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You might remember our post last year, around the May Bank Holiday, when we told you about our designs for Manchester Arndale for their ‘Inside Live’ event. We created the set design for the fashion showcase, as well as some fabulous beauty workstations which the likes of Body Shop loved..

Well we were so pleased to see our set design being used again, including our beauty workstations, at Manchester Arndale FlashMob Fashion event which took place last weekend.

“The latest hair and new spring make-up ranges will also be available to view and try out at in the ‘pop-up salon’ in Halle Square with staff on hand to offer styling tips and mini-makeovers.” Read more…

FlashMob Fashion – The bwd pop-up salon and ‘goalpost’ graphic units in use last week.
Picture © Jason Lock Photography
+44 (0) 7889 152747 / +44 (0) 161 431 4012

The FlashMob-style fashion event featured two of our ‘goalpost’ graphic units as well as the beauty stations, as pictured being used by Lush, the high street’s handmade cosmetics company.

The fantastic photographs, taken by Jason Lock Photography, really show off our designs and demonstrate how flexible and re-useable our units are.  We believe it pays to think a design brief through and to work out the details. Aside from creating a branded set design, we have developed units which:

- Attract attention, but do not affect footfall and travel through the busy areas of the shopping center.

- Store away easily, in smaller sections, but can be rebuilt quickly.

- Use magnetic graphics which means the images can be changed to suit various events.

- Offer complimentary mobile beauty stations which are stylish and practical.

We are so proud to see our designs still in use and look forward to seeing them in many more events this year.

Did you see or visit the FlashMob Fashion event? If so, did you use our pop-up set? We’d love to hear your thoughts or see your pics.

High Court victory for client in property dispute

Social Media is transforming the way the world does business. In your town and your city.

The great thing about social media is that it’s where the people are! Think about it…. Thousands of people in your area – your potential customers – are online using the various social media platforms RIGHT NOW – this minute and they might be looking for you or talking about you!

Click to watch the latest video The Social Media Revolution

We all know that building relationships with your customers creates loyal customers and good customer service is what builds your reputation.

Word of mouth has always been the way to really build a great business and the fact is that together, the social media platforms, are 21^st century word of mouth.

Facebook gets more page views each month now than Google. Twitter is the most brilliant tool to engage with people and millions are using it. Linked In provides the greatest professional networking facility there is and You Tube provides an incredible and under utilised video platform that can really boost your profile if used correctly and Pinterest is quickly becoming a major platform.

Social media is not going to go away, so successful businesses have joined in the world’s biggest conversation.

If you don’t know how to get started, instead of struggling to do it all on your own… let me help you and do it with you.

Give me a call on 0752 131 4926 and I’ll be happy to have a chat. Or email me jane@janessocialmedia.co.uk

My alternative festive 60 seconds by Amanda Green – Pampered Chef 

Father Christmas and his business overhaul

by Father Christmas

This year I need to outsource & find the right people for an
overhaul

I think I’ll give those fabulous ladies of Lancaster Pink Link a call!

Rae is always up for a laugh & knows how to coach and train

And I’ve head there’s nothing that Coral won’t do for a bubbly glass of
champagne!

Tracy Irwin knows my numbers & will ensure the elves are paid,

I’ve got my shakes from Linda Stott so my energy levels won’t fade

Mary Rose has made me over with her skincare products for men

Now I’m ready for my photo shoot, Eleanor will sort the wide lens!

Jane Turner took the pinch out of my crunch,

While Amanda Green added life to my lunch!

Julia Sawford’s got style, have you seen her?

For Mrs Claus I might need a pashmina!

I’m fully proficient with social media now

That Tweety bird Jane Binnion has shown me how

My website’s up & running well

Thanks to Sharon Jackson, she sure is swell

The finances are in order and it wasn’t a trial

Made easy with Denise Almond’s lovely smile

Anyway must dash and see to the sleigh

My next project is blogging, Sarah Cru’s on her way!

Mary Rose Selman of Mary Kay Cosmetics (where you don’t have to be called Mary, but it helps).

When I started my business with Mary Kay Cosmetics it was pretty modern to have a cordless phone! Times have certainly changed and I knew that I had to embrace social media or lose the potential for new customers and connecting with my consultants via the different platforms. I was enthusiastic and clueless. I had no idea what was entailed and certainly no idea of how my business (which is entirely dependent on face to face appointments) was going to include it.

Step in Jane Binnion. In one session, shared over a cup of coffee, I was enlightened! Not only did she explain succinctly each of the major players (Face Book, Twitter and LinkedIn), but she also transferred her enthusiasm and expertise.

It took time to find my feet in this brave new world. It took time to find out exactly what worked for me and what didn’t. I still find I don’t have the picture to go with the words on Facebook, my LinkedIn profile is not quite 100%, but Twitter is a revelation: fast and fun, my natural home!

Having a presence on each of these three is definitely benefiting my business. It has increased brand awareness, which brings new customers; connectivity with consultants and Directors across the globe, which fits so well with the Mary Kay ethos of community and lastly elevating the profile of Mary Kay consultants as sole traders running profitable businesses from home.

Jane has now worked with my Directors and consultants via Conference Calls. And as for me, well to my amusement Mary Kay Cosmetics UK has asked me to be one of their On Line Champions! I haven’t quite gone native yet, but I am glad I have taken the first leap into the future!

You will find Mary Rose on twitter as MaryRoseMK

Pink Link H/Q – 19^th March, 2012

Last week we had two network meetings scheduled. Firstly our Blackburn network which had changed to a very special venue, onboard “The Romance” canal boat, owned by Lesley Yates and her family who run the Canal Boat Cruise Company.

We are always looking for ways of improving and refreshing the service we provide to our members, so when Lesley suggested using her boat for the networking group we thought it might be a nice experience for our members.

” Floating Networking” proved a great success on Wednesday with our lady members meeting lots of new visitors. The visitors had heard about the event via social media sites such as Twitter and our facebook page, we also gained some press coverage by creating something a bit unusual and as it was different it attracted ladies who may not have come along before. So from a marketing exercise it was a great success and we gained new members at the event.

Most importantly we had to gain feedback from our existing members to ensure they were happy with the change and if this new venue would be suitable long term. After gaining feedback it has highlighted a couple of areas which we will have to adapt, but as long as we take this onboard our members are happy.

We have also been able to work collaboratively with Lesley, a member of our Chorley network by using this venue which will benefit her, us and our members.

Lisa Thomason from “Bighorse Design” printed and supplied our special signage for the entrance to the boat and I would like to say a big thank you to her as she always goes out of her way to source the right products for us and great prices. Nothing is ever to much trouble, no matter how small the job.

Our second network meeting was on Friday at Blackpool which was busy as usual. Following on from our successful “International Women’s Day” event, Lynne MacDonald who had attended this  popped in to have a look at Blackpool. Lynne had been having a week of Pink Link experiences; Thursday International Women’s Day event where she met Tracy Irwin our Furness licensee and the following day visited Tracy and her group in Barrow in Furness. There she met Helyn Connerr who had a workshop the next day which Lynne booked herself on. So when she visited Blackpool on Friday she had meet lots of Pink Link ladies and experienced a variety of events across the North West.

Lynne expressed how much she had enjoyed meeting all the ladies who were involved with Pink Link, how welcoming and friendly they all were. Also what different experiences she had compared to other events she had been too. It was fantastic to hear such an enthusiastic testimonial and especially as her positive experience was gained from far and wide across our network.

So keep up the good work ladies, welcoming, friendly and inspiring other business women and we will keep listening.

Thanks

Team Pink Link

Last year we started our Networking and Shopping Event. It was a great way to come together on a social occasion to network across our groups and buy some Christmas goodies from local retailers. It was also nice to do our bit for those children who spend their Christmas in hospital. We raised money via a raffle of prizes that had been kindly donated by our members. We asked the hospitals what would be the most useful gifts to donate and every penny raised was spent on a shopping dash to purchases toys and DVD’s.

The nurses on the wards, children and families were extremely grateful of the gifts and that we had been thinking about them at what is traditionally such a fun family time for children. So the event is repeated again this year and we will come together at Cotton Court in Preston on 18^th November to enjoy networking shopping and raising some funds for the toys again.

This year’s event has been sponsored by Ribby Hall “Events and Banqueting”, who wanted to show their support to the event and donate our star prize of a six person Cottage at Ribby Hall Holiday Village.

We also have prizes donated by: Jeanette’s Florist, Holistic Harmony, Pampered Chef, Rowan Handbags, Caci Clinic, Excel Coaching, Design Fix, Aikido Shudokan , Mary Kay Cosmetics, Aggie McGuiness Photography, Cheiron Chiropractic, Canal Boat Cruise, Sweet Salsa, Ezi Pezi Online and Lancashire Wine School.  We would like to say a huge thank you to the generosity of all these local businesses for their kind donations and all of the Pink Link Ladies who have purchased Raffle tickets or who are participating in the event.

How can you help?

We would like to spread the word of how we celebrate Christmas with other businesses and spread a bit of cheer to the children. We have a Complimentary Family Ticket for the Dungeons, one of the best things to do in Blackpool. These tickets have been donated to celebrate the opening of the dungeons at Blackpool Tower please use these links to view this fantastic attraction.

It admits 2 adults and 2 children. Please RT this blog link so that other people will be encouraged to do something for the children in their local towns this Christmas. We will enter all RT’s into an exclusive Twitter draw tomorrow night and the winner will receive the tickets in the post.

Help us to spread some cheer this Christmas

Thanks

Coral Horn, Pink Link Ladies

Blog

I first experienced Pink Link in Blackpool after starting my mobile spray tan business.  Amazingly, I came away from the first meeting with two bookings.  I found a lot of interesting and supportive people within the group.

My background had mainly been in finance and banking so it was a bit of a leap of faith to start spraying people.  It came about because I have never had a natural tan and was looking on line to see if there was a way of spraying myself before going on holiday.  I came across a course and decided to go on it.  What I found was that it isn’t possible to spray yourself but I did have an ability to spray others.

Spray Tanning isn’t my only business; I also saw the opportunity to build a large residual income through Utility Warehouse so when Coral and Rae decided to start a group in Chorley I joined as a peer member.  It’s alarming how quickly time seems to pass – it’s already 10 months since the launch.  I found a quite different group but equally interesting and supportive.  I’ve been able to place business with quite a few of the members.  I think I must be a serial networker because I also joined the Burnley group as it launched.

Networking has become very important to me in my businesses and unlike my skills around ‘social media’ I think I’m pretty good at it.  As long as you remember that you have to put something in before you can expect to get something out you can do well.

You can’t expect to turn up occasionally and have people fall over themselves to give you business.  It’s about building relationships and trust with others in the group and finding out what makes them and their business tick.  That’s why I am an advocate of ‘one to ones’ where you can find out more about each other.  What I like is to ask what their ideal client/customer would be and what their unique selling points are so I can make a particular effort to find business for them.  How’s this for a concept, being the one to give first!

It’s not all business though, I have enjoyed some of the social events that help you get to know people a little better and let your hair down.

Twitter, Isaac Newton, Aikido and Life

Twitter teaches me a lesson

I had idly been aware that for the last several days (or weeks) that my number of twitter followers had remained roughly the same. Now one day I saw a follower and looked at his followers and found several that I would like to follow so I did! What happened next was that many of those I had just followed followed me back and my follower’s number increased! Amazing, you might say but you see this made me think; simple thing is, that by performing an action something that had not been happening – happened.

Isaac Newton did not have twitter but knew how to get followers

Anyone who did O level physics knows that it was Isaac Newton who said every action has an equal and opposite reaction and I think this is a lesson for us all to learn outside of it’s obvious application to physical laws. You see, I was not get new followers because I was not doing anything to get them. By taking action I started a reaction that brought me new followers. Brilliant! Now I am sure this simple lesson can be applied to many things? In business, how many companies or small businesses sit around moaning that here is no trade when maybe they should be taking some action in order to get the reaction that will bring them that trade?

Aikido is no different

In our training we often find that we have periods where little or no progress is perceived and we regularly look to find reasons or excuses as to why this might be. Rarely do we look to apply the Newtonian law and take some action to bring about the reaction we are looking for. Applying more effort, really listening to everything the instructor says or just getting the right mind set for a class are all actions that might just bring the reaction we are looking for.

A final word

Just a thought, but I wonder if this also works if we go about our daily life being polite, respectful and kind. Would this action lead to others being polite respectful and kind to  us?  Only one way to find out!!

This might be your first lesson in Practical Astrology, and it’s ok to fasten your seat belt if it will make you feel more secure.

Even ordinary new information can seem quite strange, but these ideas might help you during the next few weeks, allowing you to laugh at some little annoyances or even avert a business calamity. So here goes.

Those of you who have read my book, Learning Without Tears, have discovered that the planet Mercury represents our mental dynamics: thinking, learning, writing, emailing communicating, remembering, forgetting, teaching, reading, in short everything to do with information transfer. Do you remember the ancient (but always youthful) god by the same name, Mercury, the messenger of the gods? Ok so far?

Well, here is a real zinger: the planet Mercury spends a few weeks every year appearing to move backwards in the sky! It does not really travel backwards, if it did, well good-bye solar system. This is a matter of the relative speeds of Earth and Mercury. It’s like riding on a train which overtakes a slower moving train on the next track. The slower moving train appears to be going backwards. Earth is playing the role of the faster moving train, while Mercury is the slower – just now.

And here’s another way to view this situation. Imagine that the archetypal god of communication is jogging merrily along the path, right along side you, and together you are heading down the track toward the start of an exciting new project, a new purchase, a new sale, investment or event.. But your trusted companion slackens his pace, turns around and runs off in the other direction. Oh, great!

Here are the facts. For about three weeks, three times each year, Mercury is ‘retrograde’ in the sky. Against the backdrop of the fixed stars, Mercury appears to be moving backwards. Will this signify potential problems in communication? You bet!

Research proves that some mental activities are very well suited to these periods and others are not. For example, starting new activities, posting a grant application, listing a property for sale, ordering or purchasing a new car, mobile phone or computer, sending out invitations to or actually having your business launch party, or spending your entire advertising budget are not good ideas just now. However, these three week periods are fantastic for reviewing, rereading, editing, reassessing policies and practices, reworking your website, but not uploading the new one, having another look at a contract, but not signing it. Do you get the drift? The review process will invariably bring forward something you missed the first time around, something important. But, moving forward and making decisions during the retrograde period is like an uphill battle. The decisions are apt to be reversed later on, sometimes for the good, but not usually. The appliance purchased during the retrograde never works quite right. The builders who arrive on-site during the retrograde period will mysteriously vanish without having completed the job – until some other retrograde period, off in the future.

Here are the next three periods of Mercury Retrograde:

30th March at 9:48 PM until 23rd April at 11:04 AM

3rd August at 4:50 AM until 26th August at 11:03 PM

24th November at 7:21 AM until 14th December at 1:43 AM

Do some research of your own. Allow a few extra days for post to be delivered. If your car breaks down, the problem may be much smaller than it looks. Misunderstandings abound! Consider the learning style of the other person before you speak.

Reread Learning Without Tears.

With best wishes Helyn Connerr Astro Innovation

astroinnovation@aol.com