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	<title>Self Employed Mum</title>
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	<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk</link>
	<description>Starting your own business to earn money online</description>
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		<title>Farewell! We&#8217;re Moving</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/living/farewell-were-moving/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/living/farewell-were-moving/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:48:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Living]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/living/farewell-were-moving/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jaysus I was going to use a funeral picture and decided that would be waaaaaaay too OTT but tis with misty eyes that I tell you that myself and Ali have decided to stop the blog. We&#8217;ll still be blogging but you&#8217;ll see our &#8216;words of wisdom&#8217; on our own blogs. If you hadn&#8217;t guessed [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/living/farewell-were-moving/">Farewell! We&#8217;re Moving</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/learning/review-jack-bauer-info-product-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Review: The Jack Bauer Info Product Challenge!'>Review: The Jack Bauer Info Product Challenge!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-4-testing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing'>From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/learning/blogging-profit-web-seminar-join-webinar-tonight/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Blogging for Profit Web Seminar &#8211; Join us for a Webinar Tonight!'>Blogging for Profit Web Seminar &#8211; Join us for a Webinar Tonight!</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/skitched-20100810-142448.jpg" alt="so long farewell" width="480" height="319" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Jaysus I was going to use a funeral picture and decided that would be waaaaaaay too OTT but tis with misty eyes that I tell you that myself and Ali have decided to stop the blog. We&#8217;ll still be blogging but you&#8217;ll see our &#8216;words of wisdom&#8217; on our own blogs. If you hadn&#8217;t guessed we&#8217;ve both been under the kosh with our mainstream ventures and we&#8217;ve used the summer to take stock and reorganise ourselves, something I think we should all do from time to time, especially when you have fingers in several pies like we do.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">All the content is moving so if you have linked to something, you&#8217;ll need to update it to the new blog(s). I shall be continuing blogging about..er blogging, marketing, life etc on my <a title="natalie lue" href="http://www.natalielue.co.uk" target="_blank">new home</a> and this is where you&#8217;ll find all of the posts I wrote for SEM. I get asked so many questions about how I run my life and business of blogging full time splitting myself in two as a dating and relationship writer and coolhunter that I will be writing a lot more about it. I&#8217;ve got some exciting stuff coming up and will still be working with Ali on a few things so watch out! You can also follow me on Twitter:  <a title="Natalie Lue Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/nataliemlue" target="_blank">@nataliemlue</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Ali is over at her <a title="online marketing" href="http://www.onlinemarketingvillage.com/" target="_self">online marketing</a> blog and of course at the <a title="SEO Training" href="http://www.seotrainingclub.com/" target="_self">seo training</a> club. And you can also connect with her <a href="http://www.twitter.com/alisonrothwell">@alisonrothwell </a>on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/en/alisonrothwell" target="_self">Linked in</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/seotrainingclub" target="_self">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Thanks to everyone who supported us. We&#8217;ve had a blast and will continue to do so. We&#8217;re just going to talk about the same stuff in a different way.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you want to reach us our emails:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">natalie AT naughtygirlmedia DOT co DOT uk</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">info AT seotrainingclub DOT COM</p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/living/farewell-were-moving/">Farewell! We&#8217;re Moving</a></p>


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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-4-testing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing'>From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/learning/blogging-profit-web-seminar-join-webinar-tonight/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Blogging for Profit Web Seminar &#8211; Join us for a Webinar Tonight!'>Blogging for Profit Web Seminar &#8211; Join us for a Webinar Tonight!</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hoovering Up Bizz Freebies!</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/promoting/hoovering-bizz-freebies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/promoting/hoovering-bizz-freebies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:54:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Promoting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freebies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gurus]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=932</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week I discovered that trade shows are not the only place you can bag a decent bizz freebie. Let me introduce you to my latest hobby &#8211; collecting wisdom from the Gurus. The hobby is not hard to manage. It work like this: Find a Guru Visit Guru&#8217;s website/blog Download freebie In the never-ending [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/promoting/hoovering-bizz-freebies/">Hoovering Up Bizz Freebies!</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/follow-friday-selfemployedmum/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: #Follow Friday @selfemployedmum &#8211; 10 July 2009'>#Follow Friday @selfemployedmum &#8211; 10 July 2009</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/learning/review-jack-bauer-info-product-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Review: The Jack Bauer Info Product Challenge!'>Review: The Jack Bauer Info Product Challenge!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/top-tips-trade-shows/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top Tips for Trade Shows'>Top Tips for Trade Shows</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Free amigurumi pattern: MOKO THE CAT !" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24879866@N05/3845331664/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3845331664_8d038b71bb_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Free amigurumi pattern: MOKO THE CAT !" /></a>This week I discovered that trade shows are not the only place you can bag a decent bizz freebie.</p>
<p>Let me introduce you to my latest hobby &#8211; collecting wisdom from the Gurus.</p>
<p>The hobby is not hard to manage. It work like this:</p>
<ol>
<li>Find a Guru</li>
<li>Visit Guru&#8217;s website/blog</li>
<li>Download freebie</li>
</ol>
<p>In the never-ending rush to list build, you&#8217;d be surprised at what people are willing to give away &#8211; MP3 training, Audio recordings of teleseminars, workbooks, CDs, worksheets, organisational tools&#8230;</p>
<p>All in return for my email address. As I&#8217;m genuinely interested in what the peeps have to offer, being on their mailing list is no hardship &#8211; I may even become a customer &#8211; and in return I have a mountain of audio and PDFs to enjoy. All of it is fab stuff as I&#8217;ve been careful to only connect with Gurus I&#8217;m interested in.</p>
<p><strong>My top tips are as follows:</strong></p>
<p>Identify a guru whose thang you love &#8211; via facebook, twitter, word of mouth, whatever</p>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve downloaded their freebies, take a look at who they&#8217;re linking to and check out those sites</p>
<p>Try US/Canada sites for some of the most <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">desperate</span> generous freebies</p>
<p>Only download stuff you will find useful &#8211; no point clogging up your inbox with rubbish</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution-NoDerivs License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="•°°• ♥♡ baghi ♡♥ •°°•" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24879866@N05/3845331664/" target="_blank">•°°• ♥♡ baghi ♡♥ •°°•</a></small></p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/promoting/hoovering-bizz-freebies/">Hoovering Up Bizz Freebies!</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/follow-friday-selfemployedmum/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: #Follow Friday @selfemployedmum &#8211; 10 July 2009'>#Follow Friday @selfemployedmum &#8211; 10 July 2009</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/learning/review-jack-bauer-info-product-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Review: The Jack Bauer Info Product Challenge!'>Review: The Jack Bauer Info Product Challenge!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/top-tips-trade-shows/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top Tips for Trade Shows'>Top Tips for Trade Shows</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Machinarium</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-machinarium/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-machinarium/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:35:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amanita Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Machinarium]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shirker's Secrets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=672</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Friday afternoon again, and if you&#8217;re in the mood for a shirking session, I have just the online delight to share with you. Last year I raved to you all to Samorost, now from the same Amanita Design stable comes their latest masterpiece: Machinarium. It&#8217;s a simply stunningly rendered point and click adventure game in [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-machinarium/">Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Machinarium</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-samorost/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirkers Secrets: Samorost'>Shirkers Secrets: Samorost</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Vision'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Vision</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-mystery-time-space-motas/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mach11.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-878" title="mach11" src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mach11-300x189.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="189" /></a>Friday afternoon again, and if you&#8217;re in the mood for a shirking session, I have just the online delight to share with you.</p>
<p>Last year I raved to you all to <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-samorost/" target="_blank">Samorost</a>, now from the same Amanita Design stable comes their latest masterpiece: <a title="Machinarium" href="http://machinarium.net/" target="_blank"><strong>Machinarium</strong></a>.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a simply stunningly rendered point and click adventure game in the same style, but replacing Samorost, we have a robot who needs our help.</p>
<p>The puzzles are still frustratingly tricky at times, but there&#8217;s both a help forum, plus in-game hints if you get really, really stuck (which I did do at times!).</p>
<p>Machinarium combines beautiful graphics with spookily atmospheric music and a complex storyline which you uncover bit by bit as you progress through the game. The fantasy world is a delight to move through and the attention to detail is exquisite. Characterization is strong and you find yourself rooting for a happy ending for the little robot. It&#8217;s also mind-bogglingly addictive &#8211; time and again I promised myself the current level would be my last but then had to carry on, just to see what would happen next.</p>
<p>The first few levels are free to play, then if you fancy stretching your brain muscle a little more, you can download the remainder for $14.99 (PC and Mac versions). Be warned, it&#8217;s as horribly addictive as their previous adventures!</p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-machinarium/">Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Machinarium</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-samorost/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirkers Secrets: Samorost'>Shirkers Secrets: Samorost</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Vision'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Vision</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-mystery-time-space-motas/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Up With the Larks! My First Breakfast Network Meeting</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/larks-breakfast-network-meeting/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/larks-breakfast-network-meeting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:28:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breakfast meeting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shout Preston]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=876</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week I got an email from a virtual contact of mine. Someone who lives in my village but (to my shame) all our previous communication has been online via various business forums. I rang her for a chat and she suggested that I tried out a local breakfast meeting as her guest. Now, although [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/larks-breakfast-network-meeting/">Up With the Larks! My First Breakfast Network Meeting</a></p>



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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/business-mums-london-meet-7-october/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October'>Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/surviving/play-hooky-office/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Why We Should all Play Hooky Sometimes'>Why We Should all Play Hooky Sometimes</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="breakfast of champions" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60167034@N00/3163495351/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/3163495351_7c1a63369a_m.jpg" border="0" alt="breakfast of champions" /></a>Last week I got an email from a virtual contact of mine. Someone who lives in my village but (to my shame) all our previous communication has been online via various business forums.</p>
<p>I rang her for a chat and she suggested that I tried out a local breakfast meeting as her guest. Now, although I&#8217;ve now been self employed for a few years now, I confess that most of my networking tends to be online, in the virtual world that many geek type peeps inhabit these days.</p>
<p>The fact is that unless it&#8217;s a women&#8217;s event, almost every get together in &#8220;the real business world&#8221; is entirely geared around those without children &#8211; after all, how many parents can make a 7.00 am meeting unless it&#8217;s with Peppa Pig in their own front room?</p>
<p>So, thanks to my DH being able to get both children up, dressed and off to where they should be, I found myself off to try out my first ever breakfast network meeting.</p>
<p>The group was informal (thank goodness) and also much younger than I expected. There was the usual smattering of service types (accountant, solicitor) plus some other more diverse business types such as a lighting specialist. The format was pretty simple &#8211; introductions, news, a 10 minute talk from a member and then a very civilised English breakfast!</p>
<p>One rule I set myself is that I don&#8217;t do anything that takes up my time without taking some action for a positive benefit to the business. So I don&#8217;t lurk on forums for example. From this meeting I got a great contact that I&#8217;m hoping I can use to sort out some of my organisational needs, plus a meeting with a business coach, to access 3 months free coaching courtesy of Business Link.</p>
<p>And I was back by 9.15 a.m.!</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll keep you posted as to whether this group becomes a regular part of my working life. I&#8217;m certainly interested enough to go back next week. In the meantime, if any of you are in the Central Lancashire area and are interested in networking, you can contact <a href="http://www.shoutnetwork.co.uk/" target="_blank">Shout Network</a>.</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution-ShareAlike License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="arvindgrover" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60167034@N00/3163495351/" target="_blank">arvindgrover</a></small></p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/larks-breakfast-network-meeting/">Up With the Larks! My First Breakfast Network Meeting</a></p>


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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/business-mums-london-meet-7-october/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October'>Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/surviving/play-hooky-office/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Why We Should all Play Hooky Sometimes'>Why We Should all Play Hooky Sometimes</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:30:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[action plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=788</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the previous posts in this series we have looked at starting out with an initial idea, researching your idea and analyzing your competitors. Now it&#8217;s time to think about putting all that hard work together in the form of an action plan. I read a lot of debate online about whether you should write [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/">First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea to Launch : Part 2'>From Business Idea to Launch : Part 2</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/103109216_97ed9f3b48.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-874" title="103109216_97ed9f3b48" src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/103109216_97ed9f3b48-300x165.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="165" /></a>In the previous posts in this series we have looked at starting out with an <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail/" target="_blank">initial idea</a>, <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/" target="_blank">researching your idea</a> and <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/">analyzing your competitors</a>. Now it&#8217;s time to think about putting all that hard work together in the form of an action plan.</em></p>
<p>I read a lot of debate online about whether you should write a business plan when you set your new bizz up. After all, isn&#8217;t it a whole load of faff?! Isn&#8217;t it just something you do when you want to grovel for some money from the bank?</p>
<p>Well, the truth is, if you&#8217;ve followed some of the things I&#8217;ve written about in the earlier posts then you are already well on the way to having a plan good and ready. If it helps, call it an action plan rather than a business plan too.</p>
<p>Think of it this way, you wouldn&#8217;t set out on a long journey to somewhere you&#8217;ve never been before with out a map, would you? So don&#8217;t make your journey into your new online retail business any more difficult. Write an action plan so you know where you&#8217;re going and how to get there!</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not going to go through everything you need to write in your action plan &#8211; hell no, there are whole books out there you can grab from Amazon or your local library which show you in great detail what you can put in a business plan.</p>
<p>Instead, I recommend opening up a file on your computer and writing down everything you&#8217;ve done so far under these headings:</p>
<ul>
<li>Customers: your target customer, your marketplace,</li>
<li>Sales/Marketing: How will you promote your business? Your pricing?</li>
<li>Competitors: (the results from your competitor analysis)</li>
<li>Suppliers: Who will you buy your stock from? Their terms and conditions</li>
<li>Resources: What do you need to set up your business?</li>
<li>Management: Who will be running your business?</li>
</ul>
<p>After you&#8217;ve jotted notes down all your notes, put it away for a couple of days, as it can feel a bit overwhelming to get down every bit of detail you have in your head.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll be coming back to this post shortly with some more details and some parts that you&#8217;ll need to add, but for the time being, pat yourself on the back. By writing down a plan, you&#8217;re already on your way to running a successful online retail business.</p>
<p>Doesn&#8217;t it feel better to have written down the results of your planning and research?</p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/">First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea to Launch : Part 2'>From Business Idea to Launch : Part 2</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Six of the Best UK Trade Shows</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/trade-shows-visit/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/trade-shows-visit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:02:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finding suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trade exhibitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trade shows]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=280</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve blogged previously about the usefulness of trade shows and how to get the best out of your visit. It&#8217;s not easy to decide which you&#8217;ll opt for, but new start ups should take the time out to attend all they can and make a note of their usefulness  for the future when you may [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/trade-shows-visit/">Six of the Best UK Trade Shows</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/top-tips-trade-shows/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top Tips for Trade Shows'>Top Tips for Trade Shows</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/business-research-tips/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Research Tips'>Business Research Tips</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/send-free-samples/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Do You Send Free Samples?'>Do You Send Free Samples?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Evolution - The Ride" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00/1856663523/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2333/1856663523_cffa76bfbc_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Evolution - The Ride" /></a>I&#8217;ve <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/top-tips-trade-shows/" target="_blank">blogged previously about the usefulness of trade shows</a> and how to get the best out of your visit.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not easy to decide which you&#8217;ll opt for, but new start ups should take the time out to attend all they can and make a note of their usefulness  for the future when you may be more time-poor.</p>
<p>So here are some of my recommendations for six of the best UK trade fairs.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t forget, even if you&#8217;re not sure you&#8217;ll make it, it&#8217;s still worth signing up for the mailing list, particularly Spring Fair which gives regular industry news updates throughout the year.</p>
<p>Always make sure you register in advance as sometimes you have to pay otherwise (and get stuck in a long queue when you&#8217;re itching to get started &#8220;walking the floor&#8221;).</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="www.bstartup.com/ " target="_blank">Business Startups</a> &#8211; general start up advice &#8211; worth attending more for the seminars and the training sessions. Some of the government exhibitors such as the <a href="http://www.ipo.gov.uk/">IPO</a> have useful 1-2-1 sessions.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bubblelondon.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Bubble </a>- after the demise of Premier Kids this is now the best (only?) event to get the most leads for the children&#8217;s fashion industry. Originally a US import it&#8217;s now hosted at the cool setting of the Business Exhibition Centre, Islington. Not as quirky as before, but here in the UK, beggars can&#8217;t be choosers.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.springfair.com/" target="_blank">Spring Fair</a> &#8211; hall after hall of types of gift related goods including toys, jewellery, household goods&#8230; Worth a two day visit if you are seriously seeking established brands. There&#8217;s also a smaller &#8220;Autumn Fair.&#8221;</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nurseryfair.com/" target="_blank">Harrogate Nursery Fair</a> &#8211; Great trade fair for picking up nursery suppliers and one of the very few to take place outside the the twin centres of the NEC (Birmingham) or the London Excel/Olympia circuit. Includes furniture and other nursery accessories as well as prams. Joining up with BPA Baby Show for a new event this October (2010).</li>
<li><a href="http://www.pulse-london.com/" target="_blank">Pulse</a> &#8211; leading edge interior and living suppliers here with a contemporary twist. Pulse London offers the only Summer trade event focusing on the gift sector.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.topdrawer.co.uk/" target="_blank">Top Drawer</a> &#8211; Two fairs a year (January and September, London). Top Drawer covers the design-led gift, children&#8217;s, stationary and greeting, home and fashion sectors.</li>
</ol>
<p>Have I missed any must-sees ?</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="kevindooley" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00/1856663523/" target="_blank">kevindooley</a></small></p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/trade-shows-visit/">Six of the Best UK Trade Shows</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/top-tips-trade-shows/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top Tips for Trade Shows'>Top Tips for Trade Shows</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/business-research-tips/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Research Tips'>Business Research Tips</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/send-free-samples/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Do You Send Free Samples?'>Do You Send Free Samples?</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Office Candy: 21st Century Fossils</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-21st-century-fossils/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-21st-century-fossils/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 May 2010 08:38:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fossil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office can]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=851</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love these quirky fossils of the future, according to their creator, KB Sculptures, this is how our ancestors will remember us! This one is a mouse fossil (the computer kind) and it&#8217;s set with lots of &#8221; fossils&#8221; in a lump of rock. A great talking point for your office desk and the perfect [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-21st-century-fossils/">Office Candy: 21st Century Fossils</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday'>Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-hard-drive-clock-pixelthis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: &#8220;Hard Drive&#8221; Clock from PixelThis'>Office Candy: &#8220;Hard Drive&#8221; Clock from PixelThis</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-espresso-maker/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Espresso maker'>Office Candy: Espresso maker</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/k_b_sculptures035.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-852" title="k_b_sculptures035" src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/k_b_sculptures035-300x300.jpg" alt="21st century fossils" width="300" height="300" /></a>I love these quirky fossils of the future, according to their creator, <a href="http://www.folksy.com/shops/kbsculptures" target="_blank">KB Sculptures</a>, this is how our  ancestors will remember us!</p>
<p>This one is a <a href="http://www.folksy.com/items/326689-21st-Century-Fossils-the-Mouse" target="_blank">mouse fossil</a> (the computer kind) and it&#8217;s set with lots of &#8221; fossils&#8221; in a  lump of rock. A great talking point for your office desk and the perfect present for the  computer geek.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s cast in Herculite and makes an ideal paperweight too.</p>
<p>Approximate  size 14 x 9 x 6cm</p>
<p>Price: £11.50 plus  £2.50 postage.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/e6e2e4a9-85b0-4d7a-ab2a-27e8fd763931/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=e6e2e4a9-85b0-4d7a-ab2a-27e8fd763931" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span></div>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-21st-century-fossils/">Office Candy: 21st Century Fossils</a></p>


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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-hard-drive-clock-pixelthis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: &#8220;Hard Drive&#8221; Clock from PixelThis'>Office Candy: &#8220;Hard Drive&#8221; Clock from PixelThis</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-espresso-maker/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Espresso maker'>Office Candy: Espresso maker</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Trying Out: Macaroni</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/macaroni/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/macaroni/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 May 2010 10:59:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hard disk drive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Macaroni]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=858</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week my Macbook has become painfully slow. In fact, it would be easier if I got out and pushed. To combat this unexpected turn of events, I did what I usually do and googled my problem. I was presented with a gazillion different things to do from modifying firefox (and add-ons) to cleaning up [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/macaroni/">Trying Out: Macaroni</a></p>



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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-machinarium/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Machinarium'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Machinarium</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday'>Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Free Orange Macro Macaroni and Cheese Creative Commons" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/3387832672/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3387832672_41556af523_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Orange Macro Macaroni and Cheese Creative Commons" /></a>This week my Macbook has become painfully slow. In fact, it would be easier if I got out and pushed.</p>
<p>To combat this unexpected turn of events, I did what I usually do and googled my problem. I was presented with a gazillion different things to do from modifying firefox (and add-ons) to cleaning up my desktop (admittedly the desk top is as cluttered as my actual desk!)</p>
<p>When all this failed to fire up the Quatro, I fell back onto the &#8220;download a bit of software from the net &#8211; that&#8217;ll do the trick&#8221; option and used a recommended programme, cutely called &#8220;Macaroni.&#8221;</p>
<p>Macaroni seems to do the usual sorting out of hard drives stuff, with the ability to schedule daily, weekly and monthly clean ups. It also had one addition I&#8217;d never thought of before: the &#8220;foreign language clean up.&#8221;</p>
<p>Yep, it removes all those files in other languages on your Mac. To be honest, I&#8217;d never given much thought to the uselessness of having Albanian versions of Read Me text files before. Or how much hard drive space they were taking up. However, with the click of a button all was revealed. rather a lot, as it turns out.</p>
<p>Voila, Macbook now souped up and running at top speed again. Thanks Macaroni <img src='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.atomicbird.com/macaroni" target="_blank">Macaroni</a> &#8211; FREE 35 day trial and then $9.99 to buy.</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="Pink Sherbet Photography" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/3387832672/" target="_blank">Pink Sherbet  Photography</a></small></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/7f4813b0-d25b-4f13-a514-92da5a70f51e/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=7f4813b0-d25b-4f13-a514-92da5a70f51e" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span></div>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/macaroni/">Trying Out: Macaroni</a></p>


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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-machinarium/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Machinarium'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: Machinarium</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday'>Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Office Candy: Power Plant from the Science Museum</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-power-plant-science-museum/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-power-plant-science-museum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 11:24:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office accessories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office candy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even geeks can grow office plants! This planter from the Science Museum puts NASA’s proven technology to good use, helping even the most green-challenged gardener grow plants. The planter defines soil-less gardening, and provides an ideal growing environment for herbs, flowers and fruit. All you need to do is seed it, feed it and leave [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-power-plant-science-museum/">Office Candy: Power Plant from the Science Museum</a></p>



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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-michael-fish-office-mug/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug'>Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-espresso-maker/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Espresso maker'>Office Candy: Espresso maker</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/office-plants.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-845" title="office-plants" src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/office-plants-300x260.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="260" /></a>Even geeks can grow office plants!</p>
<p>This <a href="http://www.sciencemuseumshop.co.uk/home-and-gadgets/product/274340.html#" target="_blank">planter from the Science Museum</a> puts NASA’s proven technology to good use, helping even the most green-challenged gardener grow plants.</p>
<p>The planter defines soil-less gardening, and provides an ideal growing environment for herbs, flowers and fruit. All you need to do is seed it, feed it and leave your plants to grow. With no soil to mess up your desk, it&#8217;s the perfect home-office solution!</p>
<p>Power Plant £35.00 plus delivery from £4.95 (UK only).</p>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-power-plant-science-museum/">Office Candy: Power Plant from the Science Museum</a></p>


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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-michael-fish-office-mug/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug'>Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-espresso-maker/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Espresso maker'>Office Candy: Espresso maker</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 May 2010 10:51:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office accessories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office candy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paperweight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=840</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If paperweights make you swoon then feast your eyes on this simply gorgeous paperweight from UK designer, Panic Tuesday. &#8220;Vintage Time&#8221; is a resin paper weight with watch parts, beads, a vintage button and a fabric rose, plus natural inclusions. The width of the domed paper weight is about 3 inches and the base is [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/">Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</a></p>



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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/office-candy-campervan-desk-tidy/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Campervan Desk Tidy'>Office Candy: Campervan Desk Tidy</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/office-candy-library-notebooks-present-correct/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Library Notebooks from Present and Correct'>Office Candy: Library Notebooks from Present and Correct</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/office-paperweight.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-841" title="office-paperweight" src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/office-paperweight-300x225.jpg" alt="office paperweight" width="300" height="225" /></a>If paperweights make you swoon then feast your eyes on this simply gorgeous paperweight from UK designer, <a href="http://www.misi.co.uk/handmade/panic_tuesday.html" target="_blank">Panic Tuesday</a>. <a href="http://www.misi.co.uk/gifts/32126/RESIN_PAPER_WEIGHT_" target="_blank">&#8220;Vintage Time&#8221;</a> is a resin paper weight with watch parts, beads, a vintage button and a fabric rose, plus natural inclusions.<br />
The width of the domed paper weight is about 3 inches and the base is covered with black felt to protect your office desk (my desk needs protection from myself!) This would make an unusual present and is also gift-wrapped free of charge.</p>
<p>£22.00 plus £2.00 postage.</p>
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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/office-candy-campervan-desk-tidy/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Campervan Desk Tidy'>Office Candy: Campervan Desk Tidy</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/office-candy-library-notebooks-present-correct/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Library Notebooks from Present and Correct'>Office Candy: Library Notebooks from Present and Correct</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Office Candy: Library Notebooks from Present and Correct</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/office-candy-library-notebooks-present-correct/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/office-candy-library-notebooks-present-correct/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2010 10:26:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office accessories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office candy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m a sucker for notebooks despite having a macbook nailed to my knees. They&#8217;re great for jotting down notes and inspiration &#8211; and if they have a cool cover, more so the better. I&#8217;m loving these vintage library notebooks from Present and Correct. They measure 4.25&#8243; x 5.75&#8243; and have a handprinted wrap around cover. [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/office-candy-library-notebooks-present-correct/">Office Candy: Library Notebooks from Present and Correct</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday'>Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-limited-edition-roberts-radio-piano-gloss-black/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Limited Edition Roberts Radio in Piano Gloss Black'>Office Candy: Limited Edition Roberts Radio in Piano Gloss Black</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-michael-fish-office-mug/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug'>Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/lib1l.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-838" title="lib1l" src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/lib1l-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>I&#8217;m a sucker for notebooks despite having a macbook nailed to my knees. They&#8217;re great for jotting down notes and inspiration &#8211; and if they have a cool cover, more so the better.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m loving these <a href="http://www.presentandcorrect.com/item.php?item_id=521&amp;category_id=2" target="_blank">vintage library notebooks</a> from Present and Correct. They measure 4.25&#8243; x 5.75&#8243; and have a handprinted wrap around cover. Each notebook  also has a library pocket and ticket which you can stick into your  book and tuck in stuff like receipts, tickets and other papery things!</p>
<p>Two titles to choose from:</p>
<ul>
<li>Basic Robotic Engineering by Anne Droid (silver, gold  &amp; white) (my fave) or</li>
<li>An Encyclopaedia of Poisons by R.C. Nick (black, grey &amp; silver)</li>
</ul>
<p>£6.50 from <a href="http://www.presentandcorrect.com/" target="_blank">Present and Correct</a>. Postage at cost. Worldwide shipping available.</p>
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</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Trying Out: Huddle</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/huddle/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/huddle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 09:32:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Communication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Huddle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ICal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=834</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Regular readers will know of my eternal quest (encouraged by Nat) to develop ultra-organisational abilities. As a geek, I&#8217;m also a sucker for anything online and techy. Often, I get as far as a road test before giving up, but one online tool I am still using every day, months after signing up, is project [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/huddle/">Trying Out: Huddle</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/keeping-tasks-organised-toodledo/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Keeping Tasks Organised with Toodledo'>Keeping Tasks Organised with Toodledo</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/html-editor-kompozer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Trying Out: HTML Editor Kompozer'>Trying Out: HTML Editor Kompozer</a></li>
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</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Huddle-Logo.gif"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-835" title="Huddle-Logo" src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Huddle-Logo.gif" alt="" width="187" height="75" /></a>Regular readers will know of my eternal quest (encouraged by Nat) to develop ultra-organisational abilities. As a geek, I&#8217;m also a sucker for anything online and techy. Often, I get as far as a road test before giving up, but one online tool I am still using every day, months after signing up, is project management software, <a href="http://www.huddle.net/" target="_blank">Huddle.</a></p>
<p>UK based, Huddle is an online workspace that you can use to work together with people. I use it to manage my virtual assistant, work with a couple of business partners and liaise with my internet marketing clients. It is this type of flexibility that makes Huddle such a good solution for those organisationally challenged peeps like myself.</p>
<p>Huddle gives you a range of communication options including sharing and storing files online and creating and editing documents online. Discussions can be managed through unlimited discussion forums and whiteboards (like Wikis). You&#8217;re able to notify group members immediately of any changes to the workspace, ask for approvals for documents or let peeps know you&#8217;ve uploaded files.</p>
<p>Add into the mix a task management facility which links to an online calender (which can also be synced with iCal) and you have a pretty nifty way to keep projects on track. Oh, and there&#8217;s also an app for your iphone <img src='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>My only criticism is that if you have several projects running it can get pricey for the small business to add extra workspaces to their account, but you can take advantage of one free workspace to try Huddle out and see whether it suits.</p>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/huddle/">Trying Out: Huddle</a></p>


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</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2010 09:36:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Starting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Niche market]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=785</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Firstly, this post is not a free pass for sneaky tactics! But nor should you miss this step out from your planning because it feels a bit, well, grubby&#8230; If you&#8217;re going into buisness then you need to understand your competition. You need to know what their strengths are and you need to be laser [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/">First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></p>



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<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/business-research-tips/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Research Tips'>Business Research Tips</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Highland Dancing Competition - Dornoch Highland Gathering 2007" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43145783@N00/1005046978/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1316/1005046978_3f0946df2a_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Highland Dancing Competition - Dornoch Highland Gathering 2007" /></a>Firstly, this post is not a free pass for sneaky tactics! But nor should you miss this step out from your planning because it feels a bit, well, grubby&#8230;</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re going into buisness then you need to understand your competition. You need to know what their strengths are and you need to be laser targeting their weaknesses. The only way you will be able to do this is if you have done some competitor research.</p>
<p>You need to do competitor research to understand:</p>
<ul>
<li>What markets or market segments your competitors serve</li>
<li>What benefits your competition offers</li>
<li>Why their customers buy from them</li>
</ul>
<p>And as much as possible about their products or services, their pricing, and promotion (or marketing) tactics.</p>
<p>An easy way to start is go online and research the top 10-15 companies listed on google for your top keyword.</p>
<ul>
<li>Note down what products the websites sell,</li>
<li> Which stockists do they use?</li>
<li>Their pricing strategy &#8211; are they aimed at the luxury market or the lower end?</li>
<li>Make notes on their website&#8217;s usability &#8211; can you move around easily or is their website confusing?</li>
<li>Place some orders and see what their customer service is like.</li>
<li>Look for any online articles or press releases (google for more information)</li>
</ul>
<p>If they are Limited Companies you can actually have a good old nosy of their accounts which are downloadable for a a few quid over at the Companies House website. This may give you an idea of what a realistic turnover may be. Also make a note of what trade shows (if any) they attend or exhibit at during the year.</p>
<p>Make sure you are noting all this information down &#8211; I use a notebook for research as well as a spreadsheet. Sometimes I&#8217;ll have a thought and need to quickly note it down before I forget. A mind map is another useful research tool.</p>
<p>From your competitor research you should try to identify your own market niche and your competitive advantage. Something that your competitors aren&#8217;t doing that you can do or some way to improve (and better) what your competitors currently offer. For example, for children&#8217;s parties, I might notice that few businesses offer &#8220;all-in-one parties in-a-box&#8221; type of services. I would note that down and do further research to discover whether this is a product that customers may wish to buy.</p>
<p>Competitor research is a vital part of planning your new business. Always think &#8220;What can I do better?&#8221; and &#8220;what can I offer that the competition don&#8217;t?&#8221;</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="foxypar4" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43145783@N00/1005046978/" target="_blank">foxypar4</a></small></p>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/">First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/business-research-tips/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Research Tips'>Business Research Tips</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>7 Things You Didn’t Know About Us – Harrison Ford love, celebrity turn downs, &amp; a pic with Bob Marley</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/7/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/7/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:40:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We were tagged by Antonia over at Family Friendly Working, to say seven things you didn&#8217;t know about us, so here goes! Ali&#8217;s 7 Things&#8230; 1. I love handbags with a passion. You will know I&#8217;ve made it when I sport a Chanel black 2.55 as my arm candy. 2. The last time I sang [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/7/">7 Things You Didn’t Know About Us – Harrison Ford love, celebrity turn downs, &#038; a pic with Bob Marley</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-mystery-time-space-motas/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/surviving/learn-love-numbers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Why You Should Learn to Love your Numbers!'>Why You Should Learn to Love your Numbers!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/review-inaugural-mumpreneur-conference-3-october-2009/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Review: Inaugural Mumpreneur Conference 3 October 2009'>Review: Inaugural Mumpreneur Conference 3 October 2009</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We were tagged by Antonia over at <a title="family friendly working" href="www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2010/04/16/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-me/" target="_blank">Family Friendly Working</a>, to say seven things you didn&#8217;t know about us, so here goes!</p>
<p><strong>Ali&#8217;s 7 Things&#8230;</strong></p>
<p>1. I love handbags with a passion. You will know I&#8217;ve made it when I sport a Chanel black 2.55 as my arm candy.</p>
<p>2. The last time I sang in public was when I was 18 and played Mrs Peachum in The Threepenny Opera.</p>
<p>3. I&#8217;ve had a crush on Harrison Ford for 33 years&#8230;</p>
<p>4. I suffered from secondary infertility.</p>
<p>5. I&#8217;m a big Sci-fi fan.</p>
<p>6. I have all of Nigel Slater&#8217;s recipe books and I hold him responsible for my current punishing diet.</p>
<p>7. I was once a very political animal.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><img src="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/skitched-20100422-114548.jpg" width="360" height="270" alt="skitched-20100422-114548.jpg" /></span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Natalie&#8217;s 7 Things&#8230;</strong></p>
<p>1. I was brought up in Dublin so I have a mixed accent. When I started blogging and was anonymous, people assumed I was fair skinned with red hair&#8230;</p>
<p>2. I&#8217;ve been doing acupuncture for 4 years as it helped me to recover from an immune system disease, Sarcoidosis.</p>
<p>3. I have about 100 pairs of shoes although most have been neglected since I had kids&#8230;</p>
<p>4. I was asked by a very famous rapper to go back to his hotel room with him and his entourage but I declined telling him that &#8216;group activities&#8217; aren&#8217;t my thang&#8230;</p>
<p>5. I watch at least one episode of Sex and the City each week.</p>
<p>6. I have an early baby picture of me being held by Bob Marley (as shown).</p>
<p>7. I&#8217;ve lost a Mulberry handbag in my attic. I keep meaning to do a clearout&#8230;</p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/7/">7 Things You Didn’t Know About Us – Harrison Ford love, celebrity turn downs, &#038; a pic with Bob Marley</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/shirkers-secrets-mystery-time-space-motas/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS'>Shirker&#8217;s Secrets: The Mystery of Time and Space &#8211; MOTAS</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/surviving/learn-love-numbers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Why You Should Learn to Love your Numbers!'>Why You Should Learn to Love your Numbers!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/review-inaugural-mumpreneur-conference-3-october-2009/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Review: Inaugural Mumpreneur Conference 3 October 2009'>Review: Inaugural Mumpreneur Conference 3 October 2009</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>April Business Mums Carnival at Self Employed Mum</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/april-business-mums-carnival-employed-mum/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/april-business-mums-carnival-employed-mum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bloggers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carnival]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=801</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re really pleased Self Employed Mum is hosting this month&#8217;s business mum&#8217;s carnival. We&#8217;ve got a whole stack of posts ready for you for your delight and delectation. As usual, if you like what you read, then don&#8217;t forget to add a comment to the blog! First up is Helen Lindop over at Business plus [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/april-business-mums-carnival-employed-mum/">April Business Mums Carnival at Self Employed Mum</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/business-mums-london-meet-7-october/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October'>Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/secret-weblife-alison-employed-mum/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: My Secret Weblife: Alison of Self Employed Mum'>My Secret Weblife: Alison of Self Employed Mum</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/online-networking-baby-greenhouse/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Online Networking &#8211; Baby Greenhouse'>Online Networking &#8211; Baby Greenhouse</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Carnival Vedette" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90963248@N00/2084777141/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2059/2084777141_3ac3c53c61_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Carnival Vedette" /></a>We&#8217;re really pleased Self Employed Mum is hosting this month&#8217;s business mum&#8217;s carnival. We&#8217;ve got a whole stack of posts ready for you for your delight and delectation.</p>
<p>As usual, if you like what you read, then don&#8217;t forget to add a comment to the blog!</p>
<p>First up is Helen Lindop over at <a href="http://businessplusbaby.com/" target="_blank">Business plus Baby</a>. She has the thought provoking post <a href="http://businessplusbaby.com/2010/04/12/why-mumpreneurs-should-make-a-decent-profit/" target="_blank">Why Mumpreneurs Should Make a Decent Profi</a>t&#8230;</p>
<p>A blog post to make you smile is over at <a href="http://www.more4mums.co.uk/" target="_blank">More 4 Mums</a>, where Lynn Hogg explains how she managed to <a href="http://www.more4mums.co.uk/blog/archives/776" target="_blank">influence the Government through a few tweets</a>!</p>
<p>Becky Goddard Hill shares <a href="http://babybudgeting.co.uk/2010/04/time-to-plan-the-best-party-on-earth/" target="_blank">How to Plan the Best Party on Earth</a> over at <a href="http://babybudgeting.co.uk/" target="_blank">Baby Budgeting</a>.</p>
<p>Over at <a href="http://mumazing.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Mumazing</a>, Sam Thewlis is asking how we find the <a href="http://mumazing.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/the-measure-of-success/" target="_blank">Measure of Success</a> ?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.timemanagementmum.com/2010/04/tips-for-companies-who-market-to-mums.html" target="_blank">Time Management Mum</a>, Nadine Hill, has a few pointers for industry on her wish list <a href="http://www.timemanagementmum.com/2010/04/tips-for-companies-who-market-to-mums.html" target="_blank">Tips for Companies Who Market To Mums</a>.</p>
<p>Rachel, who&#8217;s currently <a href="http://fireflylive.livejournal.com/522228.html" target="_blank">Girl Friday</a> at her local church, shares a typical working day with us over at <a href="http://fireflylive.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">Tales from Lewis Lodge</a>.</p>
<p>Over at <a href="http://support4women.net/" target="_blank">Support 4 Women</a>, T-J is <a href="http://support4women.net/?p=218" target="_blank">Taking Stock</a>&#8230; While Elaine at <a href="http://littlesheep-learning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Little Sheep Learning</a> is <a href="http://littlesheep-learning.blogspot.com/2010/04/setting-targets.html" target="_blank">Setting Targets</a>.</p>
<p><a title="Mums The Boss Blog" href="http://www.mumstheblog.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mums The Boss</a> share a post by Susan Odev inspiring you to stop asking and start listening to your inner voice in <a title="i'll got where the muse it takes me" href="http://www.mumstheblog.co.uk/2010/04/07/ill-go-where-the-muse-it-takes-me/" target="_blank">I&#8217;ll Go Where The Muse It Takes Me</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, Antonia over at <a title="Family Friendly Working" href="http://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk" target="_blank">Family Friendly Working</a> gives some insight into herself by sharing <a title="seven things we don't know re anotnia chitty" href="http://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2010/04/16/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-me/" target="_blank">seven things we don&#8217;t know about her</a>.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="Vince Alongi" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90963248@N00/2084777141/" target="_blank">Vince Alongi</a></small></p>
<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/april-business-mums-carnival-employed-mum/">April Business Mums Carnival at Self Employed Mum</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/business-mums-london-meet-7-october/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October'>Business Mums London Meet Up &#8211; 7 October</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/secret-weblife-alison-employed-mum/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: My Secret Weblife: Alison of Self Employed Mum'>My Secret Weblife: Alison of Self Employed Mum</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/networking/online-networking-baby-greenhouse/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Online Networking &#8211; Baby Greenhouse'>Online Networking &#8211; Baby Greenhouse</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:34:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Starting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Libraries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market research]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In my last post I decide to use the example of starting up an online business connected with children&#8217;s parties to illustrate the &#8220;First Steps&#8230; In Online Retail&#8221; series. This post looks in more detail at imho one of the most important business building blocks &#8211; market research. My definition of market research probably won&#8217;t [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/">First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/business-research-tips/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Research Tips'>Business Research Tips</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a title="All of these are connected" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/74105777@N00/2390340016/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2390340016_2b2495b792_m.jpg" border="0" alt="All of these are connected" /></a>In my last post I decide to use the example of starting up an online business connected with children&#8217;s parties to illustrate the &#8220;First Steps&#8230; In Online Retail&#8221; series.</em></p>
<p><em>This post looks in more detail at imho one of the most important business building blocks &#8211; market research.</em></p>
<p>My definition of market research probably won&#8217;t pass muster with any &#8220;proper&#8221; researchers, but here are some ways which have worked for me&#8230;</p>
<p><em>Business Libraries: </em>The Mecca of business libraries is probably the City library in London. When setting up one of my businesses I actually made the journey from &#8216;Up North&#8221; to &#8220;Down South&#8221; three times to use the facilities here. I&#8217;ve also used the Manchester Business Library too which is v good. There is usually a business library in most big cities and often at Universities which you may be able to access. Use the information in a business library to research the sector and  the market. Start by asking the Librarians &#8211; they&#8217;ll know where all the info is&#8230;</p>
<p><em>Research reports </em>to look out for: Keynote, Mori and NOP&#8230; Also ask the librarians if they know of any BOPs (Business Opportunity Profiles) which might be related. Don&#8217;t discount any research that isn&#8217;t bang on as you may uncover related nuggets of info that adds to your knowledge.</p>
<p><em>Trade Magazines:</em> Business libraries usually carry these, including the more obscure ones. If not, then it&#8217;s quite easy to sign up (often free) for ones which can give you new and up to date perspectives on the marketplace. Not sure on any for the children&#8217;s party sector, so think laterally &#8211; gift sector ? (Gifts Today), toys? (Toys and Playthings)&#8230;</p>
<p><em>Online Newspaper Collections:</em> Use these to search for related news stories &#8211; I picked up an item on the cost of children&#8217;s parties for example and how much parent&#8217;s will spend&#8230; Also see if any of your competitors have had coverage in the press and what it was for.</p>
<p><em>Local Business Link </em>- they may have information you can access for free &#8211; for related research concerned with business topics then the business link website is worth a good rummage.</p>
<p><em>Trade Shows </em>- these can be great sources of both information and inspiration!</p>
<p><strong>The Long List&#8230;</strong></p>
<p>From all of this research, make a long list of any potential business ideas you could look further into:<br />
Eg for the children&#8217;s party sector</p>
<ul>
<li>General retail of party items</li>
<li>Party Invitations</li>
<li>Partyware</li>
<li>Fancy Dress</li>
<li>Party Bags &#8211; cheap, green, luxury, fairtrade ?</li>
<li>Bouncy castle hire</li>
</ul>
<p>Based on this research you should now have started to identify possible business opportunities and know if the sector is growing, the   size of the market and who the main competitors are&#8230;﻿</p>
<p>Asy yourself, &#8220;Is this a viable business sector for me?&#8221;</p>
<p>If the answer is &#8220;yes&#8221; then the next step is to analyse the competition!</p>
<p><em><small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="adactio" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/74105777@N00/2390340016/" target="_blank">adactio</a></small></em></p>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/">First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/business-research-tips/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Business Research Tips'>Business Research Tips</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>First Steps&#8230; In Online Retail &#8211; Starting Out</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:01:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Starting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[selling online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Start Up]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unique selling proposition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the first of an occasional series, I&#8217;ll be sharing some of things I&#8217;ve learnt since becoming an online entrepreneur and answering the big question I see asked on forums and online noticeboards&#8230; &#8220;I want to start an online business &#8220;selling stuff&#8221; &#8211; but I don&#8217;t know where to start!&#8221; Firstly, you need to decide [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail/">First Steps&#8230; In Online Retail &#8211; Starting Out</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a title="Trolley" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56258631@N00/351554256/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/351554256_a6e7dba0cd_m.jpg" border="0" alt="Trolley" /></a>In the first of an occasional series, I&#8217;ll be sharing some of things I&#8217;ve learnt since becoming an online entrepreneur and answering the big question I see asked on forums and online noticeboards&#8230;</em></p>
<p><strong>&#8220;I want to start an online business &#8220;selling stuff&#8221; &#8211; but I don&#8217;t know where to start!&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>Firstly, you need to decide what you will sell and to whom.</p>
<p>I know that sounds obvious, but often peeps get a bit carried away with the idea of selling online and don&#8217;t stop to think about what exactly they will sell and who they will sell it to.</p>
<p>My advice would be to find a niche and target a specific market.</p>
<p>If you seriously want to make money online then finding a niche is not about selling something so unique only a few people will want to buy, it&#8217;s about selling things people want in sufficient numbers but offering a new spin or targeting a group of potential customers (your unique selling point &#8211; USP).</p>
<p>A word of warning too &#8211; don&#8217;t let &#8220;mummy vision&#8221; cloud your business ideas. Many new mums start great businesses when inspiration strikes after they give birth and discover a must-have baby product or invent something new and practical as a result of their experiences. However, some become one of the many sling makers/sellers, real nappy makers/sellers, etc etc and realise that once their child has outgrown that stage they&#8217;ve outgrown their enthusiasm for the product!</p>
<p>Think carefully about what your big idea is &#8211; is it something that motivates you, you feel enthusiastic about because of what it is rather than what stage you are in your life. Remember success doesn&#8217;t happen overnight. If you thought you may not make any money from your business to pay yourself a wage for a year, or even two! Would you still have the hots for it?</p>
<p>As an example for this series, let&#8217;s look at selling something connected to children&#8217;s parties.</p>
<p>The party business is fairly steady, parents do spend on their children&#8217;s parties when they may cut back elsewhere. If I was starting a business in this area I would gather some research to back this up (from a business library, Business Link etc), and find out as much information to test this idea before I committed myself.</p>
<p>In my next post I&#8217;ll be looking at how you can research your children&#8217;s party business idea quickly and painlessly&#8230;</p>
<p><em><small><a title="Attribution-ShareAlike License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="macieklew" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56258631@N00/351554256/" target="_blank">macieklew</a></small></em></p>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail/">First Steps&#8230; In Online Retail &#8211; Starting Out</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-competitor-analysis/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Competitor Analysis</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/starting/steps-online-retail-research-idea/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Research Your Idea</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/steps-online-retail-writing-action-plan/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan'>First Steps… In Online Retail – Writing Your Action Plan</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Happy Mothers Day Fom Nat and Ali</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/inspiring/happy-mothers-day-fom-nat-ali/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/inspiring/happy-mothers-day-fom-nat-ali/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jo Rheam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Million Mums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mother's Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mummo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=754</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We hope that you manage to have a few hours off today to relax and enjoy Mother&#8217;s Day. If you&#8217;ve got a few minutes spare then you might like to take a look at the latest Mummo Mag, edited by the fabulous Jo Rheam of Mummo to help spread the word about the Million Mums [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/inspiring/happy-mothers-day-fom-nat-ali/">Happy Mothers Day Fom Nat and Ali</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We hope that you manage to have a few hours off today to relax and enjoy Mother&#8217;s Day.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve got a few minutes spare then you might like to take a look at the latest Mummo Mag, edited by the fabulous Jo Rheam of <a href="http://www.mummo.co.uk/">Mummo</a> to help spread the word about the Million Mums appeal.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s lots of interesting stuff inside, mind and body, home and family issues, articles on home schooling, travel and a dollop of business stuff too (including an interview with Ali).</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mummomag.co.uk/" target="_self">Mummo Mag</a></p>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/inspiring/happy-mothers-day-fom-nat-ali/">Happy Mothers Day Fom Nat and Ali</a></p>
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		<title>Office Candy &#8211; Aromatherapy USB Burner</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-aromatherapy-usb-burner/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-aromatherapy-usb-burner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:40:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Discovering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aromatherapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office candy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Office Supplies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB flash drive]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-aromatherapy-usb-burner/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is this the ultimate in office relaxation? The USB Aromatherapy Oil Burner delights your nose and clears your mind with just one drop. Simply add one drop of the included aromatherapy oil onto the little X on the USB stick (see above). Step two, pop the stick into a USB drive (horizontal drives preferred to [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-aromatherapy-usb-burner/">Office Candy &#8211; Aromatherapy USB Burner</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-power-plant-science-museum/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Power Plant from the Science Museum'>Office Candy: Power Plant from the Science Museum</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday'>Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-michael-fish-office-mug/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug'>Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="right alignleft" src="http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/other/usb_oil_burner_embed.jpg" alt="" />Is this the ultimate in office relaxation?<br />
The USB Aromatherapy Oil Burner delights  your nose and clears your mind with just one drop.<br />
Simply add one drop of the included aromatherapy oil onto the little X on the USB stick (see above). Step two, pop the stick into a USB drive (horizontal drives preferred to prevent drips &#8211; boo &#8211; not good for my Office Mac).</p>
<div id="proddescription"></div>
<div>
<p>No software needed or drivers to install, as the USB Aromatherapy Oil Burner just needs to get warm. And then the lavendery smells can spread around your office and put you in a better mood.</p>
<p><strong>Size:</strong> about 2.5&#8243; long (includes mini bottle of Lavender scented oil &#8211; though can be used with any fragrance oil)</p>
<p>$5.99 from <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsforher/a26a/">Think Geek</a>. Worldwide shipping available.</p>
</div>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-aromatherapy-usb-burner/">Office Candy &#8211; Aromatherapy USB Burner</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-power-plant-science-museum/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Power Plant from the Science Museum'>Office Candy: Power Plant from the Science Museum</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-vintage-time-paperweight-panic-tuesday/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday'>Office Candy: Vintage Time Paperweight from Panic Tuesday</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/office-candy-michael-fish-office-mug/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug'>Office Candy: Michael Fish Office Mug</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Cool Tool: Colorzilla</title>
		<link>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/cool-tool-colorzilla/</link>
		<comments>http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/cool-tool-colorzilla/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:01:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alison</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Organising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Add-on]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorzilla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Firefox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web browser]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/?p=741</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you one of those peeps who spend a lot of time looking for colors to use online? Do you ever look at a site and think &#8211; &#8220;ooh! that looks lovely? I wonder what those colors are?&#8221; Then let me introduce to one of my favorite online tools, Colorzilla. ColorZilla is a plug-in extension [...]<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/cool-tool-colorzilla/">Cool Tool: Colorzilla</a></p>



Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-3-branding/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea To Launch &#8211; Part 3 &#8211; Branding'>From Business Idea To Launch &#8211; Part 3 &#8211; Branding</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/openoffice-org-excels-pun-intended/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Guest Post: OpenOffice.org excels (pun intended)'>Guest Post: OpenOffice.org excels (pun intended)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-4-testing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing'>From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="One Made it" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31073149@N00/244334006/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/244334006_96fbca4226_m.jpg" border="0" alt="One Made it" /></a>Are you one of those peeps who spend a lot of time looking for colors to use online?</p>
<p>Do you ever look at a site and think &#8211; &#8220;ooh! that looks lovely? I wonder what those colors are?&#8221;</p>
<p>Then let me introduce to one of my favorite online tools, Colorzilla.</p>
<p>ColorZilla is a plug-in extension for <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/">Mozilla Firefox</a> browser and the <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/">Mozilla Suite</a>.</p>
<p>Although it&#8217;s aimed at web developers and graphic designers with color related tasks, like choosing website colors, it&#8217;s a very handy tool which I use more than I thought I ever would.</p>
<p>Once you have installed Colorzilla you are able to get an instant reading of the colors any website is using with just a quick click of the mouse. There&#8217;s also a built-in palette browser which lets you choose colors from pre-defined color sets and  you can save the colors in custom palettes available online.</p>
<p>To give you just one example, I&#8217;m working on a website for a client at the moment &#8211; it&#8217;s a second site but needs to have the same look and feel as the original. Getting a list of the colors from the original site would be a tedious job, involving contacting her previous designers, noting them all down, checking for typos etc.. Using Colorzilla I was able to grab the colors from the site immediately and give the new techies an online link to the color palette &#8211; problem solved in nano-seconds!</p>
<p><a title="Colorzilla" href="http://www.colorzilla.com/firefox/" target="_blank">Download Colorzilla</a> and have a more colorful life online&#8230;</p>
<p><small><a title="Attribution License" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank"><img src="../wp-content/plugins/photo-dropper/images/cc.png" border="0" alt="Creative Commons License" width="16" height="16" align="absmiddle" /></a> <a href="http://www.photodropper.com/photos/" target="_blank">photo</a> credit: <a title="Jimmy_Joe" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31073149@N00/244334006/" target="_blank">Jimmy_Joe</a></small></p>
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<p>Read all the latest working mums news from <a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk">Self Employed Mum</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/organising/cool-tool-colorzilla/">Cool Tool: Colorzilla</a></p>


<p>Related posts on self employed mum:<ol><li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-3-branding/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea To Launch &#8211; Part 3 &#8211; Branding'>From Business Idea To Launch &#8211; Part 3 &#8211; Branding</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/discovering/openoffice-org-excels-pun-intended/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Guest Post: OpenOffice.org excels (pun intended)'>Guest Post: OpenOffice.org excels (pun intended)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.selfemployedmum.co.uk/planning/business-idea-launch-part-4-testing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing'>From Business Idea To Launch – Part 4 – Testing</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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