Special Promotion on the Small Business Legal Academy

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ONLINE ENTREPRENEURS, COACHES, CONSULTANTS, EXPERTS, & SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS…

Cover Yourself Against Legal Vulnerabilities You Risk Encountering in Your Small Business!

Have you got your ducks in a row when it comes to your business? Recently I recommended Suzanne Dibbles excellent GDPR pack and now Suzanne has asked me to let you know about a special promotion for her Legal Academy. If you bought the GDPR pack you will by now know just how invaluable it is and so will be delighted to get an even further discount on the Legal Academy, if you didn’t buy the GDPR pack you will be pleased to know it’s included!

The Legal Academy contains over 70 templates, video guides, checklists, case studies, action plans and an 8-week email course that walks you through the most important legal issues that are likely to affect your business.

Thousands of small business owners have been helped by it. These materials are primarily for people based in the UK and all of the templates are subject to English law. However, many people use the templates who are not based in the UK particularly where they have international clients, as English law is the most popular choice of international law and many of the templates in the coaching module (e.g. online programme terms and mastermind contracts) are simply not available elsewhere.

You will have immediate access to over 70 template legal documents, such as Terms of Business, Freelance Agreement, GDPR Compliant Privacy Policy, Social Media Policy, Employment Agreement, Online Programme Terms, Copyright Notice, Website Disclaimers and many more – all of which are about areas that ARE going to be hugely important to your small business – and which you know have been drafted by a real expert but which are in easy to understand, jargon-free language.

You also have immediate access to over 20 checklists, over 20 video guides, over 20 factsheets, case studies, a back catalogue of monthly webinars and a Confusion Free Guide to Business Law manual – again, all of which will be hugely relevant for your business.

For the rest of this week (until this Friday 26th October) Suzanne is offering the entire materials with six months of updates for 70% of the usual price, namely £197 if people have already bought the GDPR pack, or £297 if they haven’t yet bought the GDPR pack. (The materials include the GDPR pack).

Go here to get your special offer Legal Academy>>>

A Nation of ‘Could Have Beens’

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As a busy author and journalists I must confess I don’t get to really read and digest every press release I receive but one headline hit me hard in the inbox recently.

‘Modern Brits are a nation of ‘could have beens’ – not living life to their full potential’

The press release which was from Fundingguru.com* and said that a nationwide study reveals that we are indeed nation of “could have beens”, with a staggering 84 percent wishing they could change their life for the better and ultimately feel more fulfilled.

Apparently we are not making the most of our talents, with as many as six out of ten (61 percent) admitting they have a natural talent they do absolutely nothing with.

Perhaps unsurprisingly our creativity doesn’t always get fulfilled, As many as 29 percent of those surveyed believe they had a writing talent, while one in four said they could paint or draw well, but never get around to it.   Check out my blog on creating compelling content.

There are also millions of frustrated musicians in the UK, with almost one in twenty saying they could play an instrument, but that they had stopped playing altogether.

17 percent see themselves as talented singers, while 14 percent believe they could have made it as a stand-up comedian.

Over 40 percent of people had dreamed of opening a business, while 26 percent had once had ambitions to be a novelist.

According to the survey, the biggest excuse for not making the most of our lives came down to personal belief, with nearly half (49 percent) saying a lack of confidence made them give up.

Fear of failure was also major concern for 36 percent of people.

After that it was cold hard cash posing a problem, with 26 percent of those polled saying they just couldn’t make their gifts pay the bills.

22 percent said family life had got in the way of finding their dreams, while 19 percent said they were simply too busy to use their talents.

Matt Haycox, founder of fundingguru.com, who commissioned the poll of 2,000 adults said: “I’ve always been a big believer that anyone can live out their dreams by following their passion. Throughout my experience in business, I’ve encountered first hand pretty much every problem you can think of, and access to funding can seem overwhelming. I wanted to help people realise that they can overcome these obstacles, and The Get Funded Guide has been specifically designed to help with all these issues.  What’s more, the guide teaches you how to get in front of the right investors, and every single person that completes it will have their very first funding pitch guaranteed, as I will personally review every one. I’m hoping to find the next big business in the UK, so pitch me!”

As many as 94 percent said they would enjoy life more if they’d used more of their creative skills.

So what are you NOT doing?  Whats your purpose and are you fulfilling it?  It’s one of the things that upsets me most when I see talented people, I can’t bear that they don’t follow their dreams!

Read my post about the late Wayne Dyer who famously said ‘Don’t die with the music still in you 

And while we are on iconic quotes, Here’s just part of that classic Marianne Williamson quote…

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. “

So take some time out today and ask yourself honestly what am I hear to do? What is it that’s holding me back?  If its confidence, fear of failure,  lack of time, who could you ask for support ?

What could you do differently?

If its hard cash check out what Matt offers *(see note below)   http://www.fundingguru.com/

If you want clarity on your work, your brand, your purpose, there are some helpful visualizations in my book You are the Brand, it’s all about encouraging you to step into the spotlight

https://janeyleegrace.com/shop/you-are-the-brand-paperback-edition-including-free-audio-masterclass-module/

  • For clarity I have not met Matt and this isn’t a recommendation for his work, I just thought the research was interesting!

Whats in a number? A numerology session with Jo Soley

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If you’re fascinated by numbers I can highly recommend a session with Jo Soley.  I’ve known Jo for years as a ‘business angel’ who helps entrepreneurs move to their next level of success, but now Jo is offering numerology sessions for her business clients too, because how your destiny number relates to how you operate in your business, and how by understanding the personal year you are in can help you work with the vibration of the year and its energies.

She now offers  ‘Your Brilliance In Numbers’ sessions where by how understanding your destiny number, the meaning of the first initial of your first name and which personal year you are in – can help you understand and empower you and understand how you can do the right thing at the right time in your business. and in your personal life.

Jo says…‘I remember always being fascinated by numerology from a young age. Every time I saw an article in a magazine (or in latter years) a blog post, I would make a beeline for it. From following instructions in one of these posts I worked out my destiny number and was under the impression that I was a 28 10 1   I met  author Richard Abbot  and with his assistance I realized I wasn’t a 28 10 1 – I was a 19 10 1, which is a totally different ball game and I was embarking on a personal year 9 – which again has implications.  Over time I attended his course and he became my mentor.’

Numerology IS …

Based on the fact that numbers are energy. Maths deals with quantity – numbers are everywhere and Numerology deals with quality – numbers are everything related to sensing the energy of the numbers – part information and part intuition – a route to self-knowledge and self-understanding

Numerology ISN’T …

Accumulating lots of info about a number. Numerology is not a method of defining people in a fixed or limited way or solely a way of predicting the future and does not work well by automated computer readings – e.g.: an online numerology report – as there is an intuitive element to it.

Jo offered me a session recently and I must confess I said yes really just out of curiosity, I wasn’t really expecting any lightbulbs,  so when she explained to me that my number is 5 and the characteristics of that number I wasn’t especially surprised,  I have had sessions with people over the years where I have heard that before and it definitely resonates with my personality type.  However she also revealed the implications of my name and that was intriguing.  It reminded me of interviewing Blue Marsden author of Soul Plan on Hay House radio a while back , we had a long discussion about the impact of our birth names on our destiny.

The most profound bit of the session with Jo was her explanation of which personal year I am in currently, we work in 9 year cycles and I am in a ‘9’ year, and that is essentially a ‘completion’ year, where its good to consolidate, declutter and make room for the new energy of the ‘1’ year which will be coming.after my next birthday.   Suddenly I felt a weight lift off my shoulders as I have had a couple of business projects that I have been trying to get off the ground that have just not happened, I thought I was definitely in line for a big contract and I got a big fat ‘NO’.  I had been feeling very rejected and a bit disillusioned, but suddenly Jo’s revelation that I am in a year where its not a good idea to start a new business or kick into a brand new big project, I now feel perhaps it was meant to be.  That knowledge has shifted my thinking and I’m now able to focus on getting rid of what I no longer need, to release,  in preparation for next year when hopefully my projects will fly.

As Jo says ‘Knowing how powerful understanding your numbers are can be game changing with constant light bulb moments.’

Jo also quickly worked out that my husband, who is a my business partner but also very much has his own path as a composer and writer, is, like Jo is, in a personal year ‘1’.  it suddenly made sense, He has had some amazing ‘wins’ lately and I realise that this is the time to support him and watch his success, (while still harassing him to do yet more trips to the charity shop!)

It’s well worth a session with Jo, numerology gives a fantastic insight, suddenly you ‘get’ who you are, and why things are happening, (or not) and rather than trying to work against it, you can work with your own personal ‘essence’ and make your plans accordingly.

To book ‘Your Brilliance In Numbers’ session – Using the powers of numerology to elevate your business email;  jo@josoley.com   https://josoley.com/numerology/

Happy World Gratitude Day!

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It’s World Gratitude Day on 21st September and I’ve long believed that gratitude is the bridge to happiness. However down you feel, taking the tiny step of focusing on a few things that you are grateful for, however small, helps to elicit a tiny change in your mindset.

‘Count your blessings name them one by one’ is the old chorus, experts and healers across the globe agree that gratitude rocks, and on World Gratitude Day and beyond, I’d encourage you to ask yourself ‘what am I thankful for?’ If you can set up a daily gratitude practice even better, and if you have children it’s a wonderful thing to do at the end of the day, you each say three things you are grateful for, it means that rather than worrying, you can fall asleep feeling blessed.

 

F6A9052-profile-circleHow you start the day will definitely have an impact too, Alison T Smith is a wellness coach who says… “I used to awaken feeling really depressed, and that black feeling never eased much throughout the day; but developing an attitude of gratitude changed that forever. So before getting out of bed, write down at least three things you’re grateful for, and as you walk to the bathroom or kitchen, repeat ‘thank you’ to yourself with every step you take”. www.alisontsmith.com/gratitude/

 

GP_1035-copy“Gratitude is one of the top spiritual laws for both awakening ourselves, clearing our karma and to attract the blessings of the Divine” says author and healer Paulette Agnew. She believes that it’s the easiest principle to practice when life is going well but very hard when everything in our life seems to be going wrong. Paulette says “Challenges come to us all and when seen from a spiritual perspective we should still be grateful because we came here to learn and evolve. Often, we grow the most through suffering and even when we feel we have been abandoned by Spirit it is still a gift and deserves our thanks. Practice makes perfect is a good solution to this dichotomy. Create for yourself a daily habit of thanking the people around you, mother earth for her shelter, water, air and food and most of all the Great Spirit for whatever we are given” www.fabhealthbook.com

 

jo-de-rosa-8001-smIn her award-winning book ‘Quantum Sobriety’ Jo De Rosa says, “Gratitude is one of life’s currencies, and when you give it out to others the quantum immediately creates more situations to feel grateful for. It is one of our building blocks to the amazing future that we are carving out for ourselves, opening us up to so much more. Gratitude is a seed and therefore catalyst for more of the same to grow. We are saying YES to life rather than no, and we can quite literally change direction through gratitude.” www.quantumsobriety.com

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Gareth Stubbs co author of ‘The Big Mindful Colourful Book’ runs detox retreats and agrees on the ‘currency’ principle. He says “A Gratitude List is like a Savings Account for a rainy day. It’s so easy to be thankful when things are going your way but it’s during the storms that we really need to dig deep. I find that it’s a reminder of difficult times that I have gotten through and that the storm always passes – especially when it seems darkest.” www.d-toxd.com

 

MummyWhisperer-e1510066251113Lisa Pearson therapist and ‘Mummy Whisperer’ believes that gratitude is hugely powerful. Lisa says… “In my own life I had a really miraculous experience of gratitude. At 19 I was told I couldn’t have children. I met my husband soon after. It’s easy for young people to think that something like that doesn’t matter, but it did become a problem for us in my mid-thirties. We had to look deeply at our lives and our relationship. I remember distinctly the weekend that my husband said ‘I love you just as you are – without children – lets sell up and move to London and just enjoy our freedom’. The next day I realised something was different and had to call him to tell him not to put the house on the market; I was pregnant at 36! www.mummywhispererblog.com

 

Maggy Whitehouse is a Minister and Stand Up Comedian, she says….’I call gratitude ‘appreciation’ because when I was a kid I was told to be grateful for stuff I wasn’t grateful for at all and such things can stick. When I was sick with a cancer I wrote out daily at least 25 appreciations for my life on Facebook and it helped me focus on what really was good. Nowadays I say 100 appreciations each morning before I get up and another when we go to bed at night. I use rosary beads so I don’t have to do actual counting so it’s great fun’
https://maggywhitehouse.com

Gratitude Jar

 

So, its official gratitude works, try a Gratitude Jar or Gratitude Box. Find a huge glass jar or vase or a pretty box and every day, or even more if you feel you want to, jot down something you are grateful for and pop it into the box. You can add coloured pebbles or crystals too if you wish, but over time it becomes a fabulous resource for the days when you are feeling blue.

 

Purpose by Jessica Huie MBE

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Whats your purpose? I’ve written a lot about this, as I meet so many people who know there’s something more for them but they just can’t seem to locate it within the chaos and the overwhelm. They find themselves asking…is there something more? And do I count? I loved interviewing Jessica Huie MBE for Hay House radio recently; Her own journey to finding purpose is hugely inspirational. The book is called Purpose, Find your truth and embrace your calling. (Hay house)

You may know of her of course, she is the founder of JHPR, an award-winning PR agency, (she has worked with Simon Cowell and Meghan Markle no less) and she is the creator of Color Blind cards, a multi award winning multicultural greetings card company which drove an early conversation around the importance of ethnic representation in retail and became the first independent brand to secure a high street presence in Britain for multi-racial cards. The Evening Standard called her one of Britain’s ‘Most inspiring Entrepreneurs’ and she sits on Glamour magazine’s Power List as one of the UK’s most influential women

Jessica is brutally honest about the impact of caring for her father as he died, and the fact that despite having what most people would call the ‘perfect’ career and lifestyle, she realised she has been a control freak and a relentless workaholic perfectionist. Her life transformed when she realised that we are not merely our bodies, and the importance of reconnecting with our true selves.

Jessica has also done lots of work to help female entrepreneurs scale up their business and be authentic in their visibility – so you can see why I felt so connected!

I asked Jessica what our starting point should be if we find ourselves constantly busy and yet not ‘connected’ with ourselves, unhappy, unfulfilled and knowing there is something more.  She suggests that should start by recognising that we need to ‘positively disrupt’ our lives, be honest and real, don’t use the ‘PR’ spin.  The truth is we all use our ‘stories’ to excuse ourselves from moving forward, so many of have the ‘imposter syndrome’ and while the exterior  seems shiny and productive, underneath we are struggling and barely coping.

Jessica says we should ask ourselves what makes us happy? What lights us up?  It’s important because once we are aligned with our truth, that’s when we get into the flow.

The book opens with a quotation from Ernest Livingstone Huie (Jessica’s Dad)

‘Some of us on this earth are the candles and lanterns, flickering lights reassuringly pointing out the way in the bends within this vast funnel which is life on earth’.

So have you found your purpose?
Purpose Find your truth and embrace your calling by Jessica Huie is published by Hay House
Purpose: Find Your Truth and Embrace Your Calling

If you want more clarity on your purpose in your brand check out this one day workshop

Don’t go breaking my heart! your urgent action needed

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Due to the new GDPR rules which come into play on May 25th we need your permission to be able to be able to continue to email you, I’m sure you have been sending out emails to your list and are probably feeling equally frustrated if people are deciding to…deal with it later!

As you know I send you emails twice a month max usually, and love being able to communicate with you about blog posts, special offers, competitions, events I am speaking at etc, if we stay connected you will be the first to hear my news.  (watch this space I am soon to be launching a low cost way of helping you gain more visibility for your business)

You will have been sent an email from us asking you to do a ‘one click’ action to keep signed in, but I’m guessing it may have in some cases gone into a spam folder or promotions folder. SO if you can’t see the email and do the one click thing, please would you consider signing up again…it will only take you a minute…  HERE

I SO hope we can continue to stay connected.  Of course if at any point you wish to unsubscribe you can easily do that too.   Just a note also to say that we NEVER sell data, please do check our privacy policy and we are registered with the ICO.

Don’t go breaking my heart! Please stay….

Once again, check the email which came recently, click once to stay with us, OR if you can’t find that or you don’t mind signing up again (will only take a minute) please click here 

 

Spotlight on Glynis Barber one of our Platinum Award judges

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We are thrilled to have a team of amazing celebrity and expert judges for the Platinum Awards for natural products and services, here we shine the spotlight on actress and health and wellbeing pioneer Glynis Barber and ask her 7 Questions..

Tell  us a bit about your background, how did you come to be doing what you do in the health and well-being sector ?

‘Whats your big ‘WHY’

I’ve always done acting as my main job but over the years I became more and more interested in health and well being. It’s become a passion and 5 years ago I decided to become active in the field and started my agelessbyglynisbarber.com website.

How do you relax?

I’m quite capable of being a bit of a couch potato and flopping onto the sofa to watch TV after a busy day. However I also like to do exercise to properly unwind and de-stress. 

What do you focus on most in terms of health and wellbeing?

I’ve always been very active and exercised in some form or another and I think it’s stood me in very good stead. However I also focus on eating an anti-inflammatory diet and eat in a way to boost my energy.

Whats do you eat for breakfast ?

I don’t eat breakfast! Instead I exercise on an empty stomach and then eat afterwards. One of the best things you can do to burn fat and not sugar and activate your longevity genes.

How much do you exercise ?

I aim for 5-6 days a week. However the acting work does quite often get in the way of that.

If you could be Health Minister for a day what would you do ?

I would take food manufacturers to task and not let them get away with making foods that are so processed and full of sugar. Parts of the food industry have completely undermined health on a global scale.

What’s your mantra / favourite inspirational quote?

Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right. (Henry Ford)

Glynis Barber is one of the judges in The Janey Loves Platinum Awards

Health Works! Join us for an event with 3 leading health experts

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So thrilled to be sharing a stage with Dr Marilyn Glenville (one of the esteemed judges in the Janey Loves #platinumawards) and Dr Patrick Holford.

There are two separate talks both at the London School of Pharmacy.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH A HEALTH & WELL BEING BRAND…..

Health Works – Nutrition and Business Tools for Successful Practice

Sunday 24th June 2018

Price: Early bird: Full Day £85 (Early bird ends 31st May)

Talks:

Marilyn: Women’s Health – using nutrition to balance hormones (part 1 & 2)

Patrick: New Approaches to Cancer plus Weight Loss/Diabetes

Janey Lee Grace: Business clinic for healthcare professionals

Book Here 

This is a special event for practitioners as it combines two top speakers in the nutrition world together with an expert who will show you how to have a successful practice.

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If you want to look after your health…(who doesn’t?)

Saturday 23rd June 2018

Improve Your Health Naturally – With the UK’s 3 Leading Health Experts

Price: Early bird: Full Day £65 or half day £37  (Early bird ends 31st May)

Marilyn: (2 talks) Balancing Your Hormones and Stress

Patrick: Disease Proof Your Life

Janey Lee Grace: Imperfectly Natural Woman

Book Now

The 3 leading experts 

Patrick Holford will cover how you can help your patients disease proof their life as ‘recent advances in cancer research have identified that most cancers have much less to do with aberrant genes and more to do with the environment, primarily influenced by nutrition, in which cells live and grow’

Women’s health nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD will cover the nutritional protocols (including diet, supplements, tests and herbs) to the most common women’s hormone problems including menopause, osteoporosis, infertility, fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS and PMS.

Janey Lee Grace, Radio 2 presenter and PR and media relations coach will discuss how you can achieve the visibility you need to succeed in your practice. She will share with you how you can be confident and authentic and get the inside track on making the right connections with your community and also journalists.

Book NOW 

Why Should You Enter Your Product or Service for An Award?

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Want more visibility for your brand? 

Why you should enter your natural / organic sustainable product or service into an awards programme….(not just mine. Though I hope you do take a look!)

I LOVE awards, running them, presenting them and receiving them, and I hope to convince you that as part of your marketing, entering your products or services into some kind of awards can be hugely beneficial towards building your personal brand. It’s not only about winning…of course one would hope that you might win every award you enter, but I hope to show you that whether you get the gong or not, it’s worth getting into the running.

Why am I the right person to convince you?

I run the JANEY LOVES Platinum Awards for natural products and services, it’s been running for 5 years and I think it’s fair to say that we have helped to make a lot of natural brands, therapists and authors very proud, but also helped many of them get increased visibility, sales and kudos for their entries and winning products.

But this isn’t just about my awards, there are lots out there and I would encourage you to look into the best ones for your niche, (they do say the riches are in the niches…wait a minute that doesn’t rhyme!) and of course you can enter more than one, the more the merrier.

It’s not only my own awards that I have been involved in, I have been a judge for several awards in the last few years, including ‘The Best You’ Personal Development Awards, The Natural Health Magazine Beauty Awards, the UK Bloggers Awards, and I’ve been the presenter at lots of award ceremonies too including The Natural Health Awards, The Federation of Holistic Therapists, and every year I present the FreeFrom Skincare Awards. I’ve also been a co-presenter at The Green Awards, The Pea Awards, and more…

In addition I’ve been the recipient of  several awards, you could say an ‘award’ kick-started my career in a few ways, I won an award for the first radio shows I did, the Gospel Show on what is now BBC London, and around 12 years ago I got an Amazon number one best seller for my first book which also won an award. I’ve been awarded Number One in ‘Who’s Who in Natural Beauty’ industry yearbook for three years running, and just last year, I was thrilled to win an award I hadn’t even entered, having been nominated and winner of a ‘Positive Icon Award’.

So I’ve been there, done it – got the t-shirt! I’ve seen the benefit of awards from a few different angles, and I’d love to encourage you to take the step if you are thinking about entering awards and raising your profile.  Trust me entering awards can be good for business!

So which awards will you enter and why?

Sometimes this is obvious of course, if you have an excellent new beauty product you may be thinking of The Beauty Shortlist, if it’s a natural beauty product, the Natural Health Magazine Beauty Awards are great, if it’s specifically ‘Free From’, then the FreeFrom Awards are for you. If your product or service could fit all of the above, if it’s health and well being, organic, natural or eco, or if you are a therapist, coach or well being author, then I hope you will consider entering the JANEY LOVES Platinum Awards!

Because I am always passionate about looking at the holistic picture we are a bit different from other more ‘niched’ awards in that we have lots of categories and sub categories so there are lots of opportunities. 

So do your research as to what awards you’d like to be part of, and check out your competitors, what badges are they currently displaying?

Clarity on your USP

In order for you to decide which awards and which category to enter it’s super important to have clarity on your USP, that may seem obvious, you may be thinking, ‘of course I know my unique selling point’… it’s that I have a great facial oil, excellent supplements, or it’s that I offer reflexology, or I’m an NLP life coach…but are you really aware that YOU are the brand?

As you may know I have written a book called ‘You Are The Brand’, and I’d like to encourage you to think a little more about your USP – I call it your ‘YOU-nique brilliance,’  Go back to basics and ask yourself – ‘What’s really unique about my brand, my service? What is it that makes people buy from me?’ We all know people do business with those they like, know and trust, and it’s especially true that if what you are selling is health and well being, whether that be products, advice, coaching or treatments, then it’s even more important to recognize that YOU are the brand, in order to like know and trust you, your clients and community need to see you, they need to know something about you.

Ask yourself….Why did you start your business? If you are working in some kind of holistic business it’s likely you came into the work, not because you wanted to make big bucks – (though I sincerely hope you will be financially abundant), but in most cases it’s because you want to make a difference, you want to help people, make them well, improve their mind-set, or whatever it is you do.

Ask yourself….Why do you do what you do?  Its sometimes called ‘the big why’ – this is your story and it can be more important than you think.

Getting real clarity on your ‘big why’ is really critical I think for you to realise that you are the brand and that you can share something of your story in order to resonate with your clients.  What’s this got to do with marketing your products and services entering awards?  Well everyone loves a back story, we’ve all seen Britain’s Got Talent, and The Voice, before the performer comes out on stage, the audience are treated to a little film. A behind the scenes of their life, it’s often there that we learn that they have had some hardship, or that they have a lifelong goal of performing. In some cases we are on their side before we have heard a note, if they do live up to expectations, we are rooting for them and when it comes to the voting they get our vote, back stories can be very persuasive, why?

‘because emotions not logic inspire action’

You may be thinking, ‘This doesn’t apply to me, I have a brand making organic skincare, or I’m a reflexologist …so it’s not about me, it’s about the creams or the treatment.’  Well I’m sure it doesn’t take me to remind me that there are literally millions of organic skincare brands, which is great news by the way according to the soil association the organic market has grown massively.

If you are an author, a coach, a therapist, you will probably have felt a bit daunted at one time because there are so many people offering the same message, or treatment or method,  But there’s only one YOU, and your own story, your big why is part of your USP, it sets you apart.  So get absolute clarity on which bits of your story are relevant and you’d like to share and ask how that relates to the products or service you want to see promoted. Perhaps you trained as a hypnotherapist after you had been transformed yourself. Perhaps you created gluten free snacks because you couldn’t find any that your child with gluten intolerance enjoyed. One of the entrants to the Platinum Awards last year was working full time but wanted to do more aromatherapy treatments, taking the step of entering the awards and winning, gave her the push she needed to create her own products and set up her own treatment rooms.

Ask Yourself

What is my specific USP, what sets me apart? 

If I did win an award, or get promo for one of my products or services which would I prefer it to be? 

Which of my products or services is my ‘hero’ product that sums up my unique niche? 

Some award programmes allow you to enter up to three, or even more, but more isn’t always better, it’s about getting the right one that stands out and sets you apart.

To win or not to win

Once you have done a bit of research on awards you could enter, you will need to choose which product to enter, obviously if you only have one product this is easy, but if you have several, make sure you choose something that stands alone, with its own unique features, something innovative or unusual.

Always think about what category you are entering, and what your competition will be.  However it’s important not to stress too much about the category you are entering. Last year in my Platinum Awards for natural and organic products and services, the Hayo’u face restorer massage tool was entered into my awards, it’s a unique jade ‘stone’ that is used to increase circulation and make your skin look younger, they entered it into the skincare and beauty category, but while our judges all loved it, it didn’t seem to ‘fit’ ‘with the other skin creams and oils etc. so we literally created a new category for it, the most innovative skincare product, and of course it won! 

First impressions count

Think about the judges and testers who will be receiving your product, chances are they will get a whole bunch of products to test and it can become overwhelming, this is your opportunity to ask yourself whether your packaging, your USP, directions on how to use your product etc. are really clear and concise. Put yourself in the position in your mind of a judge who has been asked to judge your product. Close your eyes and imagine someone opening up the package, with no previous knowledge about your brand, what does it tell him or her at first glance? If there is a marketing flyer or supporting material with it how does that look? Before she even tries the product will it be clear to her exactly what the USP is, why it should potentially be an award winner?

Let’s imagine for example that she is judging the ‘moisturisers’ category for a beauty / skincare awards, if she is sent 25 creams to sample, the chances are she will in truth make her decision on a variety of things, not just the efficacy of the cream, similarly if you are entering health and well being supplements into an awards programme, the person judging may not be ‘suffering’ at the start of the process, and with only a month or so to judge a bunch of products it’s unlikely they will be able to really testify to the product making a huge difference.

These examples show the importance of how your product stands out. In the example of the moisturiser, if that’s what you intend to enter, ask yourself is the packaging nice? Does it have any ethical credentials, is it biodegradable or recyclable? Ask yourself is your product clearly labelled, is the ingredients list clear? If it is free from parabens, preservatives, sodium laurel sulphate does it say so? Does the cream smell nice, is it easy to apply? Is it obvious how much is needed? Is the price point commensurate with the luxuriousness or otherwise of the branding? Are there any marketing materials that sit along it? Are there videos to show how it’s used or client case studies?  The latter is even more important for vitamins and minerals, in addition to being able to easily read ingredients, ensure that you comply with regulations and again, if one of the USP’s is that it is free from fillers, artificial colours and preservatives, make that’s clear in supporting information and client testimonials.

If you are an expert, a therapist or coach then you have to find a way to present your work to the judges, this can be tricky of course, in many cases they won’t be able to come and sample your treatments or take your online programme, but again some of this is intrinsic in the first impressions.  

Let’s imagine you are a therapist and are entering as such, perhaps you offer aromatherapy treatments and also have your own range of aromatherapy oils. You could send in a document detailing what you do, how much you charge and send a link to some testimonials from clients.  In my opinion that would be the absolute minimum and you may not stand out.   Again put yourself in the position of the judge who is trying to read between the lines.  Firstly they would need to see an image of you, as we have already said first impressions count, so create a ‘one page’ doc which includes your image, your ‘mission statement’ your credentials, a brief description of your treatments / programme and then add in some concise case studies, preferably with a head shot too, remember this isn’t for publication, but the judge needs to be sure that your case studies / testimonials are from real clients. Remember we do business with those we like, know and trust, and in order to like, know and trust you we need to see you!

Before you enter, get your ducks in a row!

You’ve already identified your ‘hero’ product or programmer or service, the one that you would like to get recognition for, and ask yourself if it’s ‘entry ready? Does it stand out, does it do what it says on tin, and importantly does it actually say what it does on the tin? What is the marketing around it like? 

Will it wow the judges?   

Are there any tweaks you can make to the presentation that could make a difference? I’m not talking about going back to the manufacturers and repackaging (unless that’s the stage you are at), I’m taking about little things like having a well-designed postcard that comes with the product, that gives some info about the brand, includes your Social Media addresses etc.  On that note it sounds obvious but always include your contact details in with your parcel that includes your products, for a judge who is receiving a whole batch of stuff, if your contact name is different to the product name don’t make them waste valuable time searching for you online or via their email, make sure they have the brand name, the product names, and how to contact you both by email and on Social Media.

If your product is unusual, could you add in a really nicely designed simple ‘instructions’ guide…if you are entering purely by email, perhaps in the case of a therapist or app creator who is sending everything virtually, then give the judge a clear easy ‘one click’ link that goes through to a video to see you in action or to access your app. 

Make your entry stands out, and don’t forget, ‘YOU are the brand’ in most cases it isn’t just about the pot of cream, the mascara, the supplements you are entering into an awards programme, it’s about the whole picture, the brand.  So ensure that the judge can see at a glance who is behind this brand, what is the ethos?

I love encouraging new ‘one man band’ type businesses alongside the well-established ones, but if I receive a small inexpensive organic moisturizer that perhaps says…. raw organic hand cream, I may well sample that and love it, but how much more engaged will I be if the cream arrives with a bit of background info explaining that the creator couldn’t find the right cream to help her dry sensitive skin so she created her own at the kitchen table using some of the herbs in her own garden? Suddenly I have an image of the person behind the brand, and it brings it to life and makes much more of an impact.

How do you use being part of an awards programme to get more engagement / more PR for your product or service?

In most awards programmes it’s a case of …pay your entry fee, (or not as the case may be) enter, and then wait with fingers crossed, but in my awards we absolutely assist you and do everything we can to help create more visibility, along with lots of other programmes, we offer you as the entrant a ‘vote for us’ button.  In our awards while we have a panel of great celeb judges, we also ask readers to vote for their faves and we throw that into the mix. Mostly this is a great opportunity for you to go onto Social Media and direct marketing and promote the fact that you have entered, and ask people to vote for you. It’s a fantastic way of reminding your customers or your tribe about your hero product, and asking something of them, if you think about the brands that you love, if you received an email from them saying…’We know you love our …. face oil…vitamin d supplement …bamboo leggings…or whatever …we are proud of our best-selling product and have entered  into the …xxx awards….please show your support and click here to vote for us….You would!

You can use this as an opportunity to remind people of the benefits of your product entry. Hopefully the awards programme will offer you some graphics to use, but if not create your own, use a programme like CANVA and knock up a simple ‘we’ve entered…please vote for us’…kind of image which you can use on Social Media. Ask the awards programme for their logo, if they haven’t given you the marketing materials to use already. In addition, especially if there is a decent amount of time between your entry and the date the award winners will be announced ,you have nothing to lose by creating a press release to promote your entry, this works especially well for marketing in your local area. 

Create a press release that talks about your brand and the story behind it and the fact that you have entered and you just never know they may print it….wishing you luck encouraging their readers to vote for you and giving you some valuable publicity in the process.  You could offer a competition to win a few of your products, local newspapers and mags often love being able to offer competitions form local businesses.  Take this opportunity to research which newspapers, magazines and online publications would be a good fit for you, and if you get that press release right, with good images and a good story behind it, you will only need a heading tweak for it to be ready if you win!

Make sure you use Social Media to your advantage through the waiting process, follow the judges and the awards programme and retweet, share or like any posts around the awards, don’t worry about the competition, by aligning yourself with the awards ‘hashtag’ you are keeping your brand name visible. 

Once the award winners are announced, if you haven’t won on this occasion, don’t be too disappointed, maybe it just wasn’t the right time, hopefully you have benefited anyway from creating the best entry you could and perhaps you feel there is something you could have done better. Rather than wallowing in the disappointment, have a look at your competitors’ products, especially the ones similar to yours and ask yourself objectively… Why their product may have got the gong over yours?  

Now if you have won, at whatever level – be loud and proud!

Sing your own praises across Social Media, and in your marketing, thank your fans, offer them a discount or special offer to celebrate the win, congratulate other winners too, (all good for your name to be seen) and of course now is when you really do need that press release.  This time of course it will state …Local Brand Win National Award….or similar.

Ensure that it goes not only to local press, who will surely want to feature you as a local award winning brand, but also send to the publications where you would like to be featured. Don’t forget trade publications in your chosen arena, and if you feel there is a story / an angle around what you do, approach your local radio station and offer to be a guest, if they have a lifestyle show or similar.

Hopefully if you have won, you will receive a winners badge or logo and it may be appropriate to have these printed, ask the awards programme for their artwork if this is something they support, and you can create stickers to add to your products, at the very least add the ‘badges’ or winners logos to your website and Social Media posts.

In summary then, don’t make the mistake of thinking … I’ll wait till my new products are out before entering awards, chances are your products may be ‘new’ to judges anyway. Treat entering awards more like a low cost marketing exercise, which has the added value of a possible accolade which will help to catapult your marketing.

If you have any questions or comments I’d be pleased to hear them, I wish you a huge amount of luck and success and of course I would hope that you may consider entering the JANEY LOVES Platinum Awards, we have a big list of categories because I love to cover all things holistic, so whether you have organic or natural skincare, cosmetics, health and well being supplements, eco fashion, mother and baby products or eco home and garden kit have a look. We also have categories for authors of books on well being and spirituality and there’s a category for therapists and coaches. We have a fabulous team of celeb judges, (and moi!) and unlike many awards programmes we do everything we can to promo you throughout the process!

Check out the different levels on  www.platinumawards.co.uk

 

Getting Older is Inevitable But Ageing is Optional!

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‘Time has not been kind’ is the phrase I fear most being said about me. As I get older I feel an increasing urge to stay as youthful as possible, but on the other hand NOT try and be anything I am not.

It’s tricky getting older if you are in the media. I was aware of the vulgarity of ageing from as early as my late twenties, when after I had just had a hit record, (Cola Boy – 7 Ways to Love) a whopping number 8 in the charts I will have you know…my manager tried to secure a new record deal for me and was told rather bluntly…ah, sadly she is ‘over the hill’

Getting Older

Thankfully with the likes of Seasick Steve, the combined age of the Stones, and the continued success of much-loved iconic actresses like Helen Mirren, I think it’s becoming less of a stigma to not be – well young. Yet I still feel a compelling urge to lie about my age. After all, I spent so many years doing it once I realised I wouldn’t be taken seriously unless I did!

I started as a singer, was lucky enough to tour the world as a backing singer with Wham and George Michael, and a whole host of other artists. Despite being in the background I had a ball, and then I got catapulted into the spotlight and ‘went to the ball’ as it were when I had my own hit record in 1991. I carried on being a session singer but then gradually moved into radio because I loved it. My first radio job was as a presenter on BBC Radio London and I progressed from there to Virgin Radio and then onto Radio 2 where I have been for a staggering 18 years!

My Children Keep Me Young

I never intended to have children. I was always such a career girl and honestly the biological clock wasn’t ticking, or if it was I wasn’t listening. Somehow fate had other ideas, and what the doctors thought was an ovarian cyst turned out to be my first baby. I went on to have three more too, to the amazement of my friends, well and to me really.

There’s no doubt that having children transformed me, and it’s definitely kept me young. My husband is a few years older than me and our third child Rocky aged 14 had a bit of dig about our age as his parents (his dad had just turned 60). Honestly! why are you SO old? My friend’s parents are 35! You could be her grandparents! Our answer? Well you will get your inheritance sooner…

Age is Just a Number!

The truth is, age really is just a number, I know people in their thirties and forties that seem grey and tired, and I know a few 76 to 90+ rockers who squeeze every wonderful moment out of life.

We are a society obsessed by ‘labelling’ people by their age. I heard an excellent presentation a while back from Dr Christiane Northrup, the author of ‘Goddesses Never Age‘. Her Top Tips? Don’t celebrate milestone birthdays (well not after 25) and don’t put a number on your age!

She believes that getting older is inevitable but ageing is optional.

You really are as old as you feel, and true beauty really does come from within. I’ve interviewed lots of Hollywood stars who it’s accepted are ‘beautiful’ but they don’t radiate a beautiful energy. In many cases they don’t even have ‘sex appeal’. Yet I’ve interviewed older actresses who have an incredible energy. They literally ‘light up the room’ and everyone is attracted to them. Someone once said as you’re getting older, your kindness will show in your face. There may be good days and bad, but don’t choose to be in ‘normal health’, choose optimal!

Be Kind to Yourself

That’s my passion really, to be as healthy and live as holistically as possible, and to encourage others to be in rude health too and to live their purpose. I’ve been banging on about ‘wellbeing’ for years, since before my first book came out (Imperfectly Natural Woman was a number One Amazon best seller in 2006) – and before Kale had its own publicist!

Most of us do know the basics:

Refuse to grow up! The phrase ‘grown up’ seems to suggest that we have stopped learning! Christiane recommends that when people ask you your age, look them in the eye and say..’What’s your real question ?’

Goddesses Never Age by Dr Christiane Northrup (Hay House)

Janey Lee Grace is the author of Look Great Naturally Without Ditching the Lipstick (Hay House) and You are the Brand (PR secrets for entrepreneurs)

This article was first published on Mr and Mrs 50 Plus – April 2018 –  www.mrandmrs50plus.com