Teeny Munchkins

After getting the programme sorted, speakers booked and pamper treatments organised we have finally got a venue for our Conference next February.

We are delighted to be using the prestigious Møller Centre, Storeys Way, off Huntingon Road, Cambridge.

The Conference Centre has easy access off the M11 and A14 and is within easy reach of the City Centre.

We have the use of a variety of rooms with 2 rooms dedicated to the Pampering Treatments.

There will be continuous refreshments available throughout the day as well as the mid-morning  and afternoon refreshment breaks.  Lunch promises to be just as superb (details of this will be released nearer the time but you can expect to receive FOUR courses!!)

Full details of the Conference Centre can be found on our website

For some time now I have been helping business friends with proof reading their sites.  All this has been done for free but after some encouragement I have now set up my own site and will be offering this service on a paid for service.

I have been horrified by reading other people’s sites and blogs and see the most basic of errors and these sites are run by fellow business people.

I have even heard that some people would not consider using this kind of service and that a spell check would do, these are exactly the kind of person who needs this service as the spell check does not seem to be working for them.

My fees start at a very reasonable fee of £2.50 as I try to build my portfolio.  These fees will be doubled from 1st October 2010.

The majority of the work, depending on the size,  will be done within 24-48 hours and a full report will be sent to the client with suggested amendments.

Any client can have their logo placed on the website free of charge, and this will be with a full link back to their own site.

If you would like any information on the service, please do not hesitate to contact me on info@proofreadingsite.co.uk

I regularly have my hair done at The Works Hair and Beauty at Highgate Farm in Cambridge.  I had to take the kids with me today as hubby was out working all day and, as anybody will know, taking kids when you are having your hair done can be quite traumatic.  The appointment was a 2 hour one as I had my hair cut and coloured (way too many greys not to have my hair dyed now!)

They took a puzzle book and their DS’s and even took the opportunity to go look round the Farm Shop and the animals that they sell in there.

I was so proud of my children.  They are not usually very tolerant of each other but not once did I hear any moaning or arguing from them.

As they did so well and even my hairdresser was impressed, I thought I would treat them to a nice drink in the new Cafe that had opened up at the same site.

Run by 2 local mums, they have really transformed the area that used to be in there.  It is nice and spacious with some very comfy sofas and plenty of space to have a pushchair with you for those that have little ones.

The children had some rather delicious milkshakes whilst I had my usual hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.  Yummy!!  They serve a nice cooked breakfast and a selection of cakes, treats and sandwiches … I can see we will be trying these out during the 6-week holidays.

They don’t have their website set up yet but they can be found on Facebook.

The 2 business mums also run an educational store next door.  While we were there we bought the IQ Block Puzzle, The Cross Three Games Puzzle and Number Circuits in the hope of  keeping the children amused during the holidays.  They are sat on the floor now trying to figure out  the puzzles and am impressed they’ve not yet figured out the Games Puzzle but have found 6 of the over 40 ways of doing the Block Puzzle.  Even more amazingly they are helping each other out!  At  a very reasonable price too, we can afford to get a different one of these puzzles each week of the school holidays.

They have a website for the educational products and anybody looking for stocking or party bag fillers would not be going wrong by looking at what they sell.

And, being run by 2 business mums, I am fully in support of both their businesses and wish them every success …….

As part of our Conference, we will be running a raffle.  Proceeds from this will go towards Cancer Research and Multiple Sclerosis Charities.

We already have some prizes pledged, but if your business would like to donate anything, please send us your pledge and we will ask for the prize to be sent to us in the New Year.

All details will go on the Conference website with links back to yours.

Please email your pledges to us at info@cambridgebusinessmumsconference.co.uk

My Business Club partner, Helen, has been with Linen at Home since March this year and has done so well, she now has 14 in her team (probably 15 this morning) and is the company’s very first Executive Consultant … I am so proud of her!

I went to one of her parties that she was running last night and hosted by another of our Business Club members, Mandy (Pampered Chef Consultant).

It was so lovely to see first hand the gorgeous products that Linen At Home has to offer.  I had considered joining the Company last year but as I do a whole ton of other stuff, I couldn’t really fit it in!!

I have found a gorgeous cushion that is going to go so well with my furniture and the beautiful fabrics of the bed linen makes the bedding look more expensive than it actually is.  The prices of the products are very competitive and in some cases, cheaper than leading stores.

Linen at Home also offer an embroidery service for a small charge and can either embroider text or logos (brilliant for all you business owners)

The brains behind the Company is Roberta Jerram who I have found to be an inspiration and a truly lovely lady and also runs Giant Potential.

All in all, Linen at Home is different to all the other party plan companies out there and there originality is sure to drive them to the top of the market.

I have been childminding for four years now and have seen a few children come and go off to do various things.

Two of my very first mindees are about to head off to school and it has been so lovely watching them grow and develop.  They both started with me when they were under 1 year of age, one of them stayed with me until very recently when her mum gave birth to twins, and the other left when mum took a break from work to be at home with her children.

On Tuesday we went to a Soft Play centre as part of the last session of the toddler group we attend and these 2 little girls have such a special friendship, it is so touching.  I hope this friendship continues throughout their school years.

Yesterday I said goodbye to a lad I have had for the past 2 years.  It has not been an easy ride for various reasons but I am going to miss him as he starts a new journey in a new house and a new school.  He almost had me in tears yesterday morning when he knocked on my door with 2 dozen roses and a beautiful vase to put them in.  The card he gave me contained a glowing reference and I am so glad to hear that I have made a difference with him during the tough times that he has had.

Tomorrow I say goodbye to a little girl who started with me just after my wedding last September.  She was 6 months old when she arrived and has been with us on a full-time basis Monday to Friday and is like part of the furniture.  Her parents moved house in the New Year and she stayed with me for continuity.  It was decided that the end of the school term would be the best time to say goodbye and for her to go to different care near where she lives.  My own children are going to miss her immensely and I am expecting quite a few tears when it is time to say goodbye tomorrow.

I don’t think I have ever had such a rewarding job as the one I have now and making the move from where I was previously was definitely the best thing I have done.

But, the time has come for me to now wind down that business and concentrate on holiday and after school care so I can put more energy into the networking stuff that I do.

I know I shall find it hard to say no when someone rings up asking about care but the level of children that I will have during the day from September will be a lovely balance to be able to fit in everything else that I do without compromising on anything.

As part of my role as Area Manager for Mums Business Club (Cambridge), and along with Helen Mortlock who is now helping me with running the Group, we are hosting the first ever Cambridge Business Mum’s Conference.

We came up with the idea a few weeks ago when we were discussing a Business Mums Conference on the South Coast that is taking place in September but is being held on a Tuesday.  Many of  us were going to find this difficult to get to due to length of travel and our own childcare.  The original idea was for us to host our own East Anglian one but we decided to start small and set up a Cambridge one.  This one has now grown so big that we may as well have set up a Regional one anyway.

The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday 12th February 2011.

We have many seminars and workshops lined up (full details will be released soon) and we are pleased to announce that our headline speaker will be Emma Wimhurst.  Emma is the founder of Diva Cosmetics Ltd, and now a very motivational speaker and the author of Boom! Emma will also be selling her books at the Conference and will be available to autograph them.

We are currently looking for sponsorship for the Conference with a number of packages available from inserts into Goody Bags right up to the Executive Sponsorship deal.  Full details can be found on the website.

To make our Conference different from many others, we are also going to be offering mini pampering treatments.  Time is very short for any mum and this will be the ideal opportunity to have a manicure, pedicure or other treatment.  Full details and booking will be released very soon.

Tickets are now on sale at a price of £20 per delegate and this price will increase to £30 per delegate from 1st December 2010.

For further information on the Conference, please contact us info@cambridgebusinessmumsconference.co.uk

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated this blog, lots of stuff has happened, not all good but we are coming out the other end.

I have been heavily involving myself in networking, something I would have laughed at a year ago if somebody had told me where I would be at now.

Our Cambridge Mums Business Club continues to go from strength to strength and we now have a number of events lined up in the run up to the end of the year.

The biggest achievement so far (touch wood) is that we are organising Cambridge’s first Business Mums Conference.  We have several speakers and workshops lined up (including a biggie), but the Conference warrants a post of its own so I shall be writing about it tomorrow.

I have to admit that personal emotions have blocked me in my business attitude when it comes to my own business, but these have now been put behind me and will be spending the next few days giving Teeny Munchkins a major product overhaul.  A lot of stuff will be discontinued, but we will also have some great new products added.

As part of our blog, we are also selling advertising space.  So, for £15 a year, you can have a 125 x 125 logo added here with a full link back to your website.  Contact me on info@teenymunchkins.co.uk for more information.

We will be back to updating the blog daily with feeds automatically going to Twitter, Facebook and Technorati.

WE ARE BACK!!

We are delighted to announce that, as part of our advertisers package, we will now be linking advertisers websites from the  Journal website to their own.

This will give an increased exposure for our advertisers which I am sure would be an attractive prospect.

There are 2 available options:

• Any business taking out a 1/8 or 1/4 ad space will receive a Text Link from a special page inserted into the website.  These links  will go live on the same day as the Journal Launch.

• Any business taking out a half page/full page/premium page will receive a banner ad which will feature on the Home Page and be shown on every page throughout the Journal site.  These banners will be set live as soon as the booking is paid for and artwork received thus giving a longer exposure than the Text Links.

I am sure that you will agree that this is a very worthy investment in our current advertising package.

Reminder:  Deadline for payment and artwork for our first edition is 28th June.  Journal is expected to be launched on 17th July 2010.
www.cambridge.businessmumsjournal.com

We are delighted to announce that we will be launching the first Cambridge edition of the MumsClub Journal on 17th July 2010.

Advertising space is now available and all ads must be booked and paid for by June 28th 2010.  All images need to be in a high-res format.  Have trouble designing an ad?  Contact us and we will see what we can do to help.

Want to be seen in the same issue as ‘Dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne?   Then this is the issue to be in!!  We have a fantastic interview with him published in this journal.

What is the Business Mum’s Journal?

Jane from Mums Club has been producing these journals for a while  and her vision had been to produce a ‘Midlands’ edition.

In the Summer of 2008, Mums Club published the first magazine of its kind to support all entrepreneurial mums. A magazine for mums in business and business-mums-to be, along with an inbuilt directory of mum-owned businesses.  In addition Networking Mummies Dorset produced their first edition in March 2010.

The 32 page Journal is full of great advertorial stories and adverts and distribution is targetted at parent-friendly venues.

Rate card May 2010

To book your ad, please contact us on cambridge@businessmumsjournal.com

We are also about to launch a website to go with it … details to be added shortly.