Make Your Mark Blog

Last night I went to the launch of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ - a book from Emma Jones of Enterprise Nation which might be the refreshing business read we’ve all been waiting for. It’s easy to digest and has nice pictures (apparently a rather good one of her Dad on page 67…) and has some fab top tips and advice. One person in the book is Nula from Noolibird who sells fabrics and stamps for children’s bedrooms. I’m loving the Farmyard one myself. I hope the book inspires more people to set up business from home, its a lower risk way to do it and can be hugely rewarding.

Women entrepreneurs are more likely than men to use their wealth in charitable ways, according to the author of The Sunday Times Rich List 2008.

“Women are much more likely to see their wealth as something they can do good with than to go out and buy toys - boats, fast cars, jets and so on,” Philip Beresford told Third Sector.

Twelve women are mentioned, eight as part of a couple, in this year’s 100-strong Sunday Times Giving List, an offshoot of the Rich List. According to Beresford, the trend for female entrepreneurs to give is set to continue.

“Charities need to target women entrepreneurs because they’re beginning to make their mark,” said Beresford. “The balance in business is tilting in favour of women.”

Beresford also pointed out that women entrepreneurs could be harder for charities to target. “They tend to be more low-key and they don’t want to talk about what they do as much,” he said.

You can find the full article here: http://blog.makeyourmark.org.uk/wp-admin/post.php

Our very own Harry Rich tells Rachel Bridge at the Sunday Times why Make Your Mark is no longer just for the ‘young’ and how he doesn’t believe everybody has the qualities needed to set up their own business.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3867146.ece

The Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC) – the umbrella body for the social enterprise movement – has launched an animation explaining social enterprise. If you have something to say about it, drop a comment below.

If you would like to go to a Reception at Buckingham Palace, can you think of someone you could nominate for The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion 2009?

The nominators of the successful candidates also get a Royal invitation so it is will worth making a nomination.

Each year there are up to 10 Awards plus a Lifetime Achievement Award, if there is a suitable candidate.

Previous recipients include Jane Delfino, Innovations Director at the United Learning Trust within the Manchester Academy who is a Board Member of Enterprise Insight.

For further details and a nomination form go to www.queensawards.org.uk/individual

startups.co.uk have published their list of the top 100 UK start-ups. It is great to see some familiar faces in there, and lots of young entrepreneurs in the mix. My personal faves have to be Onya (their shopping bag is always on me) and moo.com. Check em out and please let us know your favourite.

http://www.startups.co.uk/6678842910082155685/startups-100.html

Having left the BBC Your Game event last Wednesday I continued onto the Spark Women’s Business Workout (also in Bristol) which was a really inspiring event for women who either want to set up a business or grow an existing one. Amongst others I met the founder of Sew Bespoke who makes custom wedding dresses and was keen to grow her business further. We also heard from Alex Lovell,  a local BBC presenter who inspired us with her story of how she got to make her mark in TV presenting and news reading. There was a real sense of support in the room and it felt like people were really benefitting from talking to others about the issues they were facing. Being an entrepreneur can be isolating so events like this are a great way to link up lots of individuals.

Having left Bristol I went to Paris to run a PR and Comms workshop for some of the people hosting Global Entrepreneurship Week across Europe. It was a great experience and I found out lots about the state of ‘enterprise’ in different countries. We had a shared vision to encourage more people to be enterprising, and it was interesting to hear about the different ways this was being approached. I am even more excited about Global Entrepreneurship Week than I was before and think it promises to be huge! And I hear the latest number of countries is 56!

I worry that I can be too London-centric in my work so last week was a brilliant opportunity to get a fresh perspective. And the cheese at the lunch hosted by Ernst and Young was also a highlight. Bon Apetit.

Coaxing the over 50s, ethnic and disabled people into starting their own businesses could produce a £9bn boost to the economy within four years, says a Cass Business School study supported by Microsoft.

The groups are described as the “hidden innovators” in research suggesting they are likely to stay the business course longer than the younger generation of entrepreneurs, given encouragement, advice and confidence.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/04/12/cnoaps112.xml

 As announced recently in the Government’s Enterprise Strategy Make Your Mark is currently doing some scoping research into unleashing enterprise potential of over-50s, 4 ethnic minorities and women. We will definately be taking note of the findings in this study.

Apparently as many as seven million Brits genuinely believe they will become millionaires and over two thirds of those think it will be achievable within 10 years according to new research.The survey into people’s attitudes to making money found that women and young people could prove the most promising contributors to the UK economy over the next decade, with the majority relying on business skills and personal ambition to reach millionaire status. In contrast, men would risk the most for a millionaire lifestyle.

It’s great to see people have ambition and goals but is being a millionaire really achievable for that many people? Making my million is certainly not my main goal in my career although don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t rule it out!

If you want some ideas on how to make your first million check out some monthly videocasts available to view at www.orange.co.uk/myfirstmillion with James Caan launching the series.

Women’s lives have improved beyond recognition in Britain and other rich countries in recent years - although we still have some way to go!

International Women’s Day, which took place last Saturday, is about celebrating the achievements of women and encouraging them to achieve their full potential - but what about girls and women in other countries?

To mark International Women’s Day ‘08 a number of Girls! Make Your Mark ambassadors from Wakefield went to a fundraising dinner hosted by Linda McAvan, MEP to raise money for women in Ethiopia who are suffering from a preventable condition linked to child birth. The money raised will go to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. The hospital was set up by Catherine Hamlin – an Australian doctor, back in 1959.  

Women in the UK are powering ahead in business and in other areas of life but unless we do something less fortunate women in other countries will struggle to get off first base. Find out more

Who’s in the picture? Jennie Flockton, Jane Walton - campaign leader for Make Your Mark, Rimas Morris – who is part of Into Africa, a company that specialises in eco-friendly and fairly traded trips to Kenya and Tanzania, and Linda McAvan MEP. 

It’s International Women’s Day tomorrow and entrepreneurs have been using it as a chance to shout about the great female success stories out there and bang the drum for Make Your Mark. Apparently we were mentioned in the House of Lords yesterday in a debate about International Women’s Day and Lynne Franks spoke to Telegraph TV on our behalf.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/ttv/business.jhtml

Want to start your own business?
Got an idea and need to know how to make it happen?
Want to take your small business to the next level?
Not even thought about starting a business?

Then you need to get your enterprise muscles into shape at the… Spark Women’s Business Workout!

What’s it all about?
The Women’s Business Workout is a fitness workout like you’ve never experienced, where it’s all about learning how to put on the pounds…Pounds Sterling of course!

Toned arms, taught tummies and firm thighs are old hat; pumped up profits, energetic turnover and a strong client portfolio is where it’s really at in 2008.

Come and be a part of a unique event near you, providing women with the opportunity to undergo an interactive and fun programme.

What will happen at the events?

* Inspirational stories
Hear from female entrepreneurs from your area who will share their personal business journeys, how they took the plunge and got started to where they are now and their advice for you.

* Personal advice sessions with a business fitness guru tailored to your needs
Every pre-registered attendee will have the invaluable opportunity to experience a one-to-one training session with a ‘Business Fitness Trainer, who will provide specific guidance according to the stage of business you are at – whether it’s help coming up with an idea, or what to do with one!

* Practical business gym classes
Attend straightforward and interactive sessions with experts covering everyday topics needed in business. From how to get started, to getting your finance sorted.

* Networking
Get to know the local businesses, support organisations and networks in your area - and how they can help you. Share your dreams, fears and ideas with other likeminded women.

* The market place
An opportunity to offer services and advertise your business needs on a trading board.

Where will the events be?
The Wirral on 12th March, Norwich on 13th March and Bristol 16th April.

Find out more and book your place at www.sparkambassadors.org.uk

Wow, what an incredibly busy year it’s been. Amisha (my business partner) and I have been beavering away on producing a new ethical fashion magazine - nu. So far it’s gone so well we don’t quite believe it! We managed to launch the pilot issue at London Fashion Week last September, took the magazine to The Ethical Fashion Show in Paris (oh it’s a hard life), we’ve had extremely positive feedback from the ethical fashion industry and now the mainstream fashion industry is taking notice.

We’ve decided to go online until investment is secured, and finally after months of blood, sweat and tears (well almost) the website has now been launched. yay! Check out www.numagazine.co.uk to download your free copy.

Lauren, info@numagazine.co.uk

Janet Edwards is a renowned voice coach who has worked with the likes of Leona Lewis and Mel C. Janet is also a successful composer, arranger and musical director.

We asked Janet how she made her mark in the music business:

I was passionate about music and had a formal musical education which covered playing piano, early keyboards, synths, organ, violin, composition and singing. This set me up well for a professional career as a performer working as a soloist and also helping opera singers learn roles and accompanying many other performers in concert.

When I needed more work in the early days, I went to London and literally knocked on the doors of several music agents.

This broad, all-encompassing background eventually led to a dual career with my own one woman 2 hour show singing and playing at a mic’d up grand piano; also helping other singers to find the best of their own unique sound.

I have never stopped searching for better ways to help singers. I am qualified with a Masters in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) where I can fast-track the process of developing a client’s voice.
What advice would you give to someone trying to make their mark in the music business?

Be both passionate and disciplined.

Set targets of levels of accomplishment.

Be inspired by those who are masters, don’t be put off or daunted by them.

Commit yourself 100% to whatever you do.

The glamour of the music industry is only on the surface, to succeed you must be the best you can be – communicate this to the industry.

Don’t be put off by negative responses, don’t cling to your own compositions, but let them be heard and keep a good, easy and appreciative communication with those who might help you.

Get used to rejection; the Industry is full of it. You will be stronger for it and it will make you even more determined.

First and foremost, as musicians we are there to inspire with our art rather than become a ‘famous person’, whatever the style of our music. Let the ‘fame’ follow naturally.

You can find out more about Janet at: www.janetedwards.co.uk

Janet is an ambassador for Make Your Mark in the Music Business - www.makeyourmarkinmusic.org - which launches tonight!

Girls! Make Your Mark ambassador and entrepreneur extraordinaire Clare Molyneux tells us about her festive season:

It has been a brilliant year. I have made some absolutely brilliant connections; leading to me not only being featured as one of twenty entrepreneurs in the book ‘Score’ but also winning Cosmopolitan magazine’s “Ultimate Business Woman of the Year”.

So how did the year round up? Were any useful connections made in December?… Of course they were, making connections is a bit like Martini - any time, any place, anywhere.

I was invited by Steve Stuart of ‘The Steve Stuart Partnership’ (not a coincidence) to a dinner held at the Racquets club in Liverpool. The partnership had been on of the co-sponsors of ‘Score’ along with the Royal Bank of Scotland. One of our dance facilitators, Bobbie, works part time at the Racquets Club, so I consoled myself that if the dinner was too dull I would slope off and find him.

The scenario of the meal was totally unexpected in that I thought we would firstly be free to mill about and chat to people and then sit down to eat whilst making small talk with the people sitting next to us. How wrong could I have been?

There was a ‘Score’ of us in attendance (how clever!?!), we were seated on the dot with an elaborate seating plan. I found myself next to a pipe salesman (that’s quite unfair of me, he does own the factory that makes the pipes) and… Steve Stuart.

The first course was served and I was just about to ask Steve how he came up with the name of his company, when the representative from the Royal Bank of Scotland told us that we were to introduce ourselves and tell the rest of the group what we did for a living. During that first course I would have had a better night out at the morgue.

During the second course, the gentleman from RBS picked on a few people around the table to tell us; “What keeps you awake at night?” In my naivety, I thought these people had been “planted”. I was deeply engrossed in my vegetable tart when it became apparent that I would have to share my nocturnal habits with the rest of the group. I find being told what to do quite difficult, my lips twitched to reply; “Caffeine”, though I resisted.

During the last course (sorbet, if you were wondering), the conversation became less like the Spanish Inquisition, and the book’s author, Arrabella McIntyer-Brown, prompted me to share with the group the story of how my business began…after all that talk of OEIOs and ISAs and several other abbreviations that very few people understand but every one seems to nod at when mentioned, I probably could have read them the phone book and they would have though it was funny… I got a good few laughs during my tale.

It was quickly approaching chucking out time and I remember thinking; “Well the food was okay and I’ve been the funniest person here so it hasn’t been all bad, but it has been a bit of a waste of time.”

As I was putting my coat on a woman who had been sitting at the end of the table came over to me. I could remember her name, Angela, from our introductions but what she did for a living escaped me. She was charming, funny and self deprecating – my kinda gal; she told me all about her ten year old daughters’ aspirations to be a playwrite. I told her that she should e-mail me some of the plays over, she passed me her card. Which informed me that she was an investment manager at ‘Rensburg Sheppards’.

Now, for those of you who don’t know (and that can only be a cast of about ten as I haven’t stopped moaning about the fact) - I can’t find a decent investment banker (don’t make your own jokes up please!?!) because everyone that I have had a meeting with has been a gibberish- speaking hybrid descendant of Gordon Geco. Suffice to say and Angela and I are meeting up after Christmas.

Connection made!