Being as I am running a workshop tomorrow for Networking Mummies Hampshire, on using Twitter for business, I thought I’d dig out a few favorite tips for you ….

Are you using your profile & bio wisely? In addition to your own bio, Include links back to your website and facebook page. Key words about who you support and how and make sure your own name is in there too, so people relate to the human behind the business. Is your profile and brand consistent across all your social media accounts (facebook, twitter, you tube).

When sharing a blog, or interesting article, instead of just introducing it in a tweet, or repeating the title, why not use your tweet to ask a question about the blog, or share an opinion to invite people to engage with you, use your characters wisely !

Leave some extra space, aim for 120 or even 100 characters in your tweet to leave room for people to Retweet the message with their own comment also.

Let us know your top twitter tips to share with other Business Mums, and if you would like further support with social media, and boosting your business, check out our help for Business Mums ! CLICK HERE to find out more.

Have a great week

Love Tarryn x

Mothers Day doesn’t have to be just about gifts, there are lovely gift ideas out there, and I would always recommend supporting local small businesses to find something unique, especially if they are mums in business ! How appropriate ! When running Networking Mummies Hampshire, we always look to support each other when buying gifts, and even run a discount card scheme open to all to help you find that special something.

Mothers day gifts can come in other forms too, and here’s my top tips to make a special day for Mum ! ….

1) Sure, you can buy a lovely card, or you can make one, to give the extra special personal touch, Netmums is a great site with some card ideas and prints to colour.

2) Breakfast in bed… some little ones may need a little help, you’ll find so many different ideas if you google Breakfast in Bed for Mothers Day, pancake ideas, scrambled egg, continental, whatever you choose, Mum will love it, because you created it.

3) So… when Mum finally gets up after her lovely lie in Have a think about what you want to do, meals out can be lovely, or just sometimes, can be very busy ! How about something different, a special walk out, a nature trail if the weathers nice, or if its still a little chilly, how about listening to Mums favourite Music, or film.

4) Treat mum to a foot spa at home, while popping on her favorite CD, you can create your own spa with a few simple products, click here for some product ideas.

5) Read together, spend some quiet time, there’s a good chance mum rushes around quite a bit, so how about spending some time together to read or generally relax.

Whatever you do, Mum will know how much you care !

Thanks for taking a few moments to read, have you seen our own Mothers Day gift idea ?

365 Quotes for Mums That Care  A special, and unique gift book that Mums will love, take a peek.

Please do share this post with your friends, or maybe even let your partner or children take a read if it sounds like the kind of treats you fancy this year !

Have a great week

With Love and Care

Tarryn xx

As some of you may know, I’m also the Branch Leader for Hampshire Networking Mummies, part of the Networking Mummies UK Ltd. We are an award winning networking group in Hampshire where Mums in business can come together, and support each other, share referrals  and grow their confidence in running a successful small business. Our Networking Coffee Mornings are Free, and Children are welcome into our informal settings. Today we ran a new style of Networking in Hampshire, called Guilt Free Networking. We ran the coffee morning at The Three Bears Play Cafe in Woolston. We welcomed many different businesses, run by fantastic Mums, who balance their business with their home life. This gave the opportunity to let the children play safely next to Mum, while she made new contacts, and created a support network to further her own business venture.

It was great to see regular members, Pauline Grant & Jane Corfe Utility Warehouse, Jane Rudd – Bizzy Bodyz, and to welcome new members – Julie McNaught The Prezzie Cake, and Anita Curran – Curran Bookkeeping just to name a few of our 20+ ladies who attended today.

Networking Tip: Follow up after the meeting, email your new contacts to say hi, to share your links, or to ask to hear more about their business, or in our case, we follow up within our Facebook support group. Click here to join us. (no membership or joining fees!)

Business Mum of the Month, Jane Corfe of Forever Living showcased her products, and we took the opportunity to network informally for the rest of the morning. Some Mums may lack confidence at the thought of a formal Networking meeting, and so the Play Cafe was the perfect venue to welcome those who are perhaps new to networking or returning after having children.

We also run affordable business workshops to help our Mums to increase their confidence and skill set to take their business to the next level. Our next workshop will be focusing on using Twitter effectively for Business. We have a few spaces remaining on Thursday 14th March 10:00-12:00 at The Eastpoint Centre, Southampton. Click here for more information.

Click here for a list of all our events between now and May.

Thank you for taking a moment to hear about us, and please feel free to share, we always welcome new members !

Have a great week,

With Love & Care

Tarryn x

P.S. Do you have a copy of my book ? Lovely Mothers Day Present, available from Amazon.

Take a Peek Here

February is a strange month for me this year, as in a couple of weeks it marks the anniversary of an extremely difficult week personally, when I stayed at the hospital with my mum in her final week of life. An experience that I will continue to deal with for the rest of my life I’m sure, would I term it as a trauma, a loss, or a journey?

So for this month, I change the meaning of this difficult week ahead, and while valentines day marks one day to show how much we care about our loved ones, for the remainder of February, I promise to show all those people I love and appreciate, how important they are to me. As I change the meaning of the week in question, to one where I ponder on how grateful I am for my amazing friends and family, who mean the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each of you. You know who you are !

I also make it a time of celebration for all we have, and the things my Mum and Step-Dad (Soulmates who are now reunited so I like to believe) would have been proud of, along all the memories we shared. We had our share of challenges too, of which I’ll be grateful for the learning, and with the amazing support of my wonderful Nan , all shaped me into who I am today.

Not everyone will celebrate Valentines, so I thought I’d set a little challenge for those who are, and those who aren’t.  Whoever you love.. (Partner, Mum, Dad, Sister, Friends, CHILDREN ! ) … Find a special way to tell them at least one thing that you value about them. Be really specific, what is it about this person or people that you value ? If you want to make it really special, Get creative with this, it could involve baking heart cookies with the kids and writing messages, anything fun you can think of,  why not continue this for the rest of the month. Just imagine how the person (or little person) feels on the receiving end.

What are you celebrating this month ? I’d love to hear from you ……..

Just going through my old blog and found this….

I love this poem by Pamela Redmond Satran:

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own even if she never wants
to or needs to…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her
dreams wants to see her in an hour…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
a youth she’s content to leave behind….
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …..
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black
lace bra…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who
lets her cry…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone
else in her family…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a
recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a feeling of control over her destiny…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but it’s over…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t
take it personally…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…”

Here is a link back to my original blog when I first began blogging if you fancy a read !

Click Here

After nearly a year, our blog returns ! Those of you who know me will know that the last two years have been interesting to say the least, with a host of personal and family challenges to overcome and adventures too. Last year, my site went down with a virus of sorts, and for many reasons, it stayed hidden for the best part of a year ! So, now I am delighted to return into the blogging world, and will begin by unearthing a couple of old blogs from way back in the beginning of my journey, before bringing you up to date, and the plan is, to give you a host of tips, tools and strategies in the future to design your best life in the way I can honestly say that I am now. What a great start to the year. ‘The Mums That Care comeback !’

To your Success

Tarryn xx