I run several businesses. My main two are 1) Wightbuzz – a network group I set up to connect businesses on the Isle of Wight in 2010 when I failed to find a group that fitted my needs and 2) Allthingsnetworking.com which my son and I run from opposite sides of the world – he in Sydney and me in the UK – the Isle of Wight to be precise. However, I have long since been a fan of networking marketing. I have run several networking marketing businesses working with and helping team members to grow their own businesses. For 7 years, I ran a children’s book business and enjoyed considerable success – earning many incentives along the way. 5 foreign holidays in 6 years wasn’t to be sneezed at and I have many fond memories of those days when I was called the book lady!. They were happy days but came to an end when the company moved the goal posts. However, I loved the business model and some years ago, I joined Phoenix Trading as an Independent Phoenix Trader . I love the fact that no-one hassels me to make great sales and meet targets. I love the products, cards, ribbons, wrapping paper,
etc. Gone are the days when I set up big stands at shows or ran book parties (which are still options for anyone wanting to run their business that way) I prefer to run my business with catalogue sales and online sales and the opportunity to help charities with fundraising. (and for more information on this please contact me as I love helping to raise charity funds. )
Laughter all the way? Indeed – I was just deciding what to write for todays blog post and thought I might write about the good things from 2015. I was looking back through the periscopes I had done for some ideas and I came across this one! That was it – I had to blog about the Giggly Grannies and in particular the last three Christmases.
it bought tears to my eyes and I hope is gives you a little amusement too.
For those of you who don’t know, Julie and I met at Ryde Methodist church about three and a half years ago and we just clicked from day one. I don’t know what it is but we just giggle a lot when we are together and soon earned the name of The Giggly Grannies There is always laughter when we are together -it just happens and Julie’s motto is leave ‘em laughing
We put our skills together and started fundraising first for the Open Arms project for feeding the hungry and homeless of Ryde and then for other things including Macmillan nurses and local Ryde charities.
Julie likes everything pink as you might pick up from the videos and I like all things purple.
In December 2013 – Julie set her heart on heart shaped crumpets – pardon the pun. Now many of you will think what a simple present for Christmas – easy peasy no problem there then as Asda were promoting them well on TV which is how Julie knew about them.
Ah easy peasy for those of you living on the big north Isle (as we call the mainland) but for those of us living on the Isle of Wight – not so easy as we don’t have an Asda. She tried to get folks to get her some but it was all to no avail. There was little laughter on this occasion. How could I let Christmas pass without my friend enjoying the one thing she had set her heart on? It was 23rd December – I had put a few feelers out but had to be careful as Julie uses facebook but she is not a twitter fan – I got as near as someone going across the pond on Boxing day which seemed to be the best I might manage. I rang my daughter who was coming down to the Island over Christmas and her husband had just left Asda and there was no way he was going back!!!! I left a message on my brother’s phone – he was coming on Christmas eve – but hey ho he only picked the message up once he was on the Island. I left my sister a message as she was coming over from Bournemouth and I knew there was an Asda there. Finally it looked like I was in luck. As she doesn’t have a car but was willing to go on Christmas eve before coming to us – I suggested she call the store – great idea as they didn’t have many but she reserved some. She almost left them behind at her house but phewie she just remembered. I then had to sort of divert Julie to my mum’s house before she went to her sons house for Christmas.
After much cloak and dagger stuff – I managed to get Julie to agree to pop in for mums houses for tea – she then spent at least five minutes telling us how good she had been all year and all she wanted were crumpets but she was sad as it wasn’t go to happen.
Christmas 2014 also provided a lot of laughter as you will see.
I hope I have made you laugh a little or even a lot – Julie is amazing – she lives with an illness that would make most people cry but she loves to make people laugh – Leave them laughing is her motto.
We have even been told off for laughing but hey ho – do you think we are going to stop anytime soon?
I am a trader with Phoenix Trading and have enjoyied running my own business from home promoting and selling beautiful greetings cards, wrapping paper and stationery gifts for two and a half years. I am now building a team.
I look forward to helping others grow their own businesses and looking after any new team members.
On Saturday 2nd March, I will be running another Coffee and Shop event at Ryde Methdist Church. We have many talented local crafts people and some of these have booked a stall at this event. We also have people running local businesses so this is a great chance to pop in and support the shop local campaign.
See you there.
Ryde Methodist Church, Garfield Road, 10 am – 12 noon
Once upon a time – a business was for life – not so anymore!. Having worked hard in my 30 year teaching career – during which I ran my own nursery for 21 years – I turned to becoming a book lady – selling children’s books via stalls at local events and book parties. When the book company moved the goal posts after I had built my business for 7 years, I decided to leave and then at the age of 58 I had to look for new ways of earning an income. I found other home based businesses and set up several. I decided to spread my eggs into several baskets. There was criticism but at the end of the day – it’s my life and I have to do what’s right for me. What is right for me is not necessarily right for others.
How I love to be a stay at home mum/gran! It gives me so much flexibility. I work when I want to and play when I want to. Recently I did much playing! It was half term and my daughter brought the children to see me and I returned with them to London midweek, returning on the coach at the end of my stay. I am able to get the work/life balance. We had fun on the beach,we did lots of cutting and sticking, and we took the dollies for a walk. I run a portfolio of businesses under the name Lyn’s Biz . I work with others and train them to enjoy the same flexible life. What better way than fitting work round your children without the need for costly childcare? I recommend it and am happy to help others achieve it. I can also offer choices of different businesses be it within the educational or eco -friendly or gift/card businesses. I love what I do and can help you to do the same. Just ask me how.
I never really set out to run a network group. Often things that I do are never part of an original plan but when an opportunity presents itself, I grab it with both hands. I used to belong to a network group on the Isle of Wight when I was running a previous children’s book business. As far as I am concerned, and many will agree with me, networking is key! Word of mouth is the best way of getting business. In this network group, I was the top referrer for months. Recommending other business people to each other is one of my strengths. I always have seen how easy it is to connect people and have always done so whether or not it has been of financial benefit to me. It is just what I do and the way I operate. Unfortunately, when the company I represented moved the goal posts and I gave up that book business, I had to leave the network group. After all, I had no business so there was little point. A short while later, when I had set up my eco-friendly business, I applied to rejoin thinking it was merely a formality. Never assume anything!! My application was turned down and when I asked why, the powers that be would not give me a reason! I have since found out why! I (The beauty of having many friends on the Island!) I was regarded as unsuccessful. Hmmmmm depends how you measure success doesn’t it? Clearly in their world it meant the value of your bank balance. In my world it is very different!!! In my world it is how you relate to others and help them that is important. As the winner of two national awards and a finalist in a third, I don’t regard myself as unsuccessful. I mentor, help and inspire others to improve their lives as I indeed was helped and inspired by others.I run several home based business now and through my Primary Stars business , Phoenix Cards, Wikaniko (eco friendly products), Barefoot Books businesses I have ample opportunities to recruit and train those who want to run their own businesses. If these are not to their liking, I have many contacts in the direct selling industry so can find opportunities that do fit the bill. In financial term I have a way to go to recover from the situation I was forced into (although that is happening faster than I anticipated!) but in terms of happiness – it is immeasurable! No amount of money can replace some my recent experiences. I must say, it did seem very strange to refuse an application from the top referrer when the group is a referral group but hey ho that is their problem. Wightbuzz wouldn’t exist today if that hadn’t happened. I needed networking and if I was not allowed to join an existing group, the answer was to set up my own. This was not done out of spite but a necessity. This has become very successful. I am playing to my strengths and the group is going from strength to strength. Growth was steady over the first year but it is now set to grow rapidly. The need is becoming huge. With the abolition of the tourist information offices on an Island where tourism is the main industry, networking is the only way forward. I am now starting to recruit Isle of Wight hoteliers and b & b owners and in turn they are spreading the word. Due to facebook and twitter and other forms of social media, the good works of Wightbuzz spread and thus Bizzness Buzz was born. There is so clearly a need for affordable networking and so BizznessBuzz Kent, Bizzness Buzz Staffordshire are lining up with Hampshire, Dorset, Worchestershire following close behind and other counties will be added soon. Of course anyone joining any of the groups will naturally be linked to the others. I think you will agree this is phenomenal value for just £30 annual membership. I think that being refused entry to the other network group was actually a godsend. Not only has it saved me money but it has helped so many others. Isn’t it funny how things often work out for the best? Not only have I saved financially, I don’t have to get up early to attend a breakfast meeting when I could stay in bed longer and the benefit to others is growing on a daily basis. Am I enjoying life? That would have to be a resounding YES!
And I would like to share those moments of pride with you for being recognised as successsful!
and the finances – well that success is following but it has never been my main goal! Funny though, with personal success comes the financial success. You will read it in my book!!! Hmmm better get that started then and when you read my journey, you will read how ordinary people doing extraordinary things has influenced my life. You will also read about those who tried to crush me, only served to make me successful!! Funny old life isn’t it? And I am a great believer in Karma!! So my advice has to be “treat others as you would wish to be treated!” (or watch out for the consequences!!!)
When I was recently shortlisted as a finalist for the Party Plan Shining Star award I was thrilled. I had been a previous winner of awards and I knew what a difference it could make to my business. I had won previous awards with a company I represented for 7 years. When they moved the goal posts and I was totally devastated financially, the glamour of those awards seemed a long way away. Life took a downward turn and I found myself in a long dark tunnel through no fault of my own. I had to move in with my parents due to my financial situation – not really something I wanted to do at 58! However, the upside was that I got to spend my dad’s last months with him and for that I am very thankful. I had no money but I had a roof over my head, food in my tummy and I was warm and I enjoyed an incredible amount of happy banter with my dad. During this time I started to rebuild my business – deciding that the best plan for me, was to spread my eggs into more than one basket. In fact I chose several party plan business opportunities. I became an ambassador for Barefoot Books, I am now a Primary Stars Advisor and a trader with Phoenix Trading. I also enjoy being a distributor for Wikaniko, marketing a range of eco friendly goods. Back in February 2010, I was criticised for choosing more than one business. I was told it was foolish. In my mind, given my previous circumstance, it would be foolish not to!! I wonder if my critique would have had the same conversation with Richard Branson. I do wonder about the sanity of the man that criticised me – especially as he stood to gain financially from me! He sponsored me into Barefoot books and guess what – I asked the company to move me to a new sponsor which they did! What a silly man! Not only did he tell me I was foolish but he went on to tell me my team members were being critical of me. I was told that they didn’t like my rants on facebook nor my happy banter! One thing I never do is rant on facebook. I do share happy banter and find that I attract people to my business as a result. Most people hate doom and gloom and a bit of fun tends to cheer them up and they constantly tell me so! I am not going to give up anytime soon. As for being an inefficient leader – I don’t think so. I have a long string of testimonials from team members – so if one or two had a problem well then they were right to leave me. I have been rewarded for the hard work I put in. The journey has been very long and very dark! I knew that one day I would emerge. I worked hard, perserverance and persistance were key! I never gave up believing in myself. Well I think I have proved a point now. In 2010 I was awarded the Mumpreneur Saleswoman of the Year
and in 2011 I was runner up in the Hampshire Winning Women Business Awards Networking category. On winning the Mumpreneur award, I used it for the good of the small businesses on the Isle of Wight were I live. Life is tough, very tough and I knew in order to survive, we needed to pull together. In the wake of the award, I set up Wightbuzz, an affordable networking group. It has gone from strength to strength and is expanding to the mainland as Bizzness Buzz. Winning the Party Plan Shining Star Award is thrilling. Although it is only just over a week since I won, I have set to work on another project for the good of the Island in the absence of our tourist board (The council closed them all to save money but maybe not their best idea yet given our main industry is tourism!!) I am working with my son who runs Cubic Mushroom and a new website will be online shortly. To say I am excited about my new project would be an understatement. Am I proud to have won this Party Plan Shining Star award. I most certainly am. I am grateful to the Party Plan Guru for setting up the conference and awards and I am grateful to all the postive people I followed (shedding many negative ones enroute ) There are those who dared me to dream big along the way, Roberta Jerram being one. She created the Giant Potential website for ladies who dare to dream big.( It is undergoing a revamp but you can connect at the facebook page She certainly encouraged me to do that. My dreams are huge. Winning awards can really have a great impact on your business (and on your community). I urge you all to enter next time.
