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Category Archives for Blogs
How to get more business using the 1230 website
The ‘v’ meeting (teleconference)today was a step by step guide to using the 1230 website to get more business. Penny talked everyone through the various methods:
First step is to complete your profile then you can do all sorts of things that get you noticed both by other members and by search engines. The more active you are the more your items will get picked up.
On your Account Page: Add your own events. Go to the Forums and add a Special Offer for other members. On the Business Pages, submit articles for the 1230 newsletter. (If you have your own newsletter put Penny on the list so that she can choose news items to feature) Blog – like this one to let people know what you’re up to. If you have a prize you can offer for a competition, Jackie & Penny would like to know.
All this without leaving home! Join us on the next 1230 v meeting on 14th April – see details of the programme under the Meetings tab.
Best Broadband Provider
I have just heard that Utility Warehouse has been short-listed by Which? magazine for the “Best Broadband Provider” Award at their annual consumer industry awards dinner this Spring! A truly amazing endorsement of how our business has been transformed over the last few years. For more info on our broadband packages, have a look at my website www.telecomplus.org.uk/fionasyrett or call me on 020 8133 8505
How to tell your children that you’re getting divorced.
I have been working with a wonderful group of parents who are all going through a divorce and one of their main worries was how to tell the children about what was going to happen and what to actually say to them.
Children naturally fear that they will lose one of their parents in a divorce or that their parents will abandon them. They also fear the changes and disruptions that a divorce will inevitably bring to their family and they often blame themselves.
One of the key things I ask parents to do is to sit down and to work out together the answer to this question:
• What are the key messages you want to convey to your children?
I ask them to get a piece of paper write their child’s name on it and to put it on the floor and as they step onto it imagine they are looking at the situation from the point of view and perception of their child.
Then I ask them to answer these questions through the eyes and ears of their child:
• What do you see and hear around you at the moment?
• How do you feel?
• How could Mum and Dad make you feel better – what could they do or say?
Then I ask parents to draw a circle and divide it into 7 spokes like a wheel, and to write in the wheel 7 reassurances and guarantees that they can honestly give to their children that will help their child cope with the enormous changes that are coming.
We work on how both parents can agree on what to say before they talk to the children. This helps to avoid mixed messages which confuse, upset and really distress children greatly.
We look at the benefits of telling the children together and we work on overcoming the “blame” mentality and the feeling that it must be someone’s fault. We look at how to avoid the children feeling that they have to take sides.
We also look at taking the emotional charge out of telling the children and help each parent gain more control over their distressing feelings and emotions during this difficult moment.
It is certainly very worthwhile and positive to stop and step back from your current situation to gain clarity, direction and certainty in the decisions you are taking towards handling the difficult and painful area of divorce or separation more confidently.
Sue Atkins is a Parent Coach, former Deputy Head with 22 years teaching experience and is an NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer and Mum of two teenage children. She has written many books on self esteem, toddlers and teenagers and has a collection of Confident Parent CD’s available from her website. She is also the author of “Raising Happy Children for Dummies” one in the black and yellow series published worldwide and available from all good bookshops. For more information go to => http://www.positive-parents.com
Highs & Lows
On a day thawt with more than its fair share of lows, not least battling with seasonal ‘flu, the highs include 1230 having a brilliant article in The Business Channel newsletter and I received the following email from Lucy of Tranquility a 1230 member based in Bury St Edmunds “I love the idea of 1230, and I just know it is going to be really beneficial. Everyone has a great understanding as they are all in the same position, and that is what I find so wonderful. Friends who are not in business just do not understand. I have a couple of friends who have “given up on me” because I have found it hard to keep in touch whilst all this organising and preparation is going (plus working full time and driving 400+ miles a week!). If I get through this I will get through anything! A week on the beach would suffice!! Thanks again Jackie ”
1230 Forums
It is great to see that members are now using the 1230 Forums in the members’ section to make special offers to other members and to share business information. Don’t forget 1230 members to check the forums for the latest information!
Ipswich launch a great success.
Just returned from the Ipswich 1230 re-launch meeting today. Great bunch of eager networkers, a great venue, good food, and just to prove that networking works, I have booked an appointment to get my hair cut, with a business owner from The Hair and Beauty Box, Old Foundary Road who I met today at the meeting. Anyone who values the lifetime value of a customer knows that a new customer is not just one haircut……
Well done Mhairi and Diana for putting Ipswich 1230 The Womens Company back on the map.
1230 Meetings
Today I visited 1230 Kingshill who meet in the Observatory Restaurant in The Spitfire. It was a truly rewarding visit.
Over the past few weeks I have attended 1230 meetings at East Grinstead, Hastings, Sevenoaks, Beckenham and Chislehurst and today’s meeting really confirmed to me how much business is done now at 1230 meetings and between members. Today I bought a TooJays handbag .. and I wasn’t the only one! I spoke to Yvette who had a great fund-raising idea for Ovacome and I got a good tip from Karen of Utility Warehouse on how to reduce my bills even more – I am already a UW fan! I heard many testimonials from members about other members which I look forward to seeing posted on the website so that everyone can read them.
I am also keen to hear what 1230 Kingshill members decide to do to raise funds for Ovacome – Anna and Jane had a very good idea and I do hope it will go ahead.
Fantastic news too – at least two business women who were at the meeting are seriously considering becoming 1230 managers.
The more groups there are the greater the opportunities for all business women to take part in a 1230 group.
Of coure there is no excuse for any business women in the UK not to attend 1230V (V = virtual!) our monthly online telephone conference – details of next one are in the March section of the Meeting calendar.
Thank you to Beverley, Kate, Caroline, Clare, Jan, Anna and Jane for the inspiration you have given to me and to all the 1230 members and others who attend your meetings.
What do you think of ‘The Secret’?
On the 1230v teleconference meeting last week, Suzanne Henwood www.HenwoodAssociates.co.uk gave a superb ten minute introduction to the theory behind the controversial book and DVD, ‘The Secret’. Among the questions raised were: “Can we really decide what we want from life and then just sit back and expect it to happen?” “If we are responsible for everything that happens in our lives, why do we end up with things we definely DON’T want – like illness and bereavement?” Suzanne, ably abetted by Beverly Hamilton, gave some fascinating explanations on the thought processes and techniques that can be used to harness the power of our minds.
The one that resonated with me the most was the idea that, although we can’t control the things that life throws at us, we can control the way we choose to react to them. When we are struggling with bad stuff we can either have bad feelings or we can choose to have decent feelings. Neither will change what happened but having decent feelings could bring about a different outcome.(This is very different to the hackneyed ‘positive thinking’ we’ve all been told to practise.)
If you would like to suggest a subject for a future ‘v’ meeting or would like to do a ten minute talk to introduce a topic please get in touch. ‘v’ meetings are on the second Monday from 12.30 – 1.30.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
1230 Purley merges with 1230 Croydon, new time, new day
1230 Purley meetings have now merged with 1230 Croydon and will meet on the 1st Tuesday of the month at Kelong Selsdon Rd, South Croydon. (Nr the Swan & Sugar loaf) The Kelong offers supurb Malaysian and Singaporean food. So join Val and Myself (Charlotte) for a drink, a main meal and a coffee on Tues 4th March at The Kelong.