Issue 2July 2009 www.homebusinessnetwork.co.uk 15
SECOND LIFE :: PEAK PRINCESS
Rachel
Career break saw radio
producer take a liberty
Elnaugh
MARKETING ON A SHOESTRING
By Kate Chandler
UNTIL last year Lissa Cook was a radio producer making
I’ve met many entrepreneurs
Write a blog
documentaries for networks such as BBC Five Live, World Service
over the years and also seen
The most famous example of
and Radio 1 after spending five years producing and editing BBC
some brilliant ideas and
an entrepreneur turning his
Radio 4’s flagship political news & current affairs programmes -
inventions, but the one thing
business around via blogging
The World at One, PM and The World this Weekend.
that everyone underestimates
was Thomas Mahon of www.
“We moved to the Peak District from London two years
when they go into business is
englishCut.com whose ‘Savile
ago and last spring I took a career break.” It turned out to be
just how difficult it is to market
Row Tailor’ blog displayed his
a lot more than that. “I was sitting in the park with my god-
your product – especially
passion and knowledge for
daughter, Tilly, and realised there was a gap in the
if you are working on a
every aspect of tailoring. As
market for good quality girls’ dresses in beautiful
shoestring budget.
a result, Mahon’s business
fabrics and prints.”
Consumers are bombarded
mushroomed – even though
It wasn’t such a random thought. Lissa’s mum
by something like 5,000
he does all his work from his
was a dress designer who had her designs featured
marketing messages
workshop in Yorkshire and
in vogue in the 1960s. “And my grandmother was a
every single day – whether
didn’t originally even have a
milliner and my great-grandfather was a bespoke
that is Tv ads, e-shots,
presence on Savile Row!
shoemaker so there’s obviously something in
billboard hoardings, special
I could write a whole article
the genes!
promotions in supermarkets
about blogging; the keys to
“So I started a business called Peak Princess,
or junk mail – and many
writing a successful blog are
hand-making dresses for babies and little girls in
of these are big brands
1) keep it fascinating 2) vary
Liberty prints.
with multi million pound
your keyword tags to attract
The business is run from Lissa’s home in
marketing budgets, so as
new viewers 3) constantly link
the Peak District. “It’s proving a real hit with
a small business it’s really
to other sites to improve your
customers and I’m getting lovely press. Liberty
difficult to stand out from
search engine ranking and
has been really supportive and it featured my
the crowd.
4) stick with it – it can take
designs on their new blog alongside Kate Moss
Here are three really
months to build a following.
dresses and Nike’s shoes, calling them ‘truly
simple, low cost ways to
exclusive, personal and original...not something
market your business which
you’d find on the high street’.”
can be hugely effective:
Find niche markets on Google
Search engine Optimisation
“I’m currently designing my autumn/
is an art but the key to
winter Liberty range and due to demand
Use PR to the max success on Google (as well as
have started work on a boys’ range, called Peak
Gaining publicity is the fastest marketing in general) is that
Prince, of course.”
way to get it’s easier to
www.peakprincess.co.uk
lots of free have success
Titty Toadstool pinafore
coverage - but
❝
Consumers are
marketing
the secret is
bombarded by
specific
BOOK REVIEWS
not in writing a
brilliant press
something like 5,000
products/
services to tiny
release, it is
marketing messages
niche markets
Start and Run a Business From Home How to Start Your Own Business
about daring
By Robert Ashton
to be different
every single day.
than to try to
By Paul Power
❞ be all things to
- and thus all people.
building your PR strategy into For example, it’s easier to
How many home Books on starting out are
the heart of your business. get to the top of the Google
businesses are born out not exactly in short supply.
For example, unknown rankings with the specific term
of a hobby? No one knows The secret in deciding
chef Heston Bluementhal ‘Burberry Warrior Handbag’
but it is surely many so which to buy really comes
got acres of coverage for his than it is with ‘Designer
Paul Power’s book, which down to understanding
snail porridge which attracted Handbags’. Putting the search
sets out to show would- where your own areas of
customers in droves to his term in the name of your URL
be home entrepreneurs knowledge fall down.
Fat Duck restaurant; eBay page will also put you higher
how to turn that part time
was all over the news when a in the rankings for example:
pastime into a profitable If you are pretty clued
man put his whole life up for www.designerhandbags.com/
venture, is a must read. up on the tax, insurance
auction in Australia – his home, burberry_warrior_handbag
It helps you conduct the and legal aspects but
motorbike, clothes, his job and People putting specific
critical initial research, need a bit of guidance on
even all his friends; Skype was terms into Google are also
securing funding and branding, customer bases
marketed by its customers to far more likely to be ready to
conduct the marketing. and marketing then this
all their friends on the strength buy - and by creating a really
book could be for you.
of the fact its international detailed attractive webpage
Power has lived the dream. “I decided to cash It even covers things such as reducing risk and
calls were free. specifically for that target
in my career with all its perks, including paid employing staff.
Think about what you product alone with a BUY NOW
holidays, sick leave, generous pension and
can engineer to make your button you’re far more likely
decent salary and go it alone,” he writes. But he Ashton kicks off by helping would-be
business really different – to get a purchase. OK this
warns that starting a business is one of the most entrepreneurs assess their own character types,
whether that’s an outrageous takes far longer than creating
challenging and difficult things you will ever do. such as intuitive, competitive or sensitive. Once
product, and amazing service a website which is a laundry
You have to be prepared, he says, and this book you know that, he argues, you can better assess
offer or something completely list of all your products but the
aims to do just that: tell it as it is. It sets the your strengths and weaknesses and work out
unusual about your business payoff is far higher.
expectations. Now it’s down to you. which areas need greater attention.
- and what will get people In the next issue I will give
Price: £12.99 Price: £12.99
talking about you. you three more ideas.
Publisher: How to books Publisher: Pearson Education
Rachel elnaugh is the award-winning entrepreneur who created
the experiences company Red Letter Days. She also appeared
on the first two series of BBC Tv’s Dragons’ Den. She has just
“Have a good clear out and de-clutter.
Digging through disorder and mess looking
homebusiness
launched an online business coaching and training forum at
www.rachelelnaugh.me aimed at inspiring, motivating and helping
for what you need and not being able to
entrepreneurs achieve business success.
find it will seriously affect your success.
You need to ensure that the desk and
member offer
working space will allow you to work at
Members of the Home Business Network can
TOP TIP
your best. Clear out everything from your
buy The Which? Essential Guide Working
“With Google Adwords, you’ll appear in the sponsored results
office that does not belong there. That
For Yourself for £8.49 including postage and
that are on the right hand side of Google Pages. You can
includes any items that have wandered in
packing. The usual selling price is £10.99.
target your adverts to the keywords that you know your
from another room of the house.”
TOP TIP
customers are searching for.”
Rachael Ross, purelypeppermint.com
Call 01903-828557 and quote WYWZ0709.
Marcus Green, founder of Toolkit Websites
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