishing out business cards, but is it effective networking? Does it build worthwhile, sustainable relationships? Does it bring business, money? No. Or at least, very rarely.

As an IT Trainer I love delivering PowerPoint training; with sound, lots of image choices, video, it’s great fun, but in the real world delivering a presentation with impact, less is more and so it is with business networking.

Many networking events boast of “150 attending, you must be there!” Why? Realistically, how many of those 150 will you be able to speak to, or even see? How many 1:1s could you arrange from a meeting that size? That’s not to say that you won’t learn from such an event; there maybe workshops, inspiring speakers, break-out rooms. But believe me, attending events that size on a regular basis does not build relationships.

Why do you need to build business relationships? People buy from people they trust and you can only get to trust people by meeting them regularly and arranging 1:1 meetings (even over the phone) to find out more about their business and they about yours.

So, is so much choice good? I don’t think so. What about you? Let us know what you think.

www.1230.co.uk admin@1230.co.uk 020 8650 8015

Posted by on 02/08/2011