This 4N thing that I have joined has proved to be interesting indeed. I was looking at their online forum the other day when I noticed a request from a lady in Walsall asking for a publicist/manager for her friend's rock band so I responded and said that I chat to someone on another forum as she already does that job. I then kind of said that I would do the job and despite feeling a bit shakey and saying that I dont have recent experience - it seems that I may well be the person for the job. I am meeting the band next week. Actually I am looking forward to it as I have already been making new contacts within the music industry by contacting people I know who just happen to know someone else that is useful and they are willing to impart their wisdom.
I also went to the chamber of commerce today to see a business mentor - it was strange to say the least because I havent had any mentoring from the chamber of commerce since I signed off at the end of April. Thankfully this mentor used to have links with the music industry himself so was able to impart some knowledge. We also managed to set my prices too and my absolute min fee is £25 per hour but all my prices are bespoke anyway for each client. It seems that I am doing everything right although I do need to re-write my business plan (I knew that anyway and have been putting it off), business should start to pick up on the corporate side of things in the Spring. It was also suggested that I write a book because I am so eloquent - well, if I am so eloquent why am I struggling to write a simple advert for a magazine??
As for weddings maybe I will do one or two as it wouldnt be nice to put them totally to one side after getting the diploma. I can honestly say though that I am more excited by this band opportunity than anything else especially as I have decided that I will have a retainer plus extra from gigs and record deals. At least my friend on the other forum is going to get back to me with some tips - she has been busy all week.
Oh..I have good news to impart and cannot remember if I mentioned it the other day...my friend Anna Louise Warrilow had her baby son Thomas Ryan on Friday 23 October. Having seen pictures he looks cute, he has lots of hair and I thought that he looks like his dad.
Nipped out to the chippy tonight for a rare treat but it was horrid as at the corner of the road there is a bus stop outside the jobcentre - tonight there was a gang of about 40 yoofs and I had no choice but to walk through the middle of them..I was scared as they started jostling and cat calling, girls were worse than the boys..thankfully by the time I returned they had gone because if they had still have been there I wouldnt have crossed the road and would have walked further down the road to cross at another crossing just to avoid them. I hate the fact that I feel scared when out on my own - I'm a grown woman for god's sake and it is my right to walk down the road without being bothered by itinerant yoofs.
Tomorrow is going to be a boring day - I need to do some washing and some much needed housework. Doing the housework will also give the the opportunity to use the new window cleaner spray that I have received from Tesco to test..2 weeks of 1 and a report and then 2 weeks of the other and a report. I want to know why I dont get interesting things to test such as duvets?
Have a good weekend all.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Breakfast
Since I joined 4networking - I have been to more breakfasts than you can shake a stick at..I have one in a casino tomorrow and have to take my passport, one in Longbridge on Tuesday and one in Cirencester on Wednesday. The Cirencester one will be good as I am taking a hamper down with me so that one of the ladies can prepare a hamper to raffle off for charity. Talking about charity - I was speaking to a chap this morning about a pantomime Snow White & The 3 Little Business People (a spoof) and how it would be great to have some snow. As a result of our chat, I have been speaking to my friends at Snow Business and although they cannot donate snow they are sending me 4 samples of frost snow and irridescent flake - hopefully this might be enough, if not then I will buy a box.
I have also been chatting to Media Mad who produce the magazine Hospitality & Events North and I shall be advertising with them in time for Confex. I need to write my ad and put more of a corporate slant on it - it is currently geared for weddings. Once again, I have negotiated the fee and saved myself £50+VAT...hurrah.
Since updating my blog last, I have now started twittering on twitter but looked today and found that I had a follower who was rather obscene so I have reported them for spam and blocked them..don't these people understand that wedding planning is not about sex therapy (this is a polite way of putting it..I hate crudeness).
I am feeling more positive every day and feel that I made the right decision joining 4Networking as I can network online etc thus meeting more people..I can now see my business moving forward. The power of 4N knows no bounds as I have already recommended Linda Davey as someone was asking about a red wedding dress and how they wanted one made...let's hope the person contacts her.
Its disappointing weather today - I thought it was going to be sunny and yet it is rather gloomy and when I got up at the unearthly hour of 6.30am it was rather foggy too. I shall be up even earlier tomorrow as I need to be at the casino (strange place for a breakfast meeting I know) for 8am so I shall have to hop on the bus and then pick up another bus to Broad Street as I don't particularly fancy walking to the venue..I know I am lazy..but I won't have had any breakfast other than a mug of coffee and I will be flaking out.
Had to smile today too as a fellow planner has now started using skype only she has no microphone and I can't hear her..she needs a headset like mine. Skype is wonderful and I have started using it for all my calls..mobiles are not free though but I have found £10 credit goes along way as the calls can cost less than 4p a minute - calls to landlines are free which is fantastic.
I have started looking at my coursework again and have made a few notes but nothing is down on paper and nothing has been sent to my tutor.
I have also been chatting to Media Mad who produce the magazine Hospitality & Events North and I shall be advertising with them in time for Confex. I need to write my ad and put more of a corporate slant on it - it is currently geared for weddings. Once again, I have negotiated the fee and saved myself £50+VAT...hurrah.
Since updating my blog last, I have now started twittering on twitter but looked today and found that I had a follower who was rather obscene so I have reported them for spam and blocked them..don't these people understand that wedding planning is not about sex therapy (this is a polite way of putting it..I hate crudeness).
I am feeling more positive every day and feel that I made the right decision joining 4Networking as I can network online etc thus meeting more people..I can now see my business moving forward. The power of 4N knows no bounds as I have already recommended Linda Davey as someone was asking about a red wedding dress and how they wanted one made...let's hope the person contacts her.
Its disappointing weather today - I thought it was going to be sunny and yet it is rather gloomy and when I got up at the unearthly hour of 6.30am it was rather foggy too. I shall be up even earlier tomorrow as I need to be at the casino (strange place for a breakfast meeting I know) for 8am so I shall have to hop on the bus and then pick up another bus to Broad Street as I don't particularly fancy walking to the venue..I know I am lazy..but I won't have had any breakfast other than a mug of coffee and I will be flaking out.
Had to smile today too as a fellow planner has now started using skype only she has no microphone and I can't hear her..she needs a headset like mine. Skype is wonderful and I have started using it for all my calls..mobiles are not free though but I have found £10 credit goes along way as the calls can cost less than 4p a minute - calls to landlines are free which is fantastic.
I have started looking at my coursework again and have made a few notes but nothing is down on paper and nothing has been sent to my tutor.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Lazy Mare
You must think that I am lazy for not posting on my blog for a while. I have been quite busy and that's my excuse.
I did a crazy thing on Monday - I knew that Steve (the gorgeous hunk that I met at the airport prior to going to Spain) would be returning from his holiday so I decided to go and meet him..I know...I know..before you start saying anything. I was hoping that we could go for lunch but he came back with his mum who was already in Corfu and we didnt have much time before they caught the bus to the longstay carpark in Coleshill - in fact us chatting made them miss one bus. I decided to give him a bottle of Crema Catalina that I had bought back from Spain because I know that he loves Baileys - Crema Catalina is far nicer than Baileys. It was great seeing him and I admit that my heart skipped a beat when he came through arrivals - he didnt see me at first until I tapped him on the shoulder. He must have done something to me because I managed to get onto the London Euston train by mistake and had to get off in Coventry - I didnt get home til gone 5pm...sigh. We have since exchanged emails, hopefully we will exchange more :-)
Tuesday, I went to a 4networking breakfast meeting in Rubery (I got lost leaving there as well because I couldnt find my way out of the complex..sigh). The meeting was great and I met some interesting people - this meeting is far better than the BNI one especially as there is no pressure to refer but you do get 3 10 minute business meetings and they meet later, there is also no commitment to attend every single week. I decided that I liked them so paid for a passport membership which allows me to visit every group in the country. I have also put my name forward to help out. A guiness world record was broken too with a little audience participating which was cool - Redditch are trying to beat us this coming Tuesday but as their meeting is at Studley Castle I have made arrangements for them to have no drink and Jacobs Cream Crackers to eat - trying delivering a speech with a dry mouth LOL. I met a chap who was a hypnotherapist but more about him later.
Wednesday - I had my eye hospital appointment, I was kept waiting for over an hour due to their jobsworth receptionist who refused to handover my notes because I hadnt taken my appointment letter as she likes to pin it to the front..it has never been a problem before. Prof was so angry that he asked me to make a formal complaint - this silly delay caused him to be late for his next meeting and he was particularly keen to see me. I came home and wrote a 2page epistle outlining the fact that despite requests for appointments for the glaucoma clinic they are not forthcoming, again the receptionist only reads what she wants to read on the appointment forms submitted by the specialist. It took 18 months to get an appointment at the field vision clinic..which is completely ridiculous. So I hope to get a response to my letter because I really am quite angry.
Thursday - the meter man came too early and I was still in my dressing gown..I cancelled a meeting that I was due to have a the chamber of commerce, I have decided not to renew my membership when it comes up for renewal especially as I have now joined 4Networking which will be more beneficial to me.
Friday - this was an unusual day to say the least. On Tuesday at the networking meeting I met a hypnotherapist who offered me a free session so I took him up on his offer. I dont particularly like standing up in front of people talking about me and my business and see it as a necessary evil hence the offer of this session. We started off having a little chat and how I felt that the lack of self confidence stemmed from my mother who is super critical - well she is, I know that I am one huge disappointment to her and have been from the day of conception! It has reached the stage that she is almost cut out of my life. Well less about her as talking about her depresses me. Onto the hypnotherapy - I have a very open mind about alternative treatments but I admit that I am not convinced that I was actually hypnotised. I was told to imagine blackboards, bits of chalk and blackboard rubbers and writing words and numbers and rubbing them out, I was then told to imagine myself as an insect under a microscope being studied and that insect not caring and then I was bought back to being awake - now I don't think that I was ever 'asleep'. I won't be having any more sessions and cannot understand what benefit they are to people. I feel exactly the same now as I did before the therapy session.
You will also be pleased to hear that I have picked up my coursework again and have been making notes for various assignments and coming up with some ideas..I pity my poor tutor as she is going to start assignments out of order again LOL.
I spent yesterday networking on the online 4N forum - even gave some details about Linda and DressesatNo.9 because someone wants a red Hollywood Dreams type dress for a New Years' Eve wedding. Someone else is looking for a dressmaker in Bristol but I don't know any.
Since getting Skype - I have found that I use it for all calls to landlines as it is free but I do admit to buying credit occasionally so that I can call mobiles but those calls cost me less than 4p a minute.
I am waiting for news from my friend Anna - she was due to give birth on Wednesday to her son Thomas Ryan Warrilow but as yet there is no news.
I did a crazy thing on Monday - I knew that Steve (the gorgeous hunk that I met at the airport prior to going to Spain) would be returning from his holiday so I decided to go and meet him..I know...I know..before you start saying anything. I was hoping that we could go for lunch but he came back with his mum who was already in Corfu and we didnt have much time before they caught the bus to the longstay carpark in Coleshill - in fact us chatting made them miss one bus. I decided to give him a bottle of Crema Catalina that I had bought back from Spain because I know that he loves Baileys - Crema Catalina is far nicer than Baileys. It was great seeing him and I admit that my heart skipped a beat when he came through arrivals - he didnt see me at first until I tapped him on the shoulder. He must have done something to me because I managed to get onto the London Euston train by mistake and had to get off in Coventry - I didnt get home til gone 5pm...sigh. We have since exchanged emails, hopefully we will exchange more :-)
Tuesday, I went to a 4networking breakfast meeting in Rubery (I got lost leaving there as well because I couldnt find my way out of the complex..sigh). The meeting was great and I met some interesting people - this meeting is far better than the BNI one especially as there is no pressure to refer but you do get 3 10 minute business meetings and they meet later, there is also no commitment to attend every single week. I decided that I liked them so paid for a passport membership which allows me to visit every group in the country. I have also put my name forward to help out. A guiness world record was broken too with a little audience participating which was cool - Redditch are trying to beat us this coming Tuesday but as their meeting is at Studley Castle I have made arrangements for them to have no drink and Jacobs Cream Crackers to eat - trying delivering a speech with a dry mouth LOL. I met a chap who was a hypnotherapist but more about him later.
Wednesday - I had my eye hospital appointment, I was kept waiting for over an hour due to their jobsworth receptionist who refused to handover my notes because I hadnt taken my appointment letter as she likes to pin it to the front..it has never been a problem before. Prof was so angry that he asked me to make a formal complaint - this silly delay caused him to be late for his next meeting and he was particularly keen to see me. I came home and wrote a 2page epistle outlining the fact that despite requests for appointments for the glaucoma clinic they are not forthcoming, again the receptionist only reads what she wants to read on the appointment forms submitted by the specialist. It took 18 months to get an appointment at the field vision clinic..which is completely ridiculous. So I hope to get a response to my letter because I really am quite angry.
Thursday - the meter man came too early and I was still in my dressing gown..I cancelled a meeting that I was due to have a the chamber of commerce, I have decided not to renew my membership when it comes up for renewal especially as I have now joined 4Networking which will be more beneficial to me.
Friday - this was an unusual day to say the least. On Tuesday at the networking meeting I met a hypnotherapist who offered me a free session so I took him up on his offer. I dont particularly like standing up in front of people talking about me and my business and see it as a necessary evil hence the offer of this session. We started off having a little chat and how I felt that the lack of self confidence stemmed from my mother who is super critical - well she is, I know that I am one huge disappointment to her and have been from the day of conception! It has reached the stage that she is almost cut out of my life. Well less about her as talking about her depresses me. Onto the hypnotherapy - I have a very open mind about alternative treatments but I admit that I am not convinced that I was actually hypnotised. I was told to imagine blackboards, bits of chalk and blackboard rubbers and writing words and numbers and rubbing them out, I was then told to imagine myself as an insect under a microscope being studied and that insect not caring and then I was bought back to being awake - now I don't think that I was ever 'asleep'. I won't be having any more sessions and cannot understand what benefit they are to people. I feel exactly the same now as I did before the therapy session.
You will also be pleased to hear that I have picked up my coursework again and have been making notes for various assignments and coming up with some ideas..I pity my poor tutor as she is going to start assignments out of order again LOL.
I spent yesterday networking on the online 4N forum - even gave some details about Linda and DressesatNo.9 because someone wants a red Hollywood Dreams type dress for a New Years' Eve wedding. Someone else is looking for a dressmaker in Bristol but I don't know any.
Since getting Skype - I have found that I use it for all calls to landlines as it is free but I do admit to buying credit occasionally so that I can call mobiles but those calls cost me less than 4p a minute.
I am waiting for news from my friend Anna - she was due to give birth on Wednesday to her son Thomas Ryan Warrilow but as yet there is no news.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Lazy Days & Holidays
I went away for a few days last week to stay with a friend at his dad's flat in Alicante so flew out at the unearthly hour of 6.30am on Monday morning. In my wisdom, I decided to go to the airport on Sunday but arrived there at around 6pm and headed straight into Smiths to buy some books (4 for the price of 3) and set about reading one of them whilst playing musical chairs. Around about 8pm that night I found myself sitting on an even comfier bench seat in a coffee bar (having sat on all their hard chairs) having a cup of coffee and a raspberry and white chocolate muffin - still with book in hand. This chap came to sit close to me and started talking to me - normally I wouldn't bother answering but decided to chat to him as it passed the time. This man turned out to be Ron Clarke who spends his life photographing the World Superbike Championships, the Manx Race and the TT - a jolly interesting man so I told him about my uncle who became the fastest privateer (7th) on a BSA back in 1953 - he went on to ride for Aermacchi and MV Augusta. We talked about my own interest in motorbikes which stemmed from my dad as he used to ride a Ducati and so Ron decided to show me some photographs that he had taken and offered me a photograph but I said that I preferred another photo of a bike with sidecar as it showed the speed - he gave it to me and gave me another two photographs too to give to my dad. Soon it was time for Ron to leave as he had to get the airport bus to Luton to get a flight to Romania as he was doing some charity work out there and so I was left on my own.
I went for a walk around Terminal 1 Departures area and went to sit on the comfy seat only to find that chairs were stacked upon it so I ended up sitting on a hard chair again until the assistant pointed me in the direction of the massage chairs which are not too bad to sit in if you can bend your back around the knobbly bits that are there to massage your back..there I sat til 11pm when this gorgeous chap called Steve appeared - he had travelled on the train from Cambridgeshire and he explained that he was off to Corfu. Steve came and sat next to me and so started a night of chit chat and amusement especially when a chap called Joe came to join us - he had left his wife at home and was flying off to America for a couple of weeks' holiday. I know you are not supposed to leave your bags with strangers but we built up such a rapport that we were wandering to the loo and in Steve's case off to see if the information desk was open so that he could pick up his tickets that we left our bags with each other to keep an eye on.
Soon it was time for Steve and myself to check in and then go through security - both of our flights were at 6.30am, we went mooching in duty free and went to the pub for breakfast and then sat waiting to be called to our respective gates - we exchanged details too and were pleased to see that our gates were next to each other. I guess you could say that we clicked - something must have happened because I spent my holiday thinking about him (as you do LOL). He flew back to Birmingham yesterday and who was there to meet him...you've guessed it - little ol' me - he came home with his mum who had been staying out in Corfu too and he was pleased that I had bothered to turn up to meet him...we are staying in touch..so watch this space.
The holiday itself wasn't too bad - the weather was hot and after a nap on Monday, it was off to the beach for a spot of reading (I hadn't taken a swimming cossie), in fact we went to the beach every afternoon bar Thursday and Friday. We went shopping mainly in the chinese tat shops and we went to Plaza Mar which is a huge shopping complex - I went to C&A and bought some socks and a lovely jumper. We didnt do the beach on Thursday as some workmen were coming to repair the flat - the upstairs neighbours had had a sewage leak from their toilet and it had leached through the bathroom ceiling of the flat - this must have happened between April when it was last visited and October - the whole bathroom stinks of mould amongst other things. As the friend's dad hadn't been notified that I would be staying - I was asked to leave whilst his dad's friend came over (he seems to be an introducer) so I mooched around the market. I had coffee and cake at a nice shop and then headed back to the square where I knew that I could sit and read a book in peace. No peace for me as a bunch of hoodlums (apparently there is a bail hostel on the square which is newly opened and full to the gunnels of all sorts of nasty types) decided to have a fight - one chap was pushed over and a gun came skittering out of his pocket across the floor and landed quite close to me. I decided then that it was time I left - so I took off my reading glasses and put my normal ones on, stared at the gun for a while and then left - I tried to find the policeman I had seen in the market but he was nowhere to be found. Eventually, I went back to the square where I sat on the other side in the sunshine until I was collected.
Friday - it lashed down with rain all day and although we went out I got absolutely soaked. Saturday I flew home.
I went for a walk around Terminal 1 Departures area and went to sit on the comfy seat only to find that chairs were stacked upon it so I ended up sitting on a hard chair again until the assistant pointed me in the direction of the massage chairs which are not too bad to sit in if you can bend your back around the knobbly bits that are there to massage your back..there I sat til 11pm when this gorgeous chap called Steve appeared - he had travelled on the train from Cambridgeshire and he explained that he was off to Corfu. Steve came and sat next to me and so started a night of chit chat and amusement especially when a chap called Joe came to join us - he had left his wife at home and was flying off to America for a couple of weeks' holiday. I know you are not supposed to leave your bags with strangers but we built up such a rapport that we were wandering to the loo and in Steve's case off to see if the information desk was open so that he could pick up his tickets that we left our bags with each other to keep an eye on.
Soon it was time for Steve and myself to check in and then go through security - both of our flights were at 6.30am, we went mooching in duty free and went to the pub for breakfast and then sat waiting to be called to our respective gates - we exchanged details too and were pleased to see that our gates were next to each other. I guess you could say that we clicked - something must have happened because I spent my holiday thinking about him (as you do LOL). He flew back to Birmingham yesterday and who was there to meet him...you've guessed it - little ol' me - he came home with his mum who had been staying out in Corfu too and he was pleased that I had bothered to turn up to meet him...we are staying in touch..so watch this space.
The holiday itself wasn't too bad - the weather was hot and after a nap on Monday, it was off to the beach for a spot of reading (I hadn't taken a swimming cossie), in fact we went to the beach every afternoon bar Thursday and Friday. We went shopping mainly in the chinese tat shops and we went to Plaza Mar which is a huge shopping complex - I went to C&A and bought some socks and a lovely jumper. We didnt do the beach on Thursday as some workmen were coming to repair the flat - the upstairs neighbours had had a sewage leak from their toilet and it had leached through the bathroom ceiling of the flat - this must have happened between April when it was last visited and October - the whole bathroom stinks of mould amongst other things. As the friend's dad hadn't been notified that I would be staying - I was asked to leave whilst his dad's friend came over (he seems to be an introducer) so I mooched around the market. I had coffee and cake at a nice shop and then headed back to the square where I knew that I could sit and read a book in peace. No peace for me as a bunch of hoodlums (apparently there is a bail hostel on the square which is newly opened and full to the gunnels of all sorts of nasty types) decided to have a fight - one chap was pushed over and a gun came skittering out of his pocket across the floor and landed quite close to me. I decided then that it was time I left - so I took off my reading glasses and put my normal ones on, stared at the gun for a while and then left - I tried to find the policeman I had seen in the market but he was nowhere to be found. Eventually, I went back to the square where I sat on the other side in the sunshine until I was collected.
Friday - it lashed down with rain all day and although we went out I got absolutely soaked. Saturday I flew home.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
What a week and its only Thursday.
I feel as though I have done a week's worth of work already and its only Thursday.
On Tuesday, I had two venue visits - the first to Studley Castle in Warwickshire which used to be owned by the Rover Group but is now a Best Western Hotel. I met their events manager at a Women Who..networking event organised by Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and she was very patient when I was having problems with my eyes. Some people think that the castle will be sumptuous inside - I guess they have a fairytale image in their mind and are then disappointed when they see the hotel in the flesh. I actually found it to be a lovely place at the end of a long and twisty drive. I arrived a bit early and immediately was asked to help myself to free tea and biscuits and shown into the lounge where I could wait..the lounge was gorgeous with red sofas and easy chairs, the walls were a deep salmon pink (not an in your face pink) and the room was dominated by a gorgeous marble fireplace with huge mirror, the walls had various pictures hung upon them. The best bit was the ceiling which was painted blue with gold stars and was lit by three crystal chandeliers. It had been painted how it would have been in Victorian times.
The hotel itself was quite quirky - one side had wide corridors and large en-suite rooms and easy access via lifts whilst the other side was narrow with small en-suite rooms and tiny corridors which wound past curved walls - certainly hopeless for wheelchair bound people.
My discussions with the hotel went well and i have been asked to prepare a proposal with regard to organising wedding fairs there - they already have fairs but are not keen on organisation side of things because they don't have the staff.
Rather than going home - I stopped at the day spa for a coffee and a slab of fruit cake (and to use the loo) before heading off to Redhouse Barns in Stoke Prior. These barns are just stunning - the venue has to be seen to be believed as it has been finished to a really high specification - there is an area off the bar (call it a snug if you like) that has lovely sofas, it will have a wood burner, mirrors, heated floor and glass doors so that you either be part of the main bar area of sectioned off so that you can chat without being drowned out by loud music. The owners have done a brilliant job and have even opened up their own private gardens so that couples can have canapes there and their photographs - every detail has been thought of and they even have a vintage rolls royce that can be hired.
Yesterday, I went to Worcester Warriors for a seminar by Brad Sugars. Brad set up the world's leading business coaching firm Action Coach and was lucky enough to retire at 26 and he is now 38 and in semi-retirement. Although from Brisbane, he now lives in Las Vegas and has been touring spreading the word about improving your business to help you make money. I am his friend on Facebook and managed to get a free code to use to gain entry to this event for free - other unfortunate souls had to pay £97. The day was amazing and he is just an ordinary bloke and not in the least bit flash and he likes to do his bit for charity. Whilst there he was talking about charities and asked if anyone was there from a charity and one guy said that he worked with the Variety Club (if only I had had the sense to mention the Saxon Hoard..folks are trying to raise money to keep it in the Midlands where it belongs) and so we were asked to stand if we wanted to buy his notes from the seminar..as the price rose more of us sat down and in the end one chap remained standing as he offered £700.
I went and introduced myself to Brad at the end and he remembered who I was and I thanked him for his help so far (one thing that he did do was offer the services of his buiness coaches for one hour for free - of course I signed up for that).
He imparted lots of words of wisdom about how we should thank our customers and how if you are dealing with accountants bribes of chocolate go along way..now my accountant is holding out for a regular supply of Cadbury's Dairy Milk bars LOL, although she was good yesterday - she paid for my lunch. It really was a fun day and business is all about having fun.
Today, I was supposed to be visiting Snow Business but the meeting was postponed by them until 2010 because they are coming to their busiest season and so are busy with tv adverts. There are no technicians available to demonstrate the various types of snow effects.
I have been catching up with things - although no study has been done as yet so only two assignments have been submitted and marked for my diploma in events planning. I discovered that Birmingham Chamber of Commerce had made a big boo boo with my address (it was wrong) and they said that I was a limited company - I am not. I got the blame for completing their online form incorrectly so I pointed out that I was hardly likely to enter someone else's address.
This afternoon I have been speaking for 4Networking as this is a business networking group that meet fortnightly and at a sensible time - the BNI ones like you to be there for 6am and make a commitment to be there every week or send a sub to attend in your place - this is impossible if you are a sole trader and don't employ staff so I am hardly able to send Auntie Nellie (not that I have an Auntie Nellie). I am feeling more excited about 4Networking especially as they have an online forum so when I have finished here, I am hopping over there to set up an online profile.
The blog will be quiet next week as I won't be here - I have been invited to Spain for a few days and I fly out on Monday at 6.30am and fly back on Saturday at 13.05pm. A bit of sun will give me a boost and maybe I can get some sun on my legs as they are a bit pasty this year - I feel very white :(
On Tuesday, I had two venue visits - the first to Studley Castle in Warwickshire which used to be owned by the Rover Group but is now a Best Western Hotel. I met their events manager at a Women Who..networking event organised by Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and she was very patient when I was having problems with my eyes. Some people think that the castle will be sumptuous inside - I guess they have a fairytale image in their mind and are then disappointed when they see the hotel in the flesh. I actually found it to be a lovely place at the end of a long and twisty drive. I arrived a bit early and immediately was asked to help myself to free tea and biscuits and shown into the lounge where I could wait..the lounge was gorgeous with red sofas and easy chairs, the walls were a deep salmon pink (not an in your face pink) and the room was dominated by a gorgeous marble fireplace with huge mirror, the walls had various pictures hung upon them. The best bit was the ceiling which was painted blue with gold stars and was lit by three crystal chandeliers. It had been painted how it would have been in Victorian times.
The hotel itself was quite quirky - one side had wide corridors and large en-suite rooms and easy access via lifts whilst the other side was narrow with small en-suite rooms and tiny corridors which wound past curved walls - certainly hopeless for wheelchair bound people.
My discussions with the hotel went well and i have been asked to prepare a proposal with regard to organising wedding fairs there - they already have fairs but are not keen on organisation side of things because they don't have the staff.
Rather than going home - I stopped at the day spa for a coffee and a slab of fruit cake (and to use the loo) before heading off to Redhouse Barns in Stoke Prior. These barns are just stunning - the venue has to be seen to be believed as it has been finished to a really high specification - there is an area off the bar (call it a snug if you like) that has lovely sofas, it will have a wood burner, mirrors, heated floor and glass doors so that you either be part of the main bar area of sectioned off so that you can chat without being drowned out by loud music. The owners have done a brilliant job and have even opened up their own private gardens so that couples can have canapes there and their photographs - every detail has been thought of and they even have a vintage rolls royce that can be hired.
Yesterday, I went to Worcester Warriors for a seminar by Brad Sugars. Brad set up the world's leading business coaching firm Action Coach and was lucky enough to retire at 26 and he is now 38 and in semi-retirement. Although from Brisbane, he now lives in Las Vegas and has been touring spreading the word about improving your business to help you make money. I am his friend on Facebook and managed to get a free code to use to gain entry to this event for free - other unfortunate souls had to pay £97. The day was amazing and he is just an ordinary bloke and not in the least bit flash and he likes to do his bit for charity. Whilst there he was talking about charities and asked if anyone was there from a charity and one guy said that he worked with the Variety Club (if only I had had the sense to mention the Saxon Hoard..folks are trying to raise money to keep it in the Midlands where it belongs) and so we were asked to stand if we wanted to buy his notes from the seminar..as the price rose more of us sat down and in the end one chap remained standing as he offered £700.
I went and introduced myself to Brad at the end and he remembered who I was and I thanked him for his help so far (one thing that he did do was offer the services of his buiness coaches for one hour for free - of course I signed up for that).
He imparted lots of words of wisdom about how we should thank our customers and how if you are dealing with accountants bribes of chocolate go along way..now my accountant is holding out for a regular supply of Cadbury's Dairy Milk bars LOL, although she was good yesterday - she paid for my lunch. It really was a fun day and business is all about having fun.
Today, I was supposed to be visiting Snow Business but the meeting was postponed by them until 2010 because they are coming to their busiest season and so are busy with tv adverts. There are no technicians available to demonstrate the various types of snow effects.
I have been catching up with things - although no study has been done as yet so only two assignments have been submitted and marked for my diploma in events planning. I discovered that Birmingham Chamber of Commerce had made a big boo boo with my address (it was wrong) and they said that I was a limited company - I am not. I got the blame for completing their online form incorrectly so I pointed out that I was hardly likely to enter someone else's address.
This afternoon I have been speaking for 4Networking as this is a business networking group that meet fortnightly and at a sensible time - the BNI ones like you to be there for 6am and make a commitment to be there every week or send a sub to attend in your place - this is impossible if you are a sole trader and don't employ staff so I am hardly able to send Auntie Nellie (not that I have an Auntie Nellie). I am feeling more excited about 4Networking especially as they have an online forum so when I have finished here, I am hopping over there to set up an online profile.
The blog will be quiet next week as I won't be here - I have been invited to Spain for a few days and I fly out on Monday at 6.30am and fly back on Saturday at 13.05pm. A bit of sun will give me a boost and maybe I can get some sun on my legs as they are a bit pasty this year - I feel very white :(
Monday, 5 October 2009
Water Water Everywhere & Not a Drop to Drink
What a day...I left home early this morning (9am) to drive to Stroud to visit Matara which is an east west fusion wedding venue...I had printed out some directions from Streetmap and managed to get myself a bit lost - or rather I wasnt lost at all just made a complete twit of myself :( My appointment was at 11am but I was 10 mins late - I had come off the M5 at Junction 13 and followed the instructions and ended up going up a very steep hill 2nd gear all the way and when I reached the top I was at a crossroads and went straight on then parked..I was confused as the road signs didnt seem to match the map so I rang Matara (this time it was 10.50) asking them where they were...no reply only an answering machine! I turned around then convinced that I had missed a turning and went back the way I had come and ended up back in the village of Forcester where I espied a man from the electricity board fiddling with some wires next to a pub carpark..so I pulled in. The chap was most helpful and he had never heard of the place either despite working in the area for the last 20 odd years. I managed to contact them at Matara and found that I had to drive up that horrid hill again (10%) and go the way that I had gone originally. First off I managed to nip into the pub to use their loo because I don't think I would have managed the drive back up the hill with the seatbelt pressing on my stomach.
Again the directions were none too hot and I had to stop again to ring because the directions given didnt match the layout of the road..eventually I got there. Now most people would offer, visitors a drink out of courtesy but not the woman at Matara..there were limpid pools, waterfalls and even drizzle but not once was I offered anything and I was too polite to ask.
Matara is a wonderful place although a bit tricky to find but the easiest way is to take the Tetbury road from Cirencester. I felt like a criminal walking across the raked gravel that had been raked in a circular fashion in a very zen like way. As an exclusive use venue it is great with 28 acres of parkland and a wishing tree. It costs £2500 plus VAT to hire it for 5 hours with additional hours charged extra which isnt too bad considering you could pay that for a hotel venue and end up sharing your day with others. I like the ethos behind Matara which was originally set up as a holistic retreat - it has a calming aura about it, they recycle 90% of their waste and their grey water is filtered using their own reed beds. Their food comes from surrounding farms and even from their own gardens which is a lovely idea and more venues should do the same. They have their own bar but also don't mind if you take your own bottles only they will charge corkage of £4 per person but that includes the price of the glasses, serving the wine and chilling it. You can have music but they kept saying that you could use an ipod but it is still fairly quiet as the built in speakers don't allow for louder music. Their rooms were lovely and airy and you can even marry in the cloister which is rather strange as in the UK you cannot marry outdoors but as the cloister is closed and has a roof although one side is open, you can actually marry there - all guests have to be seated, however, when it comes to the exchanging of rings, couples can stand on the little bridge which juts out from the cloister. There is a firebox outside that is lit every night and that is where the hog roast takes place if you have one - they also have a tipi outside which is more for kids to play in. I think its a lovely place but I cannot get past the lack of manners with regards to offering a drink. The space can also be hired out for coporate events - they have rooms on site and rooms are offered at the pub/hotel opposite where Matara guests also have use of the overflow carpark.
I drove home via Tetbury - maybe I should have stopped and had a look round but the weather was grizzly and thought that I might stop in Cirencester instead but in the end did neither as I drove straight through to the M40 - all I can say is thank you to the romans for building such nice straight roads LOL.
Tomorrow I am off to Studley Castle and to the new wedding venue Red House Barn at Stoke Prior - this venue is the one that the Worcestershire Registrars are fighting over as to which one of them will conduct ceremonies there.
I received a private message from someone on MSE asking me to send her photographs of my wedding dresses as she is getting married and looking for a dress. At the moment I don't really have time to start taking pictures of them as I have a lot to do this week and next week I am away. I won't be giving the dresses away for free - the Fabio Grizzi is for sale at £925 - I have knocked a thousand off it on the advice of the lady in the couture shop.
In fact talking of being away - the twit that I am staying with (ex boyfriend) - don't worry there are two bedrooms in the Spanish flat, has rung me to ask me to log into Easyjet and print off his boarding card as he has forgotten to print the boarding card for coming home on 17 October. Actually he has a later flight than me back to Luton (I am guessing). I am really looking forward to a break and am hoping that the weather is warm and that I can at least get a bit of colour on my pasty white legs.
Again the directions were none too hot and I had to stop again to ring because the directions given didnt match the layout of the road..eventually I got there. Now most people would offer, visitors a drink out of courtesy but not the woman at Matara..there were limpid pools, waterfalls and even drizzle but not once was I offered anything and I was too polite to ask.
Matara is a wonderful place although a bit tricky to find but the easiest way is to take the Tetbury road from Cirencester. I felt like a criminal walking across the raked gravel that had been raked in a circular fashion in a very zen like way. As an exclusive use venue it is great with 28 acres of parkland and a wishing tree. It costs £2500 plus VAT to hire it for 5 hours with additional hours charged extra which isnt too bad considering you could pay that for a hotel venue and end up sharing your day with others. I like the ethos behind Matara which was originally set up as a holistic retreat - it has a calming aura about it, they recycle 90% of their waste and their grey water is filtered using their own reed beds. Their food comes from surrounding farms and even from their own gardens which is a lovely idea and more venues should do the same. They have their own bar but also don't mind if you take your own bottles only they will charge corkage of £4 per person but that includes the price of the glasses, serving the wine and chilling it. You can have music but they kept saying that you could use an ipod but it is still fairly quiet as the built in speakers don't allow for louder music. Their rooms were lovely and airy and you can even marry in the cloister which is rather strange as in the UK you cannot marry outdoors but as the cloister is closed and has a roof although one side is open, you can actually marry there - all guests have to be seated, however, when it comes to the exchanging of rings, couples can stand on the little bridge which juts out from the cloister. There is a firebox outside that is lit every night and that is where the hog roast takes place if you have one - they also have a tipi outside which is more for kids to play in. I think its a lovely place but I cannot get past the lack of manners with regards to offering a drink. The space can also be hired out for coporate events - they have rooms on site and rooms are offered at the pub/hotel opposite where Matara guests also have use of the overflow carpark.
I drove home via Tetbury - maybe I should have stopped and had a look round but the weather was grizzly and thought that I might stop in Cirencester instead but in the end did neither as I drove straight through to the M40 - all I can say is thank you to the romans for building such nice straight roads LOL.
Tomorrow I am off to Studley Castle and to the new wedding venue Red House Barn at Stoke Prior - this venue is the one that the Worcestershire Registrars are fighting over as to which one of them will conduct ceremonies there.
I received a private message from someone on MSE asking me to send her photographs of my wedding dresses as she is getting married and looking for a dress. At the moment I don't really have time to start taking pictures of them as I have a lot to do this week and next week I am away. I won't be giving the dresses away for free - the Fabio Grizzi is for sale at £925 - I have knocked a thousand off it on the advice of the lady in the couture shop.
In fact talking of being away - the twit that I am staying with (ex boyfriend) - don't worry there are two bedrooms in the Spanish flat, has rung me to ask me to log into Easyjet and print off his boarding card as he has forgotten to print the boarding card for coming home on 17 October. Actually he has a later flight than me back to Luton (I am guessing). I am really looking forward to a break and am hoping that the weather is warm and that I can at least get a bit of colour on my pasty white legs.
Friday, 2 October 2009
Izzy Whizzy Let's Get Busy
This week has been an incredibly busy week although I did allow myself a day off on Tuesday where I just lolled around in the spa all day. On Wednesday I went to the Pear Tree Hotel over at Smite to have a look around and we discussed their wedding fair - I havent booked a stand but may well next year - they look after their exhibitors and so I am seriously considering it plus I would get a 6ft table as opposed to the measly 4ft one that I had at the weekend. The Pear Tree have been really helpful and asked me to drop my leaflets off to them so that they can put them into bridal goodie bags for their fair this Sunday...I drove home stopping at a pub for lunch, picked up the leaflets and drove back.
I spent a fair bit of yesterday on the phone as well as sending people their prize draw prizes - as yet, I still have to award first prize but feel that no-one was really interested - hence my vow never to do a fair again...I need one where genuine people go for real help.
I am feeling quite excited too as I have managed to book an appointment with a wonderful wedding venue in Stoke Prior - it is part of a privately owned farm and the barns have been converted into meeting and wedding space and they have only just been granted a licence. It is part of an extremely busy week meetings wise: Monday - Matara in Stroud - this is a gorgeous eco-friendly place who filter their own water and will plant a tree when you marry, Tuesday - morning at Studley Castle and the afternoon at the venue in Stoke Prior, Wednesday business networking and seminar with Brad Sugars (my accountant is coming too and afterwards we are having a meeting because she wants my books to do my self assessment), Thursday - I am back in Stroud meeting Snow Business and on Friday...well that is another story.
Last weekend I was invited to a breakfast meeting today with BNI over at Bromsgrove Rugby Club - it really was quite strange and my welcome pack contained loads of business cards. BNI is a business networking group and I had thought about joining them but having looked at their fee - I cannot afford it so will broach that with them when I go again next week..trouble is I have to be up ridiculously early to be there ideally before 7am (yes, that's right 7am!!). I did meet some nice people but have already worked out that it is the same people over and over again who seem to refer each other - you have to be there for several weeks before you get referrals. Another thing that I don't like about them is that I have to commit to going every Friday and if I can't go then I have to send a sub but I cannot do that as I work for myself and have no employees.
I did meet a nice chap today and I shall be meeting him on 19 October - he is a personal trainer who also corrects your posture - my posture needs correcting as I tend to slump but its a vicious circle; I slump because my backaches but the more I slump the more it aches but if I stop slumping it still aches...sigh. It is costing me £20 for an hour so I shall see how it goes - I would rather spend money on me than spend £575 + £52 (breakfast every week for £10) for membership of BNI. I can't help feeling as though I am being indoctrinated :( They were asking today if the members knew of anyone famous - I managed to keep a hold of my tongue because I don't think it would look too good if I said that Brad Sugars, multi-millionaire Action Coach was my friend LOL - mind you I know a few other famous people too, I went to school with some of them...eeek!
Next Friday I am supposed to be going to Grand Designs Live at the NEC but doubt that that will happen now as I will need to wind down after a busy week. My blog will have to go on hold too because I am taking a break (the first holiday since January) and am off to Spain for a few days. I booked my flights today and am really miffed with Monarch so I shall have to send them a letter - I booked online but could not get past the page where you choose a seat - now I am not really bothered where I sit but I was forced to select a seat..I then discover that Monarch have charged me £15 for the seat with a surcharge on top for the blasted thing plus they have charged me an additional £4.08 for daring to pay by credit card!! So much for saving me £25 by booking online :( I havent dared book hold luggage and have decided to take a rucksack (my long distance one - it has been to Australia and back) on as hand luggage so I shall pack a couple of cropped trousers, some crocs, t-shirts, socks, a jumper and some undies plus my toiletries - basically eye drops and other meds, and toothbrush, they might not allow deodorant. As the flight leaves at the ungodly hour of 6.30am then I think I will go and sleep in the airport overnight - I wonder if they will let me check in early??
I spent a fair bit of yesterday on the phone as well as sending people their prize draw prizes - as yet, I still have to award first prize but feel that no-one was really interested - hence my vow never to do a fair again...I need one where genuine people go for real help.
I am feeling quite excited too as I have managed to book an appointment with a wonderful wedding venue in Stoke Prior - it is part of a privately owned farm and the barns have been converted into meeting and wedding space and they have only just been granted a licence. It is part of an extremely busy week meetings wise: Monday - Matara in Stroud - this is a gorgeous eco-friendly place who filter their own water and will plant a tree when you marry, Tuesday - morning at Studley Castle and the afternoon at the venue in Stoke Prior, Wednesday business networking and seminar with Brad Sugars (my accountant is coming too and afterwards we are having a meeting because she wants my books to do my self assessment), Thursday - I am back in Stroud meeting Snow Business and on Friday...well that is another story.
Last weekend I was invited to a breakfast meeting today with BNI over at Bromsgrove Rugby Club - it really was quite strange and my welcome pack contained loads of business cards. BNI is a business networking group and I had thought about joining them but having looked at their fee - I cannot afford it so will broach that with them when I go again next week..trouble is I have to be up ridiculously early to be there ideally before 7am (yes, that's right 7am!!). I did meet some nice people but have already worked out that it is the same people over and over again who seem to refer each other - you have to be there for several weeks before you get referrals. Another thing that I don't like about them is that I have to commit to going every Friday and if I can't go then I have to send a sub but I cannot do that as I work for myself and have no employees.
I did meet a nice chap today and I shall be meeting him on 19 October - he is a personal trainer who also corrects your posture - my posture needs correcting as I tend to slump but its a vicious circle; I slump because my backaches but the more I slump the more it aches but if I stop slumping it still aches...sigh. It is costing me £20 for an hour so I shall see how it goes - I would rather spend money on me than spend £575 + £52 (breakfast every week for £10) for membership of BNI. I can't help feeling as though I am being indoctrinated :( They were asking today if the members knew of anyone famous - I managed to keep a hold of my tongue because I don't think it would look too good if I said that Brad Sugars, multi-millionaire Action Coach was my friend LOL - mind you I know a few other famous people too, I went to school with some of them...eeek!
Next Friday I am supposed to be going to Grand Designs Live at the NEC but doubt that that will happen now as I will need to wind down after a busy week. My blog will have to go on hold too because I am taking a break (the first holiday since January) and am off to Spain for a few days. I booked my flights today and am really miffed with Monarch so I shall have to send them a letter - I booked online but could not get past the page where you choose a seat - now I am not really bothered where I sit but I was forced to select a seat..I then discover that Monarch have charged me £15 for the seat with a surcharge on top for the blasted thing plus they have charged me an additional £4.08 for daring to pay by credit card!! So much for saving me £25 by booking online :( I havent dared book hold luggage and have decided to take a rucksack (my long distance one - it has been to Australia and back) on as hand luggage so I shall pack a couple of cropped trousers, some crocs, t-shirts, socks, a jumper and some undies plus my toiletries - basically eye drops and other meds, and toothbrush, they might not allow deodorant. As the flight leaves at the ungodly hour of 6.30am then I think I will go and sleep in the airport overnight - I wonder if they will let me check in early??
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