Book Press

Christmas came early for me last week when I took ownership of my nipping press, thanks to my beloved husband, who bid for it on eBay.  A combined Christmas and birthday present from my other half, these things don't come cheap, even second hand.  We travelled to Congleton (nice place), and collected the press, which my hubby struggled to place in the boot of the car, not realising how heavy these things are.  Struggling to catch his breath, we drove back to Manchester, the car noticeably heavier.  Then came the fun part of trying to get the damn thing into the house.  We struggled, but together, somehow, we got the nipping press into the living room, amidst much huffing and puffing, and giggling.  And there it remains, tucked away in a corner of the living room (God forbid if anyone should stub their toe on it!!).  Unfortunately, it's doubtful that it will move from its resting place, as hubby is afraid it will go straight through the floor if moved to the conservatory, where I do most of my bookbinding.  But I think you'll agree, it's a real beauty.

Workingmums.co.uk live event in Manchester

I was lucky enough to attend the workingmums.co.uk live event yesterday at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester.  Organised to help mums find information on flexible working and starting a business, the event featured some excellent seminars. 

'Working for yourself - practical steps and options' featured three guest speakers: Iain McIlwee, from PCG, who explained some of the benefits of working as a freelancer; Paul Southworth from The Direct Selling Association, who aimed to explode the myth that direct selling was little more than a means of earning pin money; and Rachel Ray, founder of Bright & Beautiful, who provided an excellent introduction into the world of franchising.

The afternoon's sessions kicked off with 'Setting up your own business - Social Marketing & PR'.  Possibly my favourite seminar of the day, Naomi Timperley, who launched Baby Loves Disco in the UK, and Social Media Boom, gave a fascinating introduction into the world of social networking, helping to unravel some of the mysteries of Twitter and Facebook.

Finally, speakers Bernie Cox of the Women's Organisation and Neil Lewis of MediaMoDo provided some practical information on the subject of Business Planning.   

All in all, an interesting and informative event, which I'd recommend to any mums thinking of setting up their own business.